GGSN Front End Processor (GFEP) System for SCADA Inter-Domain Communications

• US 20120117266A1
• Filed: 11/08/2010
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Maria, Arturo
• Granted Patent: US 8,527,653 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 Service support devices; Network management devices

Abstract

A general packet radio service (GPRS) gateway support node (GGSN) front end processor (GFEP) system includes an input/output (I/O) interface configured to receive data directly from at least one supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) device. The received data is associated with at least one of monitoring and controlling an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) device. The GFEP system also includes a GFEP processor operatively coupled to the I/O interface, the GFEP processor is configured to perform a protocol conversion to facilitate transfer of the received data from the SCADA device to a GGSN of a wireless communications network, and provide the received data to the GGSN for delivery via the wireless communications network to the AMI device.

Claims

1. A general packet radio service (GPRS) gateway support node (GGSN) front end processor (GFEP) system, comprising:

an input/output (I/O) interface configured to receive data directly from at least one supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) device, the received data being for at least one of monitoring and controlling an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) device; and

a GFEP processor operatively coupled to the I/O interface, the GFEP processor being configured to;

perform a protocol conversion to facilitate transfer of the received data from the SCADA device to a GGSN of a wireless communications network; and

provide the received data to the GGSN for delivery via the wireless communications network to the AMI device.

2. The GFEP system of claim 1, wherein in being configured to perform a protocol conversion, the GFEP processor is configured to perform a data link layer protocol conversion.

3. The GFEP system of claim 2, wherein in being configured to perform the data link layer protocol conversion, the GFEP processor is configured to convert the received data from a first protocol used by the SCADA device and selected from a group of first protocols consisting of Distributed Network Protocol (DNP), Modbus, Modbus X, and Multispeak to a second protocol used by the GGSN, the second protocol being a data link layer protocol of the Internet Protocol Suite.

4. The GFEP system of claim 1, further comprising:

a GFEP provisioning manager operatively coupled to the GFEP processor, the GFEP provisioning manager being configured to provision at least one GFEP connection with configuration parameters comprising at least one of a connection type, a protocol used, a source address, a destination address, and a transmission restriction.

5. The GFEP system of claim 4, further comprising:

a GFEP security catalog database configured to store a security profile for the at least one GFEP connection, each security profile comprising at least one of a connection type, a SCADA device characteristic, an allowed protocol, an allowed address, a data transmitted amount, and a data received amount; and

a GFEP security manager operatively coupled to the GFEP processor and the GFEP security catalog database, the GFEP security manager being configured to;

receive, in response to a particular GFEP connection of the at least one GFEP connection between the SCADA device and the GFEP system being initiated, a request for security information from the GFEP provisioning manager;

fetch, in response to the request for security information, the security profile associated with the SCADA device from the GFEP security catalog database; and

forward the security profile associated with the SCADA device to the GFEP provisioning manager;

wherein the GFEP provisioning manager is further configured to use the security profile to provision the particular GFEP connection.

6. The GFEP system of claim 1, wherein the GFEP processor is part of the GGSN.

7. A network architecture for facilitating inter-domain communications between a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) domain and a wireless service provider domain, the network architecture comprising:

a general packet radio service (GPRS) gateway support node (GGSN);

a GGSN front end processor (GFEP) system, the GFEP system being configured to;

perform a protocol conversion to facilitate transfer of data received from the SCADA domain to the wireless service provider domain; and

provide the data to the GGSN.

8. The network architecture of claim 7, further comprising at least one SCADA device operating in the SCADA domain, wherein:

the GFEP system is further configured to receive the data from the at least one SCADA device.

9. The network architecture of claim 8, wherein the at least one SCADA device is associated with at least one of electricity generation, electricity transmission, electricity distribution, a manufacturing process, a production process, a fabrication process, a refining process, water treatment, water distribution, wastewater collection, wastewater treatment, natural gas distribution, natural gas collection, oil distribution, oil collection, a defense system monitoring process, a security system monitoring process, a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning process, and energy consumption.

10. The network architecture of claim 8, wherein in being configured to perform a protocol conversion, the GFEP system is configured to perform a data link layer protocol conversion.

11. The network architecture of claim 10, wherein in being configured to perform the data link layer protocol conversion, the GFEP system is configured to convert the data from a first protocol used by the at least one SCADA device and selected from a group of first protocols consisting of Distributed Network Protocol (DNP), Modbus, Modbus X, and Multispeak to a second protocol used by the GGSN, the second protocol being a data link layer protocol of the Internet Protocol Suite.

12. The network architecture of claim 7, further comprising at least one automated monitoring infrastructure (AMI) device operating in an AMI domain that is in communication with the wireless service provider domain, wherein:

the GGSN is configured to receive the data from the GFEP system and provide the data to the at least one AMI device via a wireless communications network

13. The network architecture of claim 12, wherein the at least one AMI device is associated with at least one of electricity generation, electricity transmission, electricity distribution, a manufacturing process, a production process, a fabrication process, a refining process, water treatment, water distribution, wastewater collection, wastewater treatment, natural gas distribution, natural gas collection, oil distribution, oil collection, a defense system monitoring process, a security system monitoring process, a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning process, and energy consumption.

14. The network architecture of claim 12, wherein the at least one AMI device is a smart grid device.

15. The network architecture of claim 7, wherein the GFEP system is in communication with the GGSN.

16. The network architecture of claim 7, wherein the GFEP system is integrated within the GGSN.

17. A method for operating a general packet radio service (GPRS) gateway support node (GGSN) front end processor (GFEP) system to facilitate inter-domain communications between a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) domain and a wireless service provider domain, the method comprising:

at the GFEP system;

performing a protocol conversion to facilitate transfer of data received from a SCADA device of the SCADA domain to a GGSN of the wireless service provider domain; and

providing the data to the GGSN for delivery via a wireless communications network of the wireless service provider domain to an automated metering infrastructure (AMI) device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising provisioning a GFEP connection of the GFEP system to the SCADA device with configuration parameters comprising at least one of a connection type, a protocol used, a source address, a destination address, and a transmission restriction.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the GFEP connection is provisioned in part using a security profile associated with the SCADA device, the security profile comprising at least one of a connection type, a SCADA device characteristic, an allowed protocol, an allowed address, a data transmitted amount, and a data received amount.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein performing the protocol conversion comprises converting the data received according to a first protocol used by the SCADA device and selected from a group of first protocols consisting of Distributed Network Protocol (DNP), Modbus, Modbus X, and Multispeak to a second protocol used by the GGSN, the second protocol being a data link layer protocol of the Internet Protocol Suite.