A system for communicating data packets in a process control environment is described. A client device connects, via the network, to an historian device, creates, via a first dictionary manager module, a first tag dictionary, synchronizes, via the network, the first tag dictionary with a second tag dictionary created by the historian device, optimizes a packet via a packet optimization layer comprising scanning a tag ID present in the packet, determines a matching tag handle for the tag ID from the first tag dictionary, replaces each instance of the tag ID in the packet with the matching tag handle, and sends the optimized packet to the historian device via the network. The historian device connects, via the network, to the client device, creates, via a second dictionary manager module, the second tag dictionary, synchronizes, via the network, the second tag dictionary with the first tag dictionary created by the client device, receives the optimized packet from the client device via the network, converts the optimized packet back to its original form comprising scanning a tag handle present in the packet, determines a matching tag ID for the tag handle from the second tag dictionary, and replaces each instance of the tag handle in the packet with the matching tag ID.