Apparatus and method for maintaining multi-referenced stored data

A method for collecting and managing asset data comprising:

• (a) assigning a unique asset identifier to each of a plurality of physical assets disposed at a plurality of physical locations in a plant;
• (b) connecting a plurality of monitoring devices to a communication network, the monitoring devices for collecting sets of asset data indicative of operational performance of the plurality of physical assets;
• (c) generating a plurality of location placeholders, wherein each location placeholder is associated with a unique one of the plurality of physical locations in the plant;
• (d) associating the unique asset identifiers with corresponding location placeholders, wherein association of a unique asset identifier to a location placeholder indicates that a physical asset to which the unique asset identifier is assigned is disposed at the physical location associated with the location placeholder;
• (e) storing each of the sets of asset data in association with at least one of the unique asset identifiers and at least one of the location placeholders, wherein the unique asset identifier identifies the physical asset for which a set of asset data was collected, and wherein the location placeholder is uniquely associated with a physical location at which the set of asset data was collected;
• (f) providing access to all sets of asset data collected at a particular physical location, for all physical assets disposed at that particular physical location;
• and
• (g) providing access to all sets of asset data collected for a particular physical asset, for all physical locations at which the particular physical asset was disposed.

A system for collecting and managing sets of asset data that are indicative of operational performance of a plurality of physical assets disposed at a plurality of physical locations in a plant, wherein a unique asset identifier is assigned to each of the plurality of physical assets, wherein the sets of asset data are collected by a plurality of monitoring devices that are each assigned a unique monitoring device identifier, the system comprising:

• an asset data management computer in communication with the plurality of monitoring devices via a communication network, the asset data management computer for receiving the sets of asset data and for executing instructions that:
• generate a plurality of location placeholders, wherein each location placeholder is associated with a unique one of the plurality of physical locations in the plant;
• associate the unique asset identifiers with corresponding location placeholders, wherein association of a unique asset identifier to a location placeholder indicates that a physical asset to which the unique asset identifier is assigned is disposed at the physical location associated with the location placeholder;
• bind the unique monitoring device identifiers to corresponding location placeholders, wherein the binding of a unique monitoring device identifier to a location placeholder creates an association between the location placeholder and the unique monitoring device identifier;
• and
• store each of the sets of asset data in association with at least one unique asset identifier, at least one location placeholder, and at least one unique monitoring device identifier, wherein the unique asset identifier identifies the physical asset for which a set of asset data was collected, wherein the location placeholder is uniquely associated with a physical location at which the set of asset data was collected, and the unique monitoring device identifier uniquely identifies a monitoring device that collected the set of asset data;
• and
• a database in which the sets of asset data are stored,
• from which all sets of asset data collected at a particular physical location may be accessed, for all physical assets disposed at that particular physical location, and collected by all monitoring devices used at that particular physical location,
• from which all sets of asset data collected for a particular physical asset may be accessed, for all physical locations at which the particular physical asset was disposed, and for all monitoring devices that collected data for the particular physical asset, and
• from which all sets of asset data collected using a particular monitoring device may be accessed, for all physical assets for which the particular monitoring device collected asset data, and at all physical locations at which the particular monitoring device collected asset data.