Ignition integrates with Grafana

Ignition and Grafana form a powerful combination for industrial data visualization. While Ignition provides the SCADA layer for data acquisition, alarming, and control, Grafana extends visualization capabilities with its extensive plugin ecosystem and modern dashboarding features.

Integration architecture

Ignition connects to Grafana through several pathways:

• SQL Database: Ignition's SQL Bridge module logs data to PostgreSQL, MySQL, or SQL Server, which Grafana queries directly
• InfluxDB: Using the Cirrus Link MQTT modules, Ignition can publish Sparkplug B payloads to an MQTT broker, with InfluxDB as the time-series backend for Grafana
• REST API: Ignition's Web Development module exposes tag data via REST endpoints consumable by Grafana's JSON API datasource

Common use cases

• Executive dashboards: Grafana's polished visualizations for business stakeholders while operators use Ignition's real-time controls
• Multi-site aggregation: Grafana can query multiple Ignition historians across distributed facilities for enterprise-wide views
• Advanced analytics: Grafana's plugin ecosystem (machine learning, anomaly detection) complements Ignition's operational focus

Configuration steps

1. Configure Ignition's SQL Bridge or Historian module to log to your chosen database
2. Ensure the database is network-accessible from your Grafana instance
3. Add the database as a datasource in Grafana
4. Build dashboards querying the Ignition tag history tables

Tradeoffs and considerations

• Data latency: SQL-based queries have higher latency than Ignition's native tag access
• Security: Database connections require careful network segmentation; consider read-only database replicas
• Maintenance: Two systems to update and secure versus Ignition's integrated reporting
• Licensing: Grafana Cloud or Enterprise may be needed for features like SSO that match Ignition's security model