Software SolutionsJanuary 21, 20251 min read

Bridge the Gap: Integrating Legacy SCADA with Modern Analytics

#SCADA #Data Integration #Historians #IIoT

Problem

Critical process data trapped in isolated SCADA systems

Solution

Secure data pipeline enables advanced analytics on historical data

The Problem

Many oil and gas facilities run 10-20 year old SCADA systems that weren’t designed for modern data analytics. Process data is locked inside these systems, preventing:

  • Advanced analytics and machine learning
  • Cross-platform data correlation
  • Cloud-based optimization tools
  • Long-term trend analysis

Extracting data manually via OPC or database queries is slow, unreliable, and breaks cybersecurity boundaries.

The Integration Strategy

Secure, Scalable Data Pipelines:

  1. DMZ Architecture: Use industrial DMZ to safely bridge IT/OT networks
  2. One-Way Data Diodes: Ensure data flows out but threats can’t flow in
  3. Automated Extraction: Real-time streaming to modern historians (Influx, TimescaleDB)
  4. Data Transformation: Clean, normalize, and contextualize data for analytics
  5. API Layer: Expose data securely to cloud ML platforms

This preserves OT security while enabling IT analytics.

Results

Facilities with integrated data pipelines achieve:

  • Full visibility into 20+ years of process history for ML training
  • 90% faster data access for engineers and data scientists
  • Zero security incidents with proper DMZ design
  • Foundation for digital transformation initiatives

The data integration typically pays back in 3-6 months through improved decision-making.

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