PI Data on the Web

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PI Data on the Web

• Joey Langan
• BP Lima Integrated Complex, Lima, Ohio
• Presented at OSI PI Users Conference, 23-25
  March 1998

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Background

• Wanted to link local databases to web
• PI Server upgrade to 2.1.1/ODBC server
• Local web pages on corporate intranet server
• Corporate intranet management does not allow
  Internet Data Connector(IDC) or Active Server
  scripting (ASP)
• Looked for easy to implement local solution

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Found a local solution!

• PI 2.1.1 or PI 3.2 with ODBC server
• Microsoft Frontpage 97
• Microsoft (Internet Information Server) IIS 3.0
  or Peer/Personal Web Server (PWS) on 95/NT
  middleware server with hyperlink from corporate
  web

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Setup Middleware Intranet Server

• Installed NT Workstation 4.0 SP 3 (1 hour)
• Installed and upgraded to IIS 3.0 (1 hour)
• Installed FrontPage 97 (15 minutes)
• Installed PI-ODBC client (15 minutes)
• Built PI query (30 minutes)
• Copied query to IDC and created HTML template
  (.HTX) (30 minutes)
• Created link from local page on corporate
  intranet
• Total Time - 3.5 Hours

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Network
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First Application
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First Application
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First Application - Observations

• Weather data has little value - although it may
  bring more users to the site, more often. Also,
  users may ask - what other data can I get from PI
• Shows potential of IDC - could add more important
  data
• Dont know how to format columns in SQL - not
  easy to use like an Excel spreadsheet - too many
  decimal places!

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Second Application
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Second Application - Ops Summary

• Overview for Management and Corporate Customer -
  PI Client not needed
• Can access from any Web Browser (including
  dial-in from PalmPilot, etc.)
• Could include margin and performance index
  information (as long as information is stored in
  PI)
• SQL query took considerable time to build

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Another Application

• Use Excel Spreadsheet as source
• Recalculate at regular interval
• Can bring multiple data sources into one
  spreadsheet (multiple PI and ODBC calls)
• Query is easy to build (5 minutes)
• Spreadsheet can be maintained by content owner

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(No Transcript)
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Base Spreadsheet
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Spreadsheet Application - Observations

• Has broad audience - Refinery and Chemicals
  Operations and Corporate Propylene Supply group
• Base spreadsheet is maintained by content owner!
• Included data from 4 sources
• One time setup of recalculation timer/workstation

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Recommendations

• Using IDC is only good for simple, one database
  tasks
• Return on efforts acceptable, as not much time
  spent
• Requires IT resources
• ODBC queries to PI can be lengthy
• Use ASP (which requires programming knowledge)

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Thanks! - Questions?