10/12/2021 16:22 FactoryTalk Historian SE: PI Web Services vs.

PI Web API

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ID: QA57970 | Access Levels: TechConnect

FactoryTalk Historian SE: PI Web Services

vs. PI Web API
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Document ID
QA57970

Published Date
06/18/2020

Summary
FactoryTalk Historian SE: PI Web Services vs. PI Web API

Question
What’s the difference between PI Web Services vs. PI Web API?
Which FactoryTalk Historian uses which?
Where can I get some additional training information?

Answer
Historian SE Advanced Server option is required for the PI Web Services

490050 FAQ: FactoryTalk Historian SE Advanced Server Option

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Following definition are taken from the OSI support site:

https://rockwellautomation.custhelp.com/app/answers/answer_view/a_id/1092686/loc/en_US 1/5
 10/12/2021 16:22 FactoryTalk Historian SE: PI Web Services vs. PI Web API

 
PI Web Services
 
PI Web Services consists of a web service that accesses PI System data (PI and AF) in
response to web service queries. It enables the retrieval of data types supported by
the PI System, which include data related to PI Points, PI AF Elements, and PI Event
Frames. The web service is a Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) service
that allows web services clients to access PI System data through Simple Object
Access Protocol (SOAP). PI Web Services supports writing data to the PI System as
well as retrieval of standard PI summary calculations.
 
PI Web Services is designed for lightweight, firewall-friendly data access over LAN or
WAN and facilitates 2 main scenarios:
Development of customer thick or thin/web applications, in various
programming languages and on various operating systems.
Integration of PI System data within other Enterprise Business Systems, such as
ERPs and data orchestration engines.

PI Web API
 
The PI Web API is a RESTful interface to the PI system. It gives client applications
read and write access to their AF and PI data over HTTPS.
 
REST stands for 'representational state transfer.' In the context of the PI Web API, this
means that the API is:
 
Stateless
 
The PI Web API is stateless. This means that the service retains no observable
knowledge of clients across requests. Each request is an independent transaction
between the client and the server. One important consequence of this property is
that the check out - make changes - check in transaction pattern found in many
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database-related APIs (e.g. the AFSDK) is not exposed by the PI Web API. Rather,
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each request encapsulates this pattern internally.
https://rockwellautomation.custhelp.com/app/answers/answer_view/a_id/1092686/loc/en_US 2/5
 10/12/2021 16:22 FactoryTalk Historian SE: PI Web Services vs. PI Web API

Resource-oriented
 
Interaction with the PI Web API is organized around resources. A resource is a
structured piece of data that represents an object in one of the PI Systems
connected to the Web API. Most important PI and AF objects, such as Asset Servers,
Data Servers, points, elements, attributes, event frames, and so on, map to resources
in the PI Web API. Four primary operations are used to interact with these resources:
create, read, update, and delete (often abbreviated as CRUD).

Navigable by links
 
Links (also called hypermedia) capture the organization of the resources exposed by
the Web API. You're probably familiar with the hierarchical structure of AF objects:
Asset Servers contain databases, which contain elements, which contain attributes,
and so on. Links express these relationships. For example, an Asset Server resource
links to the collection of databases it contains, and each database links to its parent
Asset Server.
 
OSI Training videos for PI WEB API

 
Historian versions:
PI Web Services 2010 R2
491469 FactoryTalk Historian SE: What's New in v3.00.xx?
OSI Release Notes
PI Web Services 2012
562414 FactoryTalk Historian SE: What's New in v4.00 & v4.00.01?
OSI Release Notes
OSI User Guide
PI Web API 2016
1026195 FactoryTalk Historian SE: What's New in v5.01? 

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PI Web API 2017

https://rockwellautomation.custhelp.com/app/answers/answer_view/a_id/1092686/loc/en_US 3/5
 10/12/2021 16:22 FactoryTalk Historian SE: PI Web Services vs. PI Web API

1075023 FactoryTalk Historian SE: What's New in v6.00?

OSI Release Note
OSI User Guide
OSI Live Library

 
 

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