Storing and identifying content through content descriptors in a historian system

Abstract

Annotating content, comprising data values of one or more tags corresponding to a process device within a continuous process, with content descriptors in a historian system. Content descriptors enable indexing and saving content within a search service database for later retrieval by search strings that match the content descriptors. Content having one or more common content descriptors are retrieved and transmitted to a client computing device via a communications network for displaying in a dashboard on the client computing device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A historian system comprising:
 a processor;   a memory device coupled to the processor;   a network connection coupled to the processor and memory device; and   a content descriptor search index module comprising processor-executable instructions stored in the memory device for, when executed by the processor:
 receiving content descriptors for content via the network connection, the content descriptors comprising data values of one or more tags corresponding to process devices within a continuous process, and the content descriptors describing the content, 
 formatting the received content descriptors into a language-independent data format, 
 queuing the formatted content descriptors in an indexing queue, 
 indexing the formatted content descriptors as they are dequeued from the indexing queue and stored in a database, the indexes enabling the content descriptors to be found in the database; and 
 providing selected content corresponding to one or more of the process devices within the continuous process based on the content descriptors found in the database. 
   
     
     
         2 . The historian system of  claim 1 , wherein the content descriptors comprise at least one of a content name and a keyword annotation of content. 
     
     
         3 . The historian system of  claim 1 , wherein the content descriptor search index module comprises processor-executable instructions stored in the memory device for, when executed by the processor:
 searching the indexed content descriptors in the database in response to requests received via the network connection; and   providing, via the network connection, indexes of content descriptors stored in the database matching the received requests.   
     
     
         4 . The historian system of  claim 3 , wherein the content descriptor search index module comprises processor-executable instructions stored in the memory device for, when executed by the processor, providing a dashboard via the network connection, the dashboard comprising the selected content having one or more common content descriptors. 
     
     
         5 . The historian system of  claim 1 , wherein the language-independent data format is a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) format. 
     
     
         6 . The historian system of  claim 1 , further comprising a client access module comprising processor-executable instructions stored in the memory device for, when executed by the processor, receiving the content descriptors and responding to requests via the network connection. 
     
     
         7 . The historian system of  claim 6 , wherein the client access module is connected to a plurality of client devices via the network connection. 
     
     
         8 . The historian system of  claim 7 , wherein the content descriptor search index module comprises processor-executable instructions stored in the memory device for, when executed by the processor, providing a dashboard to each of the plurality of client devices via the network connection, the dashboard comprising content having one or more common content descriptors. 
     
     
         9 . A method for creating content descriptor metadata in a historian system comprising:
 receiving, by a historian computing device coupled to a communications network, content descriptors for content via the communications network, the content comprising data values of one or more tags corresponding to a process device within a continuous process, and the content descriptors describing the content;   formatting, by the historian computing device, the received content descriptors into a language-independent data format;   queuing, by the historian computing device, the formatted content descriptors in an indexing queue; and   indexing, by the historian computing device, the formatted content descriptors within a database as the formatted content descriptors are dequeued from the indexing queue, wherein the indexes enable the content descriptors to be found in the database and selected content corresponding to one or more process devices within the continuous process to be retrieved based on the content descriptors found in the database.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the content descriptors comprise at least one of a content name and a keyword annotation of content. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 searching, by the historian computing device, the indexed content descriptors in the database in response to requests received via the communications network; and   providing, via the communications network, indexes of content descriptors stored in the database matching the received requests.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising providing, by the historian computing device via the communications network, a dashboard comprising the selected content having one or more common content descriptors. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the language-independent data format is a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) format. 
     
     
         14 . A method for retrieving content in a historian system comprising:
 receiving, by a historian computing device coupled to a communications network, a request for retrieval of data via the communications network, the request comprising at least one content descriptor;   searching, by the historian computing device, a search index for the content descriptor;   locating, by the historian computing device, content in a database based on a result of searching the search index, the content comprising data values of one or more tags corresponding to a process device within a continuous process;   retrieving, by the historian computing device, the located content from the database; and   providing, by the historian computing device via the communications network, the retrieved content to a client computing device in response to the request, wherein said providing causes the client computing device to display the retrieved content.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the content descriptors comprise at least one of a content name and a keyword annotation of content describing the content. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising providing, by the historian computing device via the communications network, a dashboard comprising content having at least one common content descriptor. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising formatting the at least one content descriptor into a language-independent data format. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the language-independent data format is a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) format. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising queuing the formatted at least one content descriptor in an indexing queue. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising indexing the formatted at least one content descriptor as it is dequeued from the indexing queue and stored in a database, wherein the indexes enable the at least one content descriptor to be found in the database during said searching and said locating.