Introduction

In this modern world, there has been a drastic increase in connectivity. It is now possible to keep in touch with people around the world via global roaming mobile/telephone networks or via satellite-based communications networks. It is even possible to transact business, make purchases and surf the web on a cellular phone. It is possible to purchase everything from books, clothes and other items on the vast ocean of the Internet. At the heart of this digital revolution is convergence to the Internet Protocol(IP). Distributed Systems in volatile or remote environments are costly and difficult to maintain. In environments such as power plants, factories and other similar facilities, they would have to deploy a large number of sensory devices to monitor the status of the entire system. In research and development facilities, it would be a tedious, costly and even dangerous endeavor to perform all the monitoring manually. Physical harm can be brought upon the researchers and operators in these hazardous environments. In order to reduce manpower costs, improve safety conditions and provide just in time monitoring and response, Sensory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems have been deployed[1]. With all this advances in Information and Communication Technology and the SCADA technology, we now have the necessary tools to provide a complete, distributed and multi-access computer controlled data acquisition and control system. This we call the Sensory Control and Data Acquisition - Total Environment Management System (SCADA-TEMS).