Mangt System Integ

This case study was submitted to The Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA) as part of The S4 Group's involvement in the development of a white paper on Middleware in the Building Automation Industry

Multi-national media operation

Critical Environment Integration

The Challenge

A multi-national media corporation could not afford the risk of going off the air due to an environmental related condition. Their production and transmission facilities had to operate at maximum availability to eliminate the possibility of broadcast outages. They already invested in one of the most sophisticated enterprise management systems monitoring all of their systems and networks. They had a world class Building Automation System in place maintaining the environment for their facilities. The problem was that they were operating independently of each other both technically and organizationally.

The Solution

Integrating Building Automation Systems controlling critical environments with enterprise management frameworks within an enterprise, improves the overall efficiency of the organization by making near real time information available for use in the decision making process. This provided a significant advantage to this media company who was striving to stay competitive and needed to treat control of their critical environment as an integral part of a larger process.

Network and systems management platforms have been available in the IT world for many years. The more sophisticated offerings automatically perform fault correlation and root cause analysis alerting the operator to early warning signs and allowing them to take proactive measures prior to a system alarm or failure. There are many mature players and options from which to choose. A few innovators are evolving who understand that the IT systems and networks are only a subset of what needs to be monitored and controlled and that in order to obtain maximum operational efficiencies the entire business process needs to be monitored.

By bringing the Building Automation System and the Enterprise management system together utilizing the Obermeier Software OPC-SNMP Enterprise Agent as middleware they can now operate as one interrelated system, which in reality reflects the business impact of the critical environment.

Benefit to Business

These traditionally isolated and stove piped systems now have the opportunity to become part of the company’s core business practices. Worst case, better visibility and oversight leads to better utilization of resources and more aggressive cost management. In the best case these integrated systems become an active part of the broadcast company’s business process resulting in higher production quality, advance warning about any pending environmental issues that could impact schedules, and better tools to manage outcomes. The integration process improved MTBF ratings by identifying minor problems and facilitating their correction before they could impact service delivery.

By integrating the previously stove piped systems the broadcast company now has the ability to examine lifecycle cost management, facility benchmarking, create best practice protocols, install continuous improvement programs, monitor all or parts of operation for quality assurance, and make critical decisions for support services.

Controlling costs will be more practical as near real time data drives use of energy, lighting, and personnel resources. This will allow the building to be operated with the consideration of the interrelationships and interdependence of all installed systems.

Integration to the existing enterprise management systems with the OPC-SNMP Enterprise Agent leveraged existing infrastructure investments and maximized the amount and type of data that is available for the business management process.

Integration in Action

The SNMP OPC Gateway technologies have been utilized by Siemens Building Technologies, Bombardier Transportation, Duke Energy, Johnson Controls, Inc. Controls Group, Exxon-Mobil, GE Aircraft Engines, and other companies world wide. These companies have used the solution to obtain near real time data from process controls and building automations systems, integrating those systems directly into their own, or their customers, enterprise or network management framework.

Building Automation

Non-IT System Integration

Enterprise Integration

S4 Open Appliance Applications

SNMP OPC Gateway Applications

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