Device hierarchy

The Device hierarchy step shows how devices in a plant are organized and related based on their communication paths and functional categories. This hierarchy represents how data flows from the plant level through communication devices to individual components, and how devices are grouped for monitoring, aggregation, and analysis. The hierarchy is generated from the devices, metadata, and mappings defined in earlier onboarding steps and can be reviewed before continuing.

Hierarchy based on communication

The hierarchy is structured to reflect how devices communicate within the plant. Communication devices, such as loggers, sit higher in the hierarchy and act as collection points for data. Devices that report through the same communication path appear as child nodes under the relevant logger. For example, a logger can contain multiple downstream devices such as inverters or multifunction meters. These devices may further contain lower-level components, such as string monitoring boxes and strings. This communication-based structure mirrors the actual data flow from field devices into Maximo® Renewables and ensures that data is aggregated correctly.

Hierarchy based on category

Within each communication path, devices are grouped by category to represent their functional role in the plant. Categories include plant, logger, inverter, multifunction meter, weather monitoring system, string monitoring box, and string. Grouping by category provides contextual information such as capacity, manufacturer, and model at each level of the hierarchy. This categorization supports consistent interpretation of device data and enables accurate roll-up of metrics from individual components to higher-level assets.