Patent ID: 8086649

Claim:
A data management utility for use in an industrial automation environment, the environment having at least one industrial controller that processes a data object stored in the industrial controller, the data object storing at least one of collected data related to the automation environment or configuration data for the industrial controller, the utility comprising: a processor configured to: receive the data object stored in the industrial controller; associate metadata with the data object, wherein the metadata relates to a hierarchically structured data model associated with the industrial controller and implements a common definition of data related to the industrial automation environment, wherein the hierarchically structured data model represents at least a physical hierarchical location within the industrial automation environment that includes at least one tag and at least one device, wherein the physical hierarchical location is indicative of at least a portion of a factory-level, a cell-level, a subcell level, an input within a subcell, or an output within a subcell; and validate the metadata utilizing a template and at least one of a discoverable service or a set of services.