Big data in process control systems

A method for supporting big data in a process control plant, comprising:

• receiving, via a process control big data network at one or more data receiver computing devices from each of one or more nodes of the process control big data network, data corresponding to at least one of the process plant or a process controlled by the process plant, wherein at least one of the one or more nodes communicates with one or more field devices in the process plant via another communication network different from the process control big data network,
• the data received from the each node including data that is generated by the each node while the process is being controlled,
• the each node streaming the data in real-time at a rate in which the data is generated, received, or obtained, and
• the each node having a multi-core processor and a high density memory that caches the data with a corresponding timestamp, the timestamp being indicative of a time of generation of the data;
• and
• causing the received data to be stored, using a common format, in a unitary, logical data storage area, the unitary, logical data storage area including one or more data storage devices configured to store multiple types of data using a common format, and a set of types of data including configuration data, continuous data, and event data corresponding to the process.

A process control system, comprising:

• a controller configured to control a process in the process control system;
• a field device communicatively connected to the controller via a communication network of the process plant, the field device configured to perform a physical function to control the process in the process control system, and the field device configured to transmit to or receive from the controller, via the communication network, real-time data corresponding to the physical function;
• and
• a process control system big data apparatus, the process control system big data apparatus including:
• a unitary, logical data storage area including one or more data storage devices configured to store, using a common format, the real-time data and configuration data corresponding to the controller;
• and
• one or more data receiver computing devices to (i) receive, via a process control system big data network different than the communication network, the real-time data and the configuration data corresponding to the controller, and (ii) to cause the received data to be stored in the unitary, logical data storage area;
• wherein:
• the controller is a first node of a process control system big data network,
• the process control system big data apparatus is a second node of the process control system big data network,
• at least one of the field device or the controller streams the real-time data via the process control system big data network at a rate in which the data is generated, received, or obtained, and
• at least one of the field device or the controller has a multi-core processor, and a high density memory, and the high density memory caches the real-time data with a corresponding timestamp, the timestamp being indicative of a time of generation of the real-time data.