Our customers are mainly energy and industrial companies processing large amounts of data for production optimization. Their OT and IT system structures are usually very complex and dispersed.
The PI System is used by managers, operations people, analysts, and administrators. For each of these people, it is essential to receive timely and properly processed data.
All production data is collected and made available by OSIsoft PI. The system is the Central Repository of Data. To have complete control over the system, you need to monitor all environment elements from interfaces through source systems to business applications linked to the Central Repository of Data (CRD).
Our PI team thought about simplifying the work of administrators by creating a system supporting business continuity that they would be happy to use.
Elements of the solution
We decided to create an application that collects diagnostic data from the PI ecosystem in one place. For a base of the application, the entire architecture must be appropriately organized and monitored.
The second element was to provide proper notifications to administrators so they could act immediately when there were problems in crucial areas.
Third, for people in the IT world, the phrase "monitoring" is often associated with a massive amount of data from many systems. Finding the key parameter then is a laborious process.
Thanks to the knowledge gained in numerous implementations, in various environments, and in close cooperation with many local administrators, we have defined sets of parameters that reflect the functioning of IT/OT system components.
Parameters are crucial because: Collecting only raw diagnostic data from various sources does not give complete information about the system status.
To generate this information requires the implementation of notifications and analytical rules that can be easily calibrated to suit the requirements of a given environment.
Based on these three key elements, we built PI Monitoring. The system immediately became a core system for our PI department and our customers. The application enables the diagnostic data collection from various sources, implementation of advanced analytical rules, and sending notifications to individual users or groups of users.
PI Monitoring - is it worth it?
Any investment in a system that does not bring direct profits is met with many questions about its legitimacy. In the case of monitoring systems, it is similar. When the system is functioning correctly, the user ignores the so-called "backend."
Pressure on the system's efficiency occurs when, after opening a production report or a synoptic mask, some of the data is incorrect or missing. Proper system diagnostics prevent such situations.
PI Monitoring is designed to support the continuity and efficient operation of the infrastructure. Thanks to the application, the Administrator immediately reacts to alarm situations or signals in the system infrastructure. Errors are not escalated and do not negatively affect the operation of the entire organization.
The business value of PI Monitoring comes from well-defined system performance parameters. We don't just look at the basic parameters of the infrastructure, but we use proven indicators presented in visualizations and reports.
In addition, PI Monitoring tracks security-related indicators (such as the number of failed logins to the system). By checking for unused measurement points, OSIsoft PI allows you to optimize the use of license resources.
Summary
Monitoring in any version offers a preview of the current state of our system. Yet, the key is to have a complete monitoring system that will give a real picture of the operation of each component and allow you to react in advance.
You can view the product in action here. Have a problem with the operation of the system and want to talk? Our technical team is available for a free consultation here.
Pi Monitoring connected to our Smart RDM system will allow automatic creation of reports for business users, preview selected visualizations or create orders for administrators.
Are you interested in implementation? We always start with a no-obligation conversation followed by a workshop. Get in touch with us at:
agnieszka.szleminska@connectpoint.pl
