Collection and use of data distributed throughout industrial systems

A method, comprising:

• collecting, using a distributed data collection system, information from a plurality of devices in an industrial system by:
• issuing, using a data polling subsystem, a command to the plurality of devices to transmit data collected by each of the plurality of devices regarding monitored equipment in the industrial system;
• receiving, using the data polling subsystem, data from each of the plurality of devices in response to the command;
• aggregating, using a data aggregation subsystem, data from each of the plurality of devices to generate aggregate data;
• transmitting, using a first communication subsystem, the aggregate data to a remote interface system;
• processing, using a remote interface subsystem in communication with the distributed data collection system, the aggregate data received from the distributed data collection system by:
• receiving, using a second communication subsystem, the aggregate data from the first communication subsystem;
• generating, using a visualization subsystem, a representation of the aggregate data;
• and
• enabling, using a user interface subsystem, a plurality of users to access the aggregate data;
• and
• controlling, using a data flow control device disposed between the first communication subsystem and the second communication subsystem, communication between the distributed data collection system and the remote interface system by:
• allowing the aggregate data to flow from the distributed data collection system to the remote interface system;
• and
• blocking other communications from the remote interface system to the distributed data collection system.