Configure log files for alarms

You can log alarm records to a file. By default, the Alarm Printer assigns names to log files based upon the following naming convention:

YYMMDDHH.ALG

Configure alarm record logging

1. Open the Alarm Printer utility. Do the following:

   1. In the WindowMaker Tools view, expand Applications.

   2. Double-click Alarm Printer.

2. On the menu bar, select Configure. The Configuration Settings dialog box appears.

3. Select the File Logging tab.

   

4. Select the Enable Alarm File Logging checkbox to save alarm records to log files.

5. In the Directory box, type the path or browse to a folder location to save the alarm log files.

6. In the Number of Hours to Cycle Filename box, enter the number of hours worth of alarm records to save to an individual log file.

   Valid entries are 1 to 24. If your InTouch application runs continuously, select a file logging interval that creates a set of equal length daily log files. For example, setting Number of Hours to Cycle Filename to 6 creates 4 equal length daily log files.

7. In the Starting at Hour box, enter the starting hour to begin logging alarm records to a file each day.

   Valid entries are 0 to 23.

   For example, an oil refinery operates three daily work shifts. The first shift begins at 6:00 AM. Management wants alarm records logged for each shift. To do this, enter 8 for the Number of Hours to Cycle Filename option. Enter 6 for the Starting at Hour (0-23) option. The Alarm Printer creates a log file from 06:00 to 14:00, another from 14:00 to 22:00, and a third from 22:00 to 06:00.

8. In the Keep Log Files for box, enter the number of days to retain log files.

   The Alarm Printer saves log files for the number of specified days plus the current day. The Alarm Printer deletes log files older than the retention period. To save log files indefinitely, enter 0.

9. In the Log File Name Extension box, accept the default ALG file name extension or assign another three-character extension to log files.

   If you use a .csv extension, you can import the log file directly into Excel or Notepad.

10. To remove spaces at the end of entries within a log file, select the Remove Trailing Spaces in Log Entries checkbox.

    You can also specify a field separator character placed at the end of each record in the log file.

11. Select the Original Column Ordering checkbox to maintain the same order from the alarm display to log file records.

12. Select Apply.