RTA's Blog
The Four Critical Requirements For A Machine-Level Historian
Jul
Personal preferences matter a lot to people and that includes equipment choices like a data historian. Personal preferences are often generational. Baby boomers were a group that picked a brand and stayed with it. They drove Fords, put Heinz ketchup on their burgers and ate Frosted Flakes for breakfast with milk delivered by a milkman whose name they knew.
Some people now have little to no brand loyalty at all. For this segment of the population, every month, every week, every day is a new experience for them. Even if they liked a particular restaurant on Friday night, they are unlikely to return anytime soon.
Do Control Engineers Have Brand Preferences?
Brand decisions are very practical on the factory floor. Control Engineers have brand preferences out of necessity. If a product is easy to use, it works and they can get someone on the phone when they need it, it becomes the brand of choice.
When it comes to historians, there are four features that are important:
- A direct, local connection
- Preservation of data during network interruptions
- Independence from server reliability/interruptions
- One time cost – No ongoing SAAS
Four Critical Historian Requirements
1. A Machine-Level Historian with a Direct Local Connection is Preferred
A machine-level historian with a local connection to a controller has the best access to raw data. It has direct access to PLC tables, and in some cases, I/O-network or other device data not normally sitting in the PLC. Without a direct local connection, a historian may miss device-level or I/O-network detail without extra adapters or architecture.
2. Preservation of Data During Network Interruptions is Vital
Data gaps in many applications that use historian data are unacceptable. Data must be preserved until such time that the data can be forwarded to an application. This is important for diagnostic, track and trace and process audits.
- Plant-Floor Diagnostics: A machine-level historian monitors specific tags in the PLC. When an event is triggered, it collects detailed machine data to provide data that a control engineer can use to solve a problem. Data gaps make diagnosing machine failures very difficult.
- Track and Trace Applications: A machine-level historian collects product data as part of a system to verify the location and historical journey of a product through a process. This is most often used to track medicine in pharmaceutical applications, food products for product recalls and tracking of packages in logistic applications. Data gaps are intolerable in these applications.
- Process Audits: A machine-level historian collects data that documents the process used in a production process. For example, it collects temperatures in a curing process to prove that a part was baked and cooled for the correct amount of time. Data gaps here mean that part of the audit trail for a part or process is missing.
3. Independence from Server Reliability/Interruptions is Critical
When data is collected in a Linux or Windows Server under the control of an IT organization, it is likely that the server will have scheduled maintenance. Unfortunately, a lot of that scheduled maintenance will be a surprise to the operations team. Data that would have been collected during that maintenance reboot is lost.
4. A One-Time Purchase for the Lowest Total Investment
Do the math and you will find that SaaS historians cost many times more than a historian with a one-time cost.
Frequently Asked Questions About Machine-Level Historians
A machine-level historian collects and stores data close to the PLC and control system. It is used for troubleshooting, track and trace, and process audits where local access and reliable data capture matter.
A direct local connection gives the historian better access to raw machine and PLC data. That makes it easier to capture detailed information for diagnostics and traceability without depending on extra servers, gateways or network layers.
A good machine-level historian keeps collecting and storing data locally during a network outage. When the network is restored, the data can be forwarded to other applications. This helps prevent data gaps.
When time-series data collection depends on an IT-managed server, planned maintenance, reboots or outages can stop data collection. A machine-level historian avoids that risk by continuing to collect data even when servers are unavailable.
Many manufacturers prefer a one-time-cost historian because it avoids recurring SaaS fees. Over time, a one-time purchase is often more predictable and less expensive, especially when multiple machines or production lines are involved.
Meet the Four Requirements with the RTA Historian
A machine-level historian is most valuable when it connects directly to machine data, preserves information during network outages, stays independent of server interruptions and avoids ongoing SaaS costs. These four requirements matter because plant-floor diagnostics, track and trace, and process audits all depend on complete, reliable, locally available data.
If you are looking to easily achieve all four of these requirements without the headache of software installations or ongoing subscriptions, the RTA Historian from Real Time Automation is purpose-built for the job.
- Direct Local Access: It sits right on the factory floor as a DIN-rail mounted hardware appliance, providing native tag discovery and direct data collection from your Allen-Bradley PLCs.
- Zero Data Loss: With up to 1 TB of industrial-grade local storage, it features built-in store-and-forward capability to ensure zero data loss during network disruptions.
- IT Independence: It operates entirely on-premise without cloud dependencies or vulnerability to IT server reboots, making it ideal for both hybrid IT/OT setups and completely closed, air-gapped OT networks.
- One-Time Investment: You buy the hardware once, you own your data completely, and you never have to worry about monthly SaaS licensing fees or subscriptions again.
To see how easily you can log, model, and visualize your Allen-Bradley PLC data locally, explore the RTA Historian product details or talk to an RTA Enginerd today, give us a call at 800.249.1612 or email us at solutions@rtautomation.com.
