(AI KB) Request for Meta Data/Schema/ER Diagram/Data Dictionary

Purpose: To clarify the limitations regarding access to backend PCS systems, databases, and functions in accordance with the EULA agreements.

American Innovations does not provide customers with an Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD), data dictionary, or any backend schema documentation that would reveal where or how data is stored. This is because the PCS backend architecture and data schema are considered proprietary intellectual property of American Innovations.

Additional Information:

For example, within PCS, there is a field called "Milepost". While this field can be renamed by clients and used in a variety of ways across facility types, it is stored in a more abstract way in the backend. Because it supports multiple formats—including alphanumeric entries—it is saved in two indexed fields: PipelinePoint and PipelineAlpha. These fields are then concatenated at runtime for display in the user interface. Therefore, even with access to backend field names, it would not be intuitive or clear what these fields represent within the application.

Another example: PCS is a metadata-driven application, and many values presented in the user interface are calculated fields, generated at runtime. These do not exist in a static format in the database and cannot be queried directly in a typical fashion.

Similarly, user-defined fields (UDFs) are custom fields created by clients, but their backend representations do not match their display names in the PCS interface, making them difficult to identify or interpret in the database.

Additional Information:

The best way to access data is through supported tools available within the PCS application:

• Bridge Import/Export Tool
  This tool allows users to interface with external systems via export to Excel (on demand or on a schedule). It preserves the correct field naming conventions used in the application and is the recommended method for data extraction.

  We recommend collaborating with your PCS administrator or business user to identify:

  • The facility type

  • The desired field names

  Once this is defined, our support team can assist in setting up the Bridge export to Excel.

• Export to Table (PCS 1.13 and newer)
  Available under Tools > Bridge, this feature allows administrators to configure a direct database export. It works similarly to the Bridge export but creates actual SQL tables as output, accessible via SQL Server Management Studio in the PCSExport database