Application Domain Partitioning for the Smart Grid

An integrated multi-tier Smart Grid network combines distribution, metering, and in-home communications. Without proper controls, intermixing these disparate applications would not only fail to meet the requirements of each distinct application but would also create potential security risks. To provide a Smart Grid network that is capable of providing end-to-end security as well as per-application traffic guarantees requires Application Partitioning. Application Partitioning accomplishes the primary goals required to securely deploy multiple applications, each with their own performance requirements, across a common network:

• Network Domain Partitioning – segmenting the common network into multiple “virtual” network domains, with each domain providing secure communications.
• Application Quality-of-Service (QoS) – for each virtual network domain, providing the ability to define QoS characteristics such as bandwidth and latency to accommodate application-specific requirements.

When combined, network domain partitioning and application QoS form “Application Domain Partitioning”, which provides the security and traffic guarantees required to deploy multiple applications across a common Smart Grid infrastructure.

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