In order to keep the entire IT infrastructure in a plant running and optimized, SMS group has Paessler AG at its side as a comprehensive monitoring expert. Impressive maps and dashboards, flexible alerts, multiple user interfaces, detailed reports, decentralized monitoring, and many more functions and features are all part of the PRTG Network Monitor product, which the Center of Excellence Electrics/Automation at SMS group utilizes as a central monitoring and control tool during the plant construction, testing, and commissioning phases.
As a partner for megatrends, SMS group also combines its integrated solutions with performance-related business models and offers PRTG licensing. It is part of the philosophy of being a lifecycle partner for customers by providing specialist support that boosts profitability.
Modern steel production is digital
Frank Schweisfurth and the "Digital Engineering & Products & Systems Technology" team at the CoE Electrics/Automation are responsible for all of the IT as well as the OT hardware and software for the plants and equipment. This ranges from relatively small systems with only two or three computers, a PLC and IOs, right up to facilities comprising as many as one hundred operator stations and a multitude of control components.
Before an SMS group production facility is built in the customer's works, it is thoroughly tested and optimized using X-Pact® Plug & Work integration tests. This requires a complex IT environment with servers, databases, and switches. The hardware and software components of the production facilities are monitored within this environment. These include X-Pact® Embedded automation controls with VxWorks-based real-time systems developed in-house by SMS group, as well as control components from other reputable suppliers. The process control and guidance applications developed specifically for the relevant product groups usually run on Windows-based computers and are also monitored by PRTG.
In addition to monitoring conventional IT components, the SMS group electrics and automation also uses PRTG for monitoring the control systems. "With PRTG we monitor both the control systems developed by us, which we have equipped with the corresponding interfaces especially for this purpose, and control systems that we buy from other reputable suppliers. The SNMP, OPC UA, and MQTT sensors included in PRTG help us achieve this. With these, we can integrate our Profinet networks and thus monitor their real-time capability, for example. Over and above this, we can use the PRTG Rest Custom Sensor to obtain essential information on the status of entire processes quickly and easily via our RESTful API", explains Frank Schweisfurth.
Integration of IT components into OT environments
The simulation phase is followed by the integration of the IT components into the OT environments, i.e. the control systems including all IT components are integrated in the physical machines. Of course, testing and monitoring activities must be continually carried out during the integration process. Thanks to PRTG, it has already been possible on repeated occasions to detect faults or irregularities and so prevent problems.
Frank Schweisfurth explains: "The combination of different software products in our solutions can lead to memory leaks. In the past, we had to invest a lot of time and effort to identify and eliminate them. Thanks to PRTG, we can identify and eliminate memory leaks efficiently at an early stage of the test phase."
After a successful test phase, the plant is put into operation at the customer's site. This can take weeks or even months depending on the size of the production facility. It is also subject to continuous optimization and development throughout the installation phase. Responsibility for this remains with SMS group and, of course, testing and monitoring take place continually during this phase too. It must be ensured that the values guaranteed to the customer can be delivered, which requires full monitoring and documentation with no gaps. This is where PRTG also plays a role.
The PRTG monitoring solution for IT and OT
There is a whole list of reasons why SMS group specifically uses PRTG as a monitoring solution, Frank Schweisfurth explains:
“With the maps feature, we can gain a fast and clear overview of all systems and processes, so that we can always keep track of the entire production plant at a glance. For us, speed is an essential argument for choosing PRTG: The solution is easy to use, it provides an array of standards out-of-the-box, and offers a sufficient range of options for customized extensions, making it the ideal compromise between a commercial solution with many pre-defined features and an open source framework that can be adapted to individual needs.”
License-based monitoring after the plant is put into service
In addition to SMS group's proven products and solutions, the combination of technical expertise, automation and digitalization know-how and an extensive range of services is now gaining importance. This enables the development of new customer-specific business models that ensure the plants perform extremely well throughout their entire lifecycle.
Therefore, when it comes to the way it utilizes PRTG, SMS group is again thinking one step ahead: "PRTG has grown to become a central component of the whole production process for our plants: from planning through to acceptance by the customer. We are currently thinking of extending our range of services and supporting our customers in the operation of their plants even after their implementation. This could mean that we make PRTG part of the overall package and sell the customer a corresponding PRTG license, but another option would be for us to use PRTG as a service provider to ensure the smooth operation of the customer's plant over the long term, based on defined SLAs that we monitor with PRTG," adds Frank Schweisfurth.
Upgrading from PRTG Network Monitor to PRTG Enterprise Monitor gives you enormous flexibility in the way you use PRTG. Frank Schweisfurth explains: "We can now set up a separate PRTG server for each project and for each plant, and distribute the licensed sensors completely freely across the individual PRTG instances. In many cases, smaller systems require only 500 PRTG sensors, whereas a few thousand sensors may be needed for large systems. We can cover all this with a single license that can be easily scaled to fit our needs."
Contact: Frank Schweisfurth