A system for generating manifest files, comprising: a memory that stores executable components; and a processor, operatively coupled to the memory, adapted to execute the executable components, characterized in that the executable components comprise: a device interface component configured to import an industrial controller program file and to extract data tag information from the industrial controller program file, wherein the data tag information identifies data tags defined in the industrial controller program file; a user interface component configured to generate interface displays that render the data tags based on the data tag information and are configured to receive, via interaction with the interface displays, tag selection input data that selects a subset of the data tags to be collected from one or more end point devices by a cloud-based industrial data collection system; and a manifest generation component configured to generate a system manifest file and a data manifest file based on the tag selection input data, wherein the system manifest file and the data manifest file configure the cloud-based industrial data collection system to collect and process data from the subset of the data tags. a memory that stores executable components; and a processor, operatively coupled to the memory, adapted to execute the executable components, characterized in that the executable components comprise: a device interface component configured to import an industrial controller program file and to extract data tag information from the industrial controller program file, wherein the data tag information identifies data tags defined in the industrial controller program file; a user interface component configured to generate interface displays that render the data tags based on the data tag information and are configured to receive, via interaction with the interface displays, tag selection input data that selects a subset of the data tags to be collected from one or more end point devices by a cloud-based industrial data collection system; and a manifest generation component configured to generate a system manifest file and a data manifest file based on the tag selection input data, wherein the system manifest file and the data manifest file configure the cloud-based industrial data collection system to collect and process data from the subset of the data tags. a device interface component configured to import an industrial controller program file and to extract data tag information from the industrial controller program file, wherein the data tag information identifies data tags defined in the industrial controller program file; a user interface component configured to generate interface displays that render the data tags based on the data tag information and are configured to receive, via interaction with the interface displays, tag selection input data that selects a subset of the data tags to be collected from one or more end point devices by a cloud-based industrial data collection system; and a manifest generation component configured to generate a system manifest file and a data manifest file based on the tag selection input data, wherein the system manifest file and the data manifest file configure the cloud-based industrial data collection system to collect and process data from the subset of the data tags.