Report context types

RtReports supports report templates associated with different kinds of contexts within a PI System. You can define a report template context for a configurable time range using time report templates, or PI Batch Database or AF event frames, objects using batch report templates.

The report template type supports specific features for that context. For example, batch reports can span multiple batches and unit classes in a report.

• Time report templates

  Time report templates allow users to configure a template to generate a report for a specific time range or recurrence pattern. The report template is generated against an overall time range, but can be further divided into relative or fixed duration time spans. Report authors can create detailed time reports with hierarchical time frames or interrelated time ranges.

• Batch report templates

  Batch report templates allow configuration of a report template at any level of the processing hierarchy: batch, unit batch, operation, or phase. It can include aggregated data that is determined after the batch is complete, such as averages or maximums. Batch report templates can also incorporate conditional logic and PI performance equations.

• Event Frames

  RtReports supports reporting on all Event Frames, not just those derived from the PI Batch/Procedure templates. This includes those created manually, by analytics, or by any interface, in addition to Event Frames without a template. After you complete the batch to Event Frames Migration process on the Data Archive, any existing batch report should continue to work with Event Frames created by our standard interfaces provided no configuration changes were made. Module Alias or module property references in your journal actions will be redirected to the synchronized AF Element Attribute (using the MDB-to-AF synchronization settings on the PI Server).

• Event Frames migrated from the PI Batch DB

  If an Event Frame migrated from the PI Batch DB is selected as a report context, RtReports will use the original PI Batch DB data to generate the report if the selected report was previously run against the PI Batch DB. This ensures repeatability of legacy batch reports. Exception: If the batch end date in the migrated Event Frame is later than the PI Batch DB end date, RtReports will generate the report using the Event Frame data. In order to determine PI Server batch database migration status, the RtReports server needs read access to PI AFLINK database. Configure PI AFLINK database security using PI SMT > Security> Database Security.

• RtReports and PI Point Data References embedded in Event Frame Reports

  RtReports automatically determines the PI Server context used for PI Point Data References embedded in Event Frame Reports. This Data Archive selection algorithm makes the assumption that relative process data is stored on the Unit Procedure Event Frame in PI Tag Data References, and that all Unit Procedure Event Frames have primary reference elements. Given the assumptions above, the Data Archive Selection algorithm essentially checks all attributes on the child Event Frames and Primary Reference Element for PI Point Data References. If a PI Point Data reference is found on the Event Frame or Primary Reference Element, that Data Archive is used for context. The following workflow is used:

  • Check Event Frame attributes of Unit Procedure Event Frames for attributes with PI Point Data References

  • Check all child Event Frames lower than the Unit Procedure for attributes with PI Point Data References

  • Check the Primary Reference Element on each Unit Procedure Event Frame for attributes with PI Point Data References

  • If no attributes use a PI Point Data Reference, the default SDK PI Server is utilized

    In addition, OSIsoft recommends to use the full data archive name in any Event Frame Attribute configuration strings instead of the %Server% substitution parameter. If this substitution parameter is used, then RtReports will always use the default SDK server for context.