Encore Networks, Inc.

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Optimized Data VPN Solutions for SCADA Networks

THE SITUATION
Public utility companies — providers of gas, electricity, and water — have traditionally used distributed intelligence systems to deliver services to their customers and to monitor usage. One of the most prevalent of these delivery and monitoring systems is based on the Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) protocol, which for years has been transported over analog telephone lines. With the deregulation of the telephone industry and the move towards digital methods of transport, the costs of networks using SCADA have increased while network reliability has decreased. At the same time, improvements in technology have produced a number of highly sophisticated remote monitoring and control devices, which the utility companies are already employing to facilitate utility distribution and data collection management. As a result, the amount of information being sent over the SCADA networks is increasing, driving a need for higher reliability and bandwidth than analog circuits provide in the network. Utility companies are accordingly seeking cost effective, secure networking solutions that can accommodate SCADA as well as keep pace with the increasing flow of traffic.

BANDIT Product Info

THE CHALLENGE
	Utility companies with networks using SCADA require a secure, but cost-effective conduit for information being transmitted.

	Leased line analog circuits are costly and difficult to manage, as well as unsupported by local telcos.

	The services provided by utility company networks are vital to the infrastructure and economics of the communities receiving them, and control of these services is critical.

	Utility networks typically include a large number of remote points; therefore, the cost of Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections to these remote points must be minimized to justify the economics of the network upgrade.

THE SOLUTION
The Encore Networks VPN IP+Legacy solutions meet or exceed the unique networking requirements of public utility companies. Because the EtherFRAD™ can operate as both a Frame Relay Access Device (FRAD) and an IP router, utility companies have several options from which to choose in the type of transport to use for SCADA traffic. In addition, an EtherFRAD™ installed on an analog, frame relay, or DDS network can enable a smooth migration path to future IP services. The EtherFRAD™ provides built-in software support for interoperability with the legacy data protocols the utility companies are currently implementing
over their SCADA networks. Encore’s BANDIT™ IP+Legacy router, with its built-in V.90 modem and/or 56 kbps CSU/DSU, provides dial-up access to non-networked billing meters, as well as IP connectivity to data centers and VPN backup reliability in corporate management networks. The Encore products include the following application-specific features:


	Interoperability support for legacy SCADA protocols

	VPN-based architecture using Frame Relay Permanent Virtual Circuits (PVCs) with a migration path to IP VPN

	Easy management of Remote Terminal Units (RTUs) through in-band and out-of-band access methods

	Classification and prioritization of different types of data traffic gives utility companies flexibility in engineering their networks

	Built-in dial access capability for non-networked RTUs and billing meters provides a single solution for different requirements

KEY PRODUCT BENEFITS
	Economical solution for providing Frame Relay broadband access
	Compact design for easy deployment at remote locations
	Interoperable with both legacy SCADA protocols and IP in the same box
	Includes robust features such as FastRATE™ for traffic management and prioritization, and FastCONNECT™ for easy deployment
	Supports both in-band and out-of-band access for network management
	Provides higher availability via backup Frame Relay PVCs/DLCIs
	Comprehensive, built-in troubleshooting and diagnostic tools based on SNMP

NETWORK CONFIGURATION

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SUMMARY Encore Networks offers an attractive value proposition with its versatile EtherFRAD™ and BANDIT™ solutions:

	A smooth migration strategy from existing transport methods to less expensive methods, more reliability, and higher capacity

	A method of capturing almost all data types to include legacy serial data protocols over the new, less expensive transport

	Standards-based SNMP management tools

	Easy installation, operation, and maintenance