SCADA Questions

By Dr. John Thomas

Substation SCADA System

Evaluation Questions

July 5, 2016
 Table of Contents

Contents ............................................................................................... 1
Architecture ........................................................................................ 3
Redundancy ........................................................................................ 4
Configuration ..................................................................................... 5
Graphics............................................................................................... 6
Alarms .................................................................................................. 8
Trends .................................................................................................. 9
Reports ................................................................................................. 9
Performance ..................................................................................... 10
Language ........................................................................................... 10
Feature Questions ............................................................................ 11
Some additional important questions about protocols and
substations are as follows: ........................................................... 12
Scada Cyber Security ...................................................................... 13
Architecture

Is the Control and Monitoring interface supplied by the Utility a

standard single package, and what is the voltage and current
requirements.

What is the interface protocol and interconnection requirements of the

Utility Control and Monitoring system?

Is it a standard rack configuration with no special electrical

requirements?

Does the Control & Monitoring system use Client/Server distributed

processing?

Can the Utility Control, and Monitoring system be expanded, without re-
engineering, to handle future requirements?

How can the Utility Control, and Monitoring system interface be used to
maximize the performance of the entire Control and Monitoring system?

Does the Utility system want the ability to add display clients without
shutting down the system or changing the software configuration?

Can I make changes to the Control, and Monitoring system without

shutting down?

What is the Utility system interface programs, and protocols to support

nodes at remote locations?

How can we exchange data with other applications?

What is the interface requirements for wiring: Fiber, Punch down and/or
microwave?

Can other automation systems, like a DCS, communicate using industry

standard Communication drivers like Modbus or DNP3 interface with the
utility system?

What external databases does the Control and Monitoring system

support.
Redundancy

Does the Utility system interface provide for data integrity and system
control in the event of hardware failure?

Are multiple copies of the configuration database required to enable

redundancy?

What happens if a computer (node or client) fails?

Does the Utility provide backup for critical tasks such as plant-floor I/O,
alarms and trends?

If the primary Utility Server fails, is there any loss of monitoring or

control before the redundant I/O Server assumes control?

When the primary and standby Utility Servers are in operation, are
they both polling the I/O Devices (PLCs)?

What happens to alarms monitoring if the primary alarms server fails?

What happens to trend data if the trend server fails?

Configuration

How many applications do we require to configure a Control and

Monitoring system to the Utility System requirements?

How can more than one engineer configure the system at the same
time?

Can we configure the system from any node?

Can we create descriptive tag names to incorporate a more meaningful tag

naming strategy?

If we need to make a configuration change to one data point, for

example, does that changed need to be made on all nodes?

Can we build display pages on one node and display them any node in the
system?

How does the Utility system backup/archive what is the system

configuration information?

How does the Utility system restore the system configuration and history
in an event of data loss?

How do we set up communication with Utility I/O Device (PLC)?

Can we control how the system polls the I/O Devices (PLCs)?

Can we retain system values on disk at shutdown and restore them on

system restart?

How many separate security areas are defined in the Utility system interface?

What elements of the system can we associate with security areas?

How do we configure a system that only uses an industrial keyboard?

Graphics

How many colors does the Utility System interface package have for
building graphics displays?

How easily can we construct intelligent objects that will save drawing and
configuration time?

Can we edit library objects and intelligent objects supplied with the
package?

If we change a library object or template object, are the changes

reflected throughout the system—or do we have to change every
occurrence of the object?

Can we use Boolean and other arithmetic expressions when

animating data?

Can we apply multiple animations to the same object?

Can we disable (gray-out) command buttons on a graphics page?

Can we create custom sliders?

What graphics file formats can we import into the graphics builder?

How do we recover from accidental deletion or moving of objects when

editing a complex display page?

How do we align objects on the page?

How can we add special effects to text and other objects?

How can we make a global change of one color for another in an object?

How can we edit a group of objects?

When we resize an object or group of objects, how can we maintain

their aspect ratio?

How can we display an animated sequence?

How far back can we undo an edits to a display page?

How can we configure a command that executes continually while a

graphics page is display.
Alarms

How does the Utility want Alarms and hardware communications

failures reported by the Control and Monitoring system to the Utility
interface?

Do we have to configure alarms for all items of hardware, please provide a

list of required hardware?

Does the Utility want display and process alarms to millisecond precision?

When an alarm is acknowledged at one’s operator station, is it

automatically acknowledged at all nodes (workstations) without having to
write programs or scripts on the Utility side?

Can we provide help about specific alarms that the operators can
access easily?

Does the Utility require the ability to disable alarms?

How many logical alarms groups can we create?

How are the alarms prioritized on the Utility side?

Does the Utility require the ability to send alarms to a printer and file as
well as display them on the screen?

If there is a break in the communications will there be an alarm to check

and verify?

Does the Utility require the ability of the communication system equipment
to be self -healing and hot swappable?
Trends

What flexibility does the Utility system, Control and Monitoring

system provide for defining trend data?

How can we access trend data from any node in the system?

What facilities are provided for handling trend data on the screen?

How do we display and extract historical data?

How do we archive and retrieve historical data?

How long and what is keep in the Historical data?

Reports

What flexibility does the Control and Monitoring system provide for
defining reports?

Does the Utility want the ability to include plant data in a report?
Performance

How does the Utility Control and Monitoring system communicate with
the plant sub system?

What is the fastest method of communicating the Utility system has with
the plant?

How do we ensure that data exchange with the plant is

maximized and secured with the Utility system?

Will the performance be maintained as the application grows?

How many Serial Ports can I have connected to one PC?

Language

What is the built in language (scripting engine) provide standard

programming facilities for the Utility interface?

Does the language provide total access to the system?

Does the Utility want to have the availability to write functions?

Does the Utility want the availability to use the same function in more
than one place within the system?

Does the utility want the availability to create tasks that are triggered
by system events or run at certain times?

Does the Utility use Windows applications or what type of system?

Does the Utility have the availability to print a window dynamically?

Does the Utility require access to the user(s) who are logged on to the
system?

Does the Utility require use of mail facilities?

Does the Utility require access the serial ports on the PC?

How do we configure data entry from Utility facilities?

Feature Questions

Can the SCADA system import AutoCAD drawings and maps?

Does the system declutter when zooming in on a screen?

Can the SCADA system do multiple applications and use the same
Historian?

On an SCADA/AMR system, can the system do the customer billing?

Does the Utility want the system to show communication status

between unit’s.
Some additional important questions about protocols

Is IEC61850 & most company’s hardware & software interoperable

with other vendor's devices?

Where has IEC61850 been proven and with what vendor's devices?

Is IEC61850 being put into the Utility system instead of Modbus TCP/IP,
serial, and DNP3.0?

IEC 61850 is designed for substations only and is Peer-to-Peer, what

security is present?

Substation

What are the Energization and Synchronization requirements for

Transmission Generation entities?

What test results are required and/or information required prior to Pre-
Parallel testing.

What are your testing guide lines requirements for proving insulators?

What is the Utility testing guidelines to prove transformer ratio before

pre-parallel testing?

What is the Utility testing criteria for bringing on current transformers

and current circuits before pre-parallel testing?

What are the Utility requirements for relay setting for substation
interconnection?

Does the Utility require the primary disconnect switch at the point of
interconnection be assigned a Utility number? If this is correct what is
the Utility Standard and Engineering Design Standard.

How many calendar days does the Utility require for the final
RTU/RIG/DPU before energization?
Scada Cyber Security

Who is to identify all the connections to the Scada network.

Who is to identify and disconnect all unnecessary connections to the

Scada networks.

Who is to evaluate and strengthen the security of any remaining

connections to the Scada network.

Who is to identify and harden Scada networks by removing or disabling

unnecessary services.

Do not rely on proprietary protocols to protect your system.

Which entities will implement the security features provided by device

and system vendors.

Which entities will perform technical audits of Scada devices and

networks, and any other connected networks, to identify security
concerns.

Which entities will conduct physical security surveys and assess all
remote sites connected to the Scada network to evaluate their security.

Which entity will document the network architecture and identify

systems that serve critical functions or contain sensitive information
that require additional levels of protection.

Which entity will identify and establish a rigorous, ongoing risk

management process.

Which entity will establish a network protection strategy based on the

principle of defense-in-depth.

Which entity will identify and establish cyber security requirements?

Which entity will effectively establish the configuration management

processes.

Which entity will conduct routine self-assessments?

Which entity will establish system backups and disaster recovery plan?

Senior organizational leadership should establish expectations for cyber

security performance and hold individuals accountable for their
performances.

Which entity will establish policies and conduct training to minimize the
likelihood that organizational personnel will inadvertently disclose
sensitive information regarding Scada system design, operations, or
security controls.