sort of OT, Win XP replacments

Our IT dept has come down with orders to remove/replace all Win XP PCs on the LAN. They have been replacing the business machines over the past couple years. We have many HMI and OPC data collectors that connect to a GE Historian server (IT maintains the server) that are Win XP. The OPC collectors, mostly RSLinx won’t be a problem and there are only a few of those. The problem is the HMI boxes. Some are only a few years old; others are running iFix 3.5 so an upgrade of the software and hardware would be needed. We are talking about a dozen or so PCs that would be replaced. Lots of work and cost just because Microsoft doesn’t support XP. Oh, yea. They want it done ASAP of course.

So the question for you really network savvy guys is could we put a simple hardware firewall at each of the more expensive upgrades to spread out the replacement costs into the future?

Yea I know run VM and everybody is happy. Well IT doesn’t always do things that way and it still takes new machines and time/work.
I just want to stretch this out 5 more months, then I’ll be retired.

Sure put a industrial firewall in at each place. I like AB / Cisco and Tofino / Hirschman.

http://ab.rockwellautomation.com/Networks-and-Communications/Stratix-5900-Services-Router

http://www.hirschmann.com/en/Hirschmann_Produkte/Industrial_Ethernet/security-firewall/index.phtml

John Soltesz said:

I just want to stretch this out 5 more months, then I’ll be retired.

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5 months? really? what's the sweat, dude? let someone else be responsible
-edit
someone else _should_ be responsible by now...

wimpiesplc said:

5 months? really? what's the sweat, dude? let someone else be responsible
-edit
someone else _should_ be responsible by now...

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Well, 44 years of dedication is hard to break. My replacement is hired and scheduled to start in 2 weeks.

John Soltesz said:

Well, 44 years of dedication is hard to break. My replacement is hired and scheduled to start in 2 weeks.

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Congrats on the loyalty of 44 years!

I left a company after 15 years and they hired 3 people to take my place.

RussB said:

Congrats on the loyalty of 44 years!

I left a company after 15 years and they hired 3 people to take my place.

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Only 30 years at my present employer. We have been cutting back on my duties for the past few years (some health related.) They are sort of realizing that as we get more data gathering intensive the easier it is to diagnose production problems. Duh! So I have been focusing on data acq systems. My replacement will have a decent slice to work with without getting overwelmed. Hopefully.

You let your IT touch your control PCs?!

Congrats on the impending retirement!

John Soltesz said:

...Lots of work and cost just because Microsoft doesn’t support XP.

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I find it humorous when I hear people blame Microsoft for lack-of-planning in their organization. Vista was released in 2007, you had 7 years to plan a migration away from XP.

harryting said:

You let your IT touch your control PCs?!

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The era of stand-alone PC's are coming to an end. IT will be tasked to manage all PC's in an organization. To risky not too, windows updates will be pushed out, firewalls/antivirus will be prevalent. Embrace it....you won't get away from it.

harryting said:

You let your IT touch your control PCs?!

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God no! They have their requirements for Anti Virus and such. Sometimes we follow, IF it works. Right now they only touch the data historian server but we do the data software updates and such. Mostly stuff stops working when they want to change VLAN addresses because they can't get the switches set right.

Vista? Skipped that completely. There is still a non-networked WIN 95 box running. The managers are in the "pushbutton/pilot lamp" mindset of stuff that can work for 30-50 years before replacement. Some are aware of the need to replace systems after 5-7 years, but still scream about the cost.

Paully's5.0 said:

harryting said:

You let your IT touch your control PCs?!

Click to expand...

The era of stand-alone PC's are coming to an end. IT will be tasked to manage all PC's in an organization. To risky not too, windows updates will be pushed out, firewalls/antivirus will be prevalent. Embrace it....you won't get away from it.

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Controls and IT are going to have to learn how to work together. Where control meets IT you have two groups of guys with poor people skills who have different objectives. Stop treating IT like the enemy and pretty quick you might find they can be a formidable resource to help you look good. Case in point: John is looking good because management is realizing that having intensive data is a good thing, while IT makes it possible for him to supply it with the historian.

John Soltesz said:

Well, 44 years of dedication is hard to break. My replacement is hired and scheduled to start in 2 weeks.

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Hey, I understand and surely respect you. Your current employer though doesn't deserve you. And they are too late in hiring your future replacement, IMHO.

Good luck in retiring. I hope you can let go ;-)

wimpiesplc said:

And they are too late in hiring your future replacement...

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That much is certain. No way can you pass on that experience in just 18 weeks.

John Soltesz said:

Well, 44 years of dedication is hard to break. My replacement is hired and scheduled to start in 2 weeks.

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Welcome to Club!

We are building nuclear power station since 2005 and estimation was 2009 for power production -with XP-.
Now it is delayed and estimation is 2018 and OS will be 10 or something. After start it products power around 60 years, after production they cooling it 50 years what takes 110 years together. I wonder what is Windows version and how many times they must update it and Simatic tools.

br. Seppo