Industrial Network Infrastructure

In today’s industrial landscape, robust and secure network and compute infrastructure is essential for efficient operations as the worlds of IT and OT converge.

At Malisko, we design and implement Industrial Network Infrastructure that integrates IT best practices with the performance and availability requirements of industrial environments. Our solutions encompass both physical and logical design, aligned with Converged Plantwide Ethernet (CPwE) architectures, and adhere to TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association) standards for structured cabling, enclosures, and pathways. This comprehensive approach ensures your network infrastructure is not only resilient and high-performing but also future-ready and scalable to meet the evolving demands of modern industrial operations.

What Is an Industrial Network?

An industrial network includes a robust industrial IT infrastructure design that is essential for ensuring reliable and efficient operations in today’s industrial environments. It comprises these key areas:

1. Physical Infrastructure: The foundation of any industrial network is its physical infrastructure. This includes structured cabling systems, which are meticulously planned and installed to ensure optimal performance and minimal interference. Pathways and enclosures are designed to protect cabling and equipment from harsh industrial conditions. Proper labeling and administration are crucial for maintenance and troubleshooting, providing clear identification and documentation of network components. Adhering to TIA standards ensures consistency, reliability, and future scalability.
2. Logical Design: The logical design of an industrial network dictates how data flows and is managed within the system. This involves segmentation, where the network is divided into smaller, more manageable sections to improve performance and security. Effective routing ensures data is transmitted efficiently across these segments. An appropriate IP scheme is essential for organizing and addressing devices, facilitating seamless communication and integration. Logical design elements are critical for maintaining an organized, scalable, and efficient network.
3. Security: Security is paramount in industrial network design to protect against cyber threats and unauthorized access. Network access control mechanisms are implemented to ensure only authorized devices and personnel can access the network. The creation of an industrial demilitarized zone (IDMZ) provides an additional layer of protection by isolating critical systems from external networks. Secure remote access solutions enable authorized personnel and contractors to access the network from remote locations while maintaining stringent security protocols. These measures collectively safeguard the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of industrial network resources.
4. Compute: Utilizing industrial-grade virtualized server infrastructure plays a pivotal role in modern industrial operations offering continuous availability and fault-tolerance. This setup enhances flexibility and scalability, enabling quick deployment of new applications and services that can’t go down. Distributed edge computing has also emerged as a critical component, bringing computational power closer to where data is generated. By processing data at the edge, latency is minimized, and real-time decision-making is improved. This is particularly beneficial for Industrial IoT applications, which require fast, reliable data processing and analysis. Combining robust virtualized servers with industrial edge computing use cases creates a resilient, high-performance compute environment that supports the complex needs of modern industrial operations.

Our Industrial Network Services

Malisko offers several industrial network services to help you and your team. When you partner with us, you can gain access to services like:

Industrial Network: Assess, Design, Deploy:

• Physical Network Infrastructure: Design and install robust, structured cabling systems, pathways, and enclosures that adhere to industry standards, ensuring reliable and efficient network performance.
• Logical Network Design, ICS Segmentation: Develop a logical framework for network traffic, including segmentation of Industrial Control Systems (ICS) to enhance security, performance, and manageability.
• Plant Floor Wi-Fi: Deploy and optimize wireless networks on the plant floor to provide seamless, reliable connectivity for mobile devices, IoT sensors, and other wireless-enabled equipment.

Industrial Security:

• Industrial Demilitarized Zone (IDMZ): Establish a secure network zone that separates industrial systems from external networks, providing an additional layer of security and preventing unauthorized access.
• Secure Remote Access: Implement secure methods for remote connectivity, allowing authorized personnel to access the network from remote locations while maintaining stringent security controls.
• DPI – Deep Packet Inspection, ICS Asset Visibility: Utilize deep packet inspection techniques to monitor network traffic, ensuring visibility and security of ICS assets by detecting and analyzing network anomalies.
• Security Posture Survey, ICS Vulnerability Detection: Conduct comprehensive assessments of the security posture and identify vulnerabilities within ICS environments to enhance overall security and compliance.
• NAC – Network Access Control Integration With IT Security: Integrate Network Access Control solutions with existing IT security systems to enforce policies, authenticate devices, and prevent unauthorized access.

Industrial Compute & Applications:

• Server Virtualization: Utilize virtualization technologies to create multiple virtual servers on a single physical machine, optimizing resource use and enhancing flexibility.
• Fault-Tolerant Infrastructure: Design and implement infrastructure that can continue operating even in the event of hardware failures, ensuring continuous availability and reliability.
• Backup and Restore: Develop and deploy comprehensive backup and restore solutions to protect data and ensure quick recovery in the event of data loss or system failures.
• Infrastructure Monitoring, Alerting: Set up continuous monitoring and alerting systems to detect and address issues proactively, ensuring optimal performance and availability of the network infrastructure. See Malisko’s Industrial IT Support Service Approach.
• Domain, DNS, Active Directory, Group Policy: Implement and manage essential network services such as Domain Name System (DNS), Active Directory, and Group Policy to maintain organized and secure network environments.
• Cloud-Hosted Virtualization: Leverage cloud services to host virtualized environments, providing scalable, flexible, and cost-effective computing resources.
• IPAM – IP Address Management: Implement IP Address Management solutions to efficiently manage, track, and allocate IP addresses within the network.
• Patch Management: Develop and maintain a robust patch management strategy to ensure all systems are up to date with the latest security and functionality patches.

IaC – Infrastructure-as-Code: 

• PowerShell, PowerShell DSC: Use PowerShell and Desired State Configuration (DSC) for automation, configuration management, and ensuring systems are in a desired state.
• Ansible, Terraform: Employ Ansible and Terraform for automated deployment and management of infrastructure, facilitating efficient, repeatable, and scalable operations.
• GitOps: Implement GitOps practices to manage infrastructure and application deployments using Git repositories as the source of truth, ensuring consistency, traceability, and collaboration.

Benefits of Working With Malisko

Malisko takes partnerships seriously. When you work with us, you gain a long-term collaboration with professionals ready to provide industrial and operational solutions when needed. Our team is full of expert programmers, engineers, designers, integrators, and support personnel who can develop and implement a new industrial network for your building.

Besides our dedicated team, you can experience the following when working with Malisko:

• Quality projects done right: We understand the importance of having systems that work the first time so your team can stay productive and efficient. Our project execution strategy aligns with one of our core values: Get It Done Right! If something happens that makes a part of the system not perform correctly, we analyze it and work to make changes until the project is right and you feel good about it like we do.
  Attentive listening and consideration: Our team members listen to your team thoughtfully to ensure your company gets the solutions it requires. Emphasizing our core value of “Listen, Define, then Design,” we assess your needs and truly understand your concerns. This approach allows us to deliver valuable insights, set expectations, and provide quality systems tailored to your unique requirements.
• Connections with industry leaders: Malisko partners with top solution providers and associations to bring you the best in industrial network solutions. Leveraging these connections, we collaborate to deliver innovative results, integrating smart technologies that give your business a competitive edge and keep you up to date with the latest advancements.
• Excellent customer service: At Malisko, our core value of “Hire Intelligent People With Great Attitudes” is central to our approach. We prioritize hiring team members who are not only experts in their fields but also embody kindness and a positive mindset. This commitment ensures that our staff is open-minded, continuously learning, and eager to provide exceptional service. You can count on interacting with professionals who are dedicated to understanding and addressing your company’s needs with both expertise and a genuine desire to help.

Malisko also has many certifications, awards, and recognitions that exemplify how we are truly an expert systems integrator.

Work With Malisko for Industrial Network Solutions

Whether you’re implementing a new industrial network infrastructure from scratch (greenfield) or upgrading an existing system (brownfield), Malisko is here to support your operations. We leverage our extensive knowledge to design and implement solutions that enhance productivity, effectiveness, and security. Our team ensures that both greenfield and brownfield projects are tailored to your specific needs and goals.

Learn more about our industrial network solutions by completing our contact form and connecting with a team representative today.