Data analytic services for distributed industrial performance monitoring

A method for performing real-time analytics in a process control environment, the method comprising:

• creating a first diagram on a graphical user interface, the first diagram representing first programming instructions operable to cause a processor to access data generated and stored previously by the process control environment as an offline data source and to manipulate the data generated and stored previously by the process control environment;
• compiling the first programming instructions represented by the first diagram;
• executing the compiled first programming instructions represented by the first diagram to create a resultant first output;
• evaluating the resultant first output to determine a predictive value of a model used to create the resultant first output;
• automatically generating a second diagram corresponding to the first diagram from the first diagram by replacing the offline data source with a live data source providing live data being generated in the process control environment, wherein the live data source is indicated by previously stored configuration data, the second diagram representing second programming instructions operable to cause the processor to bind to the live data source and to evaluate data received from the live data source using at least the model used to create the resultant first output;
• compiling the second programming instructions represented by the second diagram;
• and
• executing the compiled second programming instructions represented by the second diagram to predict an aspect of the operation of the process control environment and to cause results of analysis of the live data generated in the process control environment to be used as an input to a process control algorithm performing control functions in the process control environment.

An analytics service product for performing data analytics in a process control environment, the analytics service product comprising:

• a library of block definitions, the library stored on a tangible, non-transitory medium, each block definition comprising (i) a target algorithm for performing an action with respect to data in the process control environment, and (ii) one or more block properties;
• a set of machine-readable instructions, stored on the tangible, non-transitory medium, the set of machine-readable instructions operable, when executed by a processor, to:
• (1) present a canvas to a user via a display;
• (2) present the library of block definitions to the user;
• (3) receive one or more selections of one or more corresponding block definitions;
• (4) place one or more blocks corresponding to the one or more block definitions on the canvas to create a module comprising the one or more blocks;
• (5) facilitate configuration of one or more properties for any of (i) the one or more blocks, (ii) the module, or (iii) the one or more blocks and the module;
• and
• (6) cause evaluation of (i) one or more of the blocks or (ii) the module;
• an execution service operating on a processor, the execution service configured to:
• (1) receive a request to evaluate the one or more blocks or the module;
• (2) compile instructions corresponding to the one or more blocks or the module;
• (3) create one or more job processes to execute the compiled instructions and cause the one or more job processes to execute the compiled instructions;
• and
• (4) receive results of the one or more job processes;
• a diagram transformer operable to transform a first diagram on the canvas representing an offline module associated with an offline data source into a second diagram on the canvas representing an online module associated with an online data source to cause results of analysis of real-time continuous data generated in the process control environment to be used as an input to a process control algorithm performing control functions in the process control environment;
• and
• a communication network coupling one or more processors executing the one or more job processes to one or more distributed data engines of a plurality of distributed data engines in the process control environment, each distributed data engine comprising a tangible, non-transitory storage medium storing data generated in the process control environment.