The AI Revolution and Critical Infrastructure

Artificial intelligence was a central theme at Cisco Live US 2024, and it’s clear AI has already made significant strides in reshaping our world. Cisco’s AI-powered innovations build digital resilience by uniquely combining the power of the network with industry-leading security, observability, and data. They simplify adoption and offer visibility and insight across the entire digital footprint, and for those overseeing critical infrastructure, the potential benefits are clear. Undoubtedly, the latest technology offers the promise of enhanced operations. However, the unpredictability of AI’s outcomes can understandably give pause.

Different Kinds of AI 

There are multiple kinds of AI, and each plays a role in different operational situations. Some AI models produce consistent and predictable results, while others are well suited to identifying relevant information within huge mountains of unstructured data. Choosing the right AI model to address each operational need can be challenging. Cisco’s acquisition of Splunk provides an increasing number of security AI tools to address operational security needs. The vast ecosystem of Cisco’s partners enables a selection of AI tools for various operational use cases.  

Cisco’s Role in AI Solutions

At the heart of every AI solution is data movement and processing. This is where Cisco excels. Cisco’s infrastructure is designed to receive data from sensors and ensure its secure and reliable transport to the applications that require it, making it a key player in the AI landscape. Examples of AI solutions in critical infrastructure include failure detection, failure prediction, pothole detection, process optimization, and analysis queries. The video below of Roland Plett’s Cisco Live Session takes a deeper look at each of these examples.  

Summary

AI is changing the way we engage data in industrial operations. There are multiple kinds of AI models, and the combination of models you need depends on the problem you’re trying to solve. It’s essential to recognize that deep learning AI models, like generative AI, are based on probabilities and don’t have deterministic or repeatable outcomes. This is why choosing the right model for your desired result is critically important.

Source: cisco.com

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Integrated Industrial Edge Compute

Predicting the future of new technology is often like gambling. Predicting the future of a massive locomotive on a railway track is quite predictable. The future of edge compute is more like a locomotive with a predictable future. It is already impacting the energy and mining industry today and there’s much more to come in the next few years.

Let’s start with some general enterprise market numbers for context. In early 2023 Grand View Research identified that the edge compute market had grown from $1.9B in 2020 to $11.24B in 2022. Their research predicts an exponential growth curve that will continue at 37.9% compounded annual growth rate and reach $155.9B in 2030. That’s a very big number, almost 100X increase in 10 years. It’s safe to say this technology will touch almost every enterprise.

Market Growth Projection

Industry Trends

These edge compute numbers may explain my boldness, but the business value of specific outcomes are what drives this growth in energy and mining. The following trends are what provide fuel for this growth in the near term.

Digital Instrumentation

I’m often reminded that digital instrumentation has been around for dozens of years in process control. In spite of our history with digital instrumentation, a surprising number of instruments are still read manually and entered by hand into computer systems. This is changing. The use of centralized operations centers and remote experts raises the need for visibility across all process elements from remote tools and dashboards. The move to more complete digital instrumentation is making the role of compute and data infrastructure critical to operations.

Cloud Challenges

Almost everyone has drastically shrunk their corporate data center footprint and moved their compute functions to the cloud. This approach continues to be problematic for many operational environments that struggle to get reliable connectivity. Even with the improvement of today’s connectivity options, the risk of failure is still too high for critical operations. In addition to the reliability risk, the latency risk for certain operations is also too high for cloud services. These two factors make compute at the edge an important consideration.

Artificial Intelligence

In 2023, It seems like every conversation or publication must contain a reference to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and for good reason. AI can cut through the noise and focus our attention on the critical data points that affect meaningful business outcomes. In many cases the resulting algorithms are quite simple and can be deployed in lightweight container apps at the edge.

Container Apps at the Cisco Edge

AI is one of multiple use cases that benefit from container-based compute at the edge. Cisco’s container feature (IoX) directly addresses this trend today in energy and mining companies. Here are a few examples of edge software that address operating outcomes today. Each software solution has an instance running at the edge, in a container, on a Cisco router or switch.

Cisco Cyber Vision

What if your network’s routers and switches could give you visibility to the OT inventory on your network and identify any security anomalies that occur?  Cisco’s Cyber Vision can provide this visibility from your Cisco infrastructure. The Cyber Vision agents that monitor OT traffic and describe it in meta data for central analysis, live in containers on Cisco routers and switches. There is no need to invest in separate monitoring devices and an expensive backhaul network to reroute that traffic for analysis. It’s built in.

Cyber Vision Architecture

Industrial Network Solutions

What if you could implement a small SCADA function in a router or switch that lives in a small cabinet or pumphouse? Industrial Network Solutions has integrated multiple container based agents that can perform all needed functions from a container on a router or switch. This avoids the old model of putting expensive purpose built boxes at every little site. It puts SCADA into locations with Ignition Edge, Node-RED and others where dedicated SCADA devices were not feasible before.

Cheetah Networks

What if you could objectively measure the communication experience that your remote site is experiencing? A small container app from Cheetah Networks gives you visibility to modem metrics and other local data points that were very difficult and cumbersome to aquire and manage with other solutions. As you guessed this container app can live in Cisco’s routers and switches without additional compute hardware.

Cisco Edge Intelligence

What if you need customized data management? Sometimes data acquisition requires a more flexible tool that can read data locally, normalize it and then send it to a central server as required. Edge Intelligence from Cisco is one such tool that’s highly programmable and comes with a wide variety of connectors and normalization capabilities. As with previous examples, it lives in a container app on Cisco’s routers and switches without additional compute hardware.

And More

These are just a few of the apps that have found a home in the small container space on Cisco routers and switches. The sweet spot for this approach is a small site that can’t justify a dedicated compute platform or an app that is tightly associated with network traffic on the router or switch.

The edge compute trend is coming like a freight train and needs to be assessed across every enterprise. Before investing in a dedicated edge compute platform for every possible location, take a look at the capabilities already built into your network infrastructure. You may be surprised by the capability that’s already there.

Source: cisco.com

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The Evolution of Oil & Gas Industry

The Oil & Gas industry has changed a lot. From Upstream through to Downstream, advancements in technology have made operations safer and more productive. Those who work in the industry have a front row seat to these changes but most of us see the industry through mainstream information channels and miss some of the significant changes happening behind the scenes. Below are just a few examples of how the Oil & Gas industry has changed.

Exploration and Drilling:

Past: In the past, oil and gas exploration was largely based on geological surveys, seismic data, and educated guesswork. Drilling technology was less advanced, and there was a higher risk of drilling dry wells.

Now: Modern technology, such as 3D seismic imaging and advanced drilling techniques, has greatly improved the success rate of exploration. Companies now use more data-driven and scientific approaches to identify and extract hydrocarbons.

Reserves Replacement:

Past: Oil and gas companies focused on finding and extracting easily accessible reserves, often in known fields. Reserves replacement was a less pressing concern.

Now: As existing reserves are depleted, companies are increasingly focused on finding and developing new reserves to replace what they extract. This has led to more extensive exploration efforts and investments in unconventional resources like shale oil and gas.

Environmental Awareness:

Past: Environmental concerns and regulations were less prominent. Companies had fewer incentives to minimize their environmental impact, leading to more pollution and ecological damage.

Now: Environmental considerations are paramount. Companies face stricter regulations and public pressure to reduce their environmental footprint. Many are investing in cleaner technologies, carbon capture, and renewable energy as part of their operations.

Technology and Automation:

Past: Manual labor and basic machinery were used for drilling, extraction, and processing. Automation was limited.

Now: Automation and digital technology play a crucial role in optimizing operations. Robotics, AI, and IoT (Internet of Things) devices are used for drilling, monitoring, and maintenance, improving efficiency and safety.

Globalization:

Past: Oil and gas operations were often concentrated in a few key regions, and companies were mainly national or multinational corporations.

Now: The industry has become more globalized. Companies operate in diverse geographic regions, and the supply chain is highly interconnected, with a more significant presence in emerging markets.

Energy Transition:

Past: Oil and gas companies were primarily focused on fossil fuels, with limited diversification into alternative energy sources.

Now: Many oil and gas companies are investing in renewable energy, such as wind, solar, and hydrogen, as they adapt to the energy transition and a growing demand for cleaner energy sources.

Social Responsibility:

Past: Social responsibility was less emphasized, and there was less concern for the social impacts of operations.

Now: Companies are increasingly expected to contribute positively to the communities where they operate by adhering to ethical and sustainable business practices.

As the energy sector continues to evolve, from a focus on traditional exploration and drilling to a more technologically advanced, environmentally conscious, and diversified approach that encompasses alternative energy sources, Cisco can be a key partner for customers looking to thrive in this dynamic environment.

Cisco’s technologies play a pivotal role in ensuring that operations are efficient, secure, and sustainable with a portfolio of business outcomes that reflects the evolving demands of society, technology, and the energy market.

The Cisco Portfolio Explorer for Oil & Gas is an interactive tool that builds the bridge between business priorities and technology solutions by showcasing use cases and architectures to solve your greatest business challenges. The tool has four themes that cover primary areas of Oil & Gas operations including: Plant and Field Operations, Secure Connected Workforce, Industrial Safety and Security, and Energy Transition. Within each theme you will find three to five use cases that dive deeper, explaining the business and technical application in the industry. It also provides case studies and partners as well as showcasing demos, financing options and links to industry experts so you can transform your business with security and trust.

Source: cisco.com

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Autonomous Operations in Mining

Trend Overview

By the end of 2021, Caterpillar has hauled more than 4 billion tons of product and driven more than 145 million kilometers autonomously. As an aside, that’s the distance of a round trip to Mars. Autonomous technology is mature.

Perhaps haulage is the simplest of all autonomous problems to solve and has the most significant return on investment. In 2017, Rio Tinto identified that in one year, each of their autonomous trucks had 700 more production hours than an average conventional truck. Autonomous trucks are 15% less expensive to operate and generate up to 30% more productivity.

With these substantial benefits, you would think mines would be trending to full autonomy. Here are a two of the most significant challenges.

Reliable wireless coverage everywhere

Reliable and pervasive wireless access to the autonomous system is critical for all elements of an autonomous environment. For the haulage use case, the path of haul trucks is well defined and only covers a small percentage of a full mine. Coverage in that well defined region is much less costly than full and reliable coverage of a mine.

Use cases like autonomous dozing, autonomous operation of service vehicles, and other systems could be anywhere in the mine.

Reliable instrumentation and control software

In the Caterpillar example above, all the critical components are controled by Caterpillar. Most new Caterpillar equipment can be bought with all the sensors and actuators required for autonomous operation. Cat Command is the autonomous system that coordinates all the vehicles in the autonomous zone. Even vehicles that are not Caterpillar need to be fitted with Cat Command software so they can be seen in the autonomous system.

In today’s mine there are numerous vehicles, gauges, valves, and measurement points that are not connected and may not even have the sensors required for autonomous operation.

Every mining company needs to make a business decision about which processes or activities should become autonomous in their mines.

Industry POV

Cisco’s infrastructure solutions are a critical part of an autonomous mining solution. Here are a two practical ways that Cisco technology makes autonomous projects more successful.

Reliable wireless coverage

Cisco Wifi was the early favorite for wireless connectivity to autonomous trucks. Caterpillar and Sandvik have done extensive testing with Cisco wifi and continue to support this technology. Since then, many mining companies have started testing and deploying LTE in hopes that it will provide broader mine coverage at a similar price point and provide more consistent connectivity. Now, Cisco is starting to see an increase in its Ultra Reliable Wireless for autonomous use cases as well, mostly because of its price point and very high reliability.

The important consideration Is that Cisco has solutions in all three of these technologies for autonomous operation in an integrated architecture.

Broad instrumentation partnerships

The culture at Cisco is one of partnership. These companies include autonomous system providers, instrumentation vendors, analytics platforms, and numerous other technologies that provide a platform for autonomy.

Although haulage solutions are usually self contained systems with very few outside elements, other autonomous systems will likely have a lot more diversity in their sensors, actuators, software and analytics. This approach will require a rich ecosystem of partners like the one that Cisco operates in.

Source: cisco.com

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Enabling Workers in the Mine

The mine worker is critical to successful mine operations. This may seem obvious, but in an industry that is focused on moving toward automation and remote operations, this essential worker is not always featured prominently in future scenarios. Today’s mining environment is still very hands-on, with clipboards, manual valves, and unconnected systems. It could be dozens of years before all systems are fully digital and can be automated or remotely managed. Until then, the online tools we’re using in private life need to also be leveraged in the field environment. 

The Connected Field Worker

The effectiveness of any mine worker is primarily impacted by two things: 

◉ The need for strong collaboration with others to leverage the strength of the greater on-site or remote community 

◉ The ability to access the right information in a timely way through online applications for workflow and asset management – improving efficiency and safety

Industrial Collaboration

Our personal social media apps have made video calls to family members or friends, common place. This same technology can use secure industrial video apps to bring experts and mentors into a plant or mine site virtually.   This can eliminate hazardous travel requirements, or loss of productive time in the cab of a truck. The field worker’s video endpoint can be built into a hardhat, be a separate purpose-built appliance, or be a simple phone with a camera to support trouble shooting and discussions. 

Again borrowing from our personal lives, industrial sites could benefit from the ease and effectiveness of asynchronous messaging. Sharing photos, sound recordings, and quick questions left for a delayed reply can improve productivity throughout the day. This messaging and the video calls mentioned earlier can be mixed with conferencing, voice activated calls, voice to text and then connected with the push to talk systems still commonplace in mining. 

As the workforce becomes filled with younger workers and remote operation centers become more conventional, these tools will be essential to maximizing the productivity of personnel in the mine. 

Secure Mobile Online Work 

In the same way that banking and shopping are now possible from a tablet, managing field assets and completing workflows can be done online as well. Data that is recorded on clipboards or bulletin boards, can be moved online and accessed from anywhere in the mine or off site. This shift from physical records to electronic ones will make them easier to update from anywhere, resulting in more accurate and timely reporting. This will improve the effectiveness of everyone’s work. 

Moving from binders, clipboards, and bulletin boards to tablets and software is a major undertaking, but there are several industry services that can help build the business case and manage the transition with you.

Online Everywhere: An overview 

The underlying technology that builds a foundation for the online mine worker is connectivity. Since workers are mobile, this connectivity needs to be wireless. Let’s take a quick tour through the technologies required for connectivity, electronic work flows, and collaboration tools. 

Wireless Connectivity 

There are many wireless technologies present at mine sites today, but the two that are most important for connecting mine workers are Wi-Fi and LTE/5G. It’s unlikely that one of these will displace the other since Wi-Fi is much more cost effective for localized, high bandwidth use cases and LTE/5G is much more effective at covering large open areas. Tablets and mobile video endpoints can connect to either technology. 

Since both technologies act as an extension of the enterprise network, their characteristics should be consistent with this as well. Access policies, prioritization policy, and security frameworks need to map seamlessly across these wireless environments, as well as existing IT and OT environments. 

Online Workflows 

A good place to start the transition to online workflows is with the existing ERP, asset management, project management, and control systems. Most of these already have workflow modules that can extend to mine workers. Online training and online documentation tools typically require new software, but there are multiple Cisco partners that make this transition more effective. 

Collaboration Tools 

Cisco has a broad portfolio of collaboration tools in the Webex suite as well as endpoints that lead the industry. Existing phone systems and push to talk systems can be integrated into these video and messaging platforms. For specialized industrial collaboration endpoints like hard hat systems and voice activated remote expert systems, there are multiple partners that Cisco has worked with to make those elements an effective part of the system. 

Connected for Safety 

Another benefit to a strongly connected workforce is virtual proximity. A very interactive and digital environment increases awareness of field worker location and activity. This promotes safety as it becomes immediately obvious when something isn’t right. Having digital reporting tools instantly accessible encourages much more timely reporting of minor irregularities with photos and quick descriptions. A culture of care and safety for the employee at industrial sites becomes more accessible and actionable.  

“No matter what is happening in the world, we believe it is vitally important to help support the continued operation of technical infrastructure for utilities, oil and gas, mining and manufacturing organizations. Cisco helps provide solutions to keep critical industries up and running.”

Wes Sylvester – Vice President, Industry Solutions Group – Growth Marketing Segments & Industries at Cisco

Source: cisco.com

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