Streamlining Asset Framework Change Control: Best Practices and Tools

Streamlining Asset Framework Change Control: Best Practices and Tools

Implementing changes within the OSIsoft PI System’s Asset Framework (AF) can indeed be a daunting task. Effective change control ensures that the changes do not disrupt ongoing operations while maintaining the integrity of the system. In this blog post, we'll discuss strategies and tools that can help you manage AF changes more efficiently.

Understanding Change Control Procedures

When dealing with AF changes, organizations often need to follow a structured change control procedure, which typically includes:

1. Pre-approval: Submitting a change proposal for initial approval.
2. Implementation: Making the approved changes to the AF.
3. Testing: Conducting rigorous testing to ensure the change works as intended and does not introduce new issues.

Smart Strategies for Managing AF Changes

To simplify managing AF changes, consider the following approaches:

1. Utilize Element Templates: By focusing on element templates, only the specific templates that have been modified require exporting and importing, speeding up the process.

2. Establish Multiple Environments: Implement separate development, test, and production environments. This allows you to experiment with changes in a development environment, validate them in a test environment (which mirrors production as closely as possible), and only then deploy them to production.

3. Leverage the Audit Trail Feature: Enable the Audit Trail feature in both test and production environments to track changes. This is crucial for both accountability and compliance.

4. Embrace Configuration Simplification Tools: Use the "Simplify Configuration Strings" option to streamline exports and imports, especially when server and tag names differ across environments.

Automating the Change Process

Manual processes can be prone to error and time-consuming. Automation is key to efficient change management:

• AFExport and AFImport Utilities: These tools allow you to script the export and import processes, which can save significant time and reduce the chance for human error.

• Custom Applications with AF SDK: The AF SDK programmatic library can be employed to create custom .NET applications that facilitate advanced change tracking and approval systems.

Conclusion

Managing changes in OSIsoft PI System's Asset Framework doesn't have to be cumbersome. By implementing smart strategies, leveraging built-in tools, and automating where possible, you can create a robust and efficient change control process that not only safeguards your system but also enhances your operational capabilities.