Point classes and attributes

Point attributes specify how and when the PI System collects data from a particular data source. For example, attributes determine how frequently a point gets new values, a point's data type (such as integer or string), and who can view or edit a point.

A point class represents the schema or template of a point. It determines what attributes you can define for a point of that type. A point class is essentially a group of point attribute sets. Each attribute set consists of a group of individual attributes. Point class is assigned when the point is created. The default point class is Base point class.

No two attribute sets within a point class can contain the same attribute. The Point Database has several different point classes, such as Base and Classic. The structure of the Classic point class is depicted in the following figure.

You can create, edit, and delete point classes and attribute sets. Editing and deleting point classes and attribute sets is rarely necessary and can pose risks.