Glossary · Industrial communication
Network
Also known as: Communication network, Data network
German: Netzwerk
In communication technology, a network is a set of nodes such as controllers, devices, computers and network components connected by links, so that they can exchange data according to common protocols.
- Industrial communication
In one sentence
A network is a set of connected nodes such as controllers, devices and computers that exchange data using common protocols.
Example
A plant network connects the control networks of three production lines with the historian, the MES servers and an engineering workstation.
How it applies
- Engineering: Industrial networks are usually structured in levels: field networks for devices, control networks for controllers, and plant or enterprise networks for IT systems. The levels follow models such as ISA-95 / IEC 62264 and are separated for performance and security.
- Security: Networks are divided into Security zones connected by Conduits according to IEC 62443. Flat networks where everything can reach everything are a well-known risk.
- Operation: Network monitoring, an up-to-date asset list and documented addressing are the basis of fast troubleshooting.
- Documentation: The documentation team maintains network drawings, IP address lists and the zone model, and states which networks a product connects to and which interfaces it exposes.
Network vs. network topology
A network is the whole system of nodes and links. The Network topology describes how they are arranged: bus, line, star, ring or mesh. One network can combine several topologies.