Introduction to PI EFGen

PI Event Frames Generator (PI EFGen) generates events (event frames) in the PI AF database based on values from trigger points in the PI Server. Using event frame templates in PI AF, PI EFGen populates event frame attributes from point data, handles complex hierarchical events like batches, and migrates existing PI Batch Generator (PIBaGen) configurations to event frames so you can continue using your current batch structure.

The following are notable features of PI Event Frames Generator:

• Generate events

Easily configure event generation and automatically generate your events from the trigger points that are already collecting data in the PI Server.

• Handle multiple event types

  Generate all your different event types, such as downtime, excursions, batches, and other events, on the same asset with no restrictions on overlapping events.

• Standardize using event frame templates and populate event attributes

  Different event types have different attributes and information that are important for analysis. Standardize your events using event frame templates, and use PI EFGen to automatically populate event’s attributes with data from PI points.

• Generate complex event hierarchies like batches

  Create and relate complex events such as batch processes, which have levels of events like procedures, unit procedures, operations, and phases, while maintaining the parent/child relationships.

• Recover history and backfill events

  If PI EFGen loses its connection to the PI Server, your events are recovered upon reconnection using built-in history recovery. While you typically set a Recovery Start Time (RST) and Recovery End Time (RET) in your configuration, the interface automatically selects an RST if you do not have recovery time in days configured, and PI EFGen will then use that as the RST for the recovery. PI EFGen enables you to define your history recovery time window, then it recovers the events from previous time periods automatically. If there are existing events within the history recovery window, it recovers a subset of events within that window, or nothing at all.

• High availability and failover

  If you have a primary and secondary PI Server (HA PI Server Collective), PI EFGen can be configured to retrieve the trigger point information from the secondary PI Server automatically upon failure. To ensure continuous creation of events, you can run multiple instances of PI EFGen using interface-level failover. Finally, if you have a high-availability PI AF server, your events are stored redundantly, so the data is always available. For additional information, see Configure failover.

• Flexible deployment

  Unlike PIBaGen, PI EFGen can be run anywhere in your PI System architecture. AVEVA recommends that you install it on your PI AF Server or on a PI interface node.

• Easy migration from PI Batch Generator

  Using the PIBaGen Converter tool, existing PIBaGen configurations that write to PI Batch can easily be migrated to PI EFGen to create the same events using event frames. After migrating, you can enhance your configuration to take advantage of features like event frame templates and attributes.

• Configuration tool

  PI Event Frames Interface Manager enables you to configure all event frame interfaces using a graphical user interface, rather than manually editing text files.

PI Event Frames Generator does not have the following capabilities at this time:

• Using PI AF element attributes as event triggers or event attribute values

  Events are triggered using PI points.

• Configure using PI AF element templates

  You cannot select PI AF element templates during configuration. If the same event (such as downtime) needs to be created on the same type of asset (such as boilers), you must configure a trigger for each boiler. However, configurations can be easily copied, pasted, and edited to aid in configuring large numbers of assets.

  The following table compares the terminologies used by AVEVA batch technologies:

  ISA S88	PI Batch	PI Event Frame Level	PIEFGen Event Frame Templates
  Procedure	PIBatch	1	Procedure
  Unit Procedure	PIUnitBatch	2	UnitProcedure
  Operation	PISubBatch	3	Operation
  Phase	PISubBatch	4	Phase
  -----	PISubBatch	5	PhaseState
  -----	PISubBatch	6	PhaseStep

A PISubBatch can be a child of another PISubBatch, as can SubBatches in PI EFGen.