Computing procurement · 2 min read
A SCADA server is not an office computer: what to specify
UD Fomra Group ·
SCADA servers run the software that operators use to watch and control a grid, plant or utility network. They run continuously, are hard to replace mid-life and must work with a specific software release. A general office server specification usually misses the points that matter.
Start from the SCADA software
Most SCADA and energy-management software vendors publish the hardware, operating system and database versions they support. The server specification should be built from that list, because an unsupported combination can leave the system outside vendor support.
Ask whether the integrator or vendor requires particular network cards, time-sync hardware or storage layouts, and record the software release the servers are meant for.
Design for continuous operation
Control systems commonly run as a main and standby pair, so a failure moves operation to the other server without losing control. Within each server, redundant power supplies, ECC memory and mirrored or RAID storage reduce single points of failure.
Accurate time matters because events and alarms are compared across devices. Specify the time source, such as GPS-disciplined NTP or PTP, and how the servers receive it.
Security, environment and lifecycle
Control-system networks are usually segregated from office IT and hardened against unnecessary services and ports. Utilities increasingly reference IEC 62443 for industrial cybersecurity; state any requirement that applies to the hardware, such as secure boot, firmware management or disabled interfaces.
Check the rack, power and cooling where the servers will sit, and ask how long the model and spare parts will remain available. A SCADA system often outlives a typical IT refresh cycle.
- SCADA software, release and the vendor's supported hardware and OS
- Main and standby arrangement, and number of operator and engineering stations
- CPU, memory, storage and RAID level, with redundant power supplies
- Network interfaces, segregation and time-sync source
- Security requirements, rack space, power and cooling at site
- Warranty, spares and support period expected
Sending the enquiry
UD Fomra Group's computing range covers Altos rack and tower servers and workstations, and our control-room range covers video walls and integrated control-room solutions. Share the SCADA vendor's hardware requirement with your enquiry so the configuration matches it.
If the software vendor or integrator has not yet issued a hardware list, send the system size and redundancy concept and we will work from that.