Configuration Workflow

1. Configure Storage Location - Define where data is stored
2. Create HistorianTables - Group tags with common settings
3. Add HistorianTags - Select tags to archive
4. Configure Triggers - Define when to store data
5. Test Data Collection - Verify archiving and retrieval

Step 1: Configure Storage Location

Using Default SQLite Database

The platform includes SQLite by default. No configuration needed unless changing settings.

Changing Default Database

1. Navigate to Historian → Storage Locations
2. Click Settings icon (gear)
3. Configure:
   • Provider: Database type (SqlClient, PostgreSQL, etc.)
   • Database: Specific database system
   • Server IP: Database server address
4. Click Test to verify connection
5. Click OK

Adding External Historians

1. Go to Historian → Storage Locations
2. Click Plus icon
3. Configure:
   • Name: Storage identifier
   • Storage System: Select "Tag Provider"
   • Protocol: Choose historian (Canary, InfluxDB, PI)
   • StoreAndForward: Enable for buffering
4. Configure connection string
5. Click OK

Step 2: Create HistorianTables

HistorianTables group tags with shared storage settings.

Creating a Table

1. Navigate to Historian → HistorianTables
2. Click Plus icon
3. Configure properties:

1. Click OK

Storage Strategies

Step 3: Add HistorianTags

Configuring Tags for Archiving

1. Go to Historian → HistorianTags
2. Add tags using one of these methods:
   • Type tag name in first column
   • Browse and select from tag list
   • Copy/paste from UNS Tags
3. Configure for each tag:

Example Configurations

Tank.Level        → Table: ProcessData, Deadband: 0.5
Pump.Status       → Table: EventData, Deadband: 0
Reactor.Temp      → Table: CriticalData, Deadband: 0.1, RateOfChange: 5
Production.Batch  → Table: BatchData, Trigger-based

Step 4: Configure Advanced Options

Normalized vs Standard Tables

Quality Tracking

Enable SaveQuality in HistorianTable to:

• Store OPC quality with values
• Show gaps in trend charts
• Identify communication issues

Store and Forward

For external historians:

1. Enable StoreAndForward in Storage Location
2. System buffers data during connection loss
3. Automatic forward when connection restored

Step 5: Test and Monitor

Testing Data Collection

1. Start Runtime:
   • Press F5 or click Run Test
   • Go to Historian → Monitor
2. Verify Archiving:
   • Check "Storage" column shows "Running"
   • Monitor "Count" increasing
   • Verify "Last" timestamp updates
3. Test Retrieval:
   • Add TrendChart to display
   • Select historian tags
   • Verify historical data appears

Using TrendChart

1. In Displays → Draw
2. Add TrendChart control
3. Configure:
   • Tags: Select historian tags
   • Duration: Time span to display
   • Navigate: Pan and zoom tools

Data Retrieval

In Displays

Use TrendChart control for visualization:

@Historian.Query(tag, startTime, endTime, interval)

In Scripts

Query historical data:

csharp

// Get last 24 hours of data
DataTable data = @Historian.GetData(
    "Tank.Level", 
    DateTime.Now.AddDays(-1), 
    DateTime.Now,
    TimeSpan.FromMinutes(1)
);

SQL Queries

For SQL-based storage:

sql

SELECT * FROM ProcessData 
WHERE UTCTimestamp > '2024-01-01' 
AND TagName = 'Tank.Level'

Common Issues

Data Not Archiving

• Verify HistorianTable is configured
• Check tag exists and updates
• Confirm trigger conditions met
• Verify storage location connection

Gaps in Data

• Check TimeDeadband settings
• Verify SaveOnChange configuration
• Review deadband values
• Enable SaveQuality for visibility

Storage Full

• Configure LifeTime for auto-deletion
• Archive old data externally
• Increase storage capacity
• Optimize storage settings

Poor Query Performance

• Create appropriate indexes
• Limit query time ranges
• Use aggregation functions
• Enable caching

Best Practices

? Plan retention strategy - Balance storage vs. analysis needs ? Use appropriate deadbands - Reduce storage without losing significant changes ? Group similar tags - Tables by update frequency and retention ? Monitor storage growth - Track database size trends ? Test retrieval performance - Verify query response times ? Document table purposes - Clear naming and descriptions ? Regular maintenance - Archive or purge old data

Notes for Concept Document Enhancement

Consider adding to the Historian Concept document:

• Comparison of storage strategies (event vs. time-based)
• Data compression techniques
• Integration with external historians architecture
• Store-and-forward mechanism details
• Performance optimization guidelines

Next Steps

• [TrendChart Control →] Visualize historical data
• [Reports Module →] Create historical reports
• [Scripts Module →] Query and process historical data

In this section...