UniInt-based interfaces

UniInt-based interfaces have interface-specific features for connecting to data sources and archiving data.

Features common to interfaces based on the UniInt framework include:

• Failover

• Disconnected startup

• Writing from input points to Data Archive, including performance and status point values from the interface

• Writing to output points in the data source

PI API and PI SDK

UniInt-based interfaces require the PI API library for functionality. However, some features for interfaces are only available for earlier versions of Data Archive when using the PI SDK library. Interfaces that use PI SDK cannot use the disconnected startup feature.

Data Archive before version 3.4.370 requires PI SDK to be enabled for the following features:

• Extended descriptor (exdesc) and data source name (instrumenttag) attribute lengths up to 1023 characters

• Full 32-bit values for exception reporting interval attributes (excmin and excmax)

• Multi-character point source attribute

Refer to the specific interface user guide for information about whether PI SDK is enabled, or if it can be enabled optionally. To enable PI SDK for the interface, see Enable PI SDK.

Interfaces send data using PI API. Buffering for interfaces using PI API requires a different configuration than buffering for interfaces using PI SDK. For more information about interface buffering, see Interface buffering overview.

For more information about PI API and PI SDK, see PI SDK and PI API Online Help Files.

Read-write and read-only interfaces

Interfaces can be available as read-write or read-only versions. For increased security, interfaces without a read-only version can be disabled from writing to the data source. For more information, see Read-only and read-write interfaces.