Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1472963
20 I ICT TODAY WHY USE SINGLE-PAIR ETHERNET? While Ethernet has long been used in IT networks, SPE offers the mechanism to extend the same features and performance to OT networks and edge applications. Like four-pair Ethernet, SPE draws on a stable, well-developed ecosystem with a full security suite that is easier to main- tain than a host of different legacy networks, easier to upgrade to higher speeds, and allows data collected from edge devices to be captured and used in real time. Single-pair Ethernet provides important features OT net- works require, such as longer distances and multidrop topologies, albeit at lower speeds than current versions of four-pair Ethernet. These features, along with the capa- bility to deliver an optimized form of Power over Ethernet (PoE), makes SPE suitable for supporting IoT devices. For the purpose of this article, it is important to examine how SPE helps smart buildings achieve the next level of performance in edge-to-cloud connectivity, delivering power to devices, lowering maintenance, improving security, and providing a migration path. To achieve these ambitious goals for smart buildings, migrating to an IP-based, Ethernet network is an essential next step. To maximize the benefits of a smart infra- structure, all systems must communicate on a common network and be able to transmit data from a variety of devices all the way to the cloud. AN ALL-ETHERNET NETWORK Why is an all-Ethernet network important? As the number of IoT sensors grows, more data is generated in remote edge locations. Most IoT solutions now require a mix of cloud and edge computing. Compared to cloud-only solutions, an all-Ethernet blended solution allows data to be visible and to go anywhere in the network. Incorporating the edge can alleviate latency, increase scalability, make buildings more agile, and enhance access to information so that better and faster decisions can be made. Unlike industrial networks, proprietary protocols still represent the majority of communications protocols used in BASs. In these cases, gateways are used to inte- grate two different protocols. The conversion between protocols at the gateway is a source of latency in the network. As robust as manufacturers make them, there is often something "lost in translation," to use a cliché. Deploying proprietary protocols also creates a chal- lenge when adding a new subsystem in a network, as these legacy protocols may not be flexible enough to accommodate another subsystem. True smart buildings require the effective convergence of data from IT and OT networks. In addition, unlike Ethernet, legacy protocols can present an opportunity for malicious intruders to enter building subsystems. Worse yet, many legacy OT network protocols rely on "security through obscurity"—the false hope that intruders will not find it or will not know what it is. These intruders do not care what the temperature and illumination levels are in the break room; they exploit entry through the OT network to gain access to higher levels in the network. Replacing legacy protocols with Ethernet helps to: • Easily federate OT and IT network information. • Improve the overall cybersecurity threat posture of the network. • Eliminate latency and incomplete translation introduced by legacy-to-Ethernet gateways. • Increase transmission speed versus legacy protocols in many cases.