Modify the point prefix

To avoid collision with the data streams in the connector, the connector ID is prefixed to the points for which it collects data. You can customize this point prefix by modifying the configuration file.

Note that the PI point prefix has the following limitations:

• Maximum character length is 1023

• Cannot contain whitespace

• Invalid characters are * \ ? ; { } [ ] | `

• Can contain an empty string ("PIPointPrefix": "") to return to original PI Point names.

To modify the PI Point prefix:

1. Navigate to %PIHOME64%\Connectors\ConnectorName\Configuration\ and open the file PIPointPrefix.config.json.

   For each server that a connector sends data to, the file includes an entry with the Data Archive server name and connector ID. For example:

   "MyServer": {
   "Name": "MyServer",
   "PIPointPrefix": "Example Connector"
   }

2. Change the PI point prefix. For example:

   "MyServer": {
   "Name": "MyServer",
   "PIPointPrefix": "New Prefix"
   }

3. Stop the connector.

4. If you previously ran the connector and collected data on existing points, rename those points, changing the old prefix to the new prefix.

   Note: If you skip this step, the connector leaves the PI points with the old prefix and creates new PI points with the new prefix. Data is not copied from the old PI points to the new renamed PI points.

5. Start the connector.

To use the original PI Point names:

6. Navigate to %PIHOME64%\Connectors\ConnectorName\Configuration\ and open the file PIPointPrefix.config.json.

7. Change the "PIPointPrefix to "PIPointPrefix": "" For example:

   "MyServer": {
   "Name": "MyServer",
   "PIPointPrefix": ""
   }

8. Restart the PI Connector for UFL Windows Service

9. Attempt to write to the original tag name again. No new PI Point should be created and the connector should write to the existing tag.