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Time-series data storage and retrieval for trends, analysis, and compliance

Modules → Historian| Tutorial | How-to Guide | Reference

Understanding Industrial Data Historians

Industrial processes generate continuous streams of data that must be captured, stored, and made available for analysis. The Historian Module transforms this raw time-series data into actionable intelligence for:

• Trend Analysis - Visualize patterns and anomalies over time
• Performance Optimization - Compare current vs historical operation
• Regulatory Compliance - Maintain required data retention
• Root Cause Analysis - Investigate past events and issues
• Reporting - Generate production and quality reports

Key Concepts

• HistorianTag: Tag configured for historical data storage with specific collection rules
• HistorianTable: Group of tags with shared storage settings (sampling rate, retention, triggers)
• StorageLocation: Database destination for each historian table (SQL, external historians, custom)
• Trigger: Condition that determines when to store data (on change, periodic, event-based)
• Deadband: Filtering to prevent storage of insignificant changes
• Store and Forward: Buffering system ensuring no data loss during connection failures

What It Does

The Historian Module provides comprehensive data archiving:

• Stores time-series data from any tag in the system
• Connects to multiple databases simultaneously
• Provides data retrieval for trends, reports, and analytics
• Manages data retention and automatic purging
• Handles store-and-forward during database outages
• Supports both SQL and specialized historian databases

Configuration Workflow

Runtime Behavior

Data Collection

The module subscribes to all configured historian tags and evaluates trigger conditions. Data is stored to designated locations based on table settings, with automatic buffering if databases are temporarily unavailable.

Data Retrieval

Scripts, displays, and reports request historical data through the Historian module's query interface. The TrendChart component provides built-in visualization of time-series data.

Feature Highlights

• Native Integration - Canary, OSIsoft PI, InfluxDB, and other major historians
• Store and Forward - No data loss during network interruptions
• Timezone Handling - Automatic timezone and daylight saving time management
• Built-in SQL Engine - Embedded historian for SQL databases
• Web Monitoring - Browser-based historian status and trending
• Flexible Schemas - Standard or normalized table structures
• Compression Options - Deadbands and deviation filtering

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