{"id":128793,"date":"2025-01-16T13:15:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-16T19:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.controleng.com\/?p=128793"},"modified":"2025-01-16T13:18:36","modified_gmt":"2025-01-16T19:18:36","slug":"water-infrastructure-company-replaces-point-to-point-vpn-with-mqtt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.controleng.com\/water-infrastructure-company-replaces-point-to-point-vpn-with-mqtt\/","title":{"rendered":"Water Infrastructure Company Replaces Point-To-Point VPN With MQTT"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ignition Platform Allows For Synced Alarming Across Distributed Architecture<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to Goodnight Midstream\u2019s Chief Information Officer, Kevin Cooper, \u201cFor anybody who has done large-scale networks, especially distributed out to edges that are way out in the middle of nowhere, VPN tunnels can be the bane of your existence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s especially true for Goodnight Midstream, a produced water infrastructure company for oil & gas producers, because unlike traditional methods for produced water transportation, Goodnight Midstream has an extensive network of water-gathering and transportation pipelines across the US. This network allows for saltwater to reach geologically sustainable disposal wells while eliminating greenhouse gas emissions produced by trucks and protecting freshwater resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding An Alternative To Point-To-Point VPNs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goodnight Midstream\u2019s SCADA architecture consisted of multiple point-to-point VPN tunnels for securely connecting their facilities and central hub. Managing each VPN connection\u2019s firewall became complex as each required configuration, monitoring, and maintenance. This traditional point-to-point VPN setup also limited the growth of Goodnight Midstream\u2019s infrastructure because of the additional resources necessary to individually connect and reconfigure every existing site to each new VPN. \u201cIt was not uncommon for us to come into work in the morning and have seven or eight tickets at the help desk because reports weren’t working the way they were supposed to and inevitably we would trace that back to a VPN tunnel,\u201d said Cooper.

Goodnight Midstream\u2019s existing SCADA software provided some challenges for them as well. Simple changes like adding objects in the application screen required users to access the development environment. Moreover, maintaining version consistency \u2014 such as performing patch management across endpoints, historians, and data centers \u2014 proved cumbersome. If a data center was updated or a patch applied, the endpoints would become \u201corphaned,\u201d meaning that they were invisible until they could be updated to the matching version. Manually updating each endpoint (over 100 in total) was not only time-consuming but required external contractors, which added to the operational complexity, use of resources, and overall cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Deep Project Scope<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These opportunities for improvement prompted Goodnight Midstream to seek help from CSE ICON, a professional services company specializing in customized solutions for industrial automation, SCADA, and Digital Transformation. From the beginning, Goodnight Midstream prepared a robust scope document outlining what they wanted to achieve, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n