AVEVA System Platform

Overview

AVEVA System Platform — formerly Wonderware System Platform, and before that the Archestra-based IndustrialSQL/InTouch suite — is the enterprise-tier SCADA and MES platform used by many of the world's largest manufacturing companies. Owned by AVEVA (acquired by Schneider Electric in 2017, then partially divested), it remains the preferred choice in oil & gas, refining, pharmaceuticals, and large-scale discrete manufacturing where the ArchestrA object model and distributed multi-server architecture provide capabilities beyond what site-level SCADA platforms offer.

The core concept is the Galaxy — a distributed, object-oriented database shared across all servers and clients in the system. Process objects (pumps, valves, heat exchangers, reactors) are modelled as reusable templates with inherited properties, behaviours, and HMI graphics. When a template changes, all deployed instances update automatically — essential for plants with hundreds of identical equipment units. Galaxy replication across multiple Application Servers provides the N+1 redundancy demanded by continuous process industries.

AVEVA Historian (formerly IndustrialSQL Server) stores process data using swinging-door compression in a SQL Server backend, making it queryable via standard SQL, ODBC, or the Historian REST API. Reporting is handled through SSRS (SQL Server Reporting Services) or AVEVA Reports for Operations, and data flows directly into MES layers, ERP systems, and cloud analytics platforms.

Key Features

• ArchestrA object model with Galaxy repository

  All SCADA objects inherit from templates in the Galaxy, enabling changes to propagate automatically across hundreds of instances. This object-oriented approach dramatically reduces engineering time for large plants with repetitive equipment — a 200-tank farm with identical controls can be built from a single tank template.
• InTouch HMI with thin client support

  InTouch WindowViewer is the industry-standard HMI runtime used in thousands of process plants. Thin client deployment via Terminal Services/RDS allows InTouch screens to display on any Windows device without local installation — enabling control room flexibility and multi-screen operator workstations.
• AVEVA Historian with swinging-door compression

  The Historian's swinging-door compression algorithm stores only meaningful data points (not every sample), achieving 10:1 to 100:1 compression ratios while preserving process trends. Data is stored in SQL Server, enabling standard SQL joins between process data and production records — a capability that proprietary time-series databases cannot match for enterprise reporting.
• FDA 21 CFR Part 11 / GAMP 5 compliance

  AVEVA System Platform includes electronic signature, audit trail, and batch record capabilities required for FDA-regulated manufacturing (pharmaceuticals, medical devices, food). The Batch module implements ISA-88 batch execution with complete electronic batch records — reducing compliance documentation burden significantly versus manual paper systems.

Technical Specifications

Typical Applications

• Oil & gas refineries: Multi-site SCADA across hundreds of process units with Historian feeding KPI dashboards
• Pharmaceutical manufacturing: 21 CFR Part 11 batch records with electronic signatures and ISA-88 batch execution
• Power generation: Plant-wide DCS integration via OPC DA with AVEVA Historian as OSIsoft PI data bridge
• Automotive plants: Multi-level ISA-95 MES integration connecting SCADA to SAP production orders
• Water authorities: Distributed SCADA across hundreds of pump stations with centralised historian