Patent ID: 8438192

Claim:
A system for retrieving and storing industrial data, the system comprising: a data retrieval manager configured for receiving data of a plurality of types associated with one or more industrial devices, the data including first data of a first type that includes ladder logic data and second data of a second type that includes human-machine interface (HMI) data, wherein the data associated with the one or more industrial devices is obtainable from searching at least one of a file system, an event logger, a real-time data logger, and a device network, and wherein the one or more industrial devices includes a programmable logic controller (PLC); and a database manager configured for converting the received data from being in a first form to being in a structural data form including both class and attribute portions, and for storing of the converted received data in one or more databases, whereby because the stored converted received data is in the structural data form, searching is facilitated.