Important Milestone in the Roche pRED Innovation Center Project
The pRED Innovation Center comprises a new research and development centre spread over four buildings in the heart of Basel. A state-of-the-art Convention Center, office workstations and flexible laboratory workstations are distributed across the four buildings. These will be equipped with the latest available technologies.
CTE was entrusted with the task of networking the entire research center and adjacent buildings with regard to technical building automation. In addition, a highly available and scalable computing infrastructure will be provided for the technical facilities.
Successful Factory Acceptance Test Amidst the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic
The FATWhat does FAT stand for?The FAT (Factory Acceptance Test) is a simulation test conducted at the manufacturer's facility to ensure that the system is functioning properly before it is shipped to the customer. for the infrastructure of the pRED Innovation Centers was conducted under exceptional circumstances. In the midst of a global pandemic, the CTE and Roche officials had to demonstrate that they possessed the necessary technology and flexibility to conduct a FAT largely in a virtual format. The system tests that required the physical presence of individuals were kept to a minimum and were conducted under hygiene and safety measures appropriate to the current situation.
The pRED Innovation Center Basel relies on a highly available and centralised infrastructure. This means that all systems are connected to one network, the so-called 'collapsed backbone'.
This network is built using the latest technologies and high security standards. The centralized, high-availability computing infrastructure, which takes the form of a "stretched cluster," ensures reliable operation for all systems and applications at the pRED Innovation Center Basel. By using a "Hyperconverged InfrastructureWhat is a hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI)?HCI combines computing power, storage, and networking capabilities in interconnected nodes. If one node fails, the others immediately take over its tasks—ensuring uninterrupted operation."It is possible to scale both computing power and storage capacity as needed, thereby meeting future requirements."
The centralisation of infrastructures can prevent a proliferation of different components and manufacturers within a building or building complex. By using consistent components, specific to the industrial environment, and adhering to industrial standards, such a complex system can be managed and monitored appropriately.
Extremely High Availability Requirements
As centralised infrastructures form the backbone of the entire building complex, a failure would have far-reaching consequences. Network monitoring and central configuration management require the centralisation and standardisation of components.
During the FAT, CTE—a company specializing in high-availability infrastructure for the industrial sector—was able to demonstrate that the failure of individual systems or even entire system sites does not impair the functionality of the overall infrastructure. By deploying redundant systems distributed across various buildings at strategically sound locations, it is possible to eliminate the component of a system known as the “single point of failure.” This allows us to achieve the highest level of protection in the field of OTWhat is OT?OT (Operational Technology) encompasses hardware and software used to monitor and control devices, processes, and events, as well as to detect changes., availability.
Outlook
Now that the performance and security of the infrastructure have been tested and approved, we are looking forward to putting the system into operation in the near future and supporting the building technology suppliers in integrating their systems into the central infrastructure.
