# Connection to a PI Database

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/connection-to-a-pi-database/9673>\
**Category:** Archived Topics\
**Created:** [February 6, 2015, 4:26pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/connection-to-a-pi-database/9673 "2015-02-06T16:26:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Kamal\_Lang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@Kamal\_Lang](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kamal_Lang)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 4:26pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/connection-to-a-pi-database/9673/1 "2015-02-06T16:26:54Z")

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Hi,  
I was wondering if anybody has experiance in connecting Ignition to a PI database from OSIsoft.  
I am an in the investigation phase with a customer that is asking if Ignition can connect to his PI database. So any help is much appreciated.

I have noticed on OSIsoft’s home page that they offer an addon tool called “PI Data Access” with the following description:

[quote] SQL Data Access Tools expose the PI System as a relational database – with tables and relationships –  
and make it accessible through SQL queries. The PI Data Access SQL tools support the three major  
relational database standards (OLE DB, ODBC, and JDBC). This allows you to integrate your  
PI System data with external systems and facilitates the development of custom applications.[/quote]  
Is this the right way to access the PI database?  
Can i use one of the 6 JDBC drivers in ignition 7.7?  
Can i use ODBC in ignition?

Thanks

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**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 4:44pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/connection-to-a-pi-database/9673/2 "2015-02-06T16:44:07Z")

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Ignition supports generic JDBC drivers. With the OSI documentation to help with the URL format and general SQL syntax, you should be able to add it to your Ignition server. Look at “Databases” =\> “Drivers” =\> “Create new JDBC Driver…”

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**Author:** ![pdibenedetto](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pdibenedetto/32/6364_2.png) [@pdibenedetto](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pdibenedetto)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 9:17pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/connection-to-a-pi-database/9673/3 "2015-02-06T21:17:46Z")

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What Ignition version?

If you are using Ignition 7.7.x version, there are a OPC-COM-HDA module to access historical OSI-PI data (and others HDA complaint system) in a way very similar to the SQLTag Historian way…

See this video: [fast.wistia.net/embed/iframe/py … pover=true](https://fast.wistia.net/embed/iframe/py9ym6rwko?popover=true)

At time 40:45 aprox.

Regards,

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**Author:** ![Kamal\_Lang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@Kamal\_Lang](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kamal_Lang)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 11:26am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/connection-to-a-pi-database/9673/4 "2015-02-09T11:26:57Z")

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Hi again  
Thanks pturmel for the JDBC way  
Thanks pdibenedetto for bringing up the OPC HDA alternative. This is probably the easiest way.