Replicate AF and Data Archive

Use Replicate AF and Data Archive when you want to copy both your AF structure and the PI Points referenced by that structure. This is the most complete replication mode and is best for mirroring an entire AF database - including history and snapshot data - into the destination PI System.

When selected as the data source type, provide the following parameters. After adding the parameters, you can select Start Connector or Apply Changes to save all changes and move to another tab.

Name

This required field is the name of the data source. Data source name values for a given connector must be unique and are not case sensitive. For example, "DataSource1" and "DATASOURCE1" are considered the same.

Description

This field is optional and allows you to provide a description of the data source setup.

AF Servers

Source AF Server

Source AF server is a required field that indicates where the source AF database is located.

• Select an AF server from the drop-down menu of available AF servers.

• Select to open a pop-up window where new AF Servers can be defined and managed.

• Select Properties () to manage the properties of the selected AF Server.

• Select Connect to create a connection between the PI System Connector and the AF Server. This populates other fields in the UI, such as the Source AF Database field.

  Note: A single source AF server is supported per data source configuration. Multiple source AF servers are supported by defining additional data source configurations.

Source AF Database

This required parameter is the database to be replicated over to the destination.

• Select an AF database from the drop-down menu of available databases.

• Select to open a pop-up window where new AF Databases can be defined and managed.

• Select Properties () to manage the properties of the selected AF Database.

AF Discovery Rate

This optional parameter defines in second the frequency at which the connector checks with the source AF database for any changes.

If the field is blank when saving the configuration, the default value of 30 seconds is used.

Source AF Server Options

Destination AF Library Prefix

An optional string prefix added to all supported AF Database library objects at the destination. This setting helps prevent name conflicts of AF library objects when replicating multiple data sources to a single destination.

By default, the connector does not apply any prefix to the AF library object names from the source before they are replicated to the destination, and the text field can be left empty. Use the text field to specify a string that will be used to prefix AF library object names.

The following characters are invalid:

* ' ? ; { } [ ] | \ ` ' "

For prefix X and library object name Y, the destination library object names has the following format: XY.

Most AF library objects that support replication are prefixed at the destination, except for Categories. References to these AF library objects are also updated with the prefix at the destination. The AF library objects on the source are not changed.

The %Template% substitution parameter within an Attribute Template Table Lookup Data Reference is resolved to the original, un-prefixed, template name at the destination in case that it is being used for column or value lookups within the AF Table Lookup configuration string. If it is used to resolve the table name, then it is still prefixed accordingly.

If an identical prefix is used on multiple data sources with AF Library object name collisions that are being replicated at the destination, then the same collision issues will be present when a prefix was not used.

It is possible to change the prefix of an existing data source; however, this triggers a resync that could be time consuming and has the potential of causing issues if a name collision already existed on the destination beforehand.

When possible, it is better to specify the prefix during data source creation.

Merge Only, Skip Reconcile

When selected and an attribute template is deleted from the source, the destination continues to keep the removed source attribute template.

For additional information, see Skip the reconciliation and merge only.

Exclude Default Values

This field is enabled by default.

When enabled, default values are excluded from the AF data transmitted to the destination in order to decrease the size of the exported file sent to the Relay.

Including the default values when exporting an AF database significantly increases the number of elements in the generated XML code. These default values are included in the XML for elements, event frames, element templates, attribute templates and attributes.

With Exclude Default Values enabled, default values are removed from the export, thereby decreasing the total memory usage. Additionally, the streamlined XML is processed more quickly during import.

Authentication Type

Windows Authentication | Open ID Connect

Select between Windows Authentication type or Open ID Connect (OIDC) type authentication.

• If you select OIDC, the system displays prompts to enter the Client ID and Client Secret. After saving, the Client ID and Client Secret in the PI Identity Model is replaced with the strings in these fields.

• If no ID or Secret is submitted, the last submitted ID and secret is used for authentication.

• If no ID or Secret has been submitted and there is no ID or secret stored in PI Identity Model, an error displays.

  

Source Elements

Collect all data from this entire database | Collect data from a specific branch

This is a required field. Select one of the following:

• Collect all data from this entire database

  Select this option to replicate the entire database contents. See AF Replication for additional details regarding what data is replicated.

• Collect data from a specific branch

  Select this option to either enter an element path directly into the input field or select an element using the AF tree view. The path format is: \\AFServer\AFDatabase\Element.

  See AF source element replication for additional information on what data is replicated.

Event Frames

Include Event Frames

This option is only available if Collect all data from this entire database is selected above.

Select the checkbox for event frames replication.

Start Time

The amount of time, specified in PI time format, to collect Event Frames upon connector startup. The input field is only available if Include Event Frames is selected.

Note: Use the American English time format (for example, *-4h).

If the field is blank when saving the configuration, the default value of *-30d is used.

Note: The Event Frame start time is only used only for initial event frame replication. After initialization, the connector polls the AF server for Event Frame additions, deletions, and makes updates as necessary.

Server Prefixing

This table contains a list of prefixes used by every data source, and the PI Server associated with each prefix. If a data source references a PI Server specified in the Server Prefixing table, that server’s associated prefixes are prepended to the front of all PI Point names, digital state sets, and point sources coming from that PI Server during creation on the destination Data Archive.

By default, the connector does not apply any prefixes.

These prefixes can be used to prevent collisions between PI Points with matching names or other fields across multiple data sources. If no prefix is applied, two PI Points with the same name on two different source Data Archives will send data to the same PI Point on the destination.

• Select Add to add new items to the table. The items in this table are shared across PI System Connector data sources, so the PI Server associated with the new prefix must be selected manually.

• You can modify the prefix value of an element in the Server Prefixing table by selecting Edit. Note that the Server value in the table cannot be modified using this option.

• Select Remove to remove both the prefix and the associated PI Server. If changes must be made to a PI Server in the table, both it and the associated prefixes must be removed and added again.

PI Data

Configured Shared Data Source Options

Select this button to open the Shared Data Source Options tab.

Note: Any changes to the data source must be applied before selecting this button or the changes will be discarded.

Snapshot Queries

This section contains a list of Snapshot queries used by every data source and the PI Server associated with each query.

By default, the connector only replicates PI Point snapshot data for source PI Points that have Compressing set to Off. To replicate PI Point snapshot data for source PI Points that have Compressing set to On, add a Snapshot query that matches the desired PI points. Multiple Snapshot queries for the same source Data Archive can be created. 

• Select Add to add a new snapshot query. The items in this table are shared across PI System Connector data sources, so the PI Server associated with the new query must be selected manually.

  Note: To make it easier to construct and validate the Snapshot query, use the Tag Search feature in PI System Explorer (PSE), which supports the same query syntax. After creating the query, you can copy and paste the information in the fields.

• Select Edit to modify the query value of an element in the Snapshot Queries table. Note that the Server value in the table cannot be modified using this option.

• Select Remove to remove a query from the Snapshot Queries table. This removes both the query and the associated PI Server, so if changes must be made to a PI Server in the table, both it and the associated queries must be removed and added again.

After configuring the replication mode, select Apply Changes to save the configuration. You can either start the connector or navigate to another tab.