ODBC, JDBC, and OLE DB Access to SCADA and Data Historian Systems

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Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) compliant access to data has become a primary requirement by end users on vendors supplying applications containing data. It is becoming even more crucial as corporate organizations accelerate the deployment of client/server computing. Widely used tools such as word processors, spreadsheets and database application development tools are ODBC enabled and they provide means of building powerful end-user applications quickly through ODBC access.

SCADA systems support archiving and storing of real-time data collected from many different real-time data sources. In addition to the collected data, they maintain configuration data. These systems are normally run on UNIX, VAX/VMS, Alpha/OpenVMS or Windows NT type of platforms. End users want to access this information from the desktop for reporting, application development and analysis. More recently, the ability to make this information available on the web provides a new paradigm for data access and distribution.

In order to make this information easily accessible and usable, one needs a software infrastructure that:

• Supports access to information stored in proprietary databases from standard desktop tools like Microsoft Access, PowerBuilder, Visual Basic, Crystal Reports and many others. Today this means ODBC, OLE DB and JDBC compatible access.
• Limits the types of queries that can be issued.
• Supports many hardware platforms and operating systems.
• Can be developed with minimal man-power investment without having to build in-house expertise in ODBC, JDBC, OLE-DB or SQL.

Once a user has the ability to use ODBC to access your SCADA system, the possibilities are endless.