Advantech and Lynx Software partner for mission-critical edge starter kit
Advantech, which supplies industrial IoT edge systems and embedded platforms and Lynx Software Technologies, which specialises in mission-critical edge, security and functional safety systems have partnered to offer multiple mission-critical edge starter kit options to converge information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT).
Lynx MOSA.ic for Industrial is the company’s mission-critical edge platform. It provides virtual air gapping between the control automation and other workloads. Many networks including those in government, military, financial services, power plants, and industrial manufacturing have been so-called “air-gapped.” This means they are physically and logically isolated from other networks where communication between these networks is not physically or logically possible.
The platform is available for implementation on selected Advantech industrial hardware, which reduces integration time for OT edge processing.
The mission critical edge starter kits enable the implementation of the edge use cases in the OT domain and allows vPLC, machine learning and security to run on the same system. It also has the ability to host cloud workloads in the OT domain without impacting operators, says Lynx.
Central to Lynx MOSA.ic for Industrial is the LynxSecure separation kernel, which isolates applications and provides deterministic real-time performance and management of critical system assets to increase immunity to cybersecurity attacks. Additionally, Lynx has developed management technologies that allow mission-critical edge systems to be deployed at scale and meet the strict requirements of systems that enable OT and IT convergence, added the company.
“One of the primary concerns expressed to us by OT operators has been how to deploy edge technologies in the OT domain,” said Pavan Singh, vice president of product management, Lynx Software Technologies. “By leveraging virtual air gapping, OT operators can focus on the business benefits of new data and machine learning technologies without worrying about the impact on their operations.”
Advantech hardware devices targeted for both Level 1 operational hierarchy for direct control and Level 2 supervisory control include the MIC-770 modular industrial PC and the UNO-137 embedded automation computer. Depending on the level of consolidation needed, both devices combine with Lynx MOSA.ic for Industrial.
Advantech’s MIC-770 series of PCs provide high performance computing, multiple I/O interfaces, and flexible expandability with the integration of i-Modules and iDoor. The MIC-770 series can be equipped with a wide range of processors to provide custom entry level and high end industrial IoT. With the provision of multiple I/O for connecting devices, MIC-770 systems can serve as a data gateway and industrial controller.
UNO-137 is an industrial-grade integrated IoT edge gateway suitable for industrial automation. Its new modular design includes a base unit and an optional extension kit, which supports Advantech’s iDoor technology to integrate additional industrial Fieldbus, I/O and wireless communication.
The combination of Advantech hardware and Lynx software allows users to have IT/OT collaboration and network separation.
In addition to the Lynx separation kernel, the starter kit includes nodes based on LynxSecure separation kernel hypervisor, support for multiple guest OS, virtual kernel-based virtual machine (KVM) support, together with eplicit allocation of storage and other dedicated resources and a precise definition of inter-VM connectivity and communication.
