Just saw this announcement on the Register, Iron-pumping Microsoft SQL Server due this summer regarding the new SQL server, code-named Kilimanjaro.  One of the most popular topics on the blog is OPC vs SQL.  A common argument in the whole ‘historian or relational database’ discussion is the speed of SQL databases.  Seems like these new puppies have lots of power. The technical gap between historian and relation databases gets smaller every day. Also, there are many folk who end up using both.  When relational databases and plant data historians are deployed together, companies have access to all the data they need to improve performance, integrate the plant floor with business systems, and reduce the cost of meeting industry regulations. If you’re using OPC HDA to pull data out of your system, it doesn’t really matter what’s under the hood.  Anyone pumping up their relational databases this summer might want to look at how OPC fits into their plans.  Just because the new database is codenamed after a mountain, doesn’t mean implementing OPC connections should be like climbing one!

OPC Gets Relational with Databases: Accessing SQL Server, Oracle and other Relational Databases Using OPC