Enforcing a UNS: Reliable, Usable Data from Any Source to Any Space
What is a unified namespace?
A unified namespace(UNS) is a structured system which determines how data points are named within a system. Usually, such a unified namespace is designed to be applied universally, at whatever level it is being designed(line, plant enterprise etc) and as such, it will often describe not just the data’s value(e.g. temperature, pressure, flow rate) but also the machine, line, or plant, to which the data is related. In order to properly have a unified namespace within a historian for example, it will be necessary to automate the enforcement of such a system. This has two key components; the verification of whether new data points comply with the namespace rules; and the discarding or modification of data points which do not comply.
Why do I need a UNS?
A complex, live, and data heavy system like a live digital twin requires absolute data quality, data integrity, and data verification. When near-real time insights are being generated, the data that drives and creates these insights must be delivered seamlessly. This means that a unified namespace will need to be in place and enforced, not just at a historian level, but right down to the industrial edge, ideally as soon as the data is gathered.
How do I deploy a UNS?
This means that UNS enforcement must occur at the industrial edge. This means that any UNS system must be able to store the namespace rules(the system of record), gather and read data from diverse sources, and send the renamed data to any desired space, where a live digital twin may have been built. This means that an intelligent data pipeline, with its flexible and highly connective architecture, is required, and other UNS systems, such as HiveMQ, need to be augmented by such a system.
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Key Definitions:
- Digital twin: A virtual representation of what a complex real world system was doing
- Live digital twin: A virtual representation of what a complex real world system is doing
- Intelligent data pipeline: A microservice based system allowing for the transfer, processing and buffering of data from many different sources to many possible destinations.
- Condition monitoring: The process of using data gathered from sensor on a machine to predict failures or schedule maintenance
- Unified namespace: A system for determining the conventions used to name data points across an enterprise in a logical, scalable and understandable manner.
