Netzsystem

Netzsystem is a term used to describe an integrated set of interconnected networks that together enable the transfer of information, energy, goods, or people. In German-language usage it covers both technological networks, such as computer networks and electricity grids, and broader infrastructural networks where different subsystems operate in concert as a single system.

Typical Netzsysteme consist of nodes (servers, routers, substations, stations) and links (cables, wireless connections, pipelines), arranged according to a topology (mesh, star, ring, hierarchical). They include control and management layers, such as network protocols and supervisory systems like SCADA for utilities, or routing and switching software for data networks. Reliability, scalability, and security are central design goals, guiding redundancy, fault tolerance, and monitoring.

Applications span information networks (data centers, Internet, enterprise networks), energy networks (electricity transmission and distribution grids; smart grid elements), transportation networks (rail, road, air traffic), and utility networks (water, gas). The term also appears in academic and engineering contexts to discuss networked systems theory, including concepts such as topology, resilience, and interdependence.

Governance involves standards and regulation to ensure interoperability, safety, and privacy. Common concerns include cybersecurity, aging infrastructure, integration of distributed energy resources, modernization of control systems, and data management.