6 Ways to Securely Use SCADA Data without Administrative Bottlenecks

Find out how you can leverage the eLynx Data Historian to securely access and use your SCADA data, without organizational delays.

Data analysts, engineers, and data scientists understand the struggle of waiting to access essential data because of an administrative bottleneck. In the oil and gas industry, data analysts need to access SCADA data securely and efficiently, without inefficient processes. 

With eLynx, building custom reports and custom views does not require users to jump through any OT or IT hoops. All data-driven tasks like these can be performed securely and efficiently. 

Data analysts, engineers, and data scientists understand the struggle of waiting to access essential data because of an administrative bottleneck. In the oil and gas industry, data analysts need to access SCADA data securely and efficiently, without costly bureaucratic delays. With eLynx, building custom reports and custom views does not require users to jump through any OT or IT hoops. All data-driven tasks like these can be performed securely and efficiently. 

With the eLynx application, production and midstream operators do not have to wait on administrative permission to securely build custom views or reports. Users can access, use, and visualize data as they need, saving on IT/OT resources. 

1. Secure & Isolate Data Access with a Data Historian

For most engineers and data analysts, it is not necessary to have access to a SCADA control system. Users in these types of roles need access to the SCADA data, not the control system. Legacy SCADA solutions prohibit data access from users with permission settings that do not make a lick of sense.  

IT departments in the oil and gas industry are using the eLynx Data Historian to isolate the SCADA control system from simple data access. Limit users accessing a SCADA system and minimize points of vulnerability and costly user licenses.

In the eLynx Data Historian, users have read-only access to the SCADA data. This eliminates the need for direct access to the SCADA control system.

2. Build Custom Views Relevant to Your Role

The eLynx Data Historian is offered to an unlimited number of users. Each person is empowered to consume and analyze data how they see fit. The eLynx Data Historian provides users with canned visualizations, graphs, and reports. The data historian also gives users the freedom to create their own custom reports, graphs, and visualizations. 

The eLynx Data Historian is offered to an unlimited number of users. Each person is empowered to consume and analyze data how they see fit. The eLynx Data Historian provides users with canned visualizations, graphs, and reports. The data historian also gives users the freedom to create their own custom reports, graphs, and visualizations. 
Learn more about eLynx’s visualization tools here.

3. Utilize Other Data Visualization Tools

Execute big data initiatives and generate custom data views with operational data in one place. The eLynx Data Historian provides additional contextual data by integrating with other software systems via the eLynx API

Our API design allows operators to use data integration tools, like Spotfire and Tableau, to expand their data insights.

4. Pull in Your Complete Data Set in One Place

In a single application, the data available to users provides them with a unified view of their operations. The eLynx Data Historian retrieves data from major SCADA software, like eLynx, AutoSol ACM, ClearSCADA, Cygnet, Ignition, Kepware, and Wonderware. 

With a complete data set, analysts can diagnose, prioritize, and resolve issues more efficiently.

5. Perform Data Integration without Requiring OT/IT Resources

The eLynx API is universal, which means it can connect to most third-party and public APIs. With the eLynx system, your IT department does not need to develop or maintain data integrations for every system. This frees up IT and OT teams to focus on other projects, while also reducing software and licensing fee costs. 

Additionally, your data can be accessed by using scheduled reports or the Excel Add-In tool. 

6. Securely Onboard New Users & Third Parties

With the eLynx solution, it is very easy to onboard new users and third-party users. Administrators select specific restrictions for each user, which limits a user's views and actions within the application.

These user permissions can also restrict access to specific data sets. For example, if a third-party hauler just needs access to tank level data for certain tanks, then when they log into the eLynx system all they will see are those specific values.

To give another example, a midstream operator can share daily volumes for certain pipeline sales meters with certain producers. When the producer logs into the midstream operator’s eLynx site, they can only view the daily volumes for the sales meters that the midstream operator has designated for them.

Secure & Efficient Data Access Starts with eLynx

Secure and efficient data access is essential to any oil and gas operation. With eLynx, oil and gas operators can limit the users with access to the SCADA control system, while still providing users the operational SCADA data they need for reporting and analysis.  

Users can create their own views, graphs, reports, and even schedule their reports. Empowering users to self-service their own data initiatives enables SCADA and IT administrators to have more bandwidth to tackle other projects. The eLynx Data Historian is helping operators go faster and do more with their data. 

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