Documents
file management and linking to other objects
Documents in SDA provide a flexible, versioned repository for any type of file or reference material you want to associate with assets across the platform. They serve as a centralized location to store, organize, and track content—whether that content is technical, operational, or administrative in nature. Because Documents can be linked to gateways, devices, projects, pipelines, and other resources, they help maintain complete context for your automation environment.
Overview
Documents represent general-purpose files that can be uploaded, stored, versioned, and referenced throughout the SDA Platform. They support both traditional document formats—such as Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and PDFs—as well as practical OT-specific files like configuration files, change logs, maintenance notes, or other artifacts that need to remain with a device or project over time.
Documents allow teams to maintain a unified source of truth for reference materials, specifications, procedures, and supporting files, all while leveraging SDA’s versioning, auditability, and permission model.
Common Use Cases
Documents can support a wide range of industrial and operational workflows, including:
Equipment Information Store manuals, wiring diagrams, drive specifications, or datasheets directly with a device.
System Requirements & Specifications Maintain engineering specifications, requirement worksheets, or control narratives associated with a project.
Maintenance & Service Records Upload inspection reports, maintenance logs, and service documents as part of a device’s operational history.
Operational Procedures Keep standard operating procedures, shift handover notes, or troubleshooting guides accessible and version-controlled.
Configuration & Supporting Files Attach configuration files, scripts, parameter sets, or documentation that must follow a device, gateway, or project.
Key Capabilities
1. Versioning
All documents in SDA are versioned by default. Each upload or modification creates a new version, allowing users to:
Track changes over time
Restore previous versions
Understand document history as assets evolve
Maintain auditability and traceability for compliance
2. Linking Across the Platform
Documents can be associated with many types of objects, including:
Gateways
Devices
Projects
Pipelines
Resource groups
And more as platform capabilities expand
This object-level association ensures documents stay contextually relevant and easy to locate.
3. Viewers and Comparison Tools
SDA currently provides in-browser viewing and comparison capabilities for text-based documents, including configuration files, scripts, and plain-text documentation.
Supported capabilities include:
Inline display
Side-by-side diff view
Version-to-version comparison
Change highlighting
Additional document types—including richer formats such as PDFs, Office documents, and binary formats—will be supported in upcoming releases.
4. Flexible File Support
Documents can include virtually any file type relevant to engineering, operations, or compliance, including but not limited to:
Word, Excel, PowerPoint
PDFs
Text & markdown files
Device configuration files
XML / JSON configuration artifacts
Images or diagrams
Miscellaneous supporting files
Document Organization & Management
Each document stored in SDA includes:
Name & Description – for human-readable identification
File Type & Metadata – extension, size, version number
Associated Objects – where the document is linked within the platform
Version History – chronological record of all changes
Permissions – enforced via SDA’s role-based access control model
Teams can upload new documents, replace existing files, review version history, and manage associations directly from the SDA interface for devices, gateways, or projects.
Future Enhancements
The Documents feature area will expand in upcoming releases to include:
Rich viewers for Office formats
PDF comparison capabilities
Enhanced preview for binary formats
Extended metadata and document tagging
Workflow integrations (e.g., approvals, lifecycle states)
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