Communication Architecture for IP-based Substation Applications

IP communication is rapidly being introduced into the operation of the Electrical Power Utilities. The substation IP network environment has evolved from acting as an extension of the office LAN, to a state where it is carrying multiple services, including the transport of critical and sensitive data. IP communication can provide a single-platform solution for many different types of services using many different types of technologies and architectures. This makes IP networks very flexible, but also makes it difficult to select which solution is most suitable for specific situations. The TB provides guidelines for selecting and implementing IP based network architectures that fulfill the reliability, availability, maintainability and security requirements of Electrical Power Utilities.