Discover how AVEVA System Platform unifies Application Server, Historian, and OMI into a single industrial software platform for scalable, future-ready operations.
AVEVA System Platform (formerly Wonderware System Platform) is not just another SCADA system — it is a unified industrial operations platform designed to scale across plants, enterprises, and industries.
What makes System Platform powerful is how it seamlessly integrates Application Server (AppServer), Historian, and Operations Management Interface (OMI) into a single ecosystem. Together, they provide real-time monitoring, long-term data storage, and modern visualization, making it easier to build, deploy, and manage industrial applications.
This article explains each component and how they work together to deliver a complete digital operations solution
1. Application Server (AppServer)
At the core of System Platform is Application Server (AppServer).
- Object-Oriented Design: Equipment and processes are modeled as objects (e.g., pumps, tanks, motors), built from templates
- Galaxy Repository: All configuration is stored centrally, ensuring consistency and scalability
- Standardization: Updates to templates automatically cascade to all object instances
- Scalability: Objects can be distributed across multiple AppServers with redundancy for high availability
Best Practice:
- Use templates to standardize equipment types
- Build a structured equipment hierarchy that mirrors your plant’s layout
- Regularly back up the Galaxy Repository.
2. Historian Integration
AVEVA Historian is the high-speed data storage engine for System Platform
- Long-Term Storage: Captures millions of data points per day
- High-Performance Logging: Compresses and aggregates data efficiently
- Analysis & Reporting: Supports KPI dashboards, SQL queries, and reporting tools
- Seamless Integration: Object attributes in Application Server map directly to Historian tags
Best Practice:
- Log only operationally significant data to reduce storage costs
- Define clear retention policies (e.g., raw data for 90 days, aggregates for 5 years)
- Synchronize system clocks with NTP to prevent timestamp drift
3. Operations Management Interface (OMI)
OMI is the next-generation visualization layer of System Platform, replacing traditional InTouch for modern deployments
- Context-Driven Visualization: Graphics automatically adapt based on the selected object or area
- ArchestrA Graphics: Reusable, object-linked symbols ensure consistent operator interfaces.
- Situational Awareness Library: Prebuilt high-performance graphics for clearer operator decision-making
- Scalability: Thin clients, web clients, and mobile support extend visibility beyond the control room
Best Practice:
- Design displays using grayscale for normal states and color only for abnormal states
- Create navigation models that reflect process areas for intuitive operator flow
- Use built-in OMI apps (Alarm App, Trend App, Map App) to enrich dashboards without extra engineering
4. Why Integration Matters
The real power of System Platform comes from the seamless integration of these three components:
- AppServer provides a scalable, object-oriented control model
- Historian ensures all critical data is stored and available for analytics
- OMI delivers intuitive, modern visualization across desktop, web, and mobile
Together, they provide a single source of truth for operations — from real-time plant floor monitoring to enterprise dashboards for executives
Understanding and applying these concepts will help you unlock the full potential of AVEVA System Platform. Whether you are learning the basics or looking to scale across enterprise systems, success comes from mastering its three core components — Application Server, Historian, and OMI.
Take your System Platform skills further with hands-on training:
Our System Platform Training is a complete program that provides practical, instructor-led experience in:
- Application Server – object modeling, deployment, redundancy, and alarm configuration.
- Historian – high-performance data logging, retention strategies, and analytics.
- OMI – modern visualization with ArchestrA graphics, situational awareness, and context-driven navigation.
Register today and gain the confidence to design, configure, and deploy System Platform applications that are efficient, scalable, and future-ready
