How to Configure the Database Logger for CIMPLICITY

Estimated read time: 1:20

    Summary

    In this tutorial by GE Digital, Cole Reimer guides you through the process of configuring the CIMPLICITY Database Logger. You'll learn to enable database logger options, set default logging properties, and ensure each table uses default login connections. The video demonstrates how to log point data and alarm information to SQL server-based tables. You'll also discover how tables are created upon first connection and how to confirm their setup via project status logs.

      Highlights

      • Enable the Database Logger A&E application to log alarm events. 🚨
      • Set default logging connections for uniform configurations. 🔗
      • Add data to tables, like alarm and data logs, for effective tracking. 📋
      • Check table setup via project status for hassle-free maintenance. 📜
      • Tables are created upon the first connection to SQL Server. 🖥️

      Key Takeaways

      • Learn to configure the CIMPLICITY Database Logger with ease! 📊
      • Enable logging options for both alarms and data points seamlessly. 🔍
      • Configure default and individual table logging properties efficiently. ⚙️
      • Understand the table creation process when first connecting to SQL Server. 🖥️
      • Ensure proper logging by confirming configuration through project status logs. ✅

      Overview

      In this detailed walkthrough, GE Digital's Cole Reimer takes us through the basic steps to configure the CIMPLICITY Database Logger. With an SQL Server already set up, you'll dive into enabling database options, setting logging defaults, and ensuring each table aligns with default connections. This video streamlines the process, making it accessible for those familiar with CIMPLICITY and SQL Servers.

        Starting with enabling the Database Logger A&E and points options, the tutorial guides you through configuring default logging properties. These steps are crucial for seamless recording of alarms and data points into SQL server tables. As you configure tables, you'll learn to standardize their setup, making maintenance easy and efficient if changes arise in connection details.

          Finally, the video illustrates how to observe the database logger's success through the project status log. This ensures all tables have been successfully created and confirms correct logging setup. It reinforces the importance of verifying project start logs to maintain a robust data logging framework in CIMPLICITY projects, enabling effective and reliable data management.

            Chapters

            • 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction and Prerequisites The chapter "Introduction and Prerequisites" introduces Cole Reimer from GE Digital, who will guide through the basic configuration of the CIMPLICITY Database Logger. It provides a recap of the previous video that covered the installation of the SQL Server Express, creation of a Logical Database, and a 32-bit ODBC Data source. In this chapter, the focus will be on enabling the Database Logger points option, enabling the A and E application option, configuring default logging properties, setting each table's properties to use default login connections, and adding a point and alarm to the configuration.
            • 00:30 - 01:00: Enabling Database Logger Options This chapter covers the steps to enable database logger options in a project. It begins with ensuring prerequisites are in place: an already configured SQL server with a logical database and a 32-bit ODBC Data source pointing to the SQL server. After these prerequisites are met, you open the project in the CIMPLICITY workbench. In the workbench, the focus is on navigating to the project properties via the top menu bar. This setup allows for managing Data log and Alarm log tables, performing a configuration update, and starting up the project.
            • 01:00 - 01:30: Database Logger Configuration Utility In this chapter, the focus is on configuring the Database Logger using the General Tab. The user is instructed to enable the Database Logger A and E application option, which logs alarms, events, change approval information, and event manager events. Additionally, the Database Logger points should be enabled to log point data to the database. After enabling these options and clicking OK, the system refreshes, displaying the Database Logger configuration utility, which can be accessed by selecting and double-clicking on it.
            • 01:30 - 02:00: Tables and Default Logging Properties The chapter titled 'Tables and Default Logging Properties' provides an overview of the tables presented when the Database Logger configuration utility is opened. The default tables include: the alarm log table for logging information on alarms such as generation, acknowledgment, reset, and deletion; the CA log table for logging change approval information; and the data log table for logging individual data points.
            • 02:00 - 02:30: Configuring Logging Properties The chapter titled 'Configuring Logging Properties' discusses the various tables used for logging in an event management system. It introduces the EM log table, which logs information about events that have been triggered and executed. Additionally, the event log table is explained, which logs various event details such as logon events and audit trails for alarms. There's a brief mention of the group log type table, which logs snapshots of multiple points simultaneously. The chapter proceeds to explain setting default logging properties for the database, alarms application, and point table types.
            • 02:30 - 03:30: Setting Table Default Connections This chapter provides a guide on setting default connections for database logging in a table. The process begins by right-clicking on a table and selecting logging properties, bringing up a dialog with parameters for configuration. It covers details about setting up default alarm and point connections, utilizing ODBC data sources, and explains each tab in the default login properties dialog, specifically catering to alarm, application, data log, and group log table types.
            • 03:30 - 04:30: Adding Data to Tables This chapter describes the process of adding data to tables using a previously configured ODBC data source for an SQL server. It outlines the steps to select the correct data source, enter the username and password, and configure the default point connection. It also highlights the importance of ensuring that tables are configured to use these default connections, noting that setting up the dialog doesn't automatically configure the tables.
            • 04:30 - 05:30: Starting the Project In the chapter titled 'Starting the Project,' the process of ensuring that each table is set up to use default connections is discussed. This setup is beneficial because it simplifies maintenance. If the connection information changes, you only need to update the default settings, and all tables will automatically adapt. To check if each table is set up correctly, one would need to access the properties of each table through the Database Logger. This is done by right-clicking on a table, selecting properties from the context menu, and navigating through the dialog box that appears.
            • 05:30 - 06:30: Confirmation and Conclusion The chapter titled 'Confirmation and Conclusion' provides instructions on setting up connections for different types of tables, specifically the alarm, event, and application tables, as well as the data log and group log tables. It emphasizes the use of the default alarm connection and point connection checkboxes for these tables. Additionally, the chapter guides on adding some data to the alarm log and data log tables.

            How to Configure the Database Logger for CIMPLICITY Transcription

            • 00:00 - 00:30 Hello my Name is Cole Reimer from GE Digital and today I'll be walking you through the basic   Configuration of the CIMPLICITY Database Logger. From the previous video we had walked through   the Installation of the SQL server express, The creation of the Logical Database and the creation of a 32-bit ODBC Data source. In this video, we will enable the Database Logger points option,   enable the database logger A and E application option, configure default logging properties, configure each table's properties to use default login connections, Add a point and alarm to the
            • 00:30 - 01:00 Data log and Alarm log tables and perform a configuration update and Start up the project.  The prerequisites for this video are the  following: an SQL server that has already   been configured with the logical Database and  a pre-configured 32-bit ODBC Data source that points to the SQL server. We begin by opening  the project in the CIMPLICITY workbench. Once the project is opened, we will go to project properties along the Top Menu bar.
            • 01:00 - 01:30 On the General Tab, we will be presented with a list of enabled options. We will enable   the Database Logger A and E application option. This option is used to Log Alarms events change   approval information and event manager events. We also want to enable Database Logger points.   This is used to log point Data to the Database. Once the options are enabled click on the OK button.  The workbench will refresh and you will now see the Database Logger configuration utility listed.   We will then select the Database Logger and double-click on it to open the configuration utility.
            • 01:30 - 02:00 Once the Database Logger configuration utility is opened we will be presented with a  list of tables. The default list of tables when both options are selected is as follows:    the alarm log table, this table is used to log alarm information such as when an alarm is generated, when it was acknowledged or when it was reset or when it is deleted. The CA log table. This table is used to log change approval information  when the change approval option is used. The data log table, which is used to log individual points.
            • 02:00 - 02:30 The EM log table, this table is used to log event manager information about what events have triggered and ran. The event log table, this is used to log event information. This contains  information such as logon events setpoint audit trails and enabled or disabled alarms. Please note that I have not mentioned the group log type of table. This table type is used to log a snapshot of values for a number of different points all at the same time. We will begin by first setting the default logging properties. This is the default logging information for the Database, for the alarms application and point table types.
            • 02:30 - 03:00 Right-click on any table in the list and go to logging properties from the Right-click Menu. The default login properties dialog will open and there will be three tabs. The parameters tab, this contains the sorted configuration information for  the database logger the default alarm connection.   This is the connection information for alarm and application table types. The default point connection tab, this contains the connection  information for the data log and group log types of tables. We begin by going to the default alarm  connection tab. Use the drop down for the ODBC Data Source and
            • 03:00 - 03:30 choose the data source that was  previously configured to point to your SQL server. Once the correct ODBC data source is selected, then put in the correct username and password. Next, click on the default point connection tab again, click on the ODBC Data Source   drop-down and choose the data source  that had been previously configured.   Then type in the username and  password. This configuration dialog   will have set up the default connections  but it does not necessarily mean that   the tables are configured to use the default connections.
            • 03:30 - 04:00 Once complete, click on the OK button The Next step is to confirm that each table is set up to use the default connections.  You will typically want to set up the tables to use the default connection information as it is. easier to maintain if your connection information  does change and all the tables are set to use   the defaults, then you only need to change the  defaults and everything will update accordingly   to ensure each table is set up properly, we will select each table in the Database Logger. Right click on it and choose properties from the Right-click Menu then navigate on the dialog that
            • 04:00 - 04:30 opens to the connection tab. For alarm and event  and application table types select the use default   alarm connection checkbox .For the Data log and  group log table types we will select the use   default point connection checkbox. We will go through each table and set it up accordingly. For our next step we will add a little bit of data  to the alarm log table and the data log tables.
            • 04:30 - 05:00 Double click on the alarm log table and will open to show the contents of the table.   Click on the Add item button on the toolbar, a dialog will Open  which will allow us to select a specific alarm to   log information for. In this example we will choose alarm (_) underscore 1 and double click on it.    This will add it to our list of alarms that we will log and set it up to use the default settings for the logging conditions. We will then choose the data  log table and double click on it, this again will   show the contents of the table, since this is the first time the point logging has been enabled in
            • 05:00 - 05:30 this project the table will be empty. Again click on the add item button and it will open up the   list of points that can be logged. You will select the up counter point and will be added to the   table with the default logging conditions. Now that, there's a little bit of Data selected to be logged   we will make sure that the changes are applied  and start the project. Click on the configuration update button on the toolbar and then click  on the start button to start the project
            • 05:30 - 06:00 When the project starts, it will automatically  start the Database Logger processes dl (_) underscore   rp and ptdl (_) underscore rp. These processes will read the Database find that the tables don't   yet exist and then it will create them after  the project has started. We can confirm if the   tables have been created properly by looking at the project status log. Entries will appear for   each table stating a new ODBC table has been created. Once this is confirmed in the logging,
            • 06:00 - 06:30 then the configuration is now complete. The tables are created the first time the project starts. It should be noted that the tables are only created the first time that CIMPLICITY connects to the   SQL server database. Any subsequent starts of the project where the tables already exist, will not indicate any status log messages. That concludes this video thank you for watching!