6 Ignition Tools for Safety and Stability in Industrial Processes

In this article

• Encryption: SSL/TLS
• User authentication
• Auditing
• User roles & permissions
• Architectures
• Redundancy

The era of mobile devices, apps, and web browsers has had a significant impact on the industrial automation sector. Nowadays, systems can effortlessly operate on any mobile device with a web browser. With the growing number of devices on industrial networks, the security and stability of these systems are becoming increasingly crucial.

At AT-Automation, we have years of experience with Ignition from Inductive Automation. This platform is constantly evolving to keep pace with the latest technologies. In 2019, Inductive Automation introduced the Perspective module, which enables industrial automation applications to be accessed via any web browser on mobile devices. Ignition is built on reliable IT standards, solid and uniform architectures, and proven security technologies. In this blog, we delve deeper into the security and stability aspects of this universal and unrestricted

1. Encryption: SSL/TLS

Since Ignition clients and sessions are accessible remotely over the network, it’s crucial to enable SSL/TLS on the Ignition Gateway. This security protocol encrypts all transmitted data via HTTP (HTTPS), preventing unauthorized access and enhancing security.

2. User authentication

Ignition supports modern, web-based authentication strategies such as Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), Single Sign-On (SSO), and Identity Providers (IdP). This allows users to connect to various types of Identity Providers, including:

• Ignition’s internal Identity Provider
• OpenID Connect 1.0
• Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML)

3. Auditing

Ignition’s built-in user control allows administrators to obtain detailed information about who, when, where, and what is happening within the application. This functionality enables quick troubleshooting and minimizes costly downtime.

4. User roles & permissions

In situations where multiple users are working on the same project, it’s essential to determine the actions each user can perform. Ignition offers the ability to assign roles and grant specific permissions, such as logging into certain projects or locking specific screens within a project. This allows you to maintain control over access rights and functionalities per user.

5. Architectures

Ignition offers various deployment models, including:

Standard

Suitable for scalable, centrally managed systems with a single Ignition server on-site.

Scale-Out

Distributes the workload between tags and I/O Gateways for data processing and the front-end Gateway for client applications.

Hub & Spoke

Consists of a central Ignition Gateway (hub) and separate Gateways at locations (spokes) for specific tasks.

Enterprise

Connects multiple production locations to one central server, with additional security through a DMZ for data transfer.

IIoT

It collects data at the network edge and publishes it to a central broker for distribution to applications.

6. Redundancy

Ignition redundancy ensures reliable operation by employing both a master and a backup Gateway. These communicate continuously, with the backup Gateway automatically taking over the tasks of the master when necessary. This approach minimizes downtime and increases the system’s reliability.