In late 2010, the Wurldtech Services team expanded its Achilles Communications Certification (ACC) Program and now offers an Achilles Level 2 Certification. This week, we will take a look at the differences between the existing Level 1 Certification and this new Level 2 Certification, and some advantages of Level 2.
A Quick Overview of Achilles Level 1
Lets begin with a look at Level 1 Certification. During Level 1 testing, Achilles tests and monitors are used to conduct a detailed examination of the Ethernet, ARP, IP, ICMP, TCP and UDP implementations on the tested device. In order to attain Level 1 Certification, a device must maintain an acceptable level of functionality during the execution of each test case. All tests are executed at, or below, 10 percent link utilization. For example, on a 100 Mbit/s link, all test cases are executed at 10 Mbit/s or below.
Device vulnerabilities can expose an entire system to exploitation, and accidental failure can result in expensive loss of production due to downtime. Level 1 testing demonstrates that a device is robust against a pre-defined set of tests, and that high-rate and malformed traffic is not likely to crash it.
What are the Main Reasons to get Achilles Level 1 Certified?
Level 1 has become an established benchmark for the deployment of reliable industrial devices among major automation vendors and operators.
- It indicates that a device meets a comprehensive set of requirements and conformance criteria.
- It presents vendors with an independently verified result from which to communicate their product's communication robustness to customers.
- It provides operators of control systems with complete, accurate, and trustworthy information about the communication robustness of their deployed products.
So How Does Level 2 Certification Differ?
Level 2 Certification expands on Level 1 Certification by employing more tests and monitoring requirements. It covers the same protocols as Level 1, but each protocol is tested in greater depth. Level 2 tests use more fuzz values and perform more in-depth testing of different protocol states. In addition, all Level 1 tests are used during testing to maximize test coverage.
Another major difference is that for Level 2, denial-of-service tests are executed at two rates: the maximum link rate that the device supports, and a lower rate that is more typical of the device's operating environment. Differing functionality requirements apply for the two rates, but the end result is that the device is confirmed to be robust under both extreme and common conditions.
What are the Main Reasons to get Achilles Level 2 Certified?
In addition to the benefits that we listed for Level 1, there are a few extra advantages of Level 2.
- Vendors can test their products to a higher standard and thus differentiate themselves from their competitors.
- Vendors can prepare their products to ensure they meet upcoming changes to end user requirements.
- Vendors can satisfy additional emerging standards and requirements such as ISA Secure because Level 2 Certification meets the ISASecure Communication Robustness Testing requirements. We will explain more about Level 2 and ISA in next week's blog.
Where can you find additional information?
For some background information about the ACC Program, the Program Summary page (click here) is a good place to start. From there, you can jump to more detailed information about devices that can be certified and certification requirements.
How can you get Achilles Certified?
As always, the best way to proceed is to contact a member of our friendly team, who will be more than happy to discuss your requirements and advise you on the next steps. Email info@wurldtech.com or phone (001) 604 669 6674.