Architecting the Smart Grid Using the Industrial Internet of Things
Like an ESB, this solves the N-squared problem. However, unlike an ESB, it provides a fast,
distributed core, replacing the centralized service model. Legacy and less-capable connectivity
technologies transform through a gateway to the core standard. There are only N
transformations, where N is the number of connectivity standards.
To support the needs of IISs, this design requires a very functional core connectivity standard.
Some systems may get by with slow or simple cores. However, most industrial systems need to
identify, describe, find, and communicate a significant amount of data, with demands unseen in
other contexts like enterprise software. Many applications, such as Phasor Measurement Units,
need delivery in microseconds or the ability to scale to thousands or even millions of data values
and nodes, as with Smart Meters. The consequences of a reliability failure can be severe. Since
the core standard really is the core of the system, it has to perform.
In addition, this connectivity architecture facilitates communication security so long as the
security architecture matches the connectivity architecture. For instance, the “core” standard
may support various communication patterns and delivery capabilities. The security design must
match those exactly. For example, if the connectivity supports publish/subscribe, so must
security. If the core supports multicast, so must security. If the core supports dynamic plug-nplay discovery, so must security. Security that is this intimately married to the architecture can
be imposed at any time without changing the code. Security becomes just another controlled
quality of service, albeit more complexly configured. This is a very powerful concept, as is the fact
that when controlling critical infrastructure, security must be considered as part of the base
design, not as an afterthought of “just add some firewalls.”
The integrated security must extend beyond the core. The IIRA allows for that too: All other
connectivity technologies can be secured at the gateways, and the traffic monitored. Security
today is both intrusion protection, and intrusion detection and fast mitigation.
5.
APPLYING THE INDUSTRIAL INTERNET REFERENCE ARCHITECTURE TO THE
SMART GRID
The SGIP, via a liaison agreement with the IIC, is extending the IIRA to address the particular
needs of the Smart Grid, and microgrids in particular. To define this EnergyIoT, the SGIP’s
OpenFMB project is developing an Open Field Message Bus, extending the connectivity
framework defined in the IIRA with a data model encompassing the needs of the Smart Grid. The
OpenFMB framework will be deployed and proven in microgrid testbeds. The IIC Microgrid
Testbed project will also adopt the OpenFMB framework to prove its edge communication and
control architecture. Both projects are using the DDS IIoT data communications standard for their
deployments. DDS (Data Distribution Service) is deployed extensively across many Industrial
Internet Systems to facilitate edge device to edge device low latency data communication as well
as communication back to central control