Solution

Unified Namespace (UNS) Architecture and Implementation

We design and implement a Unified Namespace, where all plant data is published once, in one structure along the ISA-95 hierarchy, for every system that needs it.

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Our clients

Siemens
Anadolu Isuzu
BSH
Tofaş
Toyotetsu
Martur
Turkcell
Vodafone
Doğadan
Pakmaya
Bross
Abdi İbrahim
Nobel İlaç
Plastimak
Dalgıç Kalıp
Barbaros Motor
Magneti Marelli
Rözmaş
Sanel

A Unified Namespace (UNS) is an architecture in which all machine, process and business data in a plant is published, in its current state, into one hierarchical namespace. In a classic setup every application connects point to point to PLCs, SCADA or other applications, and every new system means another integration. In a UNS, data is published once and every consumer subscribes to the same place.

A UNS succeeds on structure, not tooling. Without a clear topic hierarchy, naming rules, payload format, units, timestamps and quality flags, it quickly becomes a new kind of mess. VOLSOFT designs these rules for your organization, built on the ISA-95 levels of enterprise, site, area, line and cell.

A typical topic structure looks like enterprise/site/area/line/machine/state and enterprise/site/area/line/machine/oee/availability. We implement the UNS on Proxus, separating raw and contextualized layers and exposing data to other systems over MQTT and Sparkplug B.

What we deliver

Unified Namespace (UNS)

ISA-95 topic hierarchy

Enterprise, site, area, line and cell levels are mapped to your organization so every machine and measurement has one predictable address.
Naming and payload standard

A written standard for topic names, allowed characters, units, timestamps and quality flags, enforced on the platform.
Raw and contextualized layers

Raw PLC tags are kept apart from derived information such as machine state, OEE and work order context.
MQTT and Sparkplug B

The UNS is exposed to other systems over MQTT, with Sparkplug B where state management and typed metrics are needed.
Access and governance

Read and write rights per topic are defined, and a change process governs how new data enters the namespace.

How a project runs

From discovery to live, step by step

01
Data inventory

We list the data held in PLCs, SCADA, MES, ERP and databases, and the systems that consume it.
02
Namespace design

The ISA-95 based hierarchy, naming and payload standard are written together with your teams.
03
Pilot area

One line or area moves to the UNS and a consuming application, such as an OEE dashboard, runs on it to validate the structure.
04
Expansion and governance

Other areas are added from templates, systems such as ERP and MES connect to the UNS, and the change process is handed to your team.

Built on Proxus

Proxus puts the Unified Namespace at the center of the platform: driver data is named by the model, contextualized at the edge and exposed to all consumers over MQTT.

Proxus is the industrial data platform built by the VOLSOFT team.

Proxus Unified Namespace ↗

Frequently asked questions

Common questions

What is a Unified Namespace?

A Unified Namespace (UNS) is a data architecture in which all operational and business data in an organization is published, in its current state, into one hierarchical namespace. Systems write to and read from that shared namespace instead of connecting point to point. It is usually built on MQTT and follows the ISA-95 hierarchy.

Is a Unified Namespace the same as MQTT?

No. MQTT is a messaging protocol; a UNS is an architecture and naming approach built on top of it. Installing a broker does not create a UNS; without a topic structure, payload standard and governance you only get a message bus.

What is a good UNS naming convention?

A predictable hierarchy that follows ISA-95 levels: enterprise, site, area, line, cell, then the measurement name. Lowercase names without spaces or special characters, with units and timestamps carried in the payload, are good practice. The convention should be written down and enforced by the platform.

Does a UNS replace SCADA or a historian?

No. SCADA remains the control and operator layer and the historian keeps history. The UNS organizes the flow of current data between systems so new applications can be added without new point-to-point integrations.

What does a Unified Namespace example look like?

On a press line, machine state might be published at enterprise/site/press/line2/press04/state and availability at enterprise/site/press/line2/press04/oee/availability. The OEE dashboard, a maintenance app and the ERP interface all subscribe to the same topics, and the structure grows by the same rules as the plant does.