About PI trusts

PI trusts allow applications to access the Data Archive server without explicitly logging onto Windows (or onto the Data Archive server). In earlier versions of PI API, you used trusts for PI interfaces, which ran unattended. Starting with PI API 2016 for Windows Integrated Security, we recommend using Windows authentication for PI interfaces. However, PI trusts are still supported by the Data Archive for scenarios where Windows Integrated Security is not an option, and if the API-based client applications is not running PI API 2016 for Windows Integrated Security.

Each PI trust is defined against a PI identity, a PI group, or a PI user. The trust gives the interface the same access permissions as the associated identity, group, or user. Trust authentication works by comparing the connection credentials of the connecting application to the trust records in the trust database.