Aston Dane's powerful AD-hoc Query Builder / Intranet, or AQBi™ as we prefer to call it, is a web-based query tool exposing data sourced typically from a control system within the Enterprise.

Web enabled with a  graphical interface, AQBi™ allows engineers, managers and operational personnel to perform complex process data, alarms and events queries without the need of high level programming skills.  Information is presented in tabular, graphical and export formats which enables fast and efficient plant analysis and reports to be compiled.

AQBi™ is well partnered with our OPIAS™ (OPIAS™ Utility and OPIAS™ Manufacturing) solution.  Real-time process data (both time-series and event orientated) is fed from control system (SCADA) servers into the OPIAS™ Oracle Data Warehouse. A Web Server hosts the AQBi™ server components. A data-engine, which operates within Internet Information Server, is used to collect and cache data from the OPIAS™ Oracle Data Warehouse and present it to users in the form of web pages. A web service handles user authentication and access control and passes queries to the data-engine for processing.

The client application is built using Java technology, and launched via Java Web Start – where launching of the software is via a URL to a file on the web server. The client software is automatically downloaded to the client for execution, providing a rich client interface without the deployment headaches of traditional client applications. Updates to the client can be deployed by simply up-loading a new file to the web server. Installation can be performed via a link on a web page, java web start offering the user a choice of start-menu and/or desktop based icon shortcut creation.

AQBi™ Security

AQBi™ incorporates a role based security system where by permission to view data is restricted to the level of individual categories of information within database tables.  These permissions are the combination of access granted directly to the user in addition to permissions granted to groups of which the user is a member. In this way the general case of permissions may be supplemented with exceptions on an individual basis where necessary.

Permission to be able to store queries for later use either privately, between other group members or globally is also assigned on a user basis.

The security is applied at the server, with information unavailable to the user not being returned in any form (i.e. both the signal list is restricted for query creation and data returned from queries is restricted - an "all signals" query will only return data for signals that the user has access to).

Administration of security is achieved from within the AQBi™ client application, with security information being stored in the database.  The ability to administer users is another permission which may be granted to any user.