Page History

...

Monitoring 300+ Remote

...

Stations

A major midstream operator needed to modernize monitoring across hundreds of remote pipeline stations while maintaining 24/7 operations. Legacy RTUs required expensive middleware, limited data collection, and provided no local intelligence.

[Architecture Overview]

...

EdgeConnect -

...

Unified Namespace Originator

Deployment Pattern

• EdgeConnect at each station (300+ sites) on CISCO routersEnterprise Unlimited at control center

• DataHub Stations at regional hubs (6 locations)

Key Design Decisions

• EdgeConnect deployed in Cisco IR1101 routers (reduced hardware footprint)Local SQL database for 30-day historian at each site

• Store-and-forward for satellite communication resilience

• UNS architecture with Sparkplug B for auto-discovery

[Technical Specifications]

...

Architecture Components

[Implementation Details]

...

Edge Intelligence Configuration

At Each Station (EdgeConnect)

• Direct PLC/RTU communication (Modbus, DNP3)

• Local calculations (flow totals, leak detection algorithms)

• Python scripts for anomaly detection

• MQTT Sparkplug B publication to regional/central

Regional Hubs (DataHub Station)

• Aggregation of area stations

• Regional historian (1 year retention)

• Alarm management for area

• Report generation

Control Center (Enterprise Unlimited)

• System-wide visualization

• Predictive analytics

• Regulatory reporting

• Integration with PHMSA compliance systems

[Data Flow]

...

UNS Architecture

1. Field Level: Sensors → PLCs/RTUs → EdgeConnect

2. Edge UNS: Local namespace definition, context added

3. Regional UNS: Area aggregation via DataHub Station

4. Enterprise UNS: Complete operational view via Enterprise Unlimited

5. Cloud Integration: Select KPIs to Azure for corporate dashboards

[Results Achieved]

...

1. Network: Process and manage data in the broker

Measured Outcomes

Operational Improvements

• 75-80% reduction in operational costs

• Zero middleware licensing fees

• 100% uptime during satellite outages (store-and-forward)

• 60% reduction in alarm flooding

...

• Sub-second local response times

• 30-day edge autonomy during communication loss

• Automatic configuration deployment to new sites

• Native integration with existing SCADA without replacement

[Scalability Path]

H2: Growth Architecture

Phase 1 (Completed): 300 pipeline stations
Phase 2 (In Progress): Add 150 compressor stations
Phase 3 (Planned): Integrate 50 storage facilities
Future: ML models for predictive maintenance

All phases use same architecture pattern with no redesign required.

...

...

Build This Architecture

Deployment Time for Phase 1: 8-12 weeks for 50 sites
Current Stage: 300+ sites
Required Products: EdgeConnect ($750/site), Enterprise Unlimited ($11,900), DataHub Station ($2,000 x 6)
Total Architecture Cost: ~$250,000 for complete 300-site system

1. The Problem

Challenge: Operate and observe hundreds of distributed midstream sites with PLCs and intermittent, bandwidth-limited links—while keeping on-site autonomy and ensuring a unified, secure, and scalable publish/subscribe model for corporate operations, analytics, and alarms.

...

2.2 Logical Diagram (high level)

...

2.3 Topology

...