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on 05 JUL 2023
MachineMetrics on AWS enables automated production monitoring and analytics while ensuring robust security and regulatory compliance. Users can scale their operations securely, leveraging the frameworks provided by MachineMetrics and AWS.
In the life sciences sector, there is a prevalent misconception that cloud-based solutions jeopardize compliance due to perceived weaknesses in security and stability. This apprehension is understandable, as organizations must adhere to stringent internal and external regulations. However, the necessity for on-premises solutions has diminished significantly. Over the past decade, advancements in cloud software have greatly enhanced both security and stability, as evidenced by tools like the AWS Nitro System for Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2).
This article will explore how manufacturers in regulated sectors can gain insights into shop floor performance while ensuring strong compliance with regulations. We will demonstrate how manufacturers can concentrate on refining their processes and products by taking advantage of the compliance frameworks offered by MachineMetrics and AWS.
Cloud Security and Compliance
AWS continually expands its array of regulatory certifications and provides the essential tools and compliance attestations required by clients in highly regulated sectors. Industries such as Financial Services, Healthcare, Life Sciences, Medical Devices, Energy, and Public Sector all stand to benefit. AWS offers comprehensive tools and security features that alleviate the operational burdens typically associated with maintaining security. In the Life Sciences field, many leading medical device manufacturers have successfully transitioned to cloud solutions without sacrificing compliance. This shift allows them to enjoy the flexibility, reliability, security, and cost-effectiveness of cloud services.
At AWS, security remains the utmost priority. The services we provide are designed to fulfill the security and regulatory needs of our customers. Regular updates and maintenance ensure that AWS services stay compliant over time. Medical device manufacturers can utilize cloud solutions without compromising their compliance standards. To leverage cloud compliance effectively, organizations should evaluate their cloud provider’s security and compliance measures. It’s also crucial to implement risk-sensitive controls that align with the security architecture of the cloud platform. Furthermore, a strong process must be established to align security controls with the specific requirements of the solution.
AWS supports over 140 security standards and compliance certifications, including GxP, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), HITRUST, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), and the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP). These certifications assist customers in meeting compliance obligations globally. They can also serve as inherited evidence for your own certifications.
AWS is accountable for managing and safeguarding the infrastructure that operates all AWS Cloud services. This infrastructure encompasses the hardware, software, networking, and facilities that power AWS services. Third-party attestation reports can be accessed through the AWS Artifact service in the AWS Management Console.
MachineMetrics Production Monitoring Platform
MachineMetrics is a production monitoring tool that autonomously captures equipment data at scale, standardizing it into a unified model. Contextual data, such as operational data points (including part rejection rates and production run metrics), is then added. This yields accurate, real-time production data that can inform ready-made reports, dashboards, notifications, and automation workflows.
MachineMetrics on AWS empowers device manufacturers to harness real-time data to optimize production processes, minimize downtime, and enhance efficiency. By leveraging the scalability, security, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness of AWS, MachineMetrics provides a powerful and comprehensive platform for manufacturing analytics, enabling device manufacturers to monitor and enhance utilization, downtime, processes, and throughput.
Cloud Shared Responsibility
The Shared Responsibility Model delineates the division of responsibilities among 1/ AWS, 2/ MachineMetrics, and 3/ MachineMetrics’ customers. AWS is tasked with securing the cloud infrastructure that supports the MachineMetrics production monitoring and analytics platform. MachineMetrics, in turn, is responsible for its own security in the cloud and the compliance of the solutions it deploys.
With the foundational security managed by AWS, MachineMetrics can focus on delivering additional value to manufacturing clients. They can develop specialized microservices, manage network and firewall configurations, handle gateway management, and ensure data encryption and integrity authentication services.
MachineMetrics customers can concentrate on maintaining security and integrity on the shop floor. Much of their efforts will focus on utilizing the data output from MachineMetrics services and their associated components, such as computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS).
MachineMetrics and AWS
For medical device manufacturers, secure data collection, processing, and storage are crucial to meeting standards and efficiently delivering quality products. MachineMetrics facilitates this with a comprehensive machine connectivity platform that provides valuable quality data from the shop floor and tools to leverage it effectively.
MachineMetrics implements various AWS services to ensure security, such as role-based authentication via AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) to control access across multiple AWS accounts. AWS CloudTrail is utilized to audit AWS API usage.
- Amazon EC2: MachineMetrics employs Amazon EC2 for hosting its computing resources in the cloud. EC2 offers scalable computing capacity, allowing MachineMetrics to easily adjust instances as needed. For security, all instances reside in private networks, inaccessible from the public internet.
- Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS): MachineMetrics uses Amazon RDS for database hosting. This managed database service simplifies the setup, operation, and scaling of relational databases in the cloud. The databases are encrypted, and logs are exported to AWS CloudTrail.
- Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3): MachineMetrics utilizes Amazon S3 for data storage and retrieval. S3 provides scalable object storage, allowing MachineMetrics to quickly and cost-effectively manage large data volumes. The buckets are encrypted, and access is logged to ensure security.
- Amazon Kinesis: MachineMetrics leverages Amazon Kinesis to stream real-time data from manufacturing equipment to its platform, enabling real-time monitoring and analysis of production.
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