Model - Software as a service (SaaS) is a cloud-based distribution model in which a third-party provider hosts applications and makes them available to customers over the Internet. The SaaS solution was chosen as the best solution due to its enhanced security features and ability to remotely update software.
Cloud Service Provider - SAGE cherry picked Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (Amazon VPC) services as the hosting solution due to its highly configurable, cost effective, secure, flexible and customisable configurations. Customised to the client’s specifications, this is an example of SAGE’s Virtual Private Cloud solution.
Security & Access Controls – To limit access and egress points, defence-in-depth security principles have been applied including security groups and network access control lists. As such, the system is only accessible from dedicated networks with unique identities and multi-factor authentication employed. To mitigate against vulnerabilities, conflicts, incompatibilities and potential malware infection, a virtualised development environment was employed to test and evaluate patches and updates before being applied to the production environment.
Migration progress – With full system backup completed and roll back plan established, all software and data was validated before being migrated to the new private cloud. Once in place, the latest SCADA software was installed with all applications updated to current versions and tested before going live. Lead by SAGE NOC Engineers, the cutover process took only a week for the talented NOC team, resulting in improved performance and system availability for the customer.