Time-series intro and case
This blog post, "Introduction and optimization of data historians" by Steve Comeau of Hallam-ICS, covers types used by the system integrator, standard elements, and optimizing performance. It also links to a case study about how Hallam-ICS worked with specialty chemicals client BYK USA to build an automated facility, and implement its batch control system and subsystems including a process and alarm historian.
Resource library stacks
The online resource library at the OSIsoft website includes conference presentations, whitepapers and end-user case studies about using its PI software, historian software and other solutions.
Archive and implement
This nine-minute video, "Why a data historian is important to your plant" by Roger Fortune, technical solutions consultant at Matrikon, covers the needs for data archiving, tradional historian models, OPC-based models and Matrikon's Desktop Historian software.
From storage to action
This online article, "New roles for process historians" by Wayne Matthews of ISA's Intech magazine, covers many recent trends, and shows how historians have gone beyond storing process variables to turn data into actionable information.
Dispelling 14 myths
This five-page whitepaper, "Myths about historians," by Elliot Middleton, product manager at Aveva, debunks 14 of the most common preconceived notions and unfounded impressions that have grown up about historians over the years.
Four case studies
These four online, end-user case studies from Cascades Tissue Group, ANCAP, Blaser Swisslube AG and Pfizer Newbridge, detail their experiences with employing historians and related products. They're all located about three-quarters of the way down the Proficy Historian webpage.
Trio of power lectures
These three 10-15-minute videos in the "Enhanced electric power quality and reliability series" by electrical engineer Robert Raesemann include the two-part "Lecture 07, Time-series data and data historians, parts 01 and 02," as well as "Lecture 8, Data historians – the PI system."
Define, compare, select
These two blog posts, "Data aggregation using historians for informed decision making" and "Considerations when selecting a data historian" at Automation IT, define software-based historians, and compare types.
Unified namespace future
This seven-minute video, "The Future of Historians – Industry 4.0" by Walker Reynolds of Intellic Integration, argues that, "In 10 years, there won't be a historian. There will just be a unified namespace with everything stored in a data lake and machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms processing information." I
One article, two podcasts
This online article, "Modern data historians provide for optimization, savings" by Jim Montague of Control magazine, provides examples of modern historians in action. It's accompanied by two Control Amplified podcasts, "Exploring historians and data analytics, parts 1 and 2."
