Retrieve attributes by searching

You can use PI Builder to search for attributes in a PI AF database, and then select the attributes to retrieve into Microsoft Excel. You cannot search for and retrieve attributes configured as excluded or hidden.

Prerequisite: Before you retrieve attributes, you need to Specify a database.

1. On the PI Builder tab, click Elements > Find Element Attributes to open the Attribute Search window.

2. Set the Attribute Search window to find the desired attributes in the PI AF database:

   1. Under Where, set the fields to restrict attributes retrieved:

      • Attribute name

        Enter the name of the attribute to retrieve. You can enter special characters to match part of a name. See Special characters in name searches.

      • Attribute description

        Enter a string (of up to 440 characters) that retrieved attributes must match.

      • Attribute category

        Select the category that retrieved attributes must match.

      • Attribute value type

        Select the type of value that the retrieved attributes must store.

      • Maximum results

        Enter the maximum number of matching attributes to retrieve.

   2. In the Element Criteria area, set the fields to restrict the elements searched for matching attributes:

      • Search Root

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

        Select the Search Sub-Elements check box to search the entered root and any sub-elements. Clear this check box to search only the entered root.

      • Name

        Enter the name of the elements in which you want to search for attributes. You can enter special characters to match part of a name. See Special characters in name searches.

      • Description

        Enter a string (of up to 440 characters) to retrieve only those elements that match.

      • Category

        Select the category of the elements in which you want to search for attributes.

      • Template

        Select the template of the elements in which you want to search for attributes.

      • Type

        Select the type of the elements in which you want to search for attributes.

   If you specify values for multiple settings, the search returns only those attributes that match all the specified settings.

3. Click Search to retrieve the matching attributes into the Search results table.

   Alternatively, use the element tree under Search results to browse for attributes under particular elements, and then select the attributes to add them to the Search results table.

   Remember that the attributes available by searching and the attributes available by browsing the element hierarchy depend on the configuration properties of the attributes.

4. In the Search results table, select the attributes to retrieve into the worksheet and click OK.

5. In the Select Object Types and Column Headers window, select the column headers to include in the worksheet.

6. Click OK to retrieve the element attributes.