Specify connection preferences for AF SDK clients

AF SDK clients can connect to any Data Archive server in a collective. However, you can require the AF SDK connection to connect to the primary server, as well as preferring the primary server over secondary servers. You can also configure the AF SDK connection to not have a member-type preference. You can do this by specifying the connection preference for each AF SDK client application using this connection.

Keep in mind that some of these clients write configuration data to Data Archive. These clients must connect to a primary server. In a collective, you make configuration changes to the primary servers, which sends those changes to all secondary servers.

Client-specific connection preferences override any default connection preference values.

Note: This procedure describes how to set connection preferences for AF SDK clients using PI System Explorer, the settings you establish in PI System Explorer apply to PI DataLink and other AF SDK clients. However, this does not apply to PI Analysis Service, as its connection preference is hardcoded to Prefer Primary and cannot be altered. Additionally, PI Web API has its own connection preference setting that must be configured directly in its AF configuration element, independent of the PI System Explorer settings. For more details, see Impact of PI Collective Connection Priority and Preferences on PSE and PI Web API.

1. Open PI System Explorer on the host computer and select Tools > Options...

2. In the Server Options tab, locate the Connection preference drop-down list in the PI Data Archive Connection Settings in PI System Explorer field.

   Note: Ensure that you are not erroneously locating the Connection preference drop-down list in the PI AF Server Connection Settings in PI System Explorer field.

3. Select the Connection preference drop-down list for this client application and select the preference you want for the client application (in this case, we are specifying for the PSE client application).

   • Require Primary

     Client application must connect to primary server.

   • Prefer Primary

     Client application prefers to connect to primary server. With this setting, the client application (in this case it is the PSE) always attempts to connect to a primary server first, but will connect to a secondary server if the primary server is unavailable.

   • Any

     Client application can connect to any server.

4. Click OK.