You Can't Manage What You Can't See: Network Management Strategies for Today's Connected Industry

[Erkan Teskancan]

The scalability and management of industrial networks have become a critical requirement in manufacturing with the convergence of IT and OT networks. The merging of these previously separate networks necessitates not only the management of connected production devices but also that these devices improve operations through efficient data sharing and provide visibility across multiple facilities.

This situation leads manufacturing organizations to more frequently use network management tools, commonly employed on the IT side, within the OT environment. We spoke with Mike Fisher, Belden's Senior Manager of Solution Architecture, about the opportunities these tools offer to OT.

### The Role of Network Management Platforms in Managing IoT and Industrial Devices

According to Fisher, "You can't manage what you can't see." Network management platforms should not only ping an IP address range but also build a topology that shows how devices are connected to each other. This visibility provides a significant advantage in troubleshooting processes. For example, if a device address turns red, it can be quickly determined that the entire cluster has gone dark and the problem lies with an upstream switch or connection.

Good platforms can also detect hidden elements in your network. If an unmanaged switch cannot be seen because it's not forwarding traffic, tools like Hirschmann’s HiVision software can infer the presence of unmanaged switches between a managed switch and other devices.

Furthermore, the ability to perform operations such as firmware updates or configuration changes on thousands of switches in a collective and scheduled manner is of great importance. HiVision's MultiConfig feature can update security protocols or settings across an entire device group in a single step.

### Network Performance and Security in Multi-Facility Environments

Manufacturers need to look for multi-vendor support in a platform, as single-vendor environments are very rare in large-scale networks. Managing third-party devices and configuring multiple switches simultaneously saves time.

Modern network access control (NAC) solutions significantly enhance security. For example, macmon software allows users to set rules based on device type, ensuring that a device plugged into the wrong port does not enter the incorrect network segment.

### Problem Detection and Visibility

With thousands of switches and dozens of connections, thousands of links must be monitored. While traditional methods monitor different factors separately, Belden's ONE metric shows the overall network effectiveness with a single score. This allows for a quick assessment of the network's status and detailed identification of the source of problems.

### IT and OT Collaboration and Security

The ideal approach is to monitor OT and IT networks through separate network management systems, via a demilitarized zone (DMZ). However, as IT teams now also access the OT domain, it becomes important for platforms to support equipment from both sides. Security boundaries should be established using VLANs, firewall rules, and access lists, but these structures should not be overlooked in the management software.

### Industry 4.0 and Network Management

With Industry 4.0, tracking data flow becomes critical. This necessitates the integration of network management platforms with data platforms. Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) technology allows critical communication channels to be prioritized; for example, an emergency stop signal propagates through the network without delay.

### Future Readiness and New Technologies

Intent-based network management analyzes device configurations and automatically adjusts the network. In examples such as devices in the energy sector using the IEC 61850 protocol, the network structure is optimized according to the devices' needs. Furthermore, cybersecurity planning includes knowing the codebases and components of device software.

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This information highlights current strategies and technologies that will help manufacturing facilities build modern, reliable, and flexible network infrastructures.