Oil and gas networks need a power boost for AI, HPC and quantum threats
Oil and gas companies have long recognized the importance of data as a strategic asset and competitive differentiator. Since the 1990s, companies across the industry have invested in high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure aimed at helping them tap into the power of data for a variety of use cases and applications.
Today, oil and gas companies collect massive volumes of real-time data from upstream and downstream assets. Companies in every region are embracing modern technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), big data analytics, edge computing, cloud and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) so they can get more value from all this data and gain an edge in the market.
Legacy oil and gas networks aren’t up to the task. To unleash the transformative potential of data through AI, HPC and digital technologies, oil and gas companies need networks that can deliver higher speeds, greater computing power and stronger security.
Unlocking efficiencies with AI and digital initiatives
Like most enterprises, oil and gas companies want to use AI to make their operations more efficient and profitable. For example, many want to use AI analytics to derive deep, actionable insights from operational data and predictively maintain their operational technology (OT) assets. Others want to augment the capabilities of workers with AI that can generate various types of content.
Oil and gas companies are also turning to other digital applications to support a variety of data-driven extraction and production (E&P) use cases, including:
- IIoT and edge computing applications that gather and analyze data at remote sites and control centers.
- Digital twins that emulate physical environments using data from sensors, cameras, drones and mobile devices.
- High-bandwidth connectivity and data processing for remote search and prospection activities.
- Remote-controlled and autonomous equipment for drilling and extraction sites, including robots and drones.
- Safety applications such as location tracking, smart personal protective equipment (PPE) and push-to-talk (PTT) and push-to-video (PTV) services.
These use cases promise to deliver transformative benefits. But they demand a lot from the communications networks that support them—from ultra-low latency and high capacity to real-time data processing and robust cybersecurity.
Many oil and gas companies recognize that they need to evolve their networks to support AI and digital use cases. Some have started by building future-proof wide area networks (WANs) using IP/MPLS and DWDM technology. The next step is to complement these WANs with solutions that meet HPC and AI workload requirements inside and across data center and cloud locations while protecting data confidentiality at all times.
Private 4G and 5G wireless networks also have a key role to play in the digitalization of oil and gas operations. They can extend robust, reliable and low-latency connectivity to mission-critical assets and applications in challenging industrial environments and leverage the IP/MPLS and DWDM network for backhaul.
Evolving data center networks for AI and HPC workloads
The growing presence of AI and HPC workloads presents challenges for oil and gas companies because they are highly compute-intensive, generate massive amounts of data and require ultra-fast processing. Operators need data center networking solutions that can meet the stringent demands of these workloads and keep supporting traditional application workloads.
AI and HPC applications require low-latency, lossless and scalable infrastructure connectivity. But human errors—from product design mistakes by vendors to configuration mistakes by network operations staff—make it impossible to meet these requirements all the time. Current solutions can’t overcome these errors or deliver the reliability, simplicity and flexibility required for modern data center switching infrastructures, which increasingly involve cloud-native tools and a mix of cloud models. This means they will struggle with AI and HPC workloads.
Oil and gas operators must address these challenges to ensure a smooth journey to digitalized, AI-enabled operations. Data center networks need to evolve so that they will be able to provide reliable, seamless, error-free connectivity to growing numbers of servers equipped with central processing units, (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), network interface cards (NICs) and storage solutions.
An ideal data center networking solution will complement a WAN based on IP/MPLS and DWDM with flexible, high-performance hardware platforms, a modern and open network operating system (NOS), adaptable automation tools and very high-speed and secure data center interconnectivity. With these capabilities, oil and gas companies can handle any workload with confidence.
Enabling DCI for distributed AI and HPC workloads
Oil and gas companies are deploying more data centers as they use AI and HPC applications with their OT assets. In addition to managing each data center and ensuring that it delivers sufficient performance, they need to support reliable, high-performance interconnectivity between distributed data centers.
As HPC and AI workloads take on a greater role in oil and gas operations, it will become even more important to have high-performance data center interconnect (DCI) solutions that can support:
- Connectivity to public cloud frameworks—also known as GPU-as-a-service (GPUaaS)—that provide data for HPC and AI applications.
- Connectivity to private cloud infrastructure reserved for highly sensitive and strategically important E&P data.
- Low-latency connectivity for HPC and AI applications that involve running use cases in private infrastructures at the network edge.
- Connectivity for infrastructures where workloads are distributed across multiple GPUaaS provider locations.
An ideal DCI solution will combine a flexible data center gateway (DCGW) with interconnect routers and a coherent DWDM technology over fiber networks with compact, scalable line systems.
The DCGW acts as a comprehensive solution for traffic flowing between data centers or between data centers and external networks. It enables secure and efficient connectivity of data center fabrics over any transport technology, delivering the scalability and security required in oil and gas operations.
Coherent DWDM technology supports the growing demands of modern computing environments by enabling efficient, high-performance connectivity between data centers across any topology or distance.
The optical line systems significantly increase the total capacity of optical fibers by combing and amplifying multiple wavelengths over optical fiber networks.
Securing oil and gas networks against quantum threats
Digital transformation and AI present many opportunities to enhance and simplify oil and gas operations. But they rely heavily on data transmission, which makes them vulnerable to a wide variety of cyber threats.
Current encryption standards can ward off most threats. But rapid advances in quantum computing mean that bad actors could soon access a cryptographically relevant quantum computer (CRQC) that can crack or diminish the protection provided by these standards. Some are already stealing data that they can decrypt when a CRQC arrives. This makes quantum attacks a zero-day threat.
Oil and gas companies don’t have to wait for new post-quantum cryptography (PQC) standards. They can protect AI, HPC and other critical workloads from quantum threats today using familiar encryption methods.
The solution is to deploy symmetric encryption at different layers of the network—including OTNsec at the optical layer and Anysec/MACsec at the data link layer—to create defense-in-depth protection. This solution should also include a trusted source that can generate high-entropy encryption keys that have a long key length and use a strong encryption algorithm such as AES-256.
Utilities should choose a quantum-safe networking solution that’s flexible and scalable enough to protect their critical systems and data today and tomorrow. An ideal solution will integrate seamlessly with existing network and security solutions, support a variety of applications and work with PQC algorithms once they have been standardized. It will also protect AI and HPC workloads without disrupting them.
Find out more
Nokia provides comprehensive networking solutions that can help oil and gas companies fast-track digital transformation, get maximum value from AI and HPC workloads, and secure their data communications against quantum computing threats. Visit the links below to find out more about how our solutions can help you achieve your digital ambitions.
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