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The Wonderware Historian's Software Architecture
High-Performance Historian for Improved Data Management and Storage Performance
Wonderware's Historian— acquires real-time production data at full resolution, while seamlessly incorporating non-real-time, manual and/or off-network data.
Conventional relational database technology is not suited to the demanding plant environment, which requires high-speed acquisition of time series-based data. However, the Wonderware Historian combines front-end, high-speed data collection with time series extensions to an embedded Microsoft SQL Server relational database.
As a result, the InSQL software can rapidly collect time series data with the data access efficiency and querying benefits of a relational database. The Wonderware Historian is hundreds of times faster than standard database systems and saves data in a small fraction of the space. It also fully integrates plant data with event, summary, production and configuration information.
Open and Flexible SQL Access for Easy Report Generation
IndustrialSQL Server 9.0 System Architecture
(Click image to enlarge) The open, high-speed Wonderware Historian data retrieval system facilitates rapid and flexible queries, which can improve productivity and decision-making.
The Wonderware Historian leverages Microsoft technology to support XML, Microsoft Exchange for e-mail, Internet Information Server for publishing data on the Internet, and replication and distribution services for distributing information to other Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle database applications.
High Availability and Redundancy for Critical Applications
A continuous, unbroken flow of plant data is essential for plant decision-makers. The Wonderware Historian uses the Industrial Data Acquisition Service (iDAS) or the Industrial Application Server (IAS) to acquire data from I/O Servers distributed throughout the plant network. iDAS or the Industrial Application Server can run remotely and in a redundant configuration so that plant network failures do not adversely affect data collection, virtually eliminating the need for expensive redundant processing hardware.
The iDAS or Industrial Application Server can also be configured and deployed to provide Store & Forward functionality for use during network or server outages. Also, failover capabilities are available to eliminate data loss associated with a lost connection with the I/O Server. The following are additional details about each function.
Store and Forward for Assured Data Storage
Data Acquisition Protection
(Click image to enlarge) If the network connection to the Wonderware Historian node — or the node itself — is lost, then the Store & Forward function is automatically activated. Data is stored locally on the iDAS or Industrial Application Server node until connection to the Wonderware Historian node is re-established. No data is lost, and this task can be quickly configured via a few mouse clicks. The Store & Forward function makes servicing and administrating the Wonderware Historian node convenient and secure.
Failover for Data Source Buffering
The iDAS or Industrial Application Server acquires data from an I/O Server and forwards it to the Wonderware Historian node for data storage. A redundant, secondary node can be configured so that, if the primary node is lost, then the secondary node automatically starts acquiring data without data loss. Remote configuration is easy and these services can be located anywhere on the plant network.
I/O Failover for Communication Redundancy
Multiple I/O Servers can be configured to enable automatic failover to the secondary I/O Server in case the primary I/O Server is lost. Data flow is maintained. Dual-communications paths from the I/O Server to each PLC can also be specified. So, if one network goes down, then data can still be collected through the secondary network path.
For particularly critical applications, special redundant hardware systems have been tested and are capable of providing up to 99.999% uptime.
Support for Slow and Intermittent Networks
The data acquisition system of the Wonderware Historian can be configured to tolerate a wide range of data network performance issues including faults and throughput. Wonderware Historian software provides a fault-tolerant platform for SCADA and other applications that use slow or intermittent data networks. Data, often collected by Remote Terminal Units (RTUs), can be acquired and stored by the Wonderware Historian, resulting in more complete data records.
Cluster Support for Improved Robustness and Load Balancing
The Wonderware Historian Enterprise Edition historian supports failover clusters using Microsoft Clustering Services. Microsoft offers a range of clustering functions with the Clustering Services offered as part of its Windows 2000/2003 Advanced Server software. There are two basic types of clusters: failover and load-balancing.
Failover clustering automatically shifts operations to another server within the cluster to provide near-continuous service.
Load-balancing clusters distribute processing activities between servers within the cluster to balance the use of available cluster resources. This type of clustering is popular for Internet or intranet applications that must satisfy a large number of clients.
