MySQL Enterprise Edition supports the core operations control centers of Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) SCADA systems
Business Challenges & Goals
ST Engineering is a global technology, defence and engineering group that uses technology and innovation to solve real-world problems and improve lives through its diverse portfolio of businesses across the aerospace, smart city, defence and public security segments.
Its Smart Mobility (Rail) business delivers an integrated suite of smart metro solutions, including command, control, and communication (C3) technology for light urban railway and MRT networks, to help cities enhance efficiency, optimize capacity, and modernize their metro systems to deliver a smooth and enjoyable journey for commuters. Consistently at the forefront of smart mobility technologies and innovations, it has deployed over 100 mobility projects in 48 global cities.
ST Engineering's C3 SCADA solution provides remote monitoring and control of the critical infrastructure in an MRT network of railway lines and stations. Integrated with electrical and mechanical subsystems, the solution provides users with complete visibility and situational awareness of entire transport lines. C3 SCADA technology monitors, controls, and analyses data, and predicts potential power outages. It also tracks faults, ultimately enabling safer and more efficient railway operations.
ST Engineering recently switched the backend database for C3 SCADA to MySQL in order to reduce costs and simplify database management for their customers.
Business Results & Metrics
Urban railway and MRT operators using SCADA can be assured that real-time alarms will alert them to any station or line incident that can affect train and railway operations. This is supported by MySQL which enables operators to have full round-the-clock visibility of the critical railway infrastructure that is required to move millions of passengers daily.
SCADA's real-time incident logging functions send alerts in case of fire, stalled trains, equipment outage, or potential issues across the entire urban railway or MRT line. "MySQL gives us high availability that is crucial for rapid incident management and post-event analysis," says Hock Boon. "With all electrical and mechanical equipment monitored and all components available in the MySQL database, we can instantly identify root causes and drill into issues."
Hock Boon highlights MySQL Enterprise Edition features, such as its high availability, asynchronous replication, and optimistic incremental backup, as key performance indicators of the turnkey system. Critical components within MySQL include data integrity, transactions, performance tuning, crash recovery, and the security provided by encrypted single sign-on connections. "Every new version of MySQL gets more stable and includes enhanced functionalities," Hock Boon says. "It makes our customers' database administration work easier and helps to facilitate smooth handover of our solution to the railway operators."
Urban railway and MRT operators are guaranteed fast and efficient control over the electrical and mechanical equipment of trains and railway stations, including traction power, lighting, gates, escalators, passenger information systems and more. "MySQL is easier to manage when problems occur because they can often be resolved at the user level," Hock Boon notes. "Operators can rely on it, it's much easier to run, and the maintenance costs are lower as a result."
Through a real-time dashboard, MySQL's capability of managing the many attributes of each component of an MRT infrastructure enables operational control center staff to react quickly to fire, power outages, or cyber threats and execute the appropriate response.
Why MySQL
ST Engineering switched to MySQL Enterprise Edition to be more cost-competitive. At the same time, MySQL Enterprise Edition provides its rail operator customers ease of maintenance for their embedded MySQL databases, without the need for costly database administrator expertise.
"Besides its cost-competitiveness, MySQL simplifies the database management process while providing superb and reliable functionalities that support our rail systems," explains Quek Hock Boon.