NE178 ”NAMUR Open Architecture Verification of Request” is newly published

The NAMUR recommendation NE178 from WG 2.8 Automation Architectures has been newly published and can now be obtained from the office.

Abstract to NE 178 "NAMUR Open Architecture Verification of Request"

Leveraging state of the art, rapidly evolving and adapting IT technologies in conjunction with established, reliable and safe OT architectures has become vital to maintain a competitive market advantage. To achieve this, information must somehow traverse the IT/OT information domain boundaries. NAMUR Open Architecture (NOA, NE175) how information can be communicated between the three information domains of OT/Core Process Control (CPC), plant specific optimization (psM+O) and central monitoring and optimization (M+O). Through the use of information models (NE176), aggregation servers (NE179) and security gateways (NE177), NOA makes CPC information available for a plethora of use cases within the psM+O and M+O domain. NOA Verification of Request (VoR) adds another puzzle piece to NOA: The ability for information (change requests) to be communicated automatically from the “outside” psM+O back into the OT CPC without adversely impacting availability or safety of the plant.

The NAMUR recommendation NE178 / VoR:

• Describes a system of systems architecture distributed between psM+O and CPC.
• Provides a sequence of technology-agnostic information processing steps that need to be applied to requests so they can safely & securely traverse the IT/OT domain boundaries.
• Offers separation of concern between request issuer and plant owner by ensuring request issuers do neither require obtain knowledge of the plants automation specifics.
• Describes a feedback mechanism that keeps request issuers appraised of their request processing status within VoR while ensuring no plant-specific information is disclosed

Details administrational, safety and security guidelines for designing, operating and maintain a VoR system. Possible means of employing VoR are exemplified through simplified use cases.