Carrier-Grade Ethernet for Utilities Slide 1

Carrier-Grade Ethernet for Power Utilities

Ensuring Reliable Communications in the Smart Grid

Carrier-Grade Ethernet for Utilities Slide 2

Agenda

• Towards a Smarter Grid: Utility Networks in Transition

• Carrier-Grade Ethernet Mechanisms

• Timing over Packet Synchronization

• Choosing the Right Packet Network

• Security

• RAD’s Carrier-Grade Ethernet Solutions for Power Utilities

Carrier-Grade Ethernet for Utilities Slide 3

Towards a Smarter Grid

Carrier-Grade Ethernet for Utilities Slide 4

Utility Networks in Transition

• Ethernet, IP, MPLS replace SDH/SONET; higher throughput and lower OpEx for:

Upgrades to Smart Grid

New applications: Substation automation, IEC 61850 IEDs, WASA synchrophasors, IP video surveillance

• $3.2 billion spent on utilities telecom equipment in the US – transport networks second largest category (UTC, 2011)

• RAD survey: 43% of utilities begin migration with backbone comm network; 28% with SCADA system

Carrier-Grade Ethernet for Utilities Slide 5

Migration Performance Requirements

• Need service assurance for mission critical apps in a PSN environment:

Low end-to-end delay

High availability (99.99% - 99.999% )

SDH/SONET-level resiliency

• Requirements vary depending on application:Teleprotection: < 10ms symmetrical delay, minimal “jitter”

SCADA: May tolerate 1s latency

• Cyber security: More interconnected devices = more entry points to protect

Need scalable protection tools

Carrier-Grade Ethernet for Utilities Slide 6

Traffic Types and Transmission over PSN

• Ethernet and IP data and signals from SA IEDs → sent natively over packet

• TDM traffic, analog voice, serial SCADA, Teleprotection → require “packetization” or pseudowire emulation (PWE):

Synchronous bit stream is segmented; headers are added to form packet

Packets are forwarded to destination over the PSN network

At destination, headers are removed, original bit stream is reconstructed, timing regenerated

Common pseudowire emulation standards: CESoPSN, SAToP, TDMoIP

Carrier-Grade Ethernet for Utilities Slide 7

Carrier-Grade Ethernet Mechanisms

Carrier-Grade Ethernet for Utilities Slide 8

Ethernet is Now Carrier-Grade

• Ethernet is no longer a “Best Effort” technology Engineered by industry to provide SLA-based performance guarantees, reliability schemes, service management tools

• Full set of standards developed by the IEEE, ITU-T, MEF

• Metro Ethernet Forum = a consortium of carriers, service providers, equipment vendors promoting Carrier Ethernet adoption

• Extensive deployments of premium Ethernet services with double digit growth worldwide

Can now provide deterministic quality of service, predictable latency and jitter performance for mission-critical substation applications: SCADA, IEC 61850

GOOSE, etc

Carrier-Grade Ethernet for Utilities Slide 9

Extensive Traffic Management and Quality of Service Toolset

• Classification of incoming traffic into flows, e.g., IEC 60870-5-104, DNP3 per DSCP, 61850 GOOSE traffic per PCP, VLAN-ID

• Metering and policing to regulate traffic with different bandwidth profiles

• Advanced scheduling and queue management to ensure minimal latency and jitter

• Shaping to smooth out bursts and avoid buffer overruns in subsequent network elements

• Packet editing and marking to signal proper handling instructions for subsequent network elements

Carrier-Grade Ethernet for Utilities Slide 10

Performance Monitoring and Testing

Performance Monitoring

Connectivity Verification Stress Testing Fault

Detection

Fault Propagation & Isolation

• A wealth of carrier-grade Ethernet tools to remotely test, monitor and troubleshoot the operation of communications links

• Utility network operators anticipate service degradation ahead of time, as well as cut down truck-rolls and on-site technician calls

Carrier-Grade Ethernet for Utilities Slide 11

Communications Channel Resiliency

• Hardware redundancy:No single point of failure (NSPF) design with redundant, hot-swappable power supplies

Redundant control plane and switch fabric cards

• Link redundancy:1+1 protection topology with automatic switchover between links

Link aggregation group (LAG) per IEEE 802.3-2005 LACP (link aggregation control protocol) for Ethernet-based services

• Path protection:Ethernet Linear protection Switching (G.8031) , AKA “EVC (Ethernet Virtual Connection) protection”

Ethernet Ring Protection Switching (G.8032 ERPS) to provide Five Nines (99.999%) availability

Carrier-Grade Ethernet for Utilities Slide 12

Timing over Packet (ToP) Synchronization

• PSNs require complementary clock transfer solutions with a high level of precision

• ~1ms highest accuracy level required today for utility applications

Upcoming Smart Grid apps will require 1μs and better

Time of Day (ToD) required for synchrophasors and to avoid cascading blackouts

• GPS is accurate but costly, susceptible to jamming

• ITU-T Synchronous Ethernet (Sync-E)

Uses the Ethernet physical layer to accurately distribute frequency

• IETF NTP and IEEE 1588-2008 Precision Time Protocol (PTP)

Exchange timestamp information to deliver frequency and ToD

• Many network operators use Sync-E for frequency distribution and PTP for time synchronization

Carrier-Grade Ethernet for Utilities Slide 13

Choosing the Right Packet Network

Carrier-Grade Ethernet for Utilities Slide 14

Comparing Technology Options

Utility network operators need to choose which technology to employ:• IP

• MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching)

• Carrier-grade Ethernet

Protocol OAM/APS Security

IP No standard end-to-end mechanisms

Strong (IPsec)

MPLS Recently developed for MPLS-TP

No built-in security

Ethernet Carrier-grade Several security mechanisms defined (802.1X, MACsec)

Carrier-Grade Ethernet for Utilities Slide 15

Option 1: Combining Ethernet Access with MPLS Core

Lower cost per port

Richer OAM, PM tools

Advanced protection mechanisms

Ethernet GOOSE delivered directly = No tunneling/conversion over MPLS core

Maintain existing access media installed base

Carrier-Grade Ethernet for Utilities Slide 16

Option 2: Replace SDH/SONET with Ethernet Operational Network

IT/Enterprise IP/MPLS Network

Teleprotection

X.21

RTU

RS-232

Operational

Ethernet Network

1 GbE / 10 GbE Ring

Substation

Multiservice

Access

Node

E1

PBX

Teleprotection

X.21

RTU

RS-232

Substation

E1

PBX

Ethernet

Service

Aggregation

Platform

IT/Enterprise

Center

NMS

SCADA

VoIP

Operational

Center Multiservice

Access

Node

Ethernet Service

Aggregation

Platform

Scalable IP/MPLS for IT/enterprise network VoIP, IP video, internet connectivity, billing

Simplified architecture and management

Increased security Lower latency Assured QoS Ongoing performance

monitoring

Replace SDH/SONET operational network with Carrier-Grade L2 Ethernet SCADA, Teleprotection,

Automation

Carrier-Grade Ethernet for Utilities Slide 17

Security

Carrier-Grade Ethernet for Utilities Slide 18

Layered Security Approach

• Utility networks require “Defense in Depth” implementing multiple levels of protection:

• Should be deployed in the network without adding too many dedicated security appliances on top of the communications infrastructure

Carrier-Grade Ethernet for Utilities Slide 19

RAD’s Carrier-Grade Ethernet Solutions for Power Utilities

Carrier-Grade Ethernet for Utilities Slide 20

Full Portfolio for Power Utility Networks

MegaplexMultiservice Access

Platforms

IPmuxTDM Pseudowire

Gateway

ETX-ACarrier Ethernet

over Fiber

ETX-5300AMultiservice Aggregation

Platform

RICi-GEEthernet over NG-SDH

RADiFlowService-Aware

Secure Ethernet Switches

Carrier-Grade Ethernet for Utilities Slide 21

Ensuring a Smooth Migration

• Hybrid SDH/SONET and PSN access solutionsAllow utilities to choose the migration path that best suits their needs

Deterministic QoS for NGN services and advanced grid applications over TDM or packet transport

Service continuity for legacy equipment

• Multi-standard ToP synchronization, including 1588 Grandmaster functionality in the same communications device

• Ethernet switches with cyber security and authentication protocols

Carrier-Grade Ethernet for Utilities Slide 22

Conclusion

• Ethernet has been engineered and standardized and now includes critical “must haves” for NG utility networks:

Robust clock accuracyTraffic management and hard/hierarchical QoSResiliencyOn-going performance monitoring Support for legacy services and trafficSecurity

• A combination of carrier-grade Ethernet in the access/aggregation with an MPLS core can address the needs of the Smart Grid

• RAD offers a wide selection of utility-grade solutions to ensure high performance, cost-effective and easy migration

Download comprehensive Carrier-Grade Ethernet for Power Utilities Solution Paper

Carrier-Grade Ethernet for Utilities Slide 23

Thank You For Your Attention

www.rad.com