Streaming Data and Event Infrastructure - OSIsoft

Streaming Data and Event Infrastructure
1 Introduction
Companies today are in need of a “Streaming Data and Event Infrastructure” to enable their
business to respond quickly and decisively to a wide range of issues.
The maxim ‘what gets measured gets done’ still applies to any organization that intends to
drive its operations to a higher level. However, building a responsive data driven business
during times of great change and uncertainty will require an updated perspective, new tools
and skill sets to make access to data part of the organizational culture. Companies must also
empower employees to take action on the data. This whitepaper describes a “Streaming Data
and Event Infrastructure” required by business today in order to improve performance.
This white paper will first look at what we mean by infrastructure and how it has been a key
enabler to business. The “Power of Data” to achieve situational awareness, empowers
continuous improvement and provides for sustainability and innovation. Today’s key business
challenges and how data is used to address them will be discussed. Customer examples of
using an infrastructure approach to manage real- time data and the resultant success will be
given. Lastly the components of a “Streaming Data and Event Infrastructure” are highlighted.
2 Infrastructures
Infrastructures have a long history of making great change in business and society. The
Railroad was an infrastructure that opened the West, allowed cities to grow up along it or fade
away if they did not or could not leverage. In the 1950’s President Eisenhower supported the
Interstate highway system that made our society more mobile. The municipal water systems
gave rise to more modern and cleaner cities, the power grid enabled electronic society of
appliances for all aspects of our lives. The Internet has connected the globe, changed the face
of commerce, and brought information to the masses. Today’s wireless networks have truly
mobilized our workforce giving instant access to data, information and personal resources.
OSIsoft believes in the power of an infrastructure as enabling technologies. Their principles
have invested in partnering with the city of San Leandro where it is headquartered to provide
access to high speed, low cost 10Gbps internet as an enabling technology for business
development in the city for the Lit San Leandro project.
A single application or requirement need could not have justified any of these great
infrastructure projects however the results have been paid back many times over their
investment.
However, we often see businesses approach the access to operation data needs as a contained,
singular solution that must be justified on isolated business requirements. This results in point
solutions that often isolate data, limit access and fail to meet changing business requirements.
Today’s businesses are required to operate fast and globally, often making decision on limited
data, e.g which plant has capacity, where is inventory, which assets have low reliability, which
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