An analytic rule generation application is integrated into an electronic customer technical support system to enable those using the customer technical support center systems to build custom analytic rules, on demand, for use in diagnosing and detecting issues at customer process plant sites, without having to submit a request to a developer and wait for one or more new rules to be provided in future releases of the customer technical support system. The analytic rule builder can be used by local offices and local technology groups if need be, or can be used by personnel at customer sites. The custom analytic rules created using the rule builder application can be shared among the engineers using the electronic customer technical support system to empower local engineers to immediately use newly created rules. Still further, the analytic rule builder can be used in an online support system within a process plant, where on-site engineers can build custom analytic rules to monitor certain data streams or events in the plant control system and to trigger actions upon the detection of predetermined events or conditions.
Please help me write a proper abstract based on the patent claims. CLAIM: 1. A computer system for facilitating graphical construction of an analytic rule for use in analyzing data from a process plant, the computer system comprising: a non-transitory computer readable memory that stores a plurality of rule component templates, including one or more data source templates defining data sources within the process plant, one or more functional templates defining logic determination operations to be performed using data from the process plant, and one or more output templates indicating actions to be performed in response to a logic determination operation; a configuration engine that operates on a computer processing device, including; an interface routine that generates, via a user interface device; a library region that displays graphical depictions of the rule component templates, including one or more data source templates, one or more functional templates, and one or more output templates, and a workflow region that receives and displays rule components based on user selections of the graphical depictions of one or more rule component templates, the rule components including at least one data source component, one functional component, and one output component; wherein the configuration engine operates to execute a graphical input routine to display an interactive window for each of a set of rule components derived from the rule component templates, wherein the interactive window for each of the rule components enables a user to define specific parameters of each of the rule components, such that the graphical input routine displays, for the data source component, a data input interactive window including one or more user-definable parameters specifying a specific set of data from a specific data source to be retrieved for the analytic rule, such that the graphical input routine displays, for the functional component, one or more functional interactive windows including one or more user-definable parameters specifying one or more logical operations to be performed using the specific set of data from the specific data source, and such that the graphical input routine displays, for the output component, an output interactive window including user-definable parameters specifying an action to be taken associated with a determination made by the one or more logical operations; a compiler that executes on a processor to compile the rule components including the user-defined parameters of each of the rule components into an executable analytic rule; and a runtime engine that executes on a computer processing device to execute the executable analytic rule. 2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer readable memory stores a set of metadata for each of the plurality of data source templates, the metadata for each of the data source templates defining a structure of the data from a data source. 3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the metadata defines a structure of the data as stored in a data file obtained from the data source associated with a data source template. 4. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the user-definable parameters of the input data component includes an indication of one or more parameters defined in the metadata for a data source. 5. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the user-definable parameters of the input data component includes an indication of a row and a key. 6. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the user-definable parameters of the input data component includes a variable name for the data value of the data referenced by the data source component. 7. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the user-definable parameters of the data source component includes a mathematical operation to be applied to a data value referenced by the data source component. 8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the user-definable parameters of the functional component include an indication of a variable name of data to be used in one of the one or more logical operations. 9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the user-definable parameters of the functional component include an indication of a logical condition to be tested with respect to data specified by the variable name. 10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the user-definable parameters of the functional component include an indication of an order of execution of one or more logical operations. 11. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the user-definable parameters of the output component include an indication of information to be provided as part of an output display. 12. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the user-definable parameters of the output component include an indication of a knowledge base article stored in a database which knowledge base article stores information related to correcting a detected issue. 13. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the user-definable parameters of the output component include an indication of an electronic communication to initiate in response to a determination made by a logical operation specified by a functional component. 14. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the user-definable parameters of the output component include an indication of a message to be provided to a user interface within or associated with a process plant. 15. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the data source templates define one of a server/workstation hardware data source, an operating system data source, a process controller data source, a batch data source, a network communication/infrastructure data source, an operator interface data source, a database data source, a software and application data source, a safety instrumented systems data source, an OPC simplex or redundant/mirrored sever data source, a logbook data source or a virtualization data source. 16. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the runtime engine includes an execution engine that executes the executable analytic rule and a data retriever that retrieves data from a data file stored in a database for a particular process plant site as specified by the data source component. 17. The computer system of claim 1, further including a database that stores a plurality of sets of customer data files, each of the plurality of sets of customer data files being associated with a different customer process plant site or with a different collection time at the same customer process plant site, and wherein the runtime engine executes the executable analytic rule using data from a specified one of the plurality of sets of customer data files. 18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the runtime engine includes a user interactive component that enables a user to specify the one of the plurality of sets of customer data files to use. 19. The computer system of claim 1, further including a publisher routine that executes on a processor to publish the executable analytic rule to a rule database for use by other users. 20. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the interface routine further generates, via the user interface device, an outline region that displays a summary of the analytic rule displayed in the workflow region. 21. A computer implemented method of facilitating graphical construction of an analytic rule, comprising: storing on a non-transitory computer readable memory a plurality of rule component templates, including one or more data source templates defining data sources within a process plant, one or more functional templates defining logic determination operations to be performed using data from the process plant, and one or more output templates indicating actions to be performed in response to a logic determination operation; generating on a user interface device, using a computer processing device; a library region that displays graphical depictions of the rule component templates, including one or more data source templates, one or more functional templates, and one or more output templates; and a workflow region that receives and displays rule components based on user selections of the graphical depictions of one or more rule component templates, the rule components including at least one data source component, one functional component, and one output component; generating, in the workflow region on the user interface device, using a computer processing device, an interactive window for each of a set of rule components derived from the rule component templates in response to a selection by a user of each of the set of rule component templates; using the interactive window for each of the rule components to enable a user to define specific parameters of each of the rule components, including using, for the data source component, a data input interactive window including one or more user-definable parameters specifying a specific set of data from a specific data source to be retrieved for the analytic rule, using, for the functional component, one or more functional interactive windows including one or more user-definable parameters specifying one or more logical operations to be performed using the specific set of data from the specific data source, and using, for the output component, an output interactive window including user-definable parameters specifying an action to be taken associated with a determination made by the one or more logical operations; compiling, on a computer processor device, the rule components including the user-defined parameters of each of the rule components into an executable analytic rule; and executing, on a computer processing device, the executable analytic rule. 22. The method of claim 21, further including storing, in a non-transitory computer readable memory, a set of metadata for each of the plurality of data source templates, the metadata for each of the plurality of data source templates defining a structure of the data from a data source. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein storing the metadata includes storing metadata that defines a structure of the data as stored in a data file obtained from the data source associated with a data source template. 24. The method of claim 22, wherein using the data input interactive window includes providing an indication of one or more values of one or more parameters defined in the metadata for a data source as part of the user-definable parameters. 25. The method of claim 22, wherein using the data input interactive window includes enabling a user to provide a variable name for the data value of the data referenced by the data source component. 26. The method of claim 22, wherein using the data input interactive window includes enabling a user to provide a mathematical operation to be applied to a data value referenced by the data source component. 27. The method of claim 22, wherein using the functional interactive window includes enabling a user to provide an indication of a variable name of data to be used in one of the one or more logical operations. 28. The method of claim 22, wherein using the functional interactive window includes enabling a user to provide an indication of a logical condition to be tested with respect to data specified by the variable name. 29. The method of claim 22, wherein using the functional interactive window includes enabling a user to provide an indication of an order of execution of one or more logical operations. 30. The method of claim 22, wherein using the output interactive window includes enabling a user to provide an indication of information to be provided as part of an output display. 31. The method of claim 30, wherein using the output interactive window includes enabling a user to provide an indication of a knowledge base article stored in a database, which knowledge base article stores information related to correcting a detected issue. 32. The method of claim 22, wherein using the output interactive window includes enabling a user to provide an indication of an electronic communication to initiate in response to a determination made by a logical operation specified by a functional component. 33. The method of claim 22, wherein storing the data source templates including storing data source templates defining one of a server/workstation hardware data source, an operating system data source, a process controller data source, a batch data source, a network communication/infrastructure data source, an operator interface data source, a database data source, a software and application data source, a safety instrumented systems data source, an OPC simplex or redundant/mirrored sever data source, a logbook data source or a virtualization data source. 34. The method of claim 21, further including storing, in a database, a plurality of sets of customer data files, each of the plurality of sets of customer data files being associated with a different customer process plant site or with a different collection time at the same customer process plant site, and wherein executing the executable analytic rule includes using data from a specified one of the plurality of sets of customer data files. 35. The method of claim 34, further including enabling, via an electronic display input device, a user to specify the specified one of the plurality of sets of customer data files to use. 36. The method of claim 21, further including generating, via the user interface device, an outline region that displays a summary of the analytic rule displayed in the workflow region. 37. A computer system for facilitating graphical construction of an analytic rule for use in analyzing data on-line in a process plant having process plant equipment that produces or stores on-line data, the computer system comprising: a non-transitory computer readable memory that stores a plurality of rule component templates, including one or more data source templates defining data sources associated with the process plant equipment within the process plant, one or more functional templates defining logic determination operations to be performed using data from the process plant, and one or more output templates indicating actions to be performed in response to a logic determination operation; a configuration engine that operates on a computer processing device, including; an interface routine that generates, via a user interface device; a library region that displays graphical depictions of the rule component templates, including one or more data source templates, one or more functional templates, and one or more output templates, and a workflow region that receives and displays rule components based on user selections of the graphical depictions of one or more rule component templates, the rule components including at least one data source component, one functional component, and one output component; wherein the configuration engine operates to execute a graphical input routine to display an interactive window for each of a set of rule components derived from the rule component templates, wherein the interactive window for each of the rule components enables a user to define specific parameters of each of the rule components, such that the graphical input routine displays, for the data source component, a data input interactive window including one or more user-definable parameters specifying a specific set of data from a specific data source to be retrieved for the analytic rule, such that the graphical input routine displays, for the functional component, one or more functional interactive windows including one or more user-definable parameters specifying one or more logical operations to be performed using the specific set of data from the specific data source, and such that the graphical input routine displays, for the output component, an output interactive window including user-definable parameters specifying an action to be taken associated with a determination made by the one or more logical operations; a compiler that executes on a processor to compile the rule components including the user-defined parameters of each of the rule components into an executable analytic rule; and a runtime engine coupled to the process plant equipment that executes on a computer processing device to execute the executable analytic rule to analyze on-line data from the process plant. 38. The computer system of claim 37, wherein the non-transitory computer readable memory stores a set of metadata for each of the plurality of data source templates, the metadata for each of the data source templates defining a structure of the data from a data source within the process plant. 39. The computer system of claim 38, wherein the user-definable parameters of the input data component includes an indication of one or more parameters defined in the metadata for a data source. 40. The computer system of claim 38, wherein the user-definable parameters of the input data component includes a variable name for the data value of the data referenced by the data source component. 41. The computer system of claim 37, wherein the user-definable parameters of the data source component includes a mathematical operation to be applied to a data value referenced by the data source component. 42. The computer system of claim 37, wherein the user-definable parameters of the functional component include an indication of a logical condition to be tested with respect to data specified by the variable name. 43. The computer system of claim 37, wherein the user-definable parameters of the output component include an indication of information to be provided as part of an output display. 44. The computer system of claim 37, wherein the user-definable parameters of the output component include an indication of a knowledge base article stored in a database, which knowledge base article stores information related to correcting a detected issue. 45. The computer system of claim 37, wherein the user-definable parameters of the output component include an indication of an electronic communications within a process plant control system to initiate in response to a determination made by a logical operation specified by a functional component. 46. The computer system of claim 37, wherein the user-definable parameters of the output component include an indication of a message to be provided to a process control operator associated with the process plant. 47. The computer system of claim 37, wherein one of the data source templates references a data stream from a process control system of the process plant. 48. The computer system of claim 47, wherein the one of the data source templates references data related to process controller events within the process plant. 49. The computer system of claim 47, wherein the one of the data source templates references data related to user workstation events within the process plant.