System and method for modular storage of measurement streams using a hierarchy of stream-processing objects

• US 6,721,677 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2001
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Pierce, David Mark, Fox, Dudley Wayne Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAU, TUNG S
• Application Number:
  US09/920,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20030028344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 702/127, 702/12, 702/186, 607/5, 707/10, 364/422, 364/497, 250/269
• US Class Current: 702/127
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0264 Control of logging system, e.g. decision on which data to store; time-stamping measurements

Abstract

A method and system for modular storage of measurement streams using a hierarchy of stream-processing objects. A first application may log measurement data of a plurality of data types to a shared memory location on a first computer, independent of the data type. Both the data and an index to the data may be logged. A second application may trend the data substantially concurrently as the data is logged. Both applications may include a plurality of filter objects, including a hierarchy of stream processing objects, which may operate to log/trend the data. Trending may include: (1) generating a query; (2) determining the location using the index; (3) accessing the data from the shared memory; and (4) displaying the data. The data may be replicated to an archival database, independent of the type of data. The replicated data may be transmitted to a plurality of computers.

Claims

1. A method of performing logging and trending of measurement data on a first computer system, the method comprising:

a first application logging first measurement data to a shared memory location on the first computer system;

a second application trending the first measurement data from the shared memory location on the first computer system substantially concurrently as the first measurement data is logged to the shared memory location on the first computer system;

wherein the first measurement data comprises one or more types of measurement data;

replicating the first measurement data stored in the shared memory location of the first computer system to an archival database;

wherein the replication of the first measurement data is independent of the type of measurement data;

wherein the first application and the second application each support one or more data types;

the method further comprising;

installing updated software for at least one of the first application and the second application on the first computer system, wherein the updated software supports a new data type;

wherein the replication of the first measurement data supports the new data type without modification.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the archival database is stored on the first computer system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the archival database is stored on a second computer system;

wherein said second computer system is coupled to said first computer system via a network.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

said second computer system transmitting the replicated data to a third computer system.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

said second computer system transmitting the replicated data to a plurality of computer systems.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said logging comprises:

receiving the first measurement data from a first measurement device;

storing the first measurement data in the shared memory location, wherein the shared memory location is comprised in a volatile memory, wherein said storing comprises storing the first measurement data in the shared memory location and storing an index to the first measurement data, wherein said index is stored in the shared memory location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said trending comprises:

generating a query for the first measurement data comprised in the shared memory location;

determining the location of the first measurement data in the shared memory using the index of the first measurement data;

accessing the first measurement data from the shared memory; and

displaying the first measurement data on a display.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more types of measurement data comprises live data acquired from a data acquisition device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more types of measurement data comprise one or more of:

waveform data;

single-point data, wherein single-point data comprises a data value and a data timestamp;

alarm data;

event data.

10. A method of storing and retrieving measurement data, the method comprising:

a first application program receiving measurement data of a plurality of data types from a plurality of measurement devices;

the first application program storing the measurement data received from the plurality of measurement devices in a shared memory location, wherein said storing is independent of the data type;

a second application program retrieving at least a subset of the stored measurement data from the shared memory location substantially concurrently with the measurement data being stored in the shared memory location by the first application program;

replicating the stored measurement data from the shared memory location to an archival database;

wherein the replication of the stored measurement data is independent of the data type;

wherein the first application and the second application each support one or more data types;

the method further comprising;

installing updated software for at least one of the first application and the second application on the first computer system, wherein the updated software supports a new data type;

wherein the replication of the first measurement data supports the new data type without modification.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first application comprises a plurality of first filter objects which operate to log the first measurement data;

wherein the plurality of first filter objects comprise a hierarchy of first stream processing objects;

wherein the second application comprises a plurality of second filter objects which operate to trend the first measurement data;

wherein the plurality of second filter objects comprise a hierarchy of second stream processing objects.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of first filter objects and the plurality of second filter objects share filter objects.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of data types comprises one or more of the following:

live data acquired from a data acquisition device, waveform data, single-point data, alarm data, event data.

14. A method of performing logging and trending of measurement data, the method comprising:

a first application logging first measurement data to a shared memory location;

wherein the first measurement data comprises one or more types of measurement data;

wherein the first application comprises a plurality of first filter objects which operate to log the first measurement data;

wherein the plurality of first filter objects comprise a hierarchy of first stream processing objects;

a second application trending the first measurement data from the shared memory location substantially concurrently as the first measurement data is logged to the shared memory location;

wherein the second application comprises a plurality of second filter objects which operate to trend the first measurement data;

wherein the plurality of second filter objects comprise a hierarchy of second stream processing objects;

wherein the plurality of first filter objects and the plurality of second filter objects share filter objects.

15. A method of performing logging and trending of measurement data on a first computer system, the method comprising:

a first application logging first measurement data to a shared memory location on the first computer system;

a second application trending the first measurement data from the shared memory location on the first computer system substantially concurrently as the first measurement data is logged to the shared memory location on the first computer system, wherein the first measurement data comprises one or more types of measurement data;

replicating the first measurement data stored in the shared memory location of the first computer system to an archival database;

wherein the replication of the first measurement data is independent of the type of measurement data;

wherein the first application comprises a plurality of first filter objects which operate to log the first measurement data;

wherein the plurality of first filter objects comprise a hierarchy of first stream processing objects;

wherein the second application comprises a plurality of second filter objects which operate to trend the first measurement data;

wherein the plurality of second filter objects comprise a hierarchy of second stream processing objects; and

wherein the plurality of first filter objects and the plurality of second filter objects share filter objects.

16. A method of storing and retrieving measurement data, the method comprising:

a first application program receiving measurement data of a plurality of data types from a plurality of measurement devices;

the first application program storing the measurement data received from the plurality of measurement devices in a shared memory location, wherein said storing is independent of the data type, and wherein said storing the measurement data received from the plurality of measurement devices in a shared memory location further comprises;

storing the measurement data in the shared memory location;

storing an index to the measurement data, wherein said index is stored in the shared memory location;

a second application program retrieving at least a subset of the stored measurement data from the shared memory location substantially concurrently with the measurement data being stored in the shared memory location by the first application program;

replicating the stored measurement data from the shared memory location to an archival database;

wherein the replication of the stored measurement data is independent of the data type.

17. A method of performing logging and trending of measurement data, the method comprising:

a first application logging first measurement data to a shared memory location;

wherein the first measurement data comprises one or more types of measurement data;

wherein the first application comprises a plurality of first filter objects which operate to log the first measurement data;

wherein the plurality of first filter objects comprise a hierarchy of first stream processing objects;

a second application trending the first measurement data from the shared memory location substantially concurrently as the first measurement data is logged to the shared memory location;

wherein the second application comprises a plurality of second filter objects which operate to trend the first measurement data;

wherein the plurality of second filter objects comprise a hierarchy of second stream processing objects;

wherein the first application and the second application each support one or more data types, the method further comprising;

replicating the first measurement data stored in the shared memory location of the first computer system to an archival database, wherein the replication of the first measurement data is independent of the type of measurement data; and

installing updated software for at least one of the first application and the second application on the first computer system, wherein the updated software supports a new data type;

wherein the replication of the first measurement data supports the new data type without modification.