Use the browse pane to limit the search

The browse pane is on the left side of the Search tool. The browse pane shows what the current search scope includes (the top of the window shows the corresponding scope path). For scopes in a PI AF server, the browse pane only shows databases, elements, or attributes that contain attributes in the hierarchy beneath them. Therefore, the browse pane will never list elements or attributes with no child attributes.

You can use the browse pane to limit the scope of a search (and set the scope path). For example, you can limit a search to a particular PI AF server or a particular database on that server, or a particular element within that database. As you navigate a PI AF server hierarchy in the browse pane, the results pane updates to show any attributes directly under the currently selected scope path.

In the browse pane:

• Select a server to limit the search to that server.

  The tool updates the scope path at the top of the window to list the selected server and updates the browse pane. If you selected a PI AF server (indicated by ), the browse pane shows all the databases on that server. If you selected a Data Archive server (indicated by ), the browse pane shows filters that you can use to limit retrieved PI points based on attribute values.

• Select a database (indicated by ) to limit the search to that database.

  The tool updates the browse pane to show all the top-level elements in the selected database, and updates the scope path at the top of the window to list the selected database.

• Select an element (indicated by ) to limit the search to that element.

  The tool updates the browse pane to show all the parent elements and parent attributes under the selected element, updates the scope path at the top of the window to list the selected element, and lists any attributes under the selected element in the results pane.

  Note that the browse pane only shows attributes that are parent attributes, whereas the results pane shows both parent and non-parent attributes under the selected element.

• Select an attribute (indicated by ) to limit the search to that attribute.

  The tool updates the browse pane to show any parent attributes under the selected attribute, updates the scope path at the top of the window to list the selected attribute, and lists any attributes under the selected attribute in the results pane.