Four Pillars Methodology
The Designer's organizational methodology for building industrial solutions systematically.
Modules → Designer → Four Pillars Methodology | How-to Guide
Overview
The Four Pillars methodology is the structured approach used within Designer to organize solution configuration. This proven methodology ensures scalability, maintainability, and performance by building solutions in a logical sequence from data foundation through user interface.
Key Principle: Each pillar builds upon the previous, creating dependencies that enforce good design practices.
The Four Pillars
Unified Namespace | Process Modules | Application Modules | Operator UI Modules |
Asset Tree UserTypes (UDTs) |
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Pillar Purpose and Modules
| 1 | Data Foundation | Define data model and structure | Unified Namespace(Tags, Assets, UDTs) |
| 2 | Industrial Operations | Connect to field devices | Process Modules: Devices, Alarms, Historian |
| 3 | Business Operations | Process and analyze data | Application Modules: Datasets, Reports, Scripts |
| 4 | User Interaction | Present information | Operator UI Modules: Security, Displays (Clients) |
The Four Pillars in Action
- Connect & Collect → Pillars 1 and 2
- Process & Store → Pillars 2 and 3
- Analyse & Visualize: → Pillars 3 and 4
Implementation Sequence
The optimal implementation sequence, when configuring a solution, is to simply follow the order of the Four Pillars.
Pillar 1: Data Foundation (Unified Namespace)
The Unified Namespace (UNS) is your solution's data foundation - a single source of truth for all real-time and configuration data.
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Pillar 2: Industrial Operations (Process Modules)
Process modules connect your solution to the physical world, collecting data from field devices and managing industrial operations.
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Pillar 3: Business Operations (Application Modules)
Application modules add business logic, data processing, and integration capabilities to transform raw data into actionable information.
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Pillar 4: User Interaction (Operator UI Modules)
Operator UI Modules enable operator control, and presents information to operators, managers, and stakeholders through interactive displays and dashboards.
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Solution Ready to Run
Solution ready to Run, validate, apply security, and deploy.
Runtime | DevOps | Deployment |
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-> Runtime (Concept)
→ DevOps & Version Control (Reference)
→ Deployment (Reference)
Why This Methodology Works
Benefits of the Four-Pillar Approach
| Benefit | Description | Impact |
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| Structured Development | Clear sequence of implementation | 50-70% reduction in rework |
| Scalability | Foundation supports growth | Easy expansion without redesign |
| Maintainability | Organized architecture | Simplified troubleshooting |
| Reusability | Template-based approach | 40% faster development |
| Best Practices | Industry-proven patterns | Reliable solutions |
Next Steps
- Get Started: Download [Solution Templates]
- Deep Dive: Explore each pillar's detailed guide
- Learn More: Review [Best Practices] documentation
- Get Help: Access [Training Resources]