14.3.7 Historical Information

Fiber Optical Path uses a common Energistics XML pattern that separates inventory of components from the implemented network configuration, as described in sections 14.3.2 Optical Path Inventory Representation and 14.3.3 Optical Path Network Representation .

Use of this pattern means it is possible to keep items in the optical path description that have been decommissioned, with the value that failure modes can be tracked.

For example, Figure 14.3.7-1 shows an optical path spanning two wells and one pipeline. At some point, it is assumed that the pipeline segment is decommissioned for some reason. This would give rise to:

• one set of inventory (including all the segments and components)

• two networks that include the pipeline and later another one without the pipeline components included

This way, distributed measurements through the whole life of the installed system can be associated with the right optical path and facilities.

Figure 14.3.7-1 Keeping track of historical changes.