Learn about supported features for PI Interface for Performance Monitor

UniInt (Universal Interface) is an AVEVA framework for interfaces to the Data Archive. UniInt provides generic functions required by most interfaces, such as establishing a connection to the Data Archive and monitoring changes to PI points. The UniInt framework ensures a standard set of features for AVEVA interfaces and makes it easy to enhance the common features.

The following are additional details on items marked with a superscript in the table:

1 Exception reporting

The LB and LBS startup flags, when enabled, suppress standard exception reporting.

Otherwise, exception reporting is configured on a per-point basis.

2 Source of time stamps

When writing values to PI points, the Performance Monitor uses PI System Time.

3 UniInt-based

UniInt stands for Universal Interface. UniInt is not a separate product or file; it is an AVEVA-developed template used by developers and is integrated into many interfaces, including this interface. The purpose of UniInt is to keep a consistent feature set and behavior across as many of AVEVA's interfaces as possible. It also allows for the very rapid development of new interfaces. In any UniInt-based interface, the interface uses some of the UniInt-supplied configuration parameters and some interface-specific parameters. UniInt is constantly being upgraded with new options and features.

For more information, see the Introduction to PI Universal Interface on our Documentation portal.

4 Disconnected startup

The PI to PI interface is built with a version of UniInt that supports disconnected start-up. Disconnected start-up is the ability to start the interface without a connection to the Data Archive. This functionality is enabled by adding /cachemode to the list of start-up parameters or by enabling disconnected startup using the ICU. See the Introduction to PI Universal Interface for more details on UniInt disconnected startup.

5 SetDeviceStatus

The health point with the point attribute ExDesc = [UI_DEVSTAT] represents the status of the source device. The following events can be written into this point:

• 1 | Starting: The interface is starting.

• Good: The interface is properly communicating and reading data from the server. The following events indicate a failure to communicate with the server:

• 3 | 1 device(s) in error | Network communication error to source PI server

• 3 | 1 device(s) in error | Unable to get archive data from source PI server

• 3 | 1 device(s) in error | Unable to obtain snapshot events from source PI server

• 3 | 1 device(s) in error | Unable to register for snapshot updates on source PI server

• 4 | Intf Shutdown: The interface is stopped.

  See the Introduction to PI Universal Interface for more information about how to configure health points.

6 Failover

The interface supports UniInt Interface Level Failover (Phase 2, Hot). For more information, see Configuration overview for UniInt interfaces.

7OMF Health Messaging

** For more information, see OMF Health Messaging.