Strengthening OT Network Resilience Through Advanced Industrial Networking Capability

As industrial operations become increasingly connected and data-driven, operational technology (OT) networks must deliver secure, resilient, and always-available performance. To strengthen internal capability and support the growing complexity of critical customer environments, SAGE Automation partnered with IPD and Hirschmann to deliver an advanced OT networking capability program for its National Operations Centre (NOC) team.

Delivered across SAGE Automation’s Melbourne office and Adelaide’s Skills Lab, the three-day hands-on training program focused on real-world industrial networking scenarios aligned to enterprise-scale operational environments, including customers such as BHP and SA Water. The initiative strengthened the team’s ability to design, manage, monitor, and troubleshoot high-availability industrial Ethernet networks while reinforcing best-practice approaches to OT resilience, segmentation, lifecycle management, and operational support.

The program also reinforced the strategic partnership between SAGE Automation, IPD, and Hirschmann, combining specialist industrial networking technologies with operational support expertise to deliver stronger outcomes for shared customers.

The Challenge

As industrial environments continue to evolve, OT networks are becoming more complex, interconnected, and business critical. High availability, cyber security, operational continuity, and real-time visibility are no longer optional. They are essential requirements for organisations operating critical infrastructure and industrial assets.

For teams responsible for supporting these environments, traditional IT networking knowledge alone is not sufficient. OT environments introduce unique operational demands where uptime, determinism, resilience, and lifecycle management directly impact production, safety, and operational continuity.

To continue delivering reliable 24/7 support across complex industrial environments, SAGE Automation identified an opportunity to further strengthen the capability of its Network Operations Centre team through advanced industrial networking training tailored specifically to operational technology environments.

The Solution

SAGE Automation partnered with IPD and Hirschmann to deliver a three-day operational technology networking program focused on practical, real-world industrial applications.

Hosted across SAGE Automation’s Melbourne and Adelaide offices, the training combined foundational OT networking principles with advanced industrial Ethernet design, resilience, and operational lifecycle management. The program was designed around scenarios reflective of live customer environments and the operational realities of supporting critical infrastructure networks.

The initiative combined theory with extensive hands-on labs using Hirschmann industrial networking platforms and tools, enabling participants to apply concepts directly within simulated industrial environments.

Training Focus Areas

The program provided a progressive learning pathway covering both foundational and advanced operational technology networking concepts.

Key focus areas included:

• OT networking fundamentals and the differences between IT and OT operational priorities
• High-availability Layer 2 network architectures and redundancy strategies
• Scalable network segmentation using VLANs and Layer 3 integration
• Secure and resilient industrial network design approaches
• Network monitoring, diagnostics, and troubleshooting methodologies
• Quality of service and traffic prioritisation for industrial environments
• Time synchronisation and configuration management practices
• Operational lifecycle management, commissioning, and documentation standards

Hands-on labs were delivered using Hirschmann industrial Ethernet technologies and reflected the types of environments supported by the SAGE Automation NOC team across critical customer operations.

Operational Outcomes

Following the program, the SAGE Automation NOC team strengthened its capability to design, deploy, support, and troubleshoot industrial Ethernet networks with greater consistency and confidence.

The initiative improved readiness to support high-availability customer environments while reinforcing best-practice approaches to network resilience, segmentation, monitoring, and operational lifecycle management.

Key operational outcomes included:

• Enhanced capability to support complex industrial Ethernet environments
• Improved readiness to diagnose and respond to network incidents
• Stronger understanding of scalable and resilient OT network architectures
• Increased alignment with contemporary OT security and operational practices
• Greater confidence supporting Hirschmann-based infrastructure across customer environments
• Reinforced ability to deliver reliable, SLA-backed operational support services

The training also highlighted the importance of combining technical capability with disciplined operational processes, documentation standards, monitoring practices, and lifecycle management to maintain resilient industrial networks over time.

Partnership Value

The initiative reinforced the strategic partnership between SAGE Automation, IPD, and Hirschmann, bringing together operational expertise, industrial networking technologies, and specialist support capability.

By aligning technology, training, and operational practices, the program strengthened the collective ability to support enterprise-scale industrial environments and deliver long-term value for shared customers.

The collaboration also expanded internal capability to support Hirschmann-based infrastructure while enhancing knowledge sharing between vendor, distributor, and service delivery teams.

Technologies and Platforms

The program incorporated a range of non-proprietary industrial networking technologies and operational practices, grounded in globally recognised IEEE and IETF standards, including:

• Hirschmann industrial Ethernet switches and HiOS platforms
• Media Redundancy Protocol (MRP) and Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP)
• VLAN segmentation and Layer 3 switching
• Virtual Router Interfaces (VRIs) and Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP)
• Access Control Lists (ACLs) and routing strategies
• SNMP-based monitoring and Industrial HiVision
• Network Time Protocol (NTP) and Precision Time Protocol (PTP)
• Configuration management and firmware lifecycle practices

Key Takeaways

The program reinforced several critical principles for modern operational technology environments:

• OT networking requires specialised approaches distinct from traditional IT networking
• Resilient industrial networks depend on consistent application of redundancy, segmentation, and operational discipline
• Monitoring, lifecycle management, and structured troubleshooting are as important as network design itself
• Hands-on, scenario-based training significantly improves operational confidence and capability
• Strong collaboration between technology partners and operational teams delivers better long-term customer outcomes

Services Delivered

• Three-day OT networking capability program
• Industrial Ethernet architecture and resilience training
• Layer 2 and Layer 3 network design workshops
• Operational lifecycle management training
• Monitoring, diagnostics, and troubleshooting exercises
• Hands-on industrial networking laboratory sessions