Information Technology (IT)

The following highlights important considerations surrounding IT infrastructure design for a Factory Digital Twin. This architectural diagram brings together, at a category level, system deployment, cluster deployments, firewall placements, network storage, and data routing. It is built around a design of ensuring sensitive data is kept within internal and external firewalls to ensure security. In such a workload, there is high sensitivity to factory data and as such, it’s critical to have security layers in place.

NVIDIA Certified Systems

NVIDIA-Certified Systems undergo comprehensive accelerated workflow performance tests. These tests ensure the systems can handle the computational demands of complex workflows like Factory Digital Twins, providing maximum hardware performance.

• Advanced Hardware: These systems feature the most powerful enterprise NVIDIA GPUs and networking solutions, essential for managing the heavy computational loads and real-time operations required for digital twin development, visualization, simulation and operation.

• Evaluation by Experts: NVIDIA engineers conduct thorough evaluations focusing on:

  • Performance: Ensuring the systems handle peak workloads without degradation.

  • Functionality: Confirming seamless integration of system components and software.

  • Scalability: Verifying the systems can scale to meet growing computational demands.

  • Security: Ensuring robust security measures are in place to protect data.

• Confidence for IT Managers: With NVIDIA-Certified Systems, IT managers can trust that designers, engineers, and other high-compute users have reliable and efficient systems. These systems meet NVIDIA’s rigorous standards, reducing performance bottlenecks and system failures.

• Best Systems for Accelerated Workflows: Optimized for high-demand workflows, NVIDIA-Certified Systems provide faster computations, accurate simulations, and a smoother user experience, enhancing productivity and efficiency in managing complex industrial processes.

Internal Firewalls

Internal firewalls are crucial for preventing unauthorized access within a network. They enforce access controls, segment the network, and monitor data flow, ensuring only authorized access to sensitive data and critical systems like the Nucleus Server. This security framework protects the digital infrastructure from both internal and external threats, ensuring secure factory operations.

Preventing Unauthorized Access

• Access Control: Internal firewalls enforce strict access control policies, ensuring only authorized users can access specific network segments. This prevents unauthorized users, including internal threats, from accessing sensitive data and management systems.

• Network Segmentation: They segment the network into smaller sections, limiting the spread of breaches. If one segment is compromised, the attacker cannot easily access others. For example, different sections for production data and management systems are each protected by internal firewalls.

Protecting Critical Systems

• Nucleus Server Protection: The Nucleus Server, central to the Factory Digital Twin, is protected by internal firewalls to prevent unauthorized access and tampering. This ensures operational integrity and data security.

• Data Integrity and Confidentiality: Firewalls monitor and control data flow, ensuring sensitive data remains within authorized segments and is accessed only by authorized users.

External Firewalls

External firewalls are a critical component of an organization’s cybersecurity strategy, serving as a barrier between the company’s internal networks and external threats. They perform several essential functions:

• Traffic Filtering: Firewalls monitor and control network traffic based on security rules, filtering out unauthorized access and malicious traffic. This protects sensitive Factory Digital Twin data, such as operational parameters and production metrics.

• Intrusion Detection and Prevention: Firewalls often include systems that identify and block suspicious activities and potential attacks in real time. This helps maintain the integrity and confidentiality of the digital twin infrastructure.

• Network Segmentation: Firewalls create isolated zones within the network to limit malware spread and reduce cyber attack risks. This ensures that if one segment is compromised, attackers cannot easily access other parts of the network, protecting critical digital twin assets.

• Access Control: Firewalls enforce strict access control policies, ensuring only authorized users and devices can connect to the internal network. This is crucial for safeguarding the Factory Digital Twin, which contains highly sensitive information.

• Logging and Monitoring: Firewalls provide logging and monitoring capabilities to detect anomalies and respond to security incidents. Continuous network traffic monitoring helps identify threats early, allowing swift action to protect the digital twin infrastructure.

• Implementing external firewalls enhances security, protecting critical Factory Digital Twin data and infrastructure from cyber threats. This ensures operational efficiency, reliability, and compliance with data security regulations.

Internal Cluster

The internal cluster infrastructure supporting the Factory Digital Twin integrates essential components and services to create a comprehensive virtual environment for simulating and managing factory operations. Here are the main components:

• PLM Systems Integration: Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Systems oversee the entire product lifecycle, from design to disposal.

  • Integrated into digital twin solutions developed on Omniverse, PLM systems centralize product-related data (CAD models, engineering data, manufacturing instructions) for real-time updates and collaboration.

• IoT Data Integration: The Internet of Things (IoT) provides real-time data from sensors and devices within the factory.

  • IoT data enriches the digital twin, enabling dynamic simulations, predictive maintenance, and process optimization.

• Design Integration: System design, factory layout, and process engineering are part of the cohesive virtual environment.

  • Designers use the OpenUSD framework to import and manipulate designs within solutions developed on Omniverse.

• Omniverse Nucleus Server: The central hub manages data and collaboration.

  • Users (designers, engineers, operators) access up-to-date information and collaborate seamlessly.

Conclusion

Internal firewalls are essential for protecting a Factory Digital Twin. They enforce access controls, segment the network, and monitor data flow, ensuring only authorized access to sensitive data and critical systems like the Nucleus Server. This security framework protects the digital infrastructure from both internal and external threats, ensuring secure factory operations.