The largest supplier of lime in North America requested for Automation Plus to perform an OT Network Audit and design assessment for above ground and underground limestone mines with over 1500 connections. This effort was part of an IT and OT separation for a new Network Initiative that will expand cybersecurity and data collection potential in 30 underground limestone mines. The project occurred in three phases- Automation Plus determined and documented the existing infrastructure of each mine site before developing a plan for separation. Automation Plus provided all IT/OT resources on-site to execute installation support and configuration of new network equipment.

The existing network drawings were inconsistent with inaccurate information due to undocumented areas of the mining site and lack of updates because of outdated software. Automation Plus audited the site for ten days to develop accurate documentation of the networks, collecting the necessary information to generate a standard drawing database which included media type, location, device or application, logic addresses, and network type. Automation Plus generated AutoCAD drawings which included Network Architecture Drawings of the current site, Network Detailed Drawings of each area, and TAD-Backbone drawings that defined the network in increasingly complex detail to determine the best plan for further execution.

Automation Plus collaborated with the client IT and OT staff to create a remediation plan for each site which involved analyzing the drawings and documentation to identify any deficiencies or deviations from the client’s operating standards. This included required replacement hardware, updated network architecture, and standardized network management policies. Our team executed the IT/OT separation providing all of the IT/OT personnel and subcontractors to the client for on-site installation support and configuration. Automation Plus procured all hardware, managed installation of new cabling, configured all network devices, and updated documentation to reflect new hardware and architecture.

System Includes:

  • IT/OT Network Separation
  • 26 Industrial managed Network Switches (8 ports)
  • 3 IT grade managed Network switches (8 ports)
  • 9 IT grade managed Network switches (30 ports