Glossary

Technical term	Description	Further information
ABB Ability™ History	ABB Ability™ History is a time-series database that is designed and optimized for industrial process information management and extensive history recording. It provides interfaces, engineering tools, and extensive abilities to scale.	Start from Introduction
APM	Asset Performance Management systems. Comprehensive approach to managing the lifecycle performance of physical assets.	Further information under our use cases > APM.
CalcService	CalcService is an RTDB service that is responsible for the top-level Calculation Tool functionality. In addition, CalcService compiles the calculation code, which the CalcProcesses execute.	Further information under Calc service and processes.
CalcTask	A Calc Task represents an executable calculation. It joins a Calc Definition and Calc Parameters with mappings to actual values, and can be executed by various triggers.	Further information under Calculation tool classes.
CalcTaskTrigger	A trigger that can be attached to a CalcTask to cause it to run.	Further information under Calculation tool classes.
CalcProcess	CalcProcess is a system process that is responsible for executing calculations. CalcProcesses are children of CalcService, which takes care of their management.	Further information under Calc service and processes.
Configuration classes	In ABB Ability™ History there are two different methods for configuring the database to collect and store process data: 1. Tags & Variables (mainly used to build Hierarchical system topology), 2. Equipment Model (used to build Network-based system topology).	Further information on Tags & Variable. Further information on Equipment Model.
CpmPlus Connector	CpmPlus Connector is an ABB Ability™ Edge module designed with the aim of providing Ability Cloud connectivity to ABB Ability™ History and the potential pre-existing equipment behind it.	Find further information on CpmPlus Connector concept here.
CpmPlusKM-OpcDaServer	When CpmPlusKM-OpcHdaServer is installed into a data collector node, it fetches data from the main node of that particular data collector instead of getting it from the local database.	Further information under Services.
CurrentHistory	History table that is optimized for frequently updated history values that typically need to be recalculated.	Further information under Time series concepts.
Data abstraction interface	ABB Ability™ History's data abstraction interface is called VtrinLib. The purpose is to support modular software structure and to enable flexible evolution of the technologies, and independent life cycles for applications, products, and end customer systems and solutions.	Further information of VtrinLib under technical overview and software stack.
Data provider layer	A layer of ABB Ability™ History architecture. Data provider is an interface from the data abstraction interface to the native API of the database.	Further information of layered architecture under technical overview and software stack.
Data storage layer	A layer of ABB Ability™ History architecture. The purpose of this layer is to provide the relational database services for storing and retrieving any data, and additionally special functionality for the time series data.	Further information of layered architecture under software stack and technical overview.
DCN	Data Collector Node	DCN of a Hierarchical System
Device connectivity layer	The "bottom" layer of ABB Ability™ History. The purpose of this layer is to connect and implement data acquisition from the devices.	Further information of layered architecture under software stack. and technical overview.
EMS	Energy Mangement Systems
Embedded SDK	ABB Ability™ History Embedded SDK helps you to connect your hardware to the VtrinLib data abstraction interface. It comes with features to seamlessly and securely connect between your devices and servers.	Further information under Data Producers > Embedded SDK.
Engineering UI	Is a web application that can be used to manage ABB Ability™ History. With this web-based user interface, users can securely connect to the server to configure, monitor and audit the ABB Ability™ History database.	Main concept of Engineering UI including links to tutorials.
EqM API	EqM API is a simple platform independent API aimed for feeding equipment data to History or other data source that implements the equipment model such as OPC UA or RAISE.	Further information of Equipment API under Release 5.0 and 5.0-1.
Equipment Model	Equipment Model is a predefined meta information model in ABB Ability™ History for modelling industrial assets and processes and implement applications against them. Equipment model has built-in support in time series handling and there are lots of support in tooling for equipment model engineering starting from data acquisition and ending up to calculations, visualization, public APIs, and external systems data transfer	Further information on Equipment Model concept here. Check also Equipment Model tutorial here.
External Interfaces	External interfaces are used to read and write data from History. Different kinds of integration scenarios are main use case.	Further information on External Interfaces here.
Hierarchical System	Both manufacturing operations management and IIoT systems are typically constructed from layered architecture where so-called data collector nodes are connected to devices, control systems and other data sources. Nodes can form hierarchies such as production line and factory level.	Further information under Hierarchical Systems and Hierarchical Systems using tags.
High Availability	ABB Ability™ History supports high availability configurations where two history nodes replicate data between each others and form one high availability database.	Further information under Architecture and Typology > High Availability
Modbus Client	Modbus is a serial communications protocol based on request-response architecture. On ABB Ability™ History, Modbus client is implemented as an RTDB core service.	Further information under Data Producers > Modbus Client.
MOM	Manufacturing Operation Management
NetSync	NetSync is an RTDB service that syncs Equipment Model instances and their data between ABB Ability™ History nodes. It is used to build networked systems from multiple History Nodes. Please see Vtrin-NetSync.	See NetSync - Getting Started for further information and user guidance.
Networked Systems	When industrial systems need more flexibility than hierarchical structure can provide, networked topology approach provides this. It uses Equipment Model for time series configuration.	Further information under Networked Systems and Networked Systems - NetSync. Also Networking systems using equipment publications.
OData API	OData (Open Data Protocol) is Standard REST query API to the classes and instances at the data abstraction interface. It supports reading and writing timeseries data and reading structural data.	Overview of External Interface feature comparison here. User guide and further information here. Find our OData tutorial: CRUD here.
ODBC	Standard interface for databases, good alternative for maintenance and reporting.	Overview of External Interfaces and Feature Comparison here.
ODBC Driver	The VtrinLib ODBC driver enables access to classes provided by a VtrinLib connection by using the SQL language via the ODBC API.	Further information under External Interfaces > ODBC.
OPC Client	The RTDB OPC Client communicates with one or more OPC COM or OPC UA servers to fetch and send information between RTDB and the remote system.	Further information under Data Producers > OPC client.
OPC Classic DA/HDA Servers	The History OPC DA server is used to browse, monitor and update current values in RTDB. The RTDB OPC HDA server is used to browse, monitor and maintain data in RTDB history tables.	Find further information under OPC DA and HDA Servers and Services.
OPC UA (DA/HDA) Server	OPC UA Server implements standard interface to read and write data. Fits well with Vtrinlib and History.	Overview of External Interface feature comparison here. Find further information under Services.
OPC UA Client	OPC UA Client is a backend application, whose role is to fetch data from OPC UA Server and write the data to RTDB. Currently OPC UA Client is the most important data acquisition mechanism.	Further information under Data Producers > OPC UA Client.
ORM	Object-Relational Mapping. VtrinLib implements the Object Relational Mapping (ORM) between the data abstraction layer objects and the data base tables in the storage such as RTDB or SQL Server.	More information in connection with Mappings to database tables.
PIMS	Process Information Management System	Further information under our use cases > PIMS.
RTDB	Relational Database
RTDB-CalcService	RTDB-CalcService is the service that is responsible for the functionality of the Calculation Tool.	Further information under CalcService.
RTDB-CalcScheduler	RTDB-CalcScheduler schedules calculations that are made using the RTDB C# calculation framework.	Further information under Services.
RTDB-CVMCServer	Is responsible for storing real-time input data (current values) into the database. It also stores the values to current history.	RTDB-CVMCServer is explained under Services
RTDB-ConsistencyController	RTDB-ConsistencyController is only available in high availability main nodes (redundant main node). Together with RTDB-CVMCServer, it keeps tables under redundancy control synchronized between redundant main nodes.	Further information under Services.
RTDB-TagConsistencyController (TCC)	TCC is responsible for maintaining the tag configuration in hierarchical systems. TCC is a component that takes care of transferring tags between nodes in hierarchical system.	Further information under Services.
RTDB-EcPerfMon	Collects data from Windows performance counters based on the definitions in the ec_crossrefs table.	RTDB-EcPerfMon is further explained under Services
RTDB-EcOpcClient	Collects real-time numerical values from one or more OPC DA Servers. The received values are stored as RTDB current values.	Further information under Services.
RTDB-EmailKit	Sends automatic email messages to an SMTP server, based on event configurations.	Further information under Services.
RTDB-EventForwarder	Fetches external OPC events from data collectors and inserts those into the main node.	Further information under Services. Event Forwarder in hierarchical system: hierarchical system using tags.
RTDB-OpcUAClient	Collects real-time process data from OPC UA servers.	Further information under Services.
RTDB OPC HDA	The RTDB OPC HDA server is used to browse, monitor and maintain data in RTDB history tables.	Further information and user guide here.
RTDB-ServiceManager	Is the main service of RTDB that controls and monitors other RTDB services. When History starts, the RTDB-ServiceManager service starts the master protocol services that communicate with the devices.	RTDB-ServiceManager is explained under Services and Device Connectivity Layer.
RTDB-Scheduler	The purpose of the RTDB-Scheduler service is to run different kinds of scheduled tasks.	Further information under Services.
RTDB-TagConsistencyController	TCC is responsible for maintaining the tag configuration in hierarchical systems. TCC is a component that takes care of transferring tags between nodes in hierarchical system.	Further information under Services. and Hierarchical Systems using tags.
RTDB-Transformator	RTDB-Transformator is responsible for cleaning up history tables that have aged out from the history scope. Log tables are also cleaned using similar rules.	RTDB-Transformator is further explained under Services.
Service Layer	Service Layer is situated at the top of ABB Ability™ History and provides external APIs to ABB Ability™ History and services that are needed to implement applications and end customer solutions.	Further information under technical overview and software stack.
SimbaServer	Provides ODBC access to RTDB for remote clients.	Further information under Services.
StreamHistory	History table that is optimized for recording of the raw history from sensors and other data sources with efficient (lossless) compression. StreamHistory is optimized for write once and read frequently.	Further information under Time series concepts.
TSDB	Time-series data storing.
Tag Class (Tag)	Tag is a virtual Vtrin class used to configure the database to collect and store process data. Tags are used to define how the data should look in the database. It defines a name and a unique ID for data structures and a data type of stored data.	Further information under Connecting to live data -> Tags and Variables.
Tag Consistency Controller (TCC)	A component in ABB Ability™ History that controls the transferring of tags' definitions between nodes in a hierarchical system. It controls the Tag consistency between parent and child nodes (e.g. Main Nodes and DCNs).	Further information under hierarchical systems using tags.
Variable	Variable is a basic object type that is used to engineer time series data. Variable represents measured or calculated value, and identifies a current value.	Further information under Time Series Concept and Tags and Variables.
VtrinLib	ABB Ability™ History's data abstraction interface. It provides an easy way for any kind of client software to connect to any supported data provider.	Data Abstraction Interface is described in Technical overview. Further information under External Interfaces > VtrinLib.
VtrinLib driver	The pieces of code that Vtrin uses to connect to different databases are called drivers.	Further information under Extension points.
VtrinLink	VtrinLink is a service that fetches numerical process data (current values and current history) from data collector nodes into the main node.	Further information under Services.
Vtrin-NetSync	Syncs equipment model instances and their data between ABB Ability™ History nodes. It is used to build networked systems from multiple History nodes.	Further information on Networked systems - NetSync. For tutorial see NetSync - Getting started.
Vtrin Server	Also known as Vtrin-NetServer, is a service that provides remote access to the Vtrin user interface client.	Further information under Services.
Vtrin Server RTDB Internal	Vtrin Server RTDB Internal (also known as Vtrin-NetServer Internal) is a service that provides remote access to computers in the hierarchical systems that run older versions than 5.0.	Further information under Services.
Websocket server API	WebSocket server (REST) API to the data abstraction interface. Connections can be done with any standard WebSocket library compliant with RFC 6455.	Overview of External Interfaces feature comparison here. Further information on WSS Server API here.