Data source configuration reference

Source AF Server

(Required)

Source AF server is where the source AF database is located. Select an AF server from the drop-down menu of available AF servers. Click Refresh to manually reload the AF servers list. 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

(Required)

Source AF database is the database to be replicated over to the destination. Select an AF database from the drop-down menu of available databases. Click Refresh to manually reload the AF database list.

AF discovery scan rate

(Seconds)

(Optional)Default: 30 seconds

Frequency, in seconds, 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.

Destination AF Library Prefix

(Optional)

Optional string prefix applied to all supported AF Database library objects on the destination. This configuration option can be used to avoid AF library object name collisions when multiple data sources are being replicated to the same 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 will have 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 will trigger 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.

Include Event Frames

(Optional) Default: False

Select the checkbox for event frames replication. This option is only available if Collect all data from this entire database is selected.

Event Frame start time

(Optional) Default: *-30d

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

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.

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.

Collect all data from this entire database

or

Collect data from a specific branch

(Required)

To replicate the entire database contents, click Collect all data from this entire database. For more information on what data is replicated, see AF Replication. If you only want to collect data from a specific branch, click Collect data from a specific branch.

You can 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. For more information on what data is replicated, see AF source element replication.

Resync

Note: The Resync feature is not part of the startup configuration process, but rather can be used later to ensure synchronization between source and destination AF structures.

Click Resync to make your destination AF structure accurately represent the source AF structure. For more information on Resync, see AF Replication.

Merge only skip reconcile

(Optional)

Select Merge only skip reconcile. For more information, see Skip the reconciliation and merge only.

Include PI points from this Data Archive

(Required)

Select a single Data Archive from the drop-down menu of available Data Archive servers to collect data from selected PI points contained in the Data Archive. PI points are replicated from the selected Data Archive to the destination based on the Include PI Points that match this query field. Define additional Replicate Data Archive only configurations if multiple source Data Archives are required or if you want an additional Include PI Points that match this query .

Please refer to Asset Framework and PI System Explorer documentation for supported search syntax.

• Search for elements (AF Search Syntax)

• Search for PI points (PI Point Search Syntax)

Include PI Points that match this query (Restart required)

(Required)

Use a PI Point query to specify which PI Points from the selected Data Archive will be replicated.

To select all PI points from the selected Data Archive, use the following query: *

It may be easier to construct and validate the PI Point query using the PI System Explorer (PSE) client tool Tag Search feature. Once constructed using PSE, it can be copied and pasted into this field.

If this query is changed, a restart of the PI System Connector data collection (not the Windows Service) is required.

Please refer to Asset Framework and PI System Explorer documentation for supported search syntax.

• Search for elements (AF Search Syntax)

• Search for PI points (PI Point Search Syntax)

History recovery start time

(Optional) Default: *-4h

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

Time (specified in PI time format) to recover historical data for all PI points. If the field is blank when saving the configuration, the default value of *-4h is used.

History recovery start time will be applied to any PI Point added to the Connector when collecting Historical Data.

PI Point Discovery Scan Rate (seconds) (Optional) Default: 120 seconds

Frequency at which the connector checks with the source Data Archive for any PI Point changes. If the field is blank when saving the configuration, the default value of 120 seconds is used.

Prefix PI Points, Digital State Sets, and Point sources on destination Data Archive (Optional)

By default, the connector does not apply any prefixes to PI points, digital state sets, or point sources during creation on the destination Data Archive. Perform the following to apply a prefix to the PI points, digital state sets, and point sources on the destination Data Archive.

• Stop data collection for the connector.

• Select any data source for editing.

• Navigate to the Global Setting section of the configuration.

• From the Server drop-down menu, select a source Data Archive. If necessary, click Add Another Server Prefix.

• Enter a prefix into the corresponding Prefix input field. The first character must be alphanumeric, the underscore (_), or the percent sign (%). The following characters are invalid: * ' ? ; { } [ ] | \ ` ' ". When providing a prefix value, destination PI points will have the following format: prefix Source PI point name. Prefixes can be modified after the PI points are created. This results in renaming the PI points on the destination PI System to match the new prefix.

  Example: If a PI point named SINUSOID from Data Archive - 'Server1' is replicated as well as SINUSOID from Data Archive - 'Server2', the data collected from both are directed to the same destination PI point SINUSOID. To prevent this situation, assign a prefix to one or both Data Archives. In this case, both source Data Archives can be prefixed using drop-down menus as follows: Server1:FromServer1 and Server2:FromServer2. By doing this, the destination PI points will be created with the following names FromServer1_SINUSOID and FromServer2_SINUSOID.

Send snapshot data for PI Points that match this query (Optional)

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 PI point query that matches the desired PI points.

Multiple PI Point queries for the same source Data Archive can be created.

It may be easier to construct and validate the PI Point query using the PI System Explorer (PSE) client tool Tag Search feature, which uses the same syntax. Once constructed using PSE, the query can be copied and pasted into these fields.

If a query is added, deleted, or changed, a restart of the PI System Connector data collection (not the Windows Service) is required

Replicate using Append and Delete write behaviors (Optional) Default: False

By default, if PI Point data is deleted on the source PI Server, the corresponding PI Point data is not deleted on the destination. With this option enabled deletes that occur on the source will be replicated on the destination. By default, new PI Point data sent with a certain timestamp will replace existing PI Point data on the destination that has the same timestamp, regardless if it was written to the source as a replacement or as an append. With this option enabled, the connector will try to write data to the destination with the same write mode that was used to write the data to the source, allowing the replication of events with the same timestamps as well as the deletion of events at the destination.