Network management of industrial communication networks encompasses the processes and tools used to monitor, configure and maintain data communication systems that are critical to industrial operations. These fieldbus or industrial ethernet networks are designed to connect machines, devices and systems in manufacturing plants, energy networks and other industrial environments. Effective management ensures reliability, security and efficiency and enables real-time monitoring, fault detection and network optimization. By maintaining robust network performance, industrial companies can achieve greater operational efficiency, security and responsiveness to dynamic industrial demands.
The relevance of these processes and tools and their positive impact on modern automation systems can be illustrated by looking at the historical circumstances. Before the introduction of network management in industrial communications, there were many challenges: Administrators had minimal visibility and control over network performance and health, making it difficult to detect, diagnose and troubleshoot problems. Network devices and components often had to be configured manually, which was time-consuming, error-prone and not scalable, especially as networks grew larger and more complex. Troubleshooting was inefficient as identifying the root cause of network issues depended on simple tools and manual methods that were slow and often ineffective. Network performance was inconsistent and common issues such as bandwidth bottlenecks, latency and packet loss were difficult to manage proactively. Security breaches were widespread, as networks without management systems were more susceptible to security breaches and had limited ability to monitor for unauthorized access or malicious activity. Efficient allocation and utilization of network resources was a challenge, leading to sub-optimal performance and wasted resources.
Modern network management, which is not exclusively but decisively characterized by Industry 4.0 and IIoT solutions, solves these problems by providing improved visibility, automated configuration, efficient troubleshooting, consistent performance, enhanced security, optimal resource allocation and scalability.
