Data model¶

This chapter describes the data model of Asset Manager. The data model explains the processes that are necessary to connect and use your asset data.

Definition asset¶

An asset is a digital representation of a machine or an automation system with one or multiple automation units (e.g. PLC).

Data collection and data provisioning is based on virtual assets. This can be anything like a pump, motor, PLC, an entire tool machine, a production line, a robot, a crane, a car, a windmill and so on. The data of an asset is collected and made available for further processing and analytics.

Definition aspect¶

Aspects are a data modeling mechanism for assets. Aspects group the related data points based on their logical association. For example, the pump skid has an aspect "Energy_consumption" that contains the datapoints "power", "current", "voltage" etc. Aspect is specified in Asset Manager and its name can be freely chosen, but should have conjunction to datapoints and a physical asset. An aspect can consist of several variables.

Data model¶

The following graphic shows the data model in Asset Manager:

In Asset Manager, devices like MindConnect Nano are defined as the data source. The device sends data points to Industrial IoT. These data points must be connected to the aspects and variables. Asset Manager uses aspects and variables as data containers.

You can add data points to a data source to collect the data, for example from a control unit. In the next step, you have to link the data points to the respective variables of an aspect.

You can set the data mapping in the MindConnect Element plugin.

To enable data connecting and in order to use your data, ensure to perform the following steps:

• Onboarding: Onboarding is the process of attaching a MindConnect Element to Industrial IoT.
• Data mapping: Data mapping matches variables of an aspect with the respective data points of a data source.