There are virtually limitless possibilities for system configuration. Most clients start with a simple
system; this is our recommendation. We have observed that customers that start with simple systems and grow
them over time are more likely to use their systems to the greatest effectiveness. As clients learn about
their system and its capability, they identify ways in which the system can better serve their needs. As
a result, the system is more aligned with their needs and gets more use in daily operations.
A data collection system consists of a single computer (acting as the data collection server) and connections to several
metering or protective devices. One or more remote clients may be included, depending upon the client's access needs. All
information is gathered, calculated, and retained on the single data collection (SCADA) server.
As client information needs grow and information access requirements increase, a Data Historian becomes useful.
Data Historian stores information gathered by the Data Collection system in a SQL database. This improves access
because client users on the LAN can access data on the Data Historian, without
impacting data collection.
If the connection between Data Historian and Data Collection is disrupted,
the Data Historian will automatically backfill when the connection is restored.
In this example a second Data Collection server has also been added. This provides
redundancy to the data collection function so that loss of a single computer will not result in loss of information.
The Analysis server typically gathers its information from the Data Historian server, however it can also connect directly
to the Data Collection server or other systems if needed. The advantage of connecting to the Data Historian is that data
protection and availability is improved because of the automatic backfill capability of Data Historian. The Analysis server
also has automatic backfill capability but it does not reach back in time as far as the Data Historian does.
The analysis server creates a SQL database of the information it collects to provide the analytic capabilities and
dashboard views.
