Transcript maxDNA Overview

maxSTORIAN
Definitions
maxSTORIAN:
The main executable for the maxSTORIAN Package; it is located in
c:\mcs\history\. maxSTORIAN performs history collection and provides for
history retrieval for clients such as trend displays and Reports.
MxsReplica:
The executable for backup maxSTORIAN operation; it is located in
c:\mcs\history\. MxsReplica transfers collected history data from the active
member of a backup pair to the inactive member of a backup pair. Replica is
also used to transfer history data to tertiary storage. The active maxSTORIAN
of a backup pair automatically starts replica.
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Backup Stations:
Any maxSTORIAN instance can be executed on a single, stand-alone
maxSTATION, or can be executed on two maxSTATIONS designated as a backup
pair, with one station as primary, and the other as secondary. When maxSTORIAN
is started, it must be configured for operation as one of those three possibilities,
Miniconf:
Miniconf or Mini Configurator, is currently being used to configure: a) the service
name assigned to a single (or pair) of maxSTORIAN instance; b) the role of each
maxSTORIAN instance. This utility is the program Miniconf.exe, located in
c:\mcs\sbp\.
maxSTORIAN Configuration Editor:
The Configuration Editor is used to configure the points to be collected by the
maxSTORIAN instance
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Pointsim:
Wave Generator:
Wave Generator is another name for Pointsim or Point Simulator.
MxsStorageRoom:
The MxsStorageRoom is the location of the saved Delta storage data files. The
MxsStorageRoom is created automatically when the maxSTORIAN package is
installed.
There is also a subfolder, named Configurations, which is created when
maxSTORIAN is installed. This folder is used to contain the user’s configuration
files. The file LastConfig.csv also resides in this folder. LastConfig.csv is
created automatically by the maxSTORIAN to contain the latest-entered
configuration, including any modifications made on-line. The maxSTORIAN will
then use this configuration on subsequent restarts.
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Pointsim or Point Simulator is also known as the Wave Generator. This is a
utility tool used to create local status variables that will oscillate over a selected
wave pattern. It can be started either from the maxDNA menu, sub menu:
“Utilities”, item: “Wave Generator” or from the program Pointsim.exe located in
c:\mcs\sbp.
Overview Position

DBM Trend History – The capability to configure within maxTOOLS
points, which will be collected and retained in the DBM for the period,
specified. These data can be displayed on maxVUE displays utilizing the
Trend Control, displayed, printed, and/or saved in a transferable format
utilizing Quicklogs, or scheduled for inclusion within a Report formatted
from the Reports package.

Events – The events of the system are saved in daily files, named
according to the date on which they were recorded. If the user desires,
these files can be copied onto CDs for Archive purposes.

Reports – The Reports Package of maxDNA provides the capabilities of
retrieving data from the system over scheduled intervals and placing this
information on either a predefined formatted report or a custom formatted
report. On created, the data used to create a report is saved in an “mdb”
format so that the data can be extracted for use by Microsoft Access or
custom programs.
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This package provides one member of a family of History and Reporting
capabilities which are incorporated in the maxDNA system. These range as
follows:
Reports with Events– The Report Package has been enhanced to allow the
addition of associated events to appear on each report if so desired. This
would allow the user to also see the events, which occurred over the time
period for which he is reporting process history data.

Reports Archiving – The Report Package permits the user to Archive reports.
This allows the user to archive the data saved in the “mdb” format for any
generated report.

maxSTORIAN – This package allows long term storage and higher quantities
of points to be stored due to the Delta Save style of storage and the use of
compression algorithms.

Interface to 3rd Party Historian Packages – The maxSTORIAN package
allows 3rd party vendors to easily create an interface with the maxDNA
system, which will enable the maxDNA to feed information into another
Historian Package.
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
Mini Configurator
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Types of files used by maxSTORIAN, MxsReplica, and MiniConf
Several text files are stored in c:\MxsStorageRoom\Configurations. These files
have default values, and must be set up in order to have maxSTORIAN start up
and run correctly.
The file names and their usage are as follows:
LSSaddsvc.txt Defines the name to be used to refer to an instance of maxSTORIAN
StandAlone.txt Parameters associated with stand-alone operation by a single
maxSTORIAN
Primary.txt
Parameters associated with primary operation by a backup pair of
maxSTORIANS
Secondary.txt Parameters associated with secondary operation by a backup pair
of maxSTORIANS
AlignDB.txt
Parameters associated with Replica operation in a backup pair of
maxSTORIANS
Configuration.txt Older file, which used to be used with the Mini Configurator to
define Templates and the Points, included in those templates. With
this and other recent releases, you should define templates and points
using the mdb files of maxSTORIANS Configuration Editor instead.
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SampleConfig.txt
Older file, which used to be used with the Mini
Configurator, whom you could rename and edit. With this release, you should
define templates and points using the mdb files of maxSTORIAN Configuration
Editor instead.
maxSTORIAN Configuration Editor
Use the maxSTORIAN Configuration Editor to define templates and points
to be collected and saved in maxSTORIAN. This configuration tool lets
you create, edit, validate, and delete uniquely named template objects.
When you define templates, use the configuration editor to create and assign
point objects to a template object, edit, validate, reassign point objects to
different template objects, and delete points.
Use the configuration editor to create a new point database or to install and
update existing databases. After creating a finished database, use the editor to
install the configuration in maxSTORIAN.
The Configuration Editor permits you to create one configuration per
maxSTORIAN instance. When a new configuration is downloaded, any
previous templates and points are deleted. When you edit an existing
configuration, any template and points removed from the configuration are
deleted when the configuration is downloaded to a maxSTORIAN instance.
To preserve templates and points from any previous configuration or
incorporate points added online, use the Configuration Editor upload feature.
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Configuration Basics--Getting Started
Invoke the maxSTORIAN Configuration Editor to access the Welcome
dialog display and click radio buttons to create a new configuration or to
open an existing configuration from a list of path names. When you
select either option, the configuration grid appears.
maxSTORIAN Configuration Editor welcome window
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To define a new configuration or to open an existing configuration:
The configuration grid display consists of two tabs, Templates and
Points. Click the Templates tab to define templates and their
characteristics. See "Defining Template Parameters." Once you define
your templates, clicks on the Points tab to create point names,
attributes, and assign them to a desired template.
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maxSTORIAN Configurator File pull down menu
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You can import tag.attributes from the Offline Configurator by using the
tools available in the File pull down menu.
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To import a maxTOOLS trend database, select Import from the File menu. See "
Importing a maxTOOLS Trend Database." To import Atag and Dtag tag names from
the Offline Configurator, select Quick Import from the File menu. See "Importing
Tag Names from the Offline Configurator." To import other tag names and attributes
from the Offline Configurator, select the Selective Import from the File menu. See
"Importing Tag Names from the Offline Configurator."
After loading an existing point database, click the Upload button
to incorporate
any points added from the most current online version of the configuration. Because
multiple instances of MAXStorian may be running, when you click the Upload button,
a dialog box prompts you for the service name of the maxSTORIAN instance you
wish to target. Enter the name and click Upload.
When template and point configurations is finished, click the Install button
on
the button bar or select Install from the File menu to install the configuration in
maxSTORIAN. Because multiple instances of maxSTORIAN may be running, when
you click the Install button, a dialog box prompts you for the service name of the
maxSTORIAN instance you wish to target. Enter the name and click Install.
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Validating Point Name Assignments
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The Configuration Editor uses a validation feature designed to minimize
data entry typographical errors. When this feature is activated, point
names and attributes are compared to one or more reference
configurations. When the validation feature detects a point name or
attribute mismatch after comparing entries against the reference
configuration, suspected errors are flagged and listed in a printable trace
log.
To activate the validation feature:
Select Validate from the File menu to open the Validate Point
Assignment dialog.
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Validation dialog window
Click the Select button to select one or more configurations to reference from a
Windows XP Professional-style file directory dialog box.
When you make your selections, click Start from the Validate Point
Assignments dialog.
When the Validation utility starts, any detected errors are listed in the bottom
window of the Validate Point Assignments dialog as a trace log. To obtain a
hard copy version of the log, click the Print button appearing on the dialog.
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Use the Quick Import feature to quickly import point.attributes
associated with the Atag and Dtag atoms in the DPU4E configured
using the Offline Configurator. The Quick Import utility collects a list
of point names and associated Out attributes. Before running this
utility, create templates for Atag and Dtag atoms.
DPU4E/F Import dialog window
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Importing Tag Names from the Offline
Configurator
To import DPU4E/F Atag and Dtag related point names and Out attributes:
Select Quick Import from the File menu to open the DPU4E/F to
maxSTORIAN Quick Assignment Import dialog.
Click the Select a Configuration button to select any configuration file
from a Windows XP Professional file directory and click Open. The
selected file should now appear in the Select a Configuration window.
Click the drop down arrow next to the window labeled Select a Template
for the Atag.Out Assignments to select a preconfigured template for Atags.
Click the drop down arrow next to the window labeled Select a
Template for the Dtag.Out Assignments to select a preconfigured
template for Dtags.
Click the Perform the Import button to start the import.
Use the Selective Import feature from the File pull down to import tag
name and attributes other than Atag and Dtag.
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When the import is completed, a list of point names and associated Out
attributes should appear in the point grid view. With the Reference
Configuration feature set up, click the drop-down arrow in any attribute cell
to view a list of other possible output attributes associated with the point,
such as AnyAlarm and outPct.
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Use the Selective Import feature from the File pull down to import tag
name and attributes other than Atag and Dtag. When you click on this item
a dialog box appears an example of this dialog box is shown below. Use the
ellipsis at the end of the Configuration item to define the source of the tag
names. Click on the down arrow in the template line to select the template
to receive these data. You can open the various functions to choose the
attributes you wish to collect. There are three check boxes at the bottom of
the dialog box that define the attributes that are available for collection. You
select an attribute by doing a left click then toggling the space bar to provide
a check for that attribute. This dialog will install in the template all the
selected attributes for that function type and all tag names of that function
type in the reference configuration. Click the Import button to start the
import process. If you only want a certain tag name of that function type to
be collected, use the procedure in the following paragraph.
Below is a copy of the maxDNA configurator screen. The
maxSTORIAN is, in part defined here, to be used as information in
the LSS of the station running the maxSTORIAN.
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maxDNA Configurator
Notice that the maxSTORIAN can be run as a service instead of an application
program. It is in the Name area of the maxSTORIAN definition that the information
to be supplied to the LSS is acquired. Keep in mind that when an item is configured
to run as a service, the station must go through a restart operation for this to occur.
This program generates a text file called maxDNA.ini. A copy of a portion of this
file is shown in the next figure.
An excerpt from the maxDNA.ini file
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Windows Task Manager
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Notice the line with the “_Metso” nameHist in it. Below is a copy of TASK
Manager showing the maxSTORIAN executable.
maxSTORIAN Window
Clicking on the maxSTORIAN icon will display the following window:
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If a configuration has not yet been created or downloaded the number of
Configured Points, along with the statistics of Updates per second and
Deltas per second will be blank. Later we will describe how to create and
download a configuration.
Logging session started at: The time at which maxSTORIAN was started.
Using: The amount of storage used to date in the Aisle folders in
MxsStorageRoom.
Assigned:
The amount of storage available for the Aisle folders in
MxsStorageRoom (this is the MCS Registry Entry “Max
History MB”).
.
Configured Points: This indicates the total number of points, which have
been configured and downloaded. This count includes the number of
Templates configured.
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Updates/Second:This indicates how many updates the maxSTORIAN is
currently receiving and processing per second.
Deltas/Second: This indicates how many deltas (changes) the
maxSTORIAN is currently receiving and processing into
storage per second.
Local Status or Remote Status:The current status of this instance of
maxSTORIAN, as well as that of its
backup partner. The possible states that
this instance could be in are usually
divided into three parts, unless
maxSTORIAN has not been started yet.
The possible states are:
NOT_CONFIGURED
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maxSTORIAN has been started, but has not
received the command stating what its role
(stand-alone, primary, or secondary) is.
MiniConf and the appropriate text file
provide this.
ALONE or PRIMARY or SECONDARY maxSTORIAN now knows what role
it has been assigned.
SCANNING This maxSTORIAN is now collecting and storing data.
IDLE This maxSTORIAN is now idle – it is inactive, but ready to take over if
there is a failure of its backup pair member.
STOP This maxSTORIAN has been issued a ‘stop’ command – it can be
reactivated only with a ‘start’ command.
WARMING This maxSTORIAN is now transferring history to the inactive device
of the backup pair, but has not yet made a complete transfer of all
data. If a failover occurred, the newly active device would not have
complete history.
HOT This maxSTORIAN has now transferred all of its history to the inactive
device. If a failover occurred, the newly active device would have
complete history (except for the short outage from the time that the active
device failed until the newly active device started).
UNKNOWN The other maxSTORIAN of the backup pair is not answering the
local device’s request for status. The other maxSTATION may be
on the network and its MxsStorageRoom folder may be accessible,
but maxSTORIAN may not be running at the other station.
Storage Room: Indicates the logical drive that contains the MxsStorageRoom.
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Buttons:
If you have already created your configuration file, you can use the “Load a
configuration…” button located on this dialog to download it for the first time.
Once a configuration has been loaded it is not necessary to load it every time
maxSTATION restarted. The maxSTORIAN will retain the last loaded
configuration and automatically use it on station startup.
Clear all Stored Data…
This button will allow you to purge all the existing
data in the maxSTORIAN Storage Room provided the maxSTORIAN is not
configured. If the maxSTORIAN is configured you will get a popup indicating
that a purge of data from the storage room is not allowed while the
maxSTORIAN is configured.
If the maxSTORIAN is not configured when this button is pressed, you are
presented with following display to make sure that you really want to delete all
the stored data.
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Affirmation of delete data command dialog
Resume
this button command maxSTORIAN to move from the ‘stop’
state to the ‘idle’ or ‘scanning’ state, depending on the status of the other
(remote) device of the backup pair. This button is used after a ‘yield to remote’
command has been issued to stop this member of a maxSTORIAN backup pair.
If the other member of the backup pair is currently scanning, and this instance
should be idle, this instance will remain so unless the other instance yields.
This button is grayed out when its use is not appropriate (for example, because
this maxSTORIAN instance is stand-alone).
Yield to Remote This button commands this maxSTORIAN member of a backup
pair to stop, which will cause the other member to move from the ‘idle’ state to
the ‘scanning’ state after the other member determines that this member has
stopped. This member will remain in the stopped state until the ‘resume’ button
is pushed, regardless of the state of the other member of the backup pair. This
button is grayed out when its use is not appropriate (for example, this
maxSTORIAN instance is stand-alone).
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MxsReplica Window
When maxSTORIAN is running as a member of a backup pair, and is the active
member, then MxsReplica will be running to transfer the data from the active
member to the inactive member of the pair. If maxSTORIAN is to transfer data to
tertiary storage, then another instance of MxsReplica will also be running. There
could also be another instance of Replica running if you have requested an Export
from the maxSTORIAN Control Panel. If you click on a MxsReplica icon in the
System Tray, then the Replica window will appear:
MXSreplica window
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This window contains the following information:
Mode: The role of this instance of Replica. In the example shown, it is
aligning the database of the inactive member of a backup pair with that of the
active member of the pair.
Source:
The source drive of the data to be transferred.
Destination: The name of the station to which the data are being sent. If this
is running in the primary station of a backup pair, then it is the name of the
secondary. If this is the secondary, then it is the name of the primary. If this is
for tertiary storage, then it is the name of the tertiary storage device.
Status:Stop means that Replica has not been told to start transferring data,
normally this occurs because maxSTORIAN is still starting up, and has not
downloaded its configuration yet. Start means that Replica has been started,
and is transferring data.
Configured Points: The number of points configured in the local instance of
maxSTORIAN.
Updated Points: The number of points that have been transferred to the
inactive device so far. At startup, the number will be zero, and then climb to
Configured Points. When that number has been reached, then maxSTORIAN
backup state can change to ‘hot’.
Actual Point: The current point whose history data are being sent to the
inactive device.
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maxSTORIAN Control Panel – Viewing Statistics
The following shows the maxSTORIAN Control Panel once a Configuration has
been created and downloaded. The display portion of the maxSTORIAN
Statistics display lists the configured points along with their current status. “Sbp
OK” means that the point is currently being scanned. This panel may be acquired
through the System Menu display by way of the maxSTORIAN button then the
Points Panel button.
maxSTORIAN Control Panel
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maxSTORIAN Control Panel: Control Buttons
Add Point
The “Add…” button allows you to download additional configured points.
Clicking on the button will present you with the following dialog:
Enter the point.attribute, and the Template to be used for storing that point.
The template selection will establish the mintime and deltas to be used for that
point.
Find Point
The “Find…” button allows you to find a point from the list in the right
pane of the window.
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Delete Point
“Delete”, which is grayed out until a point is selected, will allow you to
delete the selected point from the currently configured and collected points
within maxSTORIAN.
Stop
“Stop”, which is grayed out until a point is selected, will stop the collection
of that point. Any point, which is stopped, will remain so until it is resumed
with the “Go” button.
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Go
“Go”, which is grayed out until a point is selected, will again start the
collection of the currently selected point that was previously “paused”
or stopped.
Trim Point Storage
Pressing this button will present you with the following dialog.
Trim Storage point dialog display
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Export Point Storage
This feature allows you to select maxSTORIAN data (spanning a time period)
which will be copied out of the maxSTORIAN to another folder, either local to
this station or to another station through Network Neighborhood. This copy
can then be saved off-line to backup elsewhere.
Pressing this button will present you with the following dialog.
maxSTORIAN export point storage dialog display
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Start Time:
The date and time for the start of the data to be exported.
End Time:
The date and time for the end of the data to be exported.
Export only selected point: If before the Export function had been selected,
a point had
been selected from the Point List of the Control Panel, then this
function will export data for only that selected point, whose name would be
listed here.
Change Mount:
Selection of the destination folder of the export. In the
designated folder, a new folder, MxsStorageRoom, will be created. That folder
will have the aisle folders created within it which contain the actual data. If a
point’s data were contained only in the MxsCore file in the maxSTORIAN’S
MxsStorageRoom, when the export is performed, the destination
MxsStorageRoom will contain an aisle file for that point, since, when an export
is done, no MxsCore file is created.
Start Export: Commence the export operation.
Cancel:Cancel the export operation. The destination folders will remain, but
not all of the aisle files will have been created.
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Import Point Storage
This is a future feature, which is not complete at this time
This feature, when complete, will allow the user to import points into the
maxSTORIAN.
Info
“Info” will display information about a selected configured point. To utilize this
feature, first select a point from the list and then click on the “Info” Button. A
Dialog, as shown below, will be presented. The dialog contains the following
information:
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Browse
“Browse” allow you to view data collected for a selected point. To
utilize this feature, select one of the points on the dialog, then press the
“Browse” button. The following section describes this dialog.
MAXStorian Browse Dialog – Viewing Data
To view data, times, and other valuable information within the
maxSTORIAN, select a point from the maxSTORIAN Statistics display,
and then press the “Browse” button. The following dialog will be
presented:
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The Browse push button data display
The following information is shown in this dialog:
Point: The name of the point being displayed
Block #:
The current block, which is being displayed.
Time: The Date and time that a value was stored in the historian for this point
Value: The value that was stored at a given time in the historian for this point.
Quality:
The quality associated with the value stored at a given time in
the historian for this point.
Type: The data type of the value stored in the historian for a given point.
Data on Disk: The actual hex dump value stored in the historian for a given
point. This is used mainly for debug purposes.
Offset Begin: The actual starting offset for this particular value stored in
the historian for a given point. This is used mainly for debug purposes.
Offset End: The actual ending offset for this particular value stored in
the historian for a given point. This is used mainly for debug purposes.
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Browse Dialog: Control Buttons
First Block This will display the first block of data stored in the historian
for a given point. This would show the earliest time period recorded.
Next Block This will display the next block of data from where the user
is currently viewing. This will show a block of data slightly more recent
that what is currently displayed.
Search Time Pressing this button will display the following dialog,
allowing you to enter a particular time for which to search.
Last Block This will display the last block of data stored in the historian
for a given point. This would show the most recent time period recorded.
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Previous Block
This will display the previous block of data from
where you are currently viewing. This will show a block of data slightly
earlier that what is currently displayed.
Go to Block Pressing this button will display the following dialog, allowing
you to enter a particular block number he wishes to go to directly.
Browse Core This is an engineering feature, allowing the experienced user to
browse the core data. Once pressed, the core data is displayed, the block #
displays “Core Data” and the once “Browse Data” button now says, “Back to
File”. To return to normal viewing of this point, press the “Back to File”
button.
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Accessing the History Points - Default Trend Registry Entry
There is a Registry entry, titled “Default Trend Source” which
can specify where the client applications, such as trend displays,
Quicklogs, and the Reports Package, will default to when they
get their trend data.
By default, this registry entry is set to “[]” (empty), which
indicates the use of DBM data as the main source for trend data
to be supplied to such applications.
Setting this registry entry to “_mxs_trend” will default all such
applications to use the maxSTORIAN as their default source for
trend data retrieval. The data would be supplied by any
maxSTORIAN whose service name for clients is _mxs_trend,
running in the system. To access the data from maxSTORIAN,
whose service name is not _mxs_trend the “default trend source
registry entry” would be for example, “_mxsU1_trend” if the
name of that maxSTORIAN were _MXSU1.
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Specific Application Use of History Data
Under this scenario, if you want to create certain Trend
displays or reports, which do not use the default, and wish to
use some other source of history as their source, you can
direct your request to another maxSTORIAN. This is
accomplished by pre-pending “_mxs_trend” to the front of
the point.attribute.statistic request, or “[]” if the data are to
come from DBM trending.
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Temporary Templates
When a template is defined, one of the optional settings in the
maxSTORIAN Configurator is that a template can be
‘temporary’. The purpose of this setting is to permit a template to
accept operator-entered tagnames of points that are not currently
being trended by maxSTORIAN. When a template is designated
‘temporary’ the assumption is that it will not include any points
when it is created in the maxSTORIAN Configuration tool any
points that the template would contain would be added by an
operator. If an upload of the configuration is performed, then the
points currently in the template will be captured and downloaded
again if an install is performed. There can be more than one
temporary template in a configuration.
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Automatic Trim Function
In the MCS Registry, you specify the amount of storage to be
consumed by maxSTORIAN. The entry in the MCS Registry
Editor is called “Max History Megabytes”, and the default
value is 400MB. We have no practical limit to the size of the
storage room but you should keep in mind that a large storage
room will require a significant amount of time to perform the
trim function.
The default trim percent for the automatic trim is 10%, but can
be changed by writing to the ULONG variable
_MXS.TRIM_PERCENTAGE (of course using the correct
maxSTORIAN name).
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