Search for event frames

Use the Event Frame Search window to retrieve event frame data that matches your search criteria.

1. In the navigator pane, click Event Frames.

2. Choose from the following actions:

   • From the PI System Explorer menu, select Search > Event Frame Search.

   • In the browser, right-click the Event Frame Searches collection and select New Search.

3. Set the Event Frame Search window to find the desired event frame or event frames in the PI AF database.

   Note: If you specify values for multiple criteria, the search returns only those event frames that match all the specified criteria.

4. From the Actions list, select the type of filter to apply: Contains, Exact Match, Starts With, or Ends With.

5. Choose from the following actions:

   To ...	Do this ...
   Type one or more filter conditions directly into the Enter Event Frame Criteria field	Use the : or := operator to select elements that match a name, description, template, primary element name, or category. Use special characters as needed. For more information, see Special characters in name searches. Enclose strings that contain spaces or special characters with the " character. Enclose references to event frame names and descriptions with the ' character. Be sure to use single, straight quotation marks: 'EFName' Separate filter conditions with a whitespace, for example: Category:"Processing Plants" Name:Cracking Beginning with PI AF 2018 SP2, you can use OR conditions when typing directly. For example: “Name:'EventFrameName' (|Attribute1:>5 OR |Attribute2:<2)” “Description:'TestDescription' OR Name:'TestName'”
   Filter event frames under Criteria	Enter values in the following fields as needed. Click Add Criteria to enter criteria for additional fields.

   • Search

     Select the method you want to use to specify when the desired event frames occurred. The window shows the appropriate fields for the selected method.

     For example, select Active Between to specify a start time and end time, and find event frames active any time during that period. Select Starting After to specify only a start time, and find event frames that start after that time.

   • In Progress

     If available, select this check box to further restrict matching event frames to those that have not yet finished.

   • Search start

     A PI time expression that specifies the start of the time period used to search for event frames.

   • Search end

     A PI time expression that specifies the end of the time period used to search for event frames.

     Optional. From the list next to this field, select a defined time to automatically fill in the Search start and Search end fields.

   • All Descendants

     Select this check box to search all levels of the event frame hierarchy below the specified root for matching event frames.

   • Name

     Enter the name of the event frame to retrieve, based on the filter type. You can enter special characters to match part of a name. See Special characters in name searches.

   • Element Name

     Enter a PI AF element that must be the parent of any retrieved event frames. You can enter special characters to match part of a name. See Special characters in name searches.

   • Category

     Select the category that retrieved event frames must match.

   • Results per Page

     Enter the maximum number of event frames to show on a single page of the search results.

   • Template

     Select the template that retrieved event frames must be based on. After you select a template, you can add criteria to find elements by attribute value.

   • Analysis Name

     Enter the name of the analysis that retrieved event frames were generated from. You can use wildcards as needed.

   • Attribute Value

     You can specify up to three conditions for an attribute value. For each condition, specify an attribute name, operator, and attribute value, such as Temperature >= 98.

     • In versions prior to PI AF 2018, only available when you specify a template. For more details, see Configure search conditions for attribute values when a template is specified

     • In PI AF 2018 and later versions, you can specify attribute values without needing to specify a template. For more details, see Configure search conditions for attribute values when no template is specified.

   • Duration

     Select an operator and enter a value, which can include a PI time abbreviation. For example, select >= and enter 1d to retrieve events that last at least one day. You can select Duration a second time and filter the search for results between two values. For example, select <= and enter 2d to retrieve events that lasted between one and two days.

   • Event Frame Search Root

     Enter the event frame that you want to use as the root or base level for the event frame search. Type the exact name or click Browse to open the Event Frame Browser window, where you can view the event frame hierarchy and select an event frame. You cannot include wildcard characters in the entered name. If you do not specify an event frame, you set the main level of the event frame hierarchy as the root. Depending on the complexity of your PI AF hierarchy, specifying an event frame in the Event Frame Search Root field can improve search performance.

   • Can Be Acknowledged

     (PI AF 2016 or later versions.) Set to True to retrieve event frames that can be acknowledged. The ability to acknowledge event frames is determined in the template on which the event frame is based.

   • Is Acknowledged

     (PI AF 2016 or later versions.) Set to True to retrieve event frames that have been acknowledged. Set to False to retrieve only event frames that have not been acknowledged.

   • Is Annotated

     (PI AF 2016 or later versions.) Set to True to retrieve only event frames that have annotations. Set to False to retrieve only event frames that do not have annotations.

   • Severity

     (PI AF 2016 or later versions.) Select an operator and select a severity setting from the list. For example, select >= Minor to retrieve event frames that have at least a Minor severity setting. You can select Severity a second time and filter the search for results between two severity settings. For example, select <= Critical to retrieve event frames that have Minor, Major and Critical severity settings.

   • Creation Date

     (PI AF 2017 or later versions.) Select an operator and enter a date or a PI time abbreviation ( >= *-30d is the default) to retrieve event frames that were created in the specified period. You can also click to select a date in the Date and Time Picker window. You can select Creation Date a second time and filter the search for results between two values (< *+1d is the default).

   • Modify Date

     (PI AF 2017 or later versions.) Select an operator and enter a date or a PI time abbreviation ( >= *-30d is the default) to retrieve event frames that were modified in the specified period. You can also click to select a date in the Date and Time Picker window. You can select Modify Date a second time and filter the search for results between two values (< *+1d is the default).

     Note: An event frame's modify date is updated whenever a capture value, an annotation, or a child event frame is added, as well as when a change to its configuration is checked into the database. Most template changes, or any modification to an attribute value that is not a configuration item, will not affect an event frame's modify date.

6. Optional. Specify how you want results to be displayed in the Results table.

   To ...	Do this ...
   Group by template	Select the Template check box.
   Group by category	Select the Category check box.
   Change column selections	Right-click the column heading in the Results table or white space below. Click Column Visibility. Select or clear column selections as needed.
   Display attributes as columns	Click and click Select Attributes. In the Select Attributes window, use standard Windows keystrokes to highlight contiguous (SHIFT+<click>) or non-contiguous (CTRL+<click>) attributes. Click . Click OK.
   Display full paths of event frames	Right-click the column heading in the Results table or white space below. Click Show Full Paths.
   Conceal full paths of event frames	Right-click the column heading in the Results table or white space below. Click Hide Full Paths.

7. Click Search to retrieve the matching event frames into the Results table.

8. Click OK.

   The results are displayed in the viewer and in the browser tree. For more information on working with search results, see Manage search results.