A data historian is a high-performance database used in industrial environments to store and manage time-series data collected from sensors, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and industrial control systems (ICS). It plays a crucial role in capturing process history for trend analysis, diagnostics, and reporting.
Unlike traditional databases, data historians are optimized for handling large volumes of time-series data with high-speed read and write capabilities. They are widely used in industries such as manufacturing, energy, and utilities to support predictive maintenance, process optimization, and regulatory compliance.
Modern data historians integrate with Industrial IoT (IIoT) platforms and cloud solutions to enable real-time analytics and AI-driven insights. By leveraging a data historian, organizations can improve operational efficiency, reduce downtime, and enhance decision-making.