Integrated navigational tree importation and generation in a process plant

A web server system for use in conjunction with a process plant, comprising:

• a communication network;
• a data integration server communicatively connected to the communication network;
• and
• a plurality of application servers communicatively connected to the data integration server via the communication network, each application server adapted to serve data from a data source application which collects or generates application data pertaining to entities within the process plant to the data integration server;
• the data integration server including;
• a processor,
• a computer readable program memory,
• a first database adapted to receive and to store the application data pertaining to the entities within the process plant collected or generated by the plurality of data source applications;
• an integration application stored on the computer readable program memory and adapted to be executed on the processor to create an integrated navigational tree for use in viewing or accessing the application data from the plurality of data source applications as stored in the first database, the integrated navigational tree including categories for categorizing the application data from each of the plurality of data source applications, the categories displayed in the navigational tree as a hierarchy having a first level with at least one selectable element defining one or more physical plant device categories and a second level associated with the first level having one or more selectable indications defining one or more particular sub-categories of physical entities within the process plant that fall within the first level plant device category, wherein the integrated navigational tree is a single navigational tree and wherein data from different ones of the plurality of data source applications and associated with the first level is assessable by selecting different ones of the selectable indications of the second level;
• and
• a navigational tree database configured to store the integrated navigational tree.

A method of integrating application data pertaining to entities within a process plant collected or generated by a plurality of data source applications associated with the process plant, the method comprising:

• storing the application data pertaining to the entities within the process plant in a first database, the application data collected or generated by the plurality of data source applications;
• creating an integrated navigational tree for use in viewing or accessing the application data from the plurality of data source applications as stored in the first database, the integrated navigational tree including categories for categorizing the application data from each of the plurality of data source applications, the categories displayed in the navigational tree as a hierarchy having a first level with at least one selectable element defining one or more physical plant device categories and a second level associated with the first level having one or more selectable indications defining one or more particular sub-categories of physical entities within the process plant that fall within the first level plant device category, wherein data from different ones of the plurality of data source applications and associated with the first level is assessable by selecting different ones of the selectable indications of the second level;
• storing the integrated navigational tree in a memory;
• and
• displaying the integrated navigational tree to enable a user to view or access the application data stored in the first database, to thereby enable a user to access data generated by each of the different data source applications using a single navigational tree structure.