Select a PI SNMP interface and configure tag settings

Before you create PI SNMP points, you must select the PI SNMP Interface node in the PI SNMP point builder for which you will build points and update some PI SNMP Interface settings.

For further details about location codes and point attributes, see Default point attributes and the PI Interface for SNMP available at the Customer Portal.

1. Select the Tag Settings tab.

2. Select or the type in the name of an SNMP Interface in the Choose an existing SNMP interface field. If you enter a name, include the following information in the name:

   • Point Source

   • Interface ID

3. Select an available PI SNMP Interface from connected Data Archive servers in the Choose an existing SNMP interface field.

4. Configure or update PI SNMP Interface settings, as necessary:

   • Point Source — Enter a single character value that indicates the origin of point data in the Data Archive server and matches the value specified in the interface startup command file. Valid point source characters include any ASCII character, but should not conflict with any other PI data collection or system programs. This attribute is also known as Location4 Code or Scan Class.

   • Program instance (Location 1) — Enter a value to associates the point with an instance of PI SNMP, as multiple copies may run on the same machine. Location 1 is a positive integer that should match the - id= parameter in the interface startup command file.

   • Scan class frequency — Enter the point scan class that corresponds to a scan class set created at interface startup.

5. Configure or update the Tag Details, as necessary:

   • Create Rate Tags, when applicable (Location 2) — If you are using Counter-type SNMP variables, set Location 2 equal to 1 for time-normalized (or rate) points, as opposed to points with non-decreasing values.

   Note: When set to 1, counter-valued OIDs selected on the Build Tag tab are converted from raw counters to rates, that is, counter difference divided by time difference. For non-Counter type variables, the interface writes the configure state to the point and the box should remain unchecked.

   • Group tags in sets (Location 3=1 if checked) — Set equal to 1 to process SNMP points for the same agent, and therefore, the same Community Strings, and the scan class in one SNMP call, to increase performance and lower overall network overhead.

   • Omit community String from Extended Descriptor — Select to exclude the community string in the extended descriptor field. Note that the administrator then becomes responsible for maintaining a list of community strings, as described in the SNMP Interface manual.

   • Use tag name substitution table — Select to scan a substitution dictionary lookup table when building a point. If strings in the lookup table exist in the tag name, they are replaced by the matching table entry.