.. _conf.external.data:

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External Data Management
========================

External Data Management involves handling data that originates outside the Wood InsightsPlatform (WIP) and is required for various reasons, such as displays, events, calculations, or dashboards within WIP. Typically, external data is sourced from instruments that measure processes or operations. WIP includes a library of protocols to import this external data and process it through the External Data Service, ensuring consistent data management across different connector types.

External Data Management involves the following:

1. **Configure Data Connectors**: To manage external data, it is necessary to configure data connectors. These components within WIP are designed to connect to external data sources using specific protocols and interact with the WIP External Data Services. Data connectors are responsible for either reading data into WIP or pushing data out from WIP to the external source. For more information, see :ref:`conf.extd.data.connector`.
2. **Configure IO Maps**: Once you have configured data connectors, you need to set up IO Maps. IO maps provide detailed instructions on how external data is mapped into WIP. They facilitate the conversion of this data into tags, which are the fundamental units of data storage in WIP. For more information, see :ref:`conf.extd.iomaps`.
3. **Configure IO Groups**: Once IO maps are created, IO groups can be configured. For more information, see :ref:`conf.extd.iogroups`.

.. seealso::

   :ref:`architecture` 

.. toctree::
   :hidden:
   :maxdepth: 5

   conf.extd.data.connector
   conf.extd.iomaps
   conf.extd.iogroups