IIoT, SCADA & Edge Connectivity worked example

Data Historian Storage Cost at 54% compression and retention efficiency factor: a worked example

This worked example runs the data historian storage cost numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: 54% compression and retention efficiency factor instead of the typical 75%. Estimate annual on-prem historian storage cost from total tags written, the storage cost per tag-year (covering disk, replication, and backup), the storage compression and retention efficiency, and a fixed historian server and license adder.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Tags written to historian: 45,000 tags (held at the documented default)
  • Storage cost per tag-year: 0.3 $ / tag-year (held at the documented default)
  • Compression and retention efficiency factor: 54 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 75)
  • Fixed historian server and license cost: 38,000 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Variable historian storage cost = tags written × storage cost per tag-year × compression and retention efficiency.
  • Total historian storage cost works out to 45,290 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Historian storage cost per tag works out to 1.01 $ / piece at these inputs.
  • Variable historian storage cost works out to 7,290 $ at these inputs.
  • Fixed historian server and license cost works out to 38,000 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where compression and retention efficiency factor sits at 75% and the headline result is 48,125 $, this scenario comes in 5.89% below the baseline at 45,290 $.
  • Use it when sizing a new historian, planning a retention-policy change, or justifying tag-count governance before another expansion. A result at this level usually justifies acting on the stressed input before touching anything else, because every other figure in the table is downstream of it.

Results at a glance

  • Total historian storage cost: 45,290 $ (headline result)
  • Historian storage cost per tag: 1.01 $ / piece
  • Variable historian storage cost: 7,290 $
  • Fixed historian server and license cost: 38,000 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Data Historian Storage Cost calculator, set compression and retention efficiency factor to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.