Relocation Support by CTE - How to Successfully Move a Data System
We look back fondly on a successful relocation project in 2020. But, as CTE, we were not tasked with moving furniture. We were still able to carry out a move on behalf of our customer, even if we 'only' moved a lot of bits and bytes in the end.
What exactly needed to be “streamlined”? Our long-standing client, Syngenta, had acquired a production facility. However, not all systems and data can simply be transferred as part of an acquisition, partly for legal reasons. We were therefore faced with the challenge of integrating the existing OSIsoft PI System to migrate without taking the existing data with us. At the same time, the situation presented a good opportunity to update the outdated PI SystemWhat is the PI System?The PI System (Plant Information; formerly OSIsoft, now AVEVA) collects and analyzes process and machine data. It is primarily used in the chemical, pharmaceutical, energy, and manufacturing industries. replace it with a brand-new one. Because as OSIsoft Premier Partner We maintain close contact with them, which gives us even better access to their resources.
What Needed to be Done?
We simply undertook the PI Points for recording the future measured values, set up a new PI system including the plant model in the Asset Framework and the move was complete!
So much for the result, but unfortunately the road to get there was a bit bumpy. We had to draw on our expertise as an OSIsoft Premier Partner. That’s because we had to use a “special” type of HistorianWhat is a historian?A Historian is a specialized database system that continuously collects production and process data and makes it available for analysis and process monitoring., a so-called “Emerson Integrated PI Historian System.” To be honest, no one at CTE was familiar with the details of it yet, so we promptly made some clarifying phone calls to OSIsoftWhat is OSIsoft?OSIsoft develops software for industrial companies. It is best known for the PI System, a platform for collecting and analyzing real-time industrial data. The company has been part of AVEVA since 2021....in order to find the best solution for our client. And once we understood the concept, we were able to successfully move forward.
The system communicates with the Emerson Application Station. It uses this to obtain both the relevant system model and the process values. Another hurdle that we successfully overcame thanks to our expertise was the use of the DeltaV Smart Connector.
Learning: Sensitivity Instead of Routine
Setting up and configuring is basically 'daily business', but we wouldn't call it routine. In the life of an IT Solutions Engineer, you often come across programs that almost appear to have human traits and feelings. It is therefore important to develop some kind of empathy for the way in which the application was programmed in order to operate it in the correct way.
This may sound unusual. But we often assume certain functionalities from supposedly analog experiences, which are not always implemented to the same extent accordingly. So we still had to struggle with these subtleties at the finish line. In the end, however, we were able to ceremoniously hand over the final PI system including the plant model in the asset framework.
The first step of the 'relocation operation' has been completed and we look forward to taking further steps with this team and overcoming further challenges.
