IT (Information Technology), as the core of data processing, network communication and software application, provides powerful information support and decision-making assistance for the daily operation of enterprises. OT (Operations Technology), on the other hand, focuses on the optimization of physical process control, automation equipment and monitoring systems in industrial environments to ensure the stable and efficient operation of production lines. With the rapid development of technology, the manufacturing industry needs to adopt advanced technology to realize intelligent upgrading of production and management.
As a key point for the integration of IT and OT, Edge Computing can not only intelligentize automation equipment, but also improve the ability to carry out fine management and traceability of production processes. This will improve the overall production efficiency and product quality.
Application areas of IT and OT
IT includes computing and processing systems and data storage. It is often used in information management and communication management. It encompasses technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, internet, communication, cloud computing etc. Using IT, we can build different algorithms to provide different services.IT can be applied to almost any field, industry, logistics, technology, healthcare, education and so on. Simply put, IT is needed wherever various systems are applied.
OT consists of the hardware and software that runs and manages production systems, including systems such as SCADA/DCS/ICS. Through OT companies can automate production processes, realize data collection, real-time monitoring of equipment and abnormal alarms. OT is used in manufacturing, energy, logistics and many other industries to provide strong technical support for the production process.
Why Edge Computing is Needed in IT/OT Convergence?
Industry 4.0 is blurring the lines between IT and OT, and their natural complementary relationship makes technology convergence imperative. But in this process, there are many problems. For example, the need for uniform data formats and communication protocols, the need to address security issues. So, is there any way to facilitate this process? The answer is yes, and that is edge computing! Edge computing gateways can transform and pre-process data on the edge side where the data is generated. It can solve problems such as inconsistent protocols, inconsistent data formats, poor security, low timeliness, and slow development progress.
What are the functions of Edge Computing Gateway?
Edge computing gateway is also called industrial IoT gateway, PLC gateway and so on. It is often used in various fields such as industrial automation, energy management, smart city, wastewater treatment, smart charging pile and so on. For example, the EG8200 Edge Computing Gateway from IOTRouter can easily interface with devices, systems, etc. from different manufacturers so that they can work together and be supervised in a unified way.
1. The gateway has built-in standard data protocols, network protocols and multiple industry protocols. Through the whole process of data format and function customization, it is convenient for user development and management.
2. The edge computing gateway can also easily solve the problems of massive data transmission and processing. It has a powerful processor that can collect massive data at the same time and pre-process these data. It can eliminate erroneous data, redundant data, and can split, reorganize, aggregate, and conditionally judge data. This greatly reduces the amount of data in the transmission process and saves computing resources and response time.
3. In terms of guaranteeing security, edge computing gateway has advantages in many aspects. Local data processing methods reduce the transmission of sensitive data over the Internet. The use of firewalls, access control, data encryption and other security measures guarantee the security and stability of the system.
4. Edge computing industrial gateways with common communication protocols and API/SDK interfaces can be integrated with other platforms. For example, SCADA system, IOT cloud platform, data center, intelligent management system and so on. It can be expanded according to specific user requirements to meet the needs of IOT application development and integration.
5. Support for secondary development, you can drag and drop the form of various types of nodes in the gateway development interface to arrange, and then control the entire functional process. With this ability, developers can say goodbye to the traditional way of cross-compiling, burning boards, etc., and complete the test and deployment work directly on the web side. Simple, efficient and flexible!
We see that the deep integration of IT and OT cannot be separated from edge computing! By pushing data processing capabilities to the edge of the network, the time delay from data generation to processing is greatly reduced. In addition, data is processed near the source, reducing the need to transmit sensitive data to the cloud and lowering the risk of data leakage. At the same time, edge computing supports local decision making and keeps the system running at a basic level even in the event of a network outage. It enhances the resilience and reliability of the system. The convergence of IT and OT will deepen with the further maturation of technologies such as 5G and IoT. It promotes all industries to realize intelligent upgrading and opens a new digital era.
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