Historian Admin

AVEVA™
Historian Administration Guide

formerly Wonderware
AVEVA™ Historian Administration Guide formerly Wonderware
© 2020 AVEVA Group plc and its subsidiaries. All rights reserved.
No part of this documentation shall be reproduced, stored in a ret rieval system, or transmitted by any
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Although precaution has been taken in the preparation of this documentation, A VEVA assumes no
responsibility for errors or omissions. The information in this documentation is subject to change without
notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of AVEVA. The soft ware described in this
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Publication date: Tuesday, December 1, 2020
Contact Information
AVEVA Group plc
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https://sw.aveva.com/
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For information on how to cont act technical support, see https://sw.aveva.com/support.
2
Contents
Welcome .................................................................................................................................. 11
AVEVA Historian Documentation Set ....................................................................................... 11
Chapter 1 Getting Started................................................................................................... 13

About AVEVA Historian Licensing ............................................................................................ 13
Viewing License Information .............................................................................................. 13
Refreshing the License Information .................................................................................... 14
Registering AVEVA Historian Servers ...................................................................................... 14
Registering an AVEVA Historian ........................................................................................ 15
Editing Registration Properties ........................................................................................... 16
Deleting a Registered Historian .......................................................................................... 17
Moving a Registered Server to a Different Group ................................................................. 17
About Administrative Tools ...................................................................................................... 17
About the System Management Console ............................................................................ 17
About the Management Console................................................................................... 19
About the Configuration Editor...................................................................................... 20
System Management Console Menu Commands .......................................................... 22
Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio ......................................................................... 23
Registering a Server in Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio ................................. 24
Navigating in Micros oft SQL Server Management Studio ................................................ 24
About AVEVA Historian Insight ................................................................................................ 24
Starting AVEVA Historian Insight ........................................................................................ 24
Starting and Stopping AVEVA Historian ............................................................................. 27

About the Startup Process ....................................................................................................... 27
Starting the AVEVA Historian ............................................................................................. 27
About Connecting to SQL Server .................................................................................. 28
Manually Starting SQL Server ...................................................................................... 28
Stopping the AVEVA Historian ........................................................................................... 29
Starting and Stopping Modules........................................................................................... 29
Closing the System Management Console .......................................................................... 31
Configuring General Startup Options .................................................................................. 31
Shutting Down the Entire AVEVA Historian ......................................................................... 32
Creating Server Groups ........................................................................................................... 33
Adding a Server Group ...................................................................................................... 33
Renaming a Server Group ................................................................................................. 34
Deleting a Server Group .................................................................................................... 34
About System-Level Consistency ............................................................................................. 34
Time Handling................................................................................................................... 34
System Parameters ........................................................................................................... 35
System Messages ............................................................................................................. 39
AVEVA Historian Processes .............................................................................................. 40
About System Driver and System Tags ............................................................................... 42
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AVEVA™ Historian Administration Guide formerly Wonderware Contents
Error Count Tags ......................................................................................................... 42

Date Tags ................................................................................................................... 42
Time Tags ................................................................................................................... 42
Storage Space Tags .................................................................................................... 43
I/O Statistics Tags ....................................................................................................... 43
System Monitoring Tags .............................................................................................. 44
Miscellaneous (Other) Tags ......................................................................................... 45
Classic Event Subsystem Tags .................................................................................... 46
Replication Subsystem Tags ........................................................................................ 46
Performance Monitoring Tags ...................................................................................... 47
Defining Tags .......................................................................................................................... 51

About Tags ............................................................................................................................. 51
Tag Naming Conventions .................................................................................................. 51
Tag Properties (Tag Metadata)........................................................................................... 52
Tag Configuration Versioning ....................................................................................... 53
About Floating-P oint Values ............................................................................................... 53
Viewing and Configuring Tags ................................................................................................. 53
Configuring Analog Tags ................................................................................................... 54
Adding an Analog Tag ................................................................................................. 54
Editing General Information for an Analog Tag .............................................................. 58
Editing Acquisition Information for a Tag ....................................................................... 59
Editing Storage Information for an Analog Tag ............................................................... 61
Editing Limit Information for an Analog Tag ................................................................... 62
Editing Summary Information for an Analog Tag ............................................................ 64
Editing Extended Properties for an Analog Tag .............................................................. 65
Configuring the Engineering Units Catalog .................................................................... 67
Configuring Engineering Units ...................................................................................... 77
Configuring Discrete Tags.................................................................................................. 79
Adding a Discrete Tag ................................................................................................. 79
Editing General Information for a Discrete Tag .............................................................. 80
Editing Storage Information for a Discrete Tag ............................................................... 81
Editing Extended Properties for a Discrete Tag .............................................................. 82
Configuring Message Pairs .......................................................................................... 84
Configuring String Tags ..................................................................................................... 86
Adding a String Tag ..................................................................................................... 86
Editing General Information for a String Tag .................................................................. 86
Editing Storage Information for a String Tag .................................................................. 87
Editing Extended Properties for a String Tag ................................................................. 88
Configuring E vent Tags ..................................................................................................... 90
Adding an E vent Tag ................................................................................................... 90
Copying Tag Definitions ..................................................................................................... 93
Deleting a Tag .................................................................................................................. 93
Organizing Tags into Groups ............................................................................................. 94
Adding a Group ........................................................................................................... 94
Renaming a Group ...................................................................................................... 95
Adding a Tag to a Group .............................................................................................. 95
Deleting a Group or Tag Reference .............................................................................. 95
Filtering Tags in the SMC Details Pane ............................................................................... 96
Applying a Filter .......................................................................................................... 96
Disabling or Removing a Filter...................................................................................... 97
Importing and Exporting Tag Configurations ............................................................................. 98
Importing an InTouch Data Dictionary ................................................................................. 98
Before You Import ....................................................................................................... 98
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Contents AVEVA™ Historian Administration Guide formerly Wonderware
Importing or Reimporting a Dictionary ......................................................................... 101

Viewing Tags Associated with an InTouch Node .......................................................... 108
Importing or Exporting Tag Information ............................................................................. 109
Encoding Formats for Configuration Exports ............................................................... 110
Configuration Exporter E rror Log ................................................................................ 110
Exporting a Configuration........................................................................................... 111
Importing a Configuration ........................................................................................... 116
Editing the Configuration Text File .............................................................................. 119
Configuring Data Acquisition .............................................................................................. 123

About the Data Acquisition Subsystem ................................................................................... 123
Data Acquisition Components .......................................................................................... 123
I/O Server Addressing ..................................................................................................... 124
I/O Server Redundancy ................................................................................................... 125
Redirecting I/O Servers to InTouch HMI Soft ware.............................................................. 125
Time Synchronization for Data Acquisition ........................................................................ 125
Viewing Dat a Acquisition Information ...................................................................................... 126
Configuring IDASs ................................................................................................................ 127
About IDASs ................................................................................................................... 127
IDAS Configuration .................................................................................................... 128
IDAS Data Proc essing ............................................................................................... 128
IDAS Security and Firewalls ....................................................................................... 128
IDAS Error Logging ................................................................................................... 130
IDAS Store-and-Forward Capability ............................................................................ 130
IDAS Redundancy ..................................................................................................... 130
IDAS Autonomous Startup ......................................................................................... 131
Adding an IDAS .............................................................................................................. 131
Editing General Information for an IDAS ........................................................................... 133
Editing Advanced Information for an IDAS ........................................................................ 134
Setting a remote IDAS to "Classic" ................................................................................... 135
Deleting an IDAS............................................................................................................. 136
Configuring I/O Server Types ................................................................................................. 136
Adding an I/ O Server Ty pe............................................................................................... 136
Editing I/O Server Type Properties ................................................................................... 137
Deleting an I/O Server Type ............................................................................................. 137
Configuring I/O Servers ......................................................................................................... 137
Adding an I/ O Server ....................................................................................................... 138
Editing General Information for an I/O Server .................................................................... 138
Editing Storage Rule Information for an I/O Server ............................................................ 139
Deleting an I/O Server ..................................................................................................... 141
Configuring Topics ................................................................................................................ 141
Adding a Topic ................................................................................................................ 142
Editing General Information for a Topic ............................................................................. 142
Editing Storage Rules for a Topic ..................................................................................... 144
Deleting a Topic .............................................................................................................. 146
Reinitializing I/O Topics ................................................................................................... 146
Managing Data Storage ...................................................................................................... 147

About Data Storage............................................................................................................... 147
About Data Storage Subsystem Processes ....................................................................... 147
Integration with Microsoft SQL Server............................................................................... 148
5
About Delta Storage Mode..................................................................................................... 148

Time and Value Deadbands for Delta Storage ................................................................... 148
Swinging Door Deadband for Delta Storage ...................................................................... 150
Benefits of the S winging Door Deadband .................................................................... 150
Additional Options that Affect the Swinging Door Deadband ......................................... 152
Swinging Door Deadband Examples ........................................................................... 152
Managing the AVEVA Historian Runtime Databas e ................................................................. 155
Changing the Properties for the Runtime Databas e ........................................................... 156
Managing the Runtime Database ..................................................................................... 157
Backing Up the Runtime Database ................................................................................... 157
Backing Up the Database........................................................................................... 157
Restoring the Database ............................................................................................. 159
Managing a Runtime Database Object.............................................................................. 160
Space Management for E vent and Summary History ......................................................... 161
Managing Partitions and History Blocks .................................................................................. 161
Storage Partition Locations .............................................................................................. 161
Circular Storage ........................................................................................................ 162
Alternate Storage ...................................................................................................... 162
Permanent Storage ................................................................................................... 162
Buffer Storage ........................................................................................................... 163
About the Auto-Summary Partition.................................................................................... 163
About Block Gaps ........................................................................................................... 163
Viewing Storage and Auto-Summary Partitions ................................................................. 164
Viewing History Blocks .................................................................................................... 166
History Block Notation and Creation ............................................................................ 167
Automatic Deletion of History Blocks........................................................................... 168
Backing Up History Blocks ......................................................................................... 169
About VSS-Aware Backups ........................................................................................ 169
Backing Up Data Stored on Net work Shares ..................................................................... 169
Adding History Blocks from Prior Versions to the System ................................................... 169
Importing, Inserting, or Updating History Data ................................................................ 171

Ways to Acquire History Data ................................................................................................ 171
Guidelines for Importing, Inserting, and Updating History Data ........................................... 171
Importing History Data........................................................................................................... 172
Importing Data from an InTouch History File ..................................................................... 174
Importing Data from CSV Files ......................................................................................... 175
Predefined CSV File Import Folders ............................................................................ 176
About Normal CSV File Imports .................................................................................. 176
About Fast Load CSV File Imports .............................................................................. 176
General File Format for a CSV Import ......................................................................... 177
Formatting the CSV File for a Normal Import ............................................................... 177
Formatting the CSV File for a Fast Load Import ........................................................... 179
Handling of NULL Values in CSV Files ........................................................................ 180
Copying a CSV File int o an Import Folder.................................................................... 180
Running the Historian Data Importer from a Command Prompt .......................................... 181
Inserting or Updating Data with Transact-SQL Statements....................................................... 181
INSE RT ... VALUES Syntax ............................................................................................. 181
Using the wwV ersion Parameter for INSERTs ................................................................... 183
Inserting Real-time Original Dat a ................................................................................ 183
Inserting Original Non-St reamed Data......................................................................... 183
Inserting Latest Revision Data .................................................................................... 184
6
UPDA TE Syntax ............................................................................................................. 184

Renaming Tags .................................................................................................................... 185
About Historian Tag Ownership ........................................................................................ 186
Preparing to Rename Application Server Tags .................................................................. 186
Renaming Tags Using the Tag Rename Utility .................................................................. 187
Updating Replicated Data ...................................................................................................... 188
Managing and Configuring Replication ............................................................................. 191

About Replication.................................................................................................................. 191
Replication Schedules ..................................................................................................... 191
Replication Schedules and Daylight Savings Time ....................................................... 191
Replication Groups .......................................................................................................... 193
How Replication is Handled for Different Types of Data ..................................................... 193
Streaming Replication ................................................................................................ 194
Queued Replication ................................................................................................... 194
Tag Configuration Synchronization bet ween Tiered Historians ........................................... 195
Replication Run-time Operations ...................................................................................... 195
Replication Latency ................................................................................................... 195
Replication Delay for "Old" Data ................................................................................. 195
Continuous Operation ................................................................................................ 196
Overflow Protection ................................................................................................... 196
Security for Data Replication ............................................................................................ 196
Adding a Replication Server................................................................................................... 197
Adding AVEVA Insight as a Replication Server .................................................................. 200
Specifying Naming Schemes for Replication ..................................................................... 204
Editing Replication S erver P roperties ................................................................................ 208
Deleting a Replication Server ........................................................................................... 209
Configuring Tags to Be Replicated ......................................................................................... 210
Adding a Single Tag for Simple Replication ....................................................................... 210
Adding Multiple Tags for Simple Replication ...................................................................... 211
Editing Simple Replication Tag Properties ......................................................................... 212
Deleting a Simple Replication Tag .................................................................................... 213
Adding a Replication Schedule .............................................................................................. 214
Editing Replication Schedule Properties............................................................................ 215
Deleting a Replication Schedule ....................................................................................... 216
Adding a Replication Group ................................................................................................... 216
Editing Replication Group Properties ................................................................................ 217
Deleting a Replication Group ........................................................................................... 217
Creating a Replication Group for Multiple Servers ............................................................. 218
About Summary Replication................................................................................................... 219
About Analog Summary Replication ................................................................................. 219
About State Summary Replication .................................................................................... 219
Adding a Summary Tag ................................................................................................... 220
Finding Source Tags ....................................................................................................... 221
Adding Multiple Summary Tags ........................................................................................ 224
Creating a Summary Tag Quickly Using Default Settings ................................................... 225
Editing Summary Tag Properties ...................................................................................... 226
Deleting Replication for a Summary Tag ........................................................................... 227
Viewing Source Det ails for a Summary Tag ............................................................................ 228
7
Viewing the List of Associated Replicat ed Tags for a Tag ........................................................ 229
Managing Security ............................................................................................................... 231

About Security ...................................................................................................................... 231
Windows Operating System Security ................................................................................ 231
Default Windows Us er Account for AVEVA Historian Services ...................................... 231
SQL Server Security ........................................................................................................ 232
Authentication ........................................................................................................... 232
Default Windows Security Groups............................................................................... 233
AVEVA Historian Default Logins ................................................................................. 233
Database Authorization.............................................................................................. 234
AVEVA Historian Default Users and Roles .................................................................. 234
Default SQL Server Login for AVEVA Historian Services .............................................. 236
Management Console Security......................................................................................... 236
Verifying the Authentication Mode for a SQL Server ................................................................ 236
Managing Logins .................................................................................................................. 237
Viewing Login Properties ................................................................................................. 238
Adding a Login ................................................................................................................ 238
Local Times and System Times ............................................................................................. 241
Managing Users and Roles using the Configurator .................................................................. 242
Viewing All Users and Role Assignments .......................................................................... 243
Adding Users and Assigning Roles ................................................................................... 244
Managing Users and Roles using SQL Server Management Studio .......................................... 246
Viewing All Users and Roles for a Database ..................................................................... 246
Adding a New Database User .......................................................................................... 247
Adding a User to a Role................................................................................................... 248
Managing Permissions .......................................................................................................... 249
Setting Object Permissions .............................................................................................. 249
Setting Statement Permissions......................................................................................... 251
Managing Passwords ............................................................................................................ 252
Adding a User to a Windows Operating System Group ............................................................ 253
Viewing or Changing System-Wide Properties ............................................................... 257

About the Configuration Subsystem ....................................................................................... 257
Configuration Subsystem Components ............................................................................. 257
About the Runtime and Holding Databases ....................................................................... 258
Runtime Dat abase ..................................................................................................... 258
Holding Database ...................................................................................................... 259
About the Configuration Service ....................................................................................... 259
Dynamic Configuration .................................................................................................... 259
Effects of Configuration Changes on the System ......................................................... 260
Cases in Which Configuration Changes Are Not Committed ......................................... 260
Viewing Properties for System Parameters ............................................................................. 260
Editing System Paramet ers .............................................................................................. 261
Adding a System Parameter....................................................................................... 262
Committing Configuration Changes ........................................................................................ 262
Tracking Modific ations ........................................................................................................... 263
About Modification Tracking for Configuration Changes ..................................................... 264
8
About Modification Tracking for Historical Data Changes ................................................... 264

Turning Modification Tracking On/ Off................................................................................ 265
Viewing Dat abas e Modifications ....................................................................................... 265
Viewing the Runtime Database Report ................................................................................... 267
Using a Redundant Historian ................................................................................................. 268
Changing the Default Network Prot ocol .................................................................................. 269
Configuring a Custom TCP Port ............................................................................................. 269
Historian Client Web Customization ....................................................................................... 270
White Labeling ................................................................................................................ 270
Configuring Customizable White Label Settings ........................................................... 271
CORS Whitelisting........................................................................................................... 272
Configuring the CORS Whitelist.................................................................................. 272
Export Data to Excel Online ............................................................................................. 274
Minimum Supported Versions of Microsoft Excel ......................................................... 274
Registering and Installing the Excel Add-In.................................................................. 274
Applying the Add-In to a Workbook ............................................................................. 276
Monitoring the System ......................................................................................................... 277

Monitoring the General Status of AVEVA Historian .................................................................. 277
Viewing the Current System Status .................................................................................. 277
Resetting Error Counts .............................................................................................. 279
Viewing the Status of System Modules ............................................................................. 279
Viewing System Status Messages .................................................................................... 280
Viewing Status Information .................................................................................................... 280
Monitoring Data Acquisition ................................................................................................... 281
Monitoring Replications ......................................................................................................... 282
Monitoring Client Connections ............................................................................................... 283
Monitoring System Messages ................................................................................................ 283
Viewing Errors in the Windows E vent Viewer .......................................................................... 284
Monitoring System Tags from within InTouch HMI Software ..................................................... 286
Using Windows Performance Logs and Alerts ......................................................................... 286
Browsing the ArchestrA Model View Using Historian Clients ....................................... 287
Model View Represent ation in the Historian Namespace ......................................................... 287
Model View Replication to the Historian .................................................................................. 288
Replication Configuration using the IDE .................................................................................. 289
Configuring Replication for a WinPlat form ......................................................................... 289
Configuring Replication for an AppE ngine ......................................................................... 290
Enabling Replication at Runtime ............................................................................................ 291
Viewing Historized Attributes in the AVEVA Historian Configuration Editor ................................ 291
Browsing the Model Hierarchy in a Historian Client.................................................................. 292
Legacy Features ................................................................................................................... 295

Classic Storage Subsystem ................................................................................................... 295
Memory Management for Retrieval of Classic Storage Data ............................................... 296
9
About the Real -Time Data Window ................................................................................... 297

Determining If the Real-Time Window Is Configured Appropriately for a S winging Door
Deadband ................................................................................................................ 297
Classic Event Subsystem ...................................................................................................... 298
Classic Event Subsystem Components ............................................................................. 298
Uses for the Classic Event Subsystem.............................................................................. 299
Classic Event Subsystem Features and Benefits ............................................................... 300
Classic Event Subsystem Performanc e Factors ................................................................ 300
E vent Tags ..................................................................................................................... 301
E vent Detectors .............................................................................................................. 301
SQL-Bas ed Detectors ................................................................................................ 302
Schedule Det ectors ................................................................................................... 303
External Detectors ..................................................................................................... 304
E vent Actions .................................................................................................................. 304
Generic SQL Actions ................................................................................................. 304
Snapshot Actions ...................................................................................................... 304
E-mail Actions ........................................................................................................... 305
Deadband Actions ..................................................................................................... 305
Summary Actions ...................................................................................................... 305
E vent Action Priorities ................................................................................................ 306
Classic Event Subsystem Resource Management ............................................................. 306
Detector Thread Pooling ............................................................................................ 307
Action Thread Pooling................................................................................................ 308
Classic Event Subsystem Database Connections ........................................................ 308
Handling of E vent Overloads and Failed Queries ......................................................... 309
Classic Event Subsystem Variables .................................................................................. 309
Classic Event Subsystem Tags ........................................................................................ 310
Configuring Classic Events .............................................................................................. 311
Accessing Event Information ...................................................................................... 311
Adding an E vent Tag ................................................................................................. 311
Editing General Information for an E vent Tag .............................................................. 314
Configuring Detectors ................................................................................................ 315
Configuring Actions ................................................................................................... 318
Using the Tag Finder ................................................................................................. 329
Retrieving Logged E vent Data .................................................................................... 332
Viewing Summary Information .................................................................................... 332
Using ActiveE vent ..................................................................................................... 335
History Block Storage for Alarms and E vents .................................................................... 343
A2ALMDB Database ............................................................................................................. 343
Configuring Purge or Archive Settings .............................................................................. 344
Configuring the Database Connection ......................................................................... 344
Configuring How Much Data to Purge from the Server ................................................. 345
Configuring the A rchive of P urged Data ...................................................................... 346
Configuring Log File Settings...................................................................................... 347
Manually Purging and Archiving the Database ............................................................. 348
Setting a Schedule for Automatic Purging ................................................................... 350
Restoring the Alarm Database ......................................................................................... 351
Configuring the Database Connection ......................................................................... 351
Configuring Which Files to Restore ............................................................................. 352
Starting a Database Restore Operation ....................................................................... 353
Migrating Data from the A2A LMDB Database to History Blocks .......................................... 354
10
Welcome
This guide provides information about administering and maintaining installed AVEVA Historian servers.
This guide describes the tools to administer the historian, as well as how to confi gure the system to start
storing plant data. This guide also describes administrative tasks such as changing the default security,
configuring system-wide parameters, and monitoring the system.
The AVEVA Historian software is tightly integrated with Micros oft products. A working knowledge of both
Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Windows operating systems is required. You should be familiar with
administering Microsoft SQL Server and understand how to use the administrative tools provided with
Microsoft Windows operating systems.
For more information on Microsoft SQL Server or the Microsoft Windows operating system, see your
Microsoft documentation.
AVEVA Historian Documentation Set

The AVEVA Historian documentation set includes the following guides:
 AVEVA System Platform Installation Guide
This guide provides information on installing the AVEVA Historian, including hardware and software
requirements and migration instructions.
 AVEVA Historian Concepts Guide
This guide provides an overview of the entire AVEVA Historian system and its key components.
 AVEVA Historian Scenarios Guide
This guide discusses how to use AVEVA Historian to address some common customer scenarios.
 AVEVA Historian Administration Guide
This guide describes how to administer and maintain an installed AVEVA Historian, such as
configuring data acquisition and storage, managing security, and monitoring the system.
 AVEVA Historian Retrieval Guide
This guide describes the retrieval modes and options that you can use to retrieve your data.
 AVEVA Historian Database Ref erence
This guide provides documentation for all of the AVEVA Historian dat abase entities, such as tables,
views, and stored procedures.
 AVEVA Historian Glossary
This guide provides definitions for terms used throughout the documentation set.
In addition, the AVEVA License Manager Guide describes the AVEVA License Manager and how to use
it to install, maintain, and delete licenses and license servers on local and remote computers.
11
C HAPTER 1
Getting Started
About AVEVA Historian Licensing

You must have a license to run AVEVA Historian. Your licens e allows for a certain number of tags on
your server. For example, you may have a 5,000-t ag license. As you add tags, the License Server
activates a portion of the licens e, in 50-tag increments. For example, if you initially add 120 tags to
AVEVA Historian, License Server activates three 50 -tag increments.
If you have used the full number of tags allowed by your license, you can add an incremental license (for
example, to add another 25, 000 tags) to your existing license.
If your AVEVA Historian server is an Enterprise Server that you are also using as a replication (tier-2)
server for another historian, all of the replicated tags stored on this server count against this server’s
license.
Your AVEVA Historian license does not limit the number of these types of tags on your server:
 Locally replicated tags (that is, the original tag is on the same server)
 Auto-summary tags
If your license ex pires, or you don’t yet have a license, you can still:
 Continue acquiring and storing tags indefinitely
 Retrieve values for up to 32 tags for the last 7 days
For more information about licensing AVEVA Historian and other AVEVA products, see the AVEVA
Licensing Guide.
Viewing License Information

To view license information
1. In the System Management Console, expand a server group, then expand a server.
2. Right -click Management Console, point to All Tasks, and then click View License Information.
The License Information dialog box appears.
13
AVEVA™ Historian Administration Guide formerly Wonderware Getting Started
This dialog box shows the type of license and, if

applicable, the expiration date of the licens e for your
AVEVA Historian.
Depending on the licens e you have, your system is
allocated a certain number thes e resources:
 Tag Count -- Shows the total number of tags you
can configure for data retrieval in AVEVA Historian.
The Used column shows how many tags you are
currently using.
 Hi story Duration (Days) -- Shows the maximum
number of days for which historical data can be
retrieved.
 Replication -- Indicates whether data replication is
allowed for this system.
Note: The license status and license tag count (allocated and used) also display in the system status
window. See Viewing the Current System Status on page 277.
Refreshing the License Information

The Configuration Manager provides updated license information according to the license refresh rate
(once an hour for server features). However, you can manually force the Configuration Manager to read
the license file and refresh the license information. For ex ample, if you recently added incremental tags
to your license, you can manually refresh the license information to show that update.
To refresh the license information
1. In the System Management Console, expand a server group, then expand a server.
2. Right -click Management Console, point to All Tasks, and then click Refresh License
Information. A confirmation dialog box appears.
3. Click OK.
Registering AVEVA Historian Servers

When you install AVEVA Historian, it registers the local machine as a historian server. If you want to
administer remote historian servers, you must first register them within the console. When you register a
server, you are giving the System Management Console a logical name and login IDs to connect to both:
 The AVEVA Historian Configuration Manager.
 The Microsoft SQL Server database.
You can register and administer multiple historians from within a single instance of the console. When
registering a server, a list of your previously registered servers is available for selection.
To be able to administer the historian (for example, start and stop the server), you must provide a
Windows security login that has administrative rights on the AVEVA Historian com puter. You also must
be logged in as a Historian administrator, with the aaAdministrators dat abas e role enabled. If you are
using the console remotely for the AVEVA Historian, you do not need to be an administrator on the
computer on which you are using the console on.
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Getting Started AVEVA™ Historian Administration Guide formerly Wonderware
If you do not supply the login when you register the server, you are prompted to supply it when you
attempt to execute an administrative command. If the login you supply does not have administrative
permissions, the Management Console is set to read-only mode.
The SQL Server login you use must have the "aaA dministrat ors" database role to make changes to the
historian system configuration, as it is stored in the Runtime database. By default, Windows accounts
that are members of the local Windows "aaAdministrator" group are assigned this role. If you do not log in
with the SQL Server administrative permissions, functionality is restricted. You must have
aaPowerUsers capability enabled to make tag -level changes.
All registration information associated with a particular server name is stored in the Windows registry on
the computer running the System Management Console, not in the console file (.MSC). In addition, all
registration information is stored according to the current user. This has the foll owing implications:
 If you register the same historian in multiple cons ole files (.MSC), and you then edit the status or
configuration for the historian in one .MSC file, the status and configuration is reflected in the other
.MSC files in which that historian appears.
 If you copy a saved .MSC file from one computer to another, the registration properties for a
particular historian are not copied with the .MSC file.
 The same historian can have different registration properties for each user who logs on to the
System Management Console comput er, even though all users may be using the same .MSC file.
Registering an AVEVA Historian

To register an AVEVA Historian:
1. In the System Management Console tree, right-click the server (or group) and then click New
Hi storian Registration. The Regi stered Hi storian Properties dialog box appears.
2. In the Hi storian box, either type the name of a new server to register or select a previously
registered server from the list. If you select a previously registered s erver, all options saved for that
server appear in the dialog box. If you edit these options and click OK, the new settings are saved.
3. In the Management Console - Windows Login Information area, enter the Windows login
information that the Management Console uses to connect to the Configuration Manager. The
Configuration Manager runs as a Windows service on the historian computer.
15
Domain
Name of the Windows domain in which the login is validated. A domain is a group of comput ers that
share a central database for security authentication.
Login Name
Valid login name for Windows.
Password
Valid login password for Windows.
Always prompt for login information
If selected, stored login information is not used and, instead, a login prompt appears each time
access is required.
4. In the Configuration Editor - SQL Server Login Information area, configure the login that the
Configuration Editor uses to authenticate to the associated Microsoft SQL Server.
Note: Use the correct case for login IDs and passwords if your database is case-sensitive.
To use a valid Windows login, click Use Windows authentication. The login that you specified in step
3 is used. Also, make sure that the current Windows user is a valid user on the AVEVA Historian
computer and that the user account is assigned to the prope r Runtime database roles.
To use a valid SQL Server login, click Use SQL Server authentication. The following options
become available:
Login Name
Valid login ID for the SQL Server.
Password
Valid login password for the SQL Server.
Always prompt for login information
If selected, stored login information is not used and, instead, a login prompt appears each time
access is required.
5. Click Display Historian state in console to show AVEVA Historian information in the status window of
the System Management Cons ole.
6. In the Refre sh Rate box, type the rate at which the status, client connections, and data acquisition
information are refreshed in the details pane. You can specify a value of 0 or bet ween 500 ms and
86,400,000 ms. If you set this rate to 0, the server status is checked one time when the console
opens. After that, you need to manually refresh the details pane.
7. Click OK.
Editing Registration Properties

To edit registration properties for a historian
1. In the System Management Console tree, right-click the server, and then click Edit Hi storian
Registration Propertie s. The Regi stered Hi storian Properties dialog box appears.
For information on the options in this dialog box, see Registering an AVEVA Historian on page 15.
2. Edit the properties and then click OK.
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Deleting a Registered Historian

Deleting a registered historian server simply removes it from the System Management Console list. All
registration options are stored along with the server name in case you want to register it again later.
To delete a registered historian
1. In the System Management Console tree, right-click the server and then click Delete. You are
prompted to confirm the deletion.
2. Click Yes.
Moving a Registered Server to a Different Group

Moving a server to a different group within the console requires deleting it and then registering it again
under the target group.
To move a registered server to a different server group
1. In the console tree, delet e the server you want to move. For more information, see Deleting a
Registered Historian on page 17.
2. Right -click the group to which you want to move the server, and then click New Historian
Registration. The Registered Historian Properties dialog box appears.
3. In the Hi storian box, select the server you just deleted from the list.
4. Click OK.
About Administrative Tools

This section describes key administrative tools that you will use with AVEVA Historian:
 System Management Console, which includes the Management Console and Configuration Editor
 SQL Server Management Studio
AVEVA Historian also includes some data import tools. For more information, see AVEVA Historian
Database Export/Import Utility (see "Importing or Exporting Tag Information" on page 109) and Historian
Data Importer (see "Importing History Data" on page 172).
In addition, see Microsoft documentation for administrative tools included with the Windows operati ng
system and SQL Server.
About the System Management Console

With the System Management Console, you can:
 Start and stop the AVEVA Historian soft ware
 Monitor the system
 Make configuration changes
The System Management Console is a saved Microsoft Management Console (MMC) file, which has an
.msc extension. Microsoft Management Console is a container application that can host one or more
third-party snap-in applications.
The snap-in for the historian includes a main console tree to add one or more servers that can be
administered. The console tree functions like Windows Explorer or the folder view in Int ernet Explorer.
The snap-in also includes areas for monitoring and controlling each historian in the console tree, as well
as for configuring each server.
17
The System Management Console can be installed on a different comput er than the historians you want
to administer. You can perform all monitoring and administrative tasks from a single computer any whe re
on your network.
Some of the general functionality of the System Management Console is provided by the MMC
container. See the Microsoft Management Console documentation for for more detailed information on
using the MMC.
Note: The System Management Console is different from regular consoles in that you can alter the
position of the first column. Also, when you shut down the console and restart it, any changes to the
column layout are not persistent.
The System Management Console window consists of two main areas: the console tree and the details
pane.
The console tree (also called the scope pane) contains all items available within the console. For the
AVEVA Historian soft ware, this includes the registered servers, the Management Console, and the
Configuration Editor. Additional ArchestrA consoles, such as the Log Viewer, may appear in the
ArchestrA System Management Cons ole.
If the System Management Console is installed on the same computer as the historian, the server is
automatically registered and appears under the default Hi storian Group item in the console tree.
However, if the System Management Console is installed on a remote computer, you must register a
historian. For more information, see Registering AVEVA Historian Servers on page 14.
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The details pane (also called the results pane) shows the relevant data pert aining to the item currently
selected in the console tree.
If you double-click an item in the details pane, a Properties dialog box appears, if applicable.
For some of the tree items, you can export all associated information shown in the details pane to a text
file. Exported items include History Blocks and anything under the Configuration Editor item. You can
save a particular sub-range of rows by first highlighting them with the mouse. To ex port, right -click the
parent item in the console t ree pane and then click Export List. You can open the file using any text editor
and then print the dat a.
About the Management Console

You can use the Management Console portion of the main console tree to start and stop the AVEVA
Historian, as well as perform some system-level tasks, such as monitoring the status of the server and
resetting error counts.
If you have multiple historian servers registered in the console, make sure that you select the server you
want to manage before you right-click in the tree to select a short-cut menu command.
19
Note: Before you can use the System Management Console to administer an AVEVA Historian, the
historian server must be registered within the application. You can add and register any server that you
can connect to on the network. Also, if you are administering many servers, you can organize them into
groups in the console tree.
About the Configuration Editor

Use the Configuration Editor portion of the console tree to configure the AVEVA Historian.
For example, the Configuration Editor allows you to:

 Import a tag data dictionary from an InTouch application. For more information, see Importing an
InTouch Data Dictionary on page 98.
 Add, edit, and delete tags. For more information, see Defining Tags on page 51.
 Configure dat a acquisition, such as I/O Servers, topics, and tags. For more information, see
Configuring Data Acquisition on page 123.
 Configure pat hs to storage locations. For more information, see Managing Data Storage on page
147.
 Administer system-wide properties, such as modification tracking. For more information, see
Viewing or Changing System -Wide Properties on page 257.
 Configure replication servers, groups, and tags. For more information, see Managing and
Configuring Replication on page 191.
 Create groups in the public and private folders. For more information, see Creating Server Groups
on page 33.
Note: You can also manage classic event definitions from here. For more information, see Configuring
Classic Events on page 311 in the AVEVA Historian Supplement al Reference.
Configuration Editor Toolbar Buttons

Toolbar buttons specific to the Configuration Editor are:
Button Description
Add a new item under the currently selected item in the console tree.
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Button Description
Open a Properties dialog box for the currently selected item in the details pane.
Delet e the currently selected item.
Start the wizard to add an analog tag.
Start the wizard to add a discrete tag.
Start the wizard to add an event tag.
Start the wizard to add a string tag.
Commit dat abas e changes to the system. For more information, see Dynamic
Configuration on page 259.
Start the Tag Importer wizard. For more information, see Importing an InTouch Dat a
Dictionary on page 98.
Open a dialog box to search for database modifications. For more information, see
Track ing Modifications on page 263.
Open the Tag Finder dialog box to search for tags to add to a tag grouping in the
console tree. For more information, see Using the Tag Finder on page 329.
MMC toolbars are not moveable or redockable.
Determining the Configuration Editor Version

The version of the Configuration Editor that you are using must be the same version as the AVEVA
Historian that you want to manage.
To determine the Configuration Editor version
1. In the System Management Console tree, expand a server group and then expand a server.
2. Click Configuration Editor.
3. On the Help menu, click About AVEV A Hi storian Configuration Edi tor. The About AV EVA
Hi storian Configuration Editor dialog box appears, showing the current version.
4. Click OK.
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System Management Console Menu Commands

The following commands appear on both the Action menu and on the shortcut menu that can be
accessed by right-clicking an item in the console tree. The appearance of certain menu commands
depends on which item is selected from the tree. Also, the same menu command may appear for multiple
tree items.
This table does not describe standard menu commands such as Copy and Delete.
Command Description
New Historian Group Add a new server group to the console tree.
New Historian Registration Register an AVEVA Historian for use with the console.
Edit Historian Registration Change the registration properties for the selected historian.
Properties
Start Historian/Stop Historian Start or stop the historian.
Start Module/Stop Module Start or stop individual modules that are a part of the historian.
Server Start up Options Configure optional modules to start when the historian starts.
Reset Error Counts Reset the number of errors and warnings back to 0.
View License Information View licensing details for the historian.
Refresh License Information Update the licensing information.
Reinitializ e Topic/All Topics Disconnect and then reconnect to one or more topics.
Load Messages Change the language in which system messages appear. This command
only appears if you have existing error logs from versions prior to the
IndustrialSQL Server version 9.0 historian.
Track Modifications Show a list of modifications to the system.
Commit Pending Changes Commit changes to the system configuration.
Import Tags Import tag definitions from an InTouch application into the historian.
New IDAS Add a new IDAS.
New I/O Server Type Add a new I/ O Server type.
New I/O Server Add a new I/ O Server.
New Topic Add a new topic.
New Analog Tag Add a new analog tag.
New Discrete Tag Add a new discrete tag.
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Command Description
New String Tag Adding a new string tag.
New E vent Tag Add a new event tag.
New Message Add a new message.
New Engineering Unit Add a new engineering unit.
New Tag Add a new tag for the type you select in the console tree.
New Group Add a new tag grouping in the Public Groups or Privat e Groups area of
the console tree.
Add Tags to Group Access the Tag Finder dialog box to search for tags to add to a tag group.
Filter Apply a filter to the list of tags in the details pane.
Add Replication Schedule Add a new replication schedule.
Create Replication Groups Add new replication groups.
New Replication Server Add a new replication server.
Add Single Tag Add a single tag for replication.
Add Multiple Tag Add multiple tags for replication.
Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio

As an administrator, you will probably spend the majority of your time interacting with Microsoft SQL
Server through the Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio, in which you can manage the Microsoft
SQL Server areas of AVEVA Historian Server.
Using Micros oft SQL Server Management Studio, you can perform the following database functions
(including the Runtime database):
 Register servers
 Manage backups
 Manage databases
 Manage devices
 Manage logins and permissions
 Manage replication
 Manage objects, such as tables, views, stored procedures, triggers, indexes, rules, defaults, and
user-defined data types
 Schedule tasks
 Drag-and-drop objects from one server to another or within a server
 Generat e SQL scripts
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To start Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio, on the Start menu of the Windows Taskbar, point to
the Microsoft SQL Server program group, and then click SQL Server Management Studio.
Registering a Server in Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio

The first time the Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio starts, the Local server node is added by
default. To manage a remote server using Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio, you must first
register it. When you register a server, you are giving the Micros oft SQL Server Management Studio a
logical name and user account to log on to the Microsoft SQL Server database.
The instructions for registering a server vary depending on which version of Micros oft SQL Server you
are using. See your Microsoft documentation for information on how to start the registration wizard.
Navigating in Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio

You must be connected to a server to manage it in Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio.
After you connect to the server, you can view the entire console tree associated with t he server, including
all of the devices and databases. You can expand folders just as you do in Windows Explorer.
About AVEVA Historian Insight

AVEVA Historian Insight is a browser client included as part of AVEVA Historian. It is the on -premises
version of AVEVA Insight. This product gives you instant access to all of your organization's production
and performance dat a any way you want it.
Historian Insight provides an easy-to-use graphical interface for analyzing data, creating charts, and
compiling dashboards of related information. Once you save your content, you can share it with other
team members or reuse it in other documents.
Note: AVEVA Historian Insight supports Google Chrome, Microsoft Internet Explorer 11, Microsoft Edge
on Surfac e with Windows 10, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari on iPad with Retina display (in landscape
mode).
Starting AVEVA Historian Insight

To open and use AVEVA Historian Insight in IE or Chrome:
1. Open Int ernet Explorer or Chrome, and then type the following URL:
http://<servername>:32569
where servername is the name of the AVEVA Historian server.
2. Select and then select Help for more information.

To open and use AVEVA Historian Insight in Firefox
1. Open Firefox and, in the address bar, type:
about:config
2. If prompted, agree to the caution statement from Firefox3.x or lat er.
3. After the configuration page loads, in the filter box type:
network.negotiate-auth
4. Edit the value for "net work.negotiate-auth.trusted-uris" by double-clicking the row and typing the
following :
<servername>
Examples: "historians vr01" or "localhost"
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25
C HAPTER 2
Starting and Stopping AVEVA Historian
About the Startup Process
When AVEVA Historian is started, these things happen:
 Start the associated Microsoft SQL Server database, if not already running.
 Verify start information stored in the SQL Server and the registry.
 Start each historian process.
 Create a new history block on disk to store data.
 Start communication with the data sources (IDASs).
 Begin storing dat a.
Starting the AVEVA Historian

To start the historian
1. Start the System Management Console. (From the Windows Start menu, point to Programs,
AVEV A, and then click the System Management Console icon .)
3. Right -click Management Console and then click Start Historian. If the login credentials were not
already saved, the standard login screen displays.
4. Enter the domain and the login name and password. The domain can be "." to identify the local
computer.
5. Click OK.
Note: You cannot start the system if there is insufficient space in the circular storage location (less than
50 percent of the minimum threshold).
27
AVEVA™ Historian Administration Guide formerly Wonderware Starting and Stopping AVEVA Historian
For the historian to start, TCP/IP must be enabled for the SQL Server. The following error message
appears if TCP/ IP is not enabled: "Fatal initialization error - unable to start. (Failed to open connection to
configuration database)." By default, SQL Server Express and Developer Edition do not have TCP/IP
enabled.
About Connecting to SQL Server

The Configuration Editor requires a valid Windows or SQL Server login account to connect to the AVEVA
Historian. You can specify this account when you register a server. If you did not configure the account
upon registration, or if you selected to display a logon prompt, you need to provide a login account as
soon as you click the Configuration Editor item in the console tree.
For more information on SQL Server logins, see SQL Server Securit y on page 232.
When a connection is established, the Configuration Editor must evaluate the us er permissions. If SQL
Server authentication is used, the user is a member of the aaA dministrat ors or aaPowerUsers group,
and full permissions are available. In all other cases, read-only permissions are applied.
Manually Starting SQL Server

The System Management Console, used to start the AVEVA Historian, also starts the Microsoft SQL
Server.
Alternatively, you can manually start the Microsoft SQL Server with t he SQL Server Configuration
Manager. This application is loaded as part of the Microsoft SQL Server installation.
To start SQL Server with Configuration Manager
1. On the Start menu, point to the Microsoft SQL Server program group, then o pen the Configuration
Tool s folder, and click SQL Server Configuration Manager. The SQL Server Configuration
Manager window appears.
2. In the Server list, click the default server name for Microsoft SQL Server. The services appear in the
details pane.
3. Right -click the servic e you want to start and select Start to start the s ervice. The status of the service
appears at the bottom of the window.
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Starting and Stopping AVEVA Historian AVEVA™ Historian Administration Guide formerly Wonderware
Stopping the AVEVA Historian

When you stop the historian, it stops storing new data. However, it still functions as a data provider to
clients. Services such as HCAP, retrieval, indexing, and the OLE DB provider are left running. To
completely stop these services, shut down and disabl e the historian. For more information, see Shutting
Down the Entire AVEVA Historian on page 32.
To stop the historian
1. In the System Management Console tree, expand a server group and then ex pand a server.
Right -click Management Console and then click Stop Historian. If the login credentials were not
already saved, the standard login screen appears.
2. Enter the domain (if necessary) and the login name and password. You can optionally select to not
stop IDASs configured for store-and-forward.
3. Click OK.
Starting and Stopping Modules

Some of the components that make up the AVEVA Historian can be stopped and started individually
without affecting data acquisition, storage, and retrieval. These modules include the event subsystem
and the AVEVA Historian I/ O Server (aahIOS vrSVC).
To start a module
1. In the console tree, expand a server group and then expand a server.
29
2. Right -click Management Console, point to All Tasks, and then click Start Module. The Select
Modules to Start dialog box appears.
The Server box shows the name of the AVEVA Historian to whic h the options apply.
3. In the Modules window, click to select the optional modules to start or stop. (Only those modules
that are currently stopped appear in the Module s window.)
For more information about the Classic Event subsystem, see the the AVEVA Historian
Supplement al Guide.
For more information about the AVEVA Historian I/O Server (aahIOS vrSVC), see AVEVA Historian
Processes on page 40.
For more information about system modules related to the client access point, see Data Acquisition
Components on page 123.
To select all of the modules, click Select All. To cancel the selection of all of the modules, click
Select None.
4. Click OK.
To stop a module
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2. Right -click Management Console, point to All Tasks, and then click Stop Module. The Select
Modules to Stop dialog box appears.
The Server box shows the name of the AVEVA Historian to whic h the options apply.
3. In the Modules window, click to select the optional modules to start or stop. (Only those modules
that are currently started appear in the Module s list.)
To select all of the modules, click Select All. To cancel the selection of all of the modules, click
Select None.
4. Click OK.
Closing the System Management Console

If you made any changes to the System Management Console, such as making server registration
changes or adding tag groups, you are prompted to save thos e changes when you close the console.
Configuring General Startup Options

You can confi gure the AVEVA Historian to automatically start when the computer starts. In addition, you
can configure the optional modules to automatically start when the main historian subsystems start.
These modules can be stopped and started individually without affecting data ac quisition, storage, and
retrieval.
To configure general startup options
2. Right -click Management Console, point to All Tasks, and then click Server Startup Options. The
standard login screen appears.
31
3. Enter the domain, ID, and password in the dialog box and click OK. The Set Hi storian Startup
Options dialog box appears.
The Server box shows the node name of the comput er hosting AVEVA Historian to which the
options apply.
4. To automatically start one or more optional modules when t he AVEVA Historian starts, click to select
the modules in the Startup Modules window.
To select all modules, click Select All. To cancel the selection of all modules, click Select None.
5. Click OK.
Shutting Down the Entire AVEVA Historian

During a normal start and stop of the AVEVA Historian, the Configuration Manager service, the retrieval
service, and the OLE DB provider are not shut down and they continue to run. A complete shutdown
stops the entire system, including these servic es. Also, the Configuration Manager service is disabled so
that it cannot be restarted.
Note: The Configuration Manager servic e is different than the Configuration Editor portion of the System
Management Console management tool.
To shut down the entire system

2. Right -click Management Console, point to All Tasks, and then click Shutdown (and disable)
Hi storian.
3. Enter the domain, ID, and password in the dialog box and click OK.
4. You are prompted to verify the shutdown.
5. Click OK.
When the shutdown is complete, “Disconnected” appears for the system status.
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WARNI NG! If the shutdown -s -t 0 command is used to force a shut down on the historian server or
if the server is powered off by unplugging the power cord, data loss will occur at the Shutdown/PowerOff
time point.
To start the system again, you first need to start the Configuration Manager service and then restart the
historian.
To start the entire system
2. Right -click Management Console, point to All Tasks, and then click Enable (allow to run)
Hi storian. A confirmation dialog box appears.
3. Click OK.
4. Right -click Management Console and then click Start Historian. The standard login screen
appears.
5. Enter the domain (if necessary) and the login name and password.
6. Click OK.
Creating Server Groups

In the System Management Console, you can organize multiple AVEVA Historian instances into groups.
A default group, called "Historian Group," is created for you. You can add servers to this existing group,
delete or rename the group, and add other groups.
Adding a Server Group

To add a server group
1. In the System Management Cons ole tree, right-click Hi storian and then click New Historian Group.
The Add Server Group dialog box appears.
2. In the New Hi storian Group Name box, type the name of the group. The group name must contain
no more than 40 characters.
3. Click OK.
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Renaming a Server Group

To rename a server group
1. In the System Management Console tree, right-click the server group and then click Rename.
2. In the box that appears, type a new name for the server group. The group name must contain no
more than 40 characters.
Deleting a Server Group

WARNI NG! When you delete a server group, you delete all server registrations within that group.
To delete a server group

 In the System Management Console tree, right-click the server group and then click Delete.
About System-Level Consistency

AVEVA Historian includes these features for system-level consistency:
 Time handling
 System paramet ers
 System message
 System processes
 System driver
 System tags
Time Handling
Timestamps for all data are stored in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The current UTC time is
derived from the current local time and the time zone setting in the operating system of the comput er on
which the AVEVA Historian is running. During data ret rieval, timestamps are returned in local time, by
default. You can convert the timestamps so that they are shown in local time by using a special query
parameter.
You should use the international date/time format for all timestamps used in queries. The format is:
YYYYMMDD HH: MM:SS.000
where:
 YYYY = year
 MM = mont h
 DD = day
 HH = hour
 MM = minutes
 SS = seconds
 000 = milliseconds
The format for timestamps returned from queries is controlled by the default language settings of the
SQL Server login. Make sure that you configure the default language setting for SQL Server logins
correctly, especially in environments with mixed languages/regional settings.
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If you have multiple historians and/or are using remote data sources, it is very important that you
synchronize the time between the comput ers. For more information, see Time Synchronization for Data
Acquisition on page 125.
Make sure that you have selected the operating system setting to automatically adjust time for daylight
savings, if the time zone in which the computer is located observes daylight savings time.
System Parameters
A system parameter is a parameter that controls some aspect of the overall AVEVA Historian behavior.
The following table describes the default system parameters:
Name Description
AllowOriginals Used to allow the ins ertion of original data for I/O Server tags.
You must set this parameter to 1 before importing .lgh original
data. For more information, see Importing, Inserting, or Updating
History Data on page 171.
AnalogSummary TypeA bbreviation Abbreviation used when generating analog summary tagnames.
For more information, see Specifying Naming Schemes for
Replication on page 204.
AutoSummary Used for auto-summarization of tag values.
ConfigEditorV ersion (Not editable.) The minimum version number of the

Configuration Editor that can edit the Runtime dat abas e. Used
internally by the system.
CounterDeadband Percentage (0-100) of the rollover value used to distinguish

resets and reversals from rollovers.
DatabaseVersion (Not editable.) Current version number of the Runtime database.
DataImportPath Path to the CSV file for an import of external data. For more
information, see Importing Data from CSV Files on page 175.
DBID (Not editable.) Identifier for the Runtime database.
E ventStorageDuration Maximum duration, in hours, that event records are stored in the
E vent History table.
E ventStorageLogPat h Path for storing logs for event tag data.
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Name Description
Future Time Threshold Specifies a time threshold in minutes, after which streamed data
values will be re-timestamped. If 0, then no future time threshold
is applied.
Gateway TcpPort Specifies the TCP port used for gateway communication.
GroupedPrivateNamespace Specifies whether domain user accounts can have private

namespaces can be created for domain us er accounts. 1 =
Domain users are used; 0 = Domain users are not used.
HistorianPart ner The computer name of a partner historian. You can use either
the host name, fully qualified name, or an IP address. Leading
backslashes are optional. The name/ IP used must be one that
can be correctly resolved by all of the AppEngine and Historian
Client computers that will connect to the partner. For more
information, see Using a Redundant Historian on page 268.
HistorianVersion (Not editable.) Current version number and build number of the
AVEVA Historian. The value for this parameter is automatically
supplied when the system starts.
HistoryCacheSize Allocation of system memory, in MB, of data collected by the

Classic Storage subsystem from AVEVA Historian version 11.5
or earlier. The default is 0.
For more information, see Memory Management for Retrieval of
Classic Storage Data on page 296 in the AVEVA Historian
HistoryDaysAlwaysCached The duration, in days, for which history block information is
always loaded in memory. The default is 0.
Applicable only for tag information of data collected by the
Classic Storage subsystem from AVEVA Historian version 11.5
or earlier.
InterpolationTy peInteger The type of interpolation for data values of type integer.
0=Stair-step; 1=Linear. The default is 0. For more information on
interpolation, see Int erpolation Type (wwInterpolationType) in
the AVEVA Historian Retrieval Guide.
InterpolationTy peReal The type of interpolation for data values of type real.
0=Stair-step; 1=Linear. The default is 1.
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Name Description
LicenseServer Provides the name and port for the License Servers from which
the license is acquired.
LicenseTagCount (Not editable.) The number of licensed tags allocat ed to the

system, in 500-tag increments.
MaxCyclicStorageTimeout Cont rols the amount of time, in seconds, that AVEVA Historian
waits for new values of cyclically stored tags before storing the
previous one and making it available for retrieval. This
parameter is used to balance three things:
 Source latency -- the difference in the source-supplied
timestamp and when the value is received by the historian
 Data rate -- the rat e at which delta values are reported by the
source
 Storage latency -- the amount of time that the Storage
subsystem must wait before it ends a cycle and assigns a
value to it
Setting this parameter to a value other than 0 ensures that the
storage subsystem is not waiting indefi nitely to confirm a final
value for the cycle.
ModLogTrackingStat us Turns modification tracking on or off. The value you specify will
determine what modifications are tracked. For more information,
see Turning Modification Track ing On/Off on page 265.
OldDataSynchronizationDelay Time delay, in seconds, between when changes for "old" data
(inserts, updates, and store-and-forward data) must be sent from
the tier-1 historian to the tier-2 historian.
QualityRule Indicates whether the system should use values having a quality
of Good and Uncertain, or having only a quality of Good. 0 =
Good and Uncertain; 1 = Good only. The default is 0. For more
information on the quality rule, see Quality Rule (wwQualityRule)
in the AVEVA Historian Retrieval Guide.
RealTimeWindow The maximum delay, in seconds, for which data is considered

real-time dat a applying the swinging door deadband. The delay
is relative to the current time. Valid values are bet ween 30 and
300 milliseconds. The default is 60. For more information, see
About the Real -Time Data Window on page 297 in the AVEVA
Historian Server Ref erence.
37
Name Description
ReplicationConc urrentOperations Limits the total number of retrieval client objects performing
calculations in a ret rieval based calculations for a time cycle.
ReplicationDefaultPrefix The default prefix for replication tags on the tier-2 historian. If
you change ReplicationDefaultPrefix system parameter, all
replication tags that use the old prefix are not updated to use the
newer prefix. For more information, see Specifying Naming
Schemes for Replication on page 204.
ReplicationTcpP ort The TCP port number the Historian Client Access Port (HCAP)
service listens on for any incoming -connection requests from an
HCA L-enabled client. It must match the port number the
HCA L-enabled client is using for communication with the
historian. When modifying this system parameter on an historian
node, you must also modify the port number in the Windows
Firewall exception list for the historian replication service or
another HCA L-enabled client to the same value. This port
number must be unique on the historian node; that is, no other
applications on the historian node should be listening on this port
number.
SimpleReplicationNamingScheme The default naming scheme used for configuring simple

replication tags. For more information, see see Specifying
Naming Schemes for Replication on page 204.
StateSummaryTypeAbbreviation Abbreviation used when generating state summary tagnames.

For more information, see see Specifying Naming Schemes for
SuiteLink TimeSyncInterval Frequency, in minutes, that IDASs will attempt to synchronize

the timestamping mechanism for associated I/O Servers. If this
parameter is set to 0, no time synchronization will occur. For
more information, see Time Synchronization for Data Acquisition
on page 125.
Summary CalculationTimeout The maximum expected delay, in minutes, for calculating

summary dat a for replicated tags. Setting this parameter too
high will delay associated summary calculations unnecessarily.
Setting it too low will cause the system to prematurely calculate
summaries and then later require additional processing to
correct those calculations.
38
Name Description
Summary ReplicationNamingScheme The default naming scheme used for configuring summary
replication tags. For more information, see see Specifying
Naming Schemes for Replication on page 204 .
SummaryStorageDuration Maximum duration, in hours, that summary records will be stored

in the legacy SummaryHistory table.
SysPerfTags Used to turn on performance monit oring tags for the AVEVA
Historian system. 0 = Off; 1 = On. The default is 1. For more
information, see Performance Monitoring Tags on page 47.
TimeStampRule Used to determine which timestamp within a retrieval cycle to

use for a dat a value. 0 = Use the timestamp at the start of the
cycle; 1 = Use the timestamp at the end of the cycle. The default
is 1. For more information, see TimeStamp Rule
(wwTimeStampRule) in the AVEVA Historian Ret rieval Guide.
TimeSyncIODrivers If enabled, the AVEVA Historian will send time synchronization

commands to all associated remote IDASs. For more
information, see Time S ynchronization for Data Acquisition on
page 125.
System Messages
System messages include error messages and informational messages about the state of the AVEVA
Historian as a whole or for any of the internal subsystems and individual processes.
System messages are logged to these places:
 ArchestrA Logger
 Windows E vent Log
You can view this log with the Windows E vent Viewer. Not all messages are logged to the Windows
event log. In general, only user actions and exceptional events are written to t his log. The messages
are logged with the "Historian" or the name of the AVEVA Historian service as the source.
System messages are divided into the following categories:
Category Description
FATA L The process cannot continue. An error of this severity results in a system shutdown.
CRITICA L These types of errors will caus e malfunctions in the data storage or retrieval systems,
such as data loss or corruption.
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Category Description
ERROR General errors. For example, address validation errors during system startup. These
errors may result in an orderly shutdown of the system, but will not preclude system
operation in most cases.
WARNING Messages that simply notify the operator of parameter settings or events that have
occurred. For ex ample, failure to link a dynamically -linked procedure entry point for a
non-obligatory function will be logged as a warning.
INFO Messages relating to startup progress or the commencement of active data storage.
DEBUG Debugging messages, which will not typically appear in released versions of the system.
AVEVA Historian messages are logged to the Log Viewer as follows:

 Critical, fatal, and error messages are logged as "Error" messages. The appropriate indicator, either
"CRITICA L," FATAL," or "ERROR," will be prefixed to message.
 Warnings will be logged as "Warning" message, with no prefix.
 Informational messages will be logged as "Info" messages, with no prefix.
 Debug messages will be logged as " Trace" messages, with no prefix.
For information on monitoring the system, see Monitoring the System.
AVEVA Historian Processes

The following table describes the AVEVA Historian processes:
Service/Process Name Executable Name Description
AVEVA Historian Client aahClientAccessPoint.ex Manages communication from HCAL clients

Access Point e to the historian . For more information, see
(aahClientAccessPoint) Configuring Data Acquisition on page 123.
AVEVA Historian aahCfgS vc.exe Handles all configuration requests, as well as

Configuration hosts the interfac es for manual data input and
(InSQLConfiguration) retrieval. For more information, see About the
Configuration Subsystem on page 257.
AVEVA Historian E vent aahE ventStorage.exe Manages the storage of alarms and events to
Storage Process history blocks.
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Service/Process Name Executable Name Description
AVEVA Historian Classic aahE ventS vc.exe Searches through history data and
E vent System determines if specific events have occurred.
(InSQLE ventSystem) For more information, see Classic Event
Subsystem on page 298 in the AVEVA
Historian Supplemental Guide
AVEVA Historian Indexing aahIndexS vc.exe Manages the internal indexing of history data
(InSQLIndexing) that was stored by AVEVA Historian prior to
2014 R2.
AVEVA Historian IOServer aahIOS vrS vc.exe Provides realtime data values from the
(InSQLIOS erver) historian to network clients. For more
information, see the AVEVA Historian
Retrieval Guide.
Data Import Subsystem aahManStS vc.exe Accepts incoming data from CSV files and
(InSQLManualStorage) store-and-forward history blocks from Classic
IDASs (shipped with AVEVA Historian prior to
2017). Stores the data in history blocks.
AVEVA Historian aahOWINHostLocal.exe Retrieves alarm and event data from history
ODat a/RES T web service block storage.
Classic Data Redirector aahStoreS vc. exe Accepts incoming real-time data from Classic
Subsystem (InS QLStorage) IDASs and redirects it to AVEVA Historian
storage.
AVEVA Historian Storage aahStorage.exe Storage process. Accepts incoming plant data
Process and stores it to history blocks. Not a system
service. For more information, see About Data
Storage on page 147.
AVEVA Historian System aahDrvS vc.exe Generat es data values for various system
Driver (InSQLSystemDriver) monitoring tags. For more information, see
About System Driver and S ystem Tags on
page 42.
AVEVA Historian Metadata aahMetadataServer.exe Maintains the tag metadata cache for tags
Server stored by the storage process. Not a system
service.
AVEVA Historian Search HistorianSearch-x64.exe Search process. Used to store and retrieve
tags, saved cont ent and keywords.
Note: The searc h process has a fixed
minimum overhead of 500 MB of memory
usage. If a large number of tags are involved
in a search, it is not unusual for the process to
consume up to 1 GB of memory.
For more information on Windows services, see your Micros oft documentation.
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About System Driver and System Tags

The system driver is an internal process that monitors key variables within an operating AVEVA Historian
and outputs the values by means of a set of system tags. The system driver runs as a Windows service
and starts automatically when the historian is started.
The system tags are aut omatically created when you install the historian. Also, additional system tags
are created for each IDAS and replication server you configure.
The current value for an analog system tag is sent to the Storage subsystem according to a specified
rate, in milliseconds. All date/time tags report the local time for the historian.
Legacy tags from upgraded systems may be retained.
Error Count Tags

The following analog tags have a storage rate of 1 minute (60000 ms). All error counts are since the
AVEVA Historian is restarted or since or the last error count reset.
TagName Description
SysCritErrCnt Number of critical errors
SysErrErrCnt Number of non-fatal errors
SysFatalErrCnt Number of fatal errors
SysWarnErrCnt Number of warnings
Date Tags
The following analog tags have a storage rate of 5 minutes (300000 ms).
TagName Description
SysDateDay Day of the mont h
SysDateMonth Month of the year
SysDateYear Four-digit year
Time Tags
All of the following tags are analog tags. Each value change is stored (delta storage).
TagName Description
SysTimeHour Hour of the day
SysTimeMin Minute of the hour
SysTimeSec Second of the minute
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Storage Space Tags

The following analog tags have a storage rate of 5 minutes (300000 milliseconds). Space remaining is
measured in MB.
TagName Description
SysSpaceAlt Space left in the alternate storage path
SysSpaceBuffer Space left in the buffer storage path
SysSpaceMain Space left in the circular storage path
SysSpacePerm Space left in the permanent storage path
I/O Statistics Tags

The following analog tags can be used to monitor key I/O information.
TagName Description
SysDataAcqNBadValues* Number of data values with bad quality received. This tag has a
storage rate of 5 seconds. The maximum is 1,000,000.
SysDataAcqNOutsideRealtime* The number of values per second that were discarded because
they arrived outside of the real -time data window. This tag has a
This tag has been deprecated and will only be available in
systems migrated from AVEVA Historian 2014 and earlier.
SysDataAcqOverallItemsPerSec The number of items received from all dat a sources, including
HCAP. This tag has a storage rate of 10 seconds. The maximum
is 100,000.
SysDataAcqRxIt emPerS ecN* Tag value update received per second. This tag has a storage
rate of 10 seconds.
SysDataAcqRx TotalItems N* Total number of tag updates rec eived since last startup for this
IDAS. This tag has a storage rate of 10 seconds.
SysPerfDataAcqNBadV alues* Number of data values with bad quality received. This tag has a
SysStatusAverageE ventCommitSize Number of events written to the A2A LMDB database per minute.
SysStatusAverageE ventCommit Time A verage time, in seconds, it takes to write events to the
A2ALMDB database.
SysStatusEvent CommitPending Number of events that have not yet been written to the A2ALMDB
database.
SysStatusRxEventsPerSec Number of events received per second, calculated every 10

seconds.
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TagName Description
SysStatusRxItemsPerSec Tag value update received per second for the system driver. This
tag has a storage rate of 10 seconds.
SysStatusRxTotalDuplic ateE vents Total number of duplicat e events received through different
channels since startup (and discarded as duplicat es).
SysStatusRxTotalE vents Total number of events received since startup.
SysStatusRxTotalItems Total number of tag updates rec eived since last startup for the
system driver. This tag has a storage rate of 10 seconds.
SysStatusTopicsRxData Total number of topics receiving data. Each active IDAS "topic"
and each active HCAL connection are counted. Note that proc ess
and event history, even from the same source, count as separate
connections.
*This status tag will exist for each defined IDAS. The identifying number (N) in the is the IODriverKey
from the IODriver table. The number 0 designates MDAS and only applies to the
SysDataAcqNBadValues and SysDataAcqNOutsideRealtime tags.
System Monitoring Tags

Unless otherwise noted, for the following discrete tags, 0 = Bad; 1 = Good.
Tag Description
SysClassicManual Storage Status of the dat a import service (aahManStS vc.exe).
SysClassicStorage Status of the classic data redirector service (aahStoreS vc.exe).
SysClientAccessPoint Status of the Client Access Point service (aahClientAccessPoint.exe).
SysConfiguration Status of the configuration service (aahCfgS vc.ex e). This parameter is
set to 1 as long as a dynamic configuration is required or in progress.
SysDataAcqN* Status of the IDAS service (aahIDASS vc. exe).
SysEventStorage Status of the event storage service (aahE ventStorage.exe).
SysEventSystem Status of the classic event system service (aahE ventS vc.exe).
SysIndexing Status of the indexing service (aahIndexS vc.exe).
SysInSQLIOS Status of the AVEVA Historian I/O Server (aahIOS vrS vc.exe).
SysMetadataServer Status of the metadata server process (aahMetadataS erver.exe)
SysOLEDB Status of the OLE DB provider (loaded by SQL Server).
SysPulse Discrete "pulse" tag that changes every minute.
SysReplication Status of Replication service (aahReplS vc. exe).
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Tag Description
SysRetrieval Status of the ret rieval service (aahRetS vc. exe).
SysStatusSFDataPending Discrete tag indicating if one or more HCA L clients have

store-and-forward data that needs to be sent to the historian. NULL =
Unknown; 0 = No store-and-forward data; 1 =At least one HCAL client
has data.
SysStorage Status of the storage process (aahStorage.exe).
SysSystemDriver Status of the system driver (aahDrvS vc.ex e).
SysStatusMode Analog tag indicating the operational state of the historian. If the value is
NULL, the historian is stopped. 0 = Read-only mode. 1 = Read/write
mode.
*This status tag will exist for each defined IDAS. The identifying number (N) appended to the end of the
tag is the IODriverK ey from the IODriver table.
Miscellaneous (Other) Tags

The following table describes miscellaneous tags.
TagName Description
SysConfigStatus Number of database items affected by a dynamic configuration

(that is, the number of entries in the ConfigStatusPending table
when the commit is performed). This value is cumulative and not
reset until the system is completely restarted.
SysHistoryCacheFaults The number of history blocks loaded from disk per minut e. The
maximum value is 1,000. The storage rate for this analog tag is 60
seconds. For more information on the history cache, see Memory
Management for Retrieval of Classic Storage Data on page 296 in
the AVEVA Historian Supplemental Guide.
SysHistoryCacheUsed Number of bytes used for history block information. The maximum
value is 3,000,000,000. The storage rat e for this analog tag is 30
seconds.
SysHistoryClients The number of clients that are connected to the Indexing service.
The maximum value is 200. The storage rate for this analog tag is
30 seconds.
SysMinutesRun Minutes since the last startup. The storage rate is 60 seconds for
this analog tag.
SysRateDeadbandForcedV alues The total number of values that were forced to be stored as a
result of using a swinging door storage deadband. This number
reflects all forced values for all tags since the system was started.
SysString String tag whose value changes every hour.
45
TagName Description
SysTagHoursQueried A floating point value updated every minute that indicates the total
number of "tag retrieval hours" queried by all client applications
during that minute. For example, if a single trend queries four tags
for a 15-minute period, that is "1.0 tag retrieval hours".
All tags, including replication sync queue tags and non -existent
tags, are counted.
Unlicens ed tags are not counted.
Classic Event Subsystem Tags

The following table describes the Classic Event subsystem tags.
TagName Description
SysEventCritActionQSize Size of the critical action queue. For more information, see -old-Action
Thread Pooling in the AVEVA Historian Supplemental Guide.
SysEventDelayedActionQSize Number of entries in the delayed action queue.
SysEventNormActionQSize Size of the normal action queue.
SysEventSystem A discrete tag that indicates the status of the event system service
(aahE ventS vc.exe). 0 = Bad; 1 = Good.
SysStatusEvent Snapshot event tag whose value changes every hour.
Replication Subsystem Tags

The Replication Service collects the following custom performance counters about its own operation,
where N is a primary key of the tier-2 historian in the Runtime database of the tier-1 historian. These
values are stored cyclically every 10 seconds.
TagName Description
SysReplicationS ummaryCalcQueueItems Total Current number of summary calculations stored in

the summary calculation queue of all tier-2
historians.
SysReplicationS ummaryClientsTotal Current number of conc urrent retrieval clients

performing summary calculations on the tier-1
historian for all tier-2 historians.
SysReplicationSyncQueueItemsN Current number of items stored in the

synchronization queue on the tier-2 historian of
key N.
46
TagName Description
SysReplicationSyncQueueItems Total Current number of items stored in the

synchronization queue on the tier-1 for all tier-2
historians.
SysReplicationSyncQueueValuesPerS ecN A verage synchronization queue values per second

sent to the tier-2 historian of key N.
SysReplicationSyncQueueValuesPerS ec Total A verage values processed by the replication

synchronization queue proc essor for all tier -2
historians.
SysReplicationTotalTagsN Total number of tags being replicated to the tier-2

historian of key N.
SysReplicationTotalValuesN Total number of values sent to the tier-2 historian

of key N since the startup of the replication servic e.
SysReplicationTotalValues Total Total number of values sent to all tier-2 historians

since the startup of the replication service.
SysReplicationV aluesPerSecN A verage values per second sent to the tier-2

historian of key N.
SysReplicationV aluesPerSec Total A verage values per second sent to all tier-2
historians.
Performance Monitoring Tags

You use performanc e monitoring tags to monitor CPU loading and other performance parameters for
various AVEVA Historian proc esses. (All of these values map to equivalent counters that are used in the
Microsoft Performance Logs and Alerts application.)
The following tags allow you to monitor the percentage CPU load for all processors:
System Tag Description
SysPerfA vailableBytes Amount of free memory (RAM). If the amount of available memory is
over 4,294,967,296, then the tag shows the remainder of the amount
of memory divided by 4,294,967,296.
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System Tag Description
SysPerfA vailableMBytes Amount of free memory (RAM). Use this tag to monitor systems that
have a larger amount of memory. The value for this tag is the amount
of available memory divided by 1 million.
SysPerfCP UMax The highest CPU load of any single core, expressed as a percentage
(0-100). For example, on a quad core system where the current loads
for each core are 25%, 40%, 60% and 10%, this tag will be "60".
SysPerfCP UTot al The overall processor load as a percentage of all cores (0 -100).
SysPerfDisk Time Percentage of elapsed time that the disk drive was busy servicing
read or write requests.
SysPerfMemoryPages Rate at which pages are read from or written to disk to resolve hard
page faults.
The remaining system tags are us ed to monitor performance for each historian service or process and for
the Microsoft SQL Server servic e. For more information on servic es, see AVEVA Historian Processes on
page 40.
There are six system performance tags per each service or process. These tags adhere to the following
naming convention:
 SysPerf<service>CP U
 SysPerf<service>HandleCount
 SysPerf<service>PageFaults
 SysPerf<service>PrivateBytes
 SysPerf<service>PrivateMBytes
 SysPerf<service> ThreadCount
 SysPerf<service>VirtualBytes
 SysPerf<service>VirtualMBytes
where <service> can be any of the following:
48
 ClassicManualStorage  InSQLIOS
 ClassicStorage  Metadat aServer
 ClientAccessPoint  Replication
 Config  Retrieval
 DataAcq  SQLServer
 E ventStorage  Storage
 E ventSys  SysDrv
 Indexing
These tags have a cyclic storage rate of 5 seconds.
Note: The six performance tags will exist for each defined IDAS. The identifying number (N) appended
to the end of the "DataAcq" portion of the tagname is the IODriverKey from the IODriver table. For
example, 'SysPerfDataAcq1CP U'.
The following table describes the suffix es assigned to the names of system performanc e tags:
Suffix Description
CPU Current perc entage load on the service, expressed as a perc entage of total CP U
load. For example, on a quad core system, if the service is using 20% of one core,
40% of anot her core, and 0% of the other two cores, this tag will be 15%.
HandleCount Total number of handles currently open by each thread in the service. A handle is a
identifier for a particular resource in the system, such as a registry key or file.
PageFaults Rate, per second, at which page faults occur in the threads executing the service. A
page fault will occur if a thread refers to a virtual memory page that is not in its
working set in main memory. Thus, the page will not be fetched from disk if it is on
the standby list (and already in main memory) or if it is being used by another
process.
Privat eBytes Current number of bytes allocat ed by the service that cannot be shared with any
other processes. If the amount is over 4,294,967,296, then the tag shows the
remainder of the amount divided by 4,294,967,296.
Privat eMBytes Current number of Mbytes alloc ated by the service that cannot be shared with any
other processes.
49
Suffix Description
ThreadCount Current number of active threads in the service. A thread execut es instructions,
which are the basic units of execution in a processor.
VirtualBytes Current size, in bytes, of the virtual address space that is being used by the service.
If the amount is over 4,294,967,296, then the tag shows the remainder of the
amount divided by 4,294,967,296.
VirtualMBytes Current size, in Mbytes, of the virtual address space that is being used by the
service.
Important: You need to ensure that the memory that SQL Server reserves for the AVEVA Historian is
adequate for the expected load. Based on your particular environment, you may need to adjust the SQL
Server MemToLeave allocation. For more information on MemToLeave, see the Microsoft
documentation.
50
C HAPTER 3
Defining Tags
About Tags
A tag is a variable in AVEVA Historian that repres ents a paramet er or plant data point. For a tag,
real-time or historical data is stored by the AVEVA Historian Storage subsystem, and then retrieved, or
read back, by the Data Retrieval subsystem.
Each tag in the system is identified by a unique name. You can configure the following types of tags:
Analog E vent
Discrete Analog summary
String State summary
Note: Analog summary and state summary tags are discussed in Managing and Configuring Replication
on page 191.
Configuration information for each type of tag is stored in t he historian, as well as the history for tags over
time. Event tags do not store values, but rather definitions for events to be detected by the system and
the subsequent actions to be triggered.
Using the Configuration Edit or, you can view or edit information for existing tag definitions, create
definitions for new tags, or delete existing tags.
Note: If you already have tags defined for an InTouch application, you can import the definitions using
the Tag Importer. For more information, see Importing an InTouc h Data Dictionary on page 98.
Tag Naming Conventions

Tag names may contain :
 Letters
Any letter as defined by the Unicode Standard. The Unicode definition of letters includes Latin
characters from a through z and from A through Z, in addition to letter characters from other
languages.
 Digits
Any numerical character.
 Special characters
Any graphics character.
These special characters may NOT be used in tag names:
o Characters whos e ASCII table code is 0 through 32 -(non-graphic characters)
o + - * / \ = ( ) ` ~ ! ^ & @ [ ] { } | : ; ’ , < > ? " space
It is highly recommended that you adhere to the rules for SQL Server identifiers as well.
For "conventional" tag names, the first character may be a:
 Letter
 Digit
51
AVEVA™ Historian Administration Guide formerly Wonderware Defining Tags
 Dollar sign ( $ ) or pound sign ( # )

Subsequent characters may be:
 A digit, but then the tagname must contain at least one letter
 Any of the supported special characters.
Due to storage formatting requirements, you cannot use either a quotation mark ( " ) or one or more
single quotation marks ( ' ) at the beginning or at the end of a tag name.
Tag names that do not comply with these rules are regarded as "unconventional."
In a SQL query against a wide table, unconventional tag names must be delimited with brackets ( [ ] ),
because the tag name is used as a column name.
Tag Properties (Tag Metadata)

E very AVEVA Historian tag is associated with one or more tag metadata instances. A tag metadata
instance is a set of properties identified by a unique TagId. The TagId is a 16 -byte globally unique
identifier (GUID). Tag metadata prope rties include tag name, description, tag type, storage type, creation
time, and so on.
Tag metadata properties describe what the tag is, where the data for that tag is coming from, how the
timestamped data values(V TQs) of that tag should be stored, and how they should be retrieved and
displayed by client applications. The following table describes the most important tag metadata
properties:
Property Description
TagName A Unicode string (UTF-16) of up to 256 characters.
TagId A 16-byte GUID.
DateCreated The UTC timestamp when the tag metadata instance was created.
CreatedBy The name of the user or application created the tag metadata instance.
TagType The type of tag: analog, discrete, string, event, or summary. For more information, see
Types of Tags in the AVEVA Historian Concepts Guide.
AcquisitionType The method by which the tag's values are acquired.
StorageType The method of storing the tag's values.
Depending on values of thes e properties, additional properties provide more specific det ails. For
example if a tag is an analog tag—t hat is, it represents a variable measuring a continuous physical
quantity such as the temperature of a boiler—the tag metadata property RawType specifies what kind of
numeric type is used, either float or integer. If it is an integer, the Int egerSize property specifies the
number of bits in that integer, and so on.
Note: The ability to set up an alternate file storage location for tag metadata is possible to ens ure it is
available should the primary location become corrupt or not accessible.
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Defining Tags AVEVA™ Historian Adminis tration Guide formerly Wonderware
For the full list of tag metadata properties, see the tag-related tables in the Tables chapter in the AVEVA
Historian Dat abase Reference.
Tag Configuration Versioning

Each time there is a change to a tag property -- description, engineering unit, minimum/maximum range,
etc. -- a new tag metadata instance is created with a unique TagId. This allows AVEVA Historian to
preserve the tag configuration history when different types of data is stored for the same tag over time.
Note: Because each new tag metadata instance consumes system resourc es, it's best to limit these
types of updates. AVEVA Historian does not impose a strict limit on the number of metadata instances
per tag, but recommends keeping that number under 200 to avoid performance degradation and
instability.
Several different tag metadata instances can share the s ame tag name, resulting in several versions of
the same tag. The most recently created tag metadata instance is known as the current version of that
tag.
Here is an example:
You creat e a tag named My Tag. It stores 16 -bit integer values from some devic e. A new tag metadat a
instance with a TagId -- 883DDAE3-E3F5-441C-A 5FD-38AD97DEC070 -- gets created and then some
data values get stored.
Several months later, the devic e is upgraded to generate 32-bit integer values. So, you reconfigure
MyTag to store 32-bit int egers. During that tag reconfiguration, a new t ag metadata instance with anot her
TagId -- FFA0E74C-12FD-49A6-8EBA-B30AFAEF55DA -- is created. When new 32-bit values are
stored, they are associated with that new TagId.
Now although the current version of the MyTag references it as a 32-bit integer, the older 16-bit values
are still accessible because they are associated with the older tag metadata instance preserved in the
history.
About Floating-Point Values

Like most software, AVEVA Historian uses floating-point arithmetic. Single-precision floating-point
values in AVEVA Historian are generally accurate to six decimal places and double-precision values are
accurate to 15 decimal places.
Sometimes casting a single-precision floating point value as double-precision, or t he reverse, means that
the revision does not match the original value.
Internally, AVEVA Historian uses double precision for all calculations. This can lead to slight differences
in the way results are displayed.
Standard computer representations (using IEEE 754) are stored as binary and don’t precisely match
human-readable representations. Because of this, rounding for a value may not be obvious to users. For
example, "230.4" may be rounded to a binary number that displays as "230.39999389648437".
For more details, refer to this Wikipedia article on the IEEE 754 standard for floating-point numbers in
computers: https://en.wik ipedia.org/ wik i/IEEE_754-1985 https://en. wik ipedia.org/ wik i/IEEE_754-1985.
Viewing and Configuring Tags

You can view, add, and configure tags using the System Management Console.
To view tag information
1. Open the System Management Console.
2. In the console tree area, expand a server group and then expand a server.
53
3. Expand Configuration Editor, expand System Configuration, and then expand Tag
Configuration.
4. Select one of these tag categories to view the tags in that category:
 Analog Tags  Discrete Tags  State Summary Tags
 Analog Summary Tags  String Tags  E vent Tags
To see details about a particular tag

 In the right pane, double-click the tag name.
Configuring Analog Tags

You can configure general information, acquisition det ails, storage details, limit information, and
summary setup information for a selected analog tag, as well as add new analog tags to the system.
Adding an Analog Tag

Be sure that you do not exceed your licens ed tag count by adding another tag.
To add an analog tag
1. In the System Management Console, expand a server group and then ex pand a server.
Configuration.
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3. Right -click Analog Tags, and then click New Tag. The New Analog Tag wizard displays.
4. Enter a unique name for the analog tag. For information on allowable tag names, see Tag Naming
Conventions on page 51.
5. Click Next. The General information dialog of the wizard displays.
6. In the De scription box, type a description of the tag.

7. In the Engineering Unit list, select the unit of measure. Examples are mph, grams, and pounds.
For information on adding an engineering unit to the system, see Configuring Engineering Units on
page 77.
8. In the Min Value box, type the minimum value of the tag, measured in engineering units.
9. In the Max Value box, type the maximum value of the tag, measured in engineering units.
In the Current Editor group, specify which application or editing environment controls the tag
definition. Tags imported from the InTouch HMI soft ware use InTouch as the current editor. If
modifications are made to an imported tag in the historian Configuration Editor, then the current
editor for the tag is changed to AVEVA Historian. If a reimport is performed, any modifications made
using the Configuration Editor are preserved. You can manually maintain InTouch as the current
editor for reimporting; however, all changes made to the tag using the Configuration Editor are lost
during the reimport. Tags (attributes) that are initially configured using A VEVA Application Server
use the ArchestrA Integrated Development Environment (IDE) as the current editor. If you modify an
Application Server tag using the historian Configuration Editor, then the current edit or for the tag is
changed to AVEVA Historian. However, the next time you redeploy the engine, the changes are not
preserved.
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10. In the Interpolation Type group, type the analog value to use as the last point of the retrieval cycle.
For more information, see Interpolated Retrieval in the AVEVA Historian Retrieval Guide.
o Linear
The system will calculate a new value at the given cycle time using linear interpolation.
o Stair Step
The last known point is returned wit h the given cycle time.
o System Default
The settings of bot h the InterpolationTypeReal and InterpolationTypeInteger system parameters
are used.
In the Rollover Value box, type the rollover value if this tag is a counter-type tag. (A typical example
is for a flowmeter measuring flow or an integer counter, such as those used on a packing line.) The
rollover value is the first value that causes the c ount er to " roll over." This rollover value is used by the
"counter" retrieval mode. For example, a counter that counts from 0 to 9999, the counter rolls over
back to 0 for the 10,000th value it receives. Therefore, set the rollover value to 10,000.
11. For more information, see Counter Retrieval in the AVEVA Historian Retrieval Guide.
12. Click Next. The Acquisition information dialog of the wizard displays.
13. In the Acqui si tion Type list, select the method by which t he tag's value is acquired. If the tag value
is acquired from an I/O Server, specify the name of the I/O Server, topic, and item.
14. In the I/O Server list, select the application name of the I/ O Server. This name is usually the same as
the executable file name. The list includes all I/O Servers defined in the system.
15. In the Topic Name list, select the name of the topic. The list includes all topics defined for the
selected I/O Server.
16. In the Item Name box, type the address string of the tag.
17. If you are editing a discrete or string tag, click OK. Otherwise, continue with the next step.
18. In the Raw Type group, select the numeric type that matches the raw value as it is acquired.
o Integer
Integer value. If you select this option, a list appears in which you can select the integer size, in
bits, and whether it is signed or unsigned.
o Float
IEEE single-precision floating (decimal) point value, which supports approximately 7 decimal
places. All floating point calculations are performed with 64-bit resolution, but the result is stored
as a 32-bit number. Note that IDAS/SuiteLink can only send single-precision values.
56
o Double
IEEE double-precision floating (decimal) point value, which supports approximately 13 decimal
places. The data is stored with 64-bit resolution. Note that if the source can only send
single-precision values, storing as a double wit h a higher resolution consumes space with no
added benefit.
Note: For Float and Double types, some values may vary slightly from those shown in the source.
See About Floating-Point Values on page 53 for more information.
19. In the Scaling group, select the type of algorithm used to scale raw values to engineering units. For
linear scaling, the res ult is calculated using linear interpolation bet ween the end points. The following
options are required for linear scaling.
o Min Raw
The minimum value of the raw acquired value.
o Max Raw
The maximum value of the raw acquired valu e.
20. Click Next. The Storage information dialog of the wizard displays.
21. In the Storage Method area, select the way in which values for the tag will be stored.
o Rate
The rate at which the tag is stored if the storage type is cyclic.
22. In the Deadband area, configure details for how the tag value is stored. The availability of options in
this group depends on which storage method you selected.
o Time and Value
A time deadband is the minimum time, in milliseconds, between stored values for a single tag.
Any value changes that occur within the time deadband are not stored. The time deadband
applies to delta storage only. A time deadband of 0 indicates that the system will store the value
of the tag each time it changes. In the Time box, type the time to use for this deadband.
A value deadband is the percentage of the difference between the minimum and maximum
engineering units for the tag. Any data values that change less than the specified deadband are
not stored. The value deadband applies to delta storage only. A value of 0 indicates that a value
deadband will not be applied. In the Value box, type the value to use for this deadband.
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o Swinging Door
A swinging door deadband is the percentage of deviation in the full-scale value range for an
analog tag. The s winging door (rate) deadband applies to delta storage only. Time and/or value
deadbands can be used in addition to the s winging door deadband. Any value greater t han 0 can
be used for the deadband. A value of 0 indicat es that a swinging door deadband will not be
applied. In the Rate box, type the rate to use for this deadband.
23. When you are done defining the new analog tag, click Finish.
Editing General Information for an Analog Tag

To edit general information for an analog tag
1. In the System Management Console, expand a server group, and then expand a server.
Configuration.
3. Select Analog Tags.
4. In the details pane, double-click the analog tag you want to edit. The Properties dialog displays.
5. Select the General tab.

7. From the Engineering Unit list, select the unit of measure. Examples are mph, grams, and pounds.
For information on adding an engineering unit to the system, see Configuring Engineering Units on
page 77.
Note: If the tag is initially configured using AVEVA Application Server, changes made to the
engineering unit are not preserved. Instead, you must change the engineering unit at the source, and
then redeploy the engine.
8. In the Min Value box, type the minimum value of the tag, measured in engineering units.
9. In the Max Value box, type the maximum value of the tag, measured in engineering units.
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In the Current Editor group, specify which application or editing environment controls the tag
during the reimport. Tags (attributes) that are initially configured using AVEVA Application Server
preserved.
10. In the Interpolation Type group, type the analog value to use as the last point of the retrieval cycle.
For more information, see Interpolated Retrieval in the AVEVA Historian Retrieval Guide.
o Linear
The system will calculate a new value at the given cycle time using linear interpolation.
o Stair Step
The last known point is returned wit h the given cycle time.
o System Default
The settings of bot h the InterpolationTypeReal and InterpolationTypeInteger system parameters
are used.
In the Rollover Value box, type the rollover value if this tag is a counter-type tag. (A typical example
is for a flowmeter measuring flow or an intege r counter, such as those used on a packing line.) The
rollover value is the first value that causes the c ount er to " roll over." This rollover value is used by the
"counter" retrieval mode. For example, a counter that counts from 0 to 9999, the counter roll s over
back to 0 for the 10,000th value it receives. Therefore, set the rollover value to 10,000.
11. For more information, see Counter Retrieval in the AVEVA Historian Retrieval Guide.
12. Click OK.
Editing Acquisition Information for a Tag

The Acqui sition tab contains basically the same configuration information for analog, discrete, and
string tags. However, the tabs for string and discrete tags do not include the Raw Type group or Scaling
group.
For information on data acquisition, see Configuring Data Acquisition on page 123.
If y ou change the configuration, then the changes are applied only to data with timestamps that are equal
to or greater than the timestamp of the configuration change.
To edit acquisition information for a tag
Configuration.
3. Select the type of tag for which you want to edit the acquisition properties.
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4. In the details pane, double-click the tag to edit. The Propertie s dialog displays.
5. Select the Acqui si tion tab.

6. In the Acqui si tion Type list, select the method by which the tag's value is acquired. If the tag value
is acquired from an I/O Server, specify the name of the I/O Ser ver, topic, and item.
7. In the I/O Server list, select the application name of the I/ O Server. This name is usually the same as
the executable file name. The list includes all I/O Servers defined in the system.
8. In the Topic Name list, select the name of the topic. The list includes all topics defined for the
selected I/O Server.
9. In the Item Name box, type the address string of the tag.
10. If you are editing a discrete or string tag, click OK. Otherwise, continue with the next step.
11. In the Raw Type group, select the numeric type that matches the raw value as it is acquired.
o Integer
Integer value. If you select this option, a list appears in which you can select the integer size, in
bits, and whether it is signed or unsigned.
o Float
IEEE single-precision floating (decimal) point value, which supports approximately 7 decimal
places. All floating point calculations are performed with 64-bit resolution, but the result is stored
as a 32-bit number. Note that IDAS/SuiteLink can only send s ingle-precision values.
o Double
IEEE double-precision floating (decimal) point value, which supports approximately 13 decimal
places. The data is stored with 64-bit resolution. Note that if the source can only send
single-precision values, storing as a double wit h a higher resolution consumes space with no
added benefit.
Note: For Float and Double types, some values may vary slightly from those shown in the source.
See About Floating-Point Values on page 53 for more information.
12. In the Scaling group, select the type of algorithm used to scale raw values to engineering units. For
linear scaling, the res ult is calculated using linear interpolation bet ween the end points. The following
options are required for linear scaling.
o Min Raw
The minimum value of the raw acquired value.
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o Max Raw
The maximum value of the raw acquired value.
13. Click OK.
Editing Storage Information for an Analog Tag

For more information on storage, see Managing Data Storage on page 147.
To edit storage information for an analog tag
Configuration.
4. In the details pane, double-click the analog tag to edit. The Properties dialog displays.
5. Select the Storage tab.

6. In the Storage Method area, select the way in which values for the tag will be stored.
o Rate
The rate at which the tag is stored if the storage type is cyclic.
7. In the Deadband area, configure details for how the tag value is stored. The availability of options in
this group depends on which storage method you selected.
o Time and Value
of the tag each time it changes. In the Time box, type the time to use for this deadband.
deadband will not be applied. In the Value box, type the value to use for this deadband.
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o Swinging Door
A swinging door deadband is the percentage of deviation in the full-scale value range for an
analog tag. The s winging door (rate) deadband applies to delta storage only. Time and/or value
deadbands can be used in addition to the s winging door deadband. Any value greater t han 0 can
be used for the deadband. A value of 0 indicat es that a swinging door deadband will not be
applied. In the Rate box, type the rate to use for this deadband.
8. Click OK.
Editing Limit Information for an Analog Tag

To edit limit information for an analog tag
Configuration.
4. In the details pane, double-click the analog tag to edit. The Properties dialog displays.
5. Select the Limit tab. The following information about limits for the tag appears:
o Context
The description of the cont ext.
o Limit Name
The name for the limit.
o Value
The value that is used as a specific limit for a tag. In theory, a tag can have an infinite number of
limits defined.
o Type
The type of limit; that is, whether it is a rising (up) or falling (down) limit.
o Checked
Used to specify whether a tag import ed from InTouch is configured for automatic limit checking.
Only checked limits are imported.
o Priority
The priority for the limit. Priorities can range from 1 to over 2 billion, with 1 being the highest
priority.
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o Description
The description of the limit.
6. To add a limit, click Add. The Limit Propertie s dialog box appears. For more information, see
Configuring Limits on page 63
7. To view properties for a limit, click Properties. The Limit Properties dialog box appears. For more
information, see Configuring Limits on page 63.
8. To delet e a limit, select the limit in the window and then click Delete.
9. To view or add context definitions, click Contexts. For more information, see Configuring Context
Definitions on page 64.
10. To view or add a limit names, click Limit Names. For more information, see Configuring Limit Names
on page 64.
11. Click OK.
Configuring Limits
Before you add a new limit, you must first add a limit name and a context. For more information, see
Configuring Limit Names on page 64 and Configuring Context Definitions on page 64.
To add a limit or view properties for a limit
1. On the Limit tab of the analog tag Propertie s dialog box, click Add or Properties. The Limit
Properties dialog box appears.
2. In the Context list, select the description of the context.

3. In the Limit Name list, select the name for the limit.
4. In the Value box, type the value that is used as a specific limit for a tag. In theory, a tag can have an
infinit e number of limits defined.
5. In the Type list, select the type of limit; that is, whether it is a rising (up) or falling (down) limit.
6. In the Priority box, type the priority for the limit. Priorities can range from 1 to over 2 billion, with 1
being the highest priority.
7. Select the Checked check box to enable automatic limit checking.
8. In the De scription box, type the description of the limit.
9. Click OK.
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Configuring Context Definitions

To add or view context definitions
1. On the Limit tab of the analog tag Propertie s dialog box, click Contexts. The Context Definitions
dialog box appears.
All defined contexts are listed in the window.

2. To add a context, click Add and then type the name of the new context in the dialog box that
appears. Click OK.
3. To change the context name, select a context in the window, and then click Properties. Type the
new name in the dialog box that appears. Click OK.
4. To delet e a context, select the context in the window and then click Delete.
5. Click OK.
Configuring Limit Names

To add or view limit names
1. On the Limit tab of the analog tag Propertie s dialog box, click Limit Names. The Limit Name
Definitions dialog box appears.
All defined limits are listed.

2. To add a limit name, click Add and then type the name of the new limit. Click OK.
3. To change a limit name, select a limit, click Properties, and then type in a new name. Click OK.
4. To delet e a limit, select a limit and then click Delete.
5. Click OK.
Editing Summary Information for an Analog Tag

Summaries are aggregation operations that can be set up to be automatically performed for analog tags.
64
To edit summary information for a tag

Configuration.
5. Select the Summary tab.

A check mark appears in the Frequency column of the summary operation in which the selected
analog tag is included.
6. To remove the selected analog tag from an operation, clear the checkbox in the Frequency column.
7. To add the analog tag to any summary operation, select the check box in the Frequency column for
the desired operation.
8. Click OK.
Editing Extended Properties for an Analog Tag

Extended properties can be used to add application-specific metadat a to tags. When you search for tags
in AVEVA Historian Client Web or AVEVA Insight, you can locate tags based on these property values.
Likewise, with SQL queries you can select tags based on these property values without needing to know
the tag name.
The following extended properties are predefined by the system, and can be added to any analog tags:
 Alias - Used as the tag's preferred label in charts.
 Dimension - Groups analog tags together by related engineering units.
 Location - Places the tag within the asset model of AVEVA Insight.
You can define your own custom extended properties by using the database import/export feature. See
Adding New Tag Extended Propert y Values on page 120 for more information.
To edit extended property information for an analog tag:
65
Configuration.
5. Select the Extended Properties tab.

6. To edit an existing property value, select the property in the list and click Edit Extended Property....
The Extended Properties dialog displays.
7. Enter a new Value for the property, then click OK.

8. To add a property to a tag, click Add Extended Property.... The Extended Properties dialog
displays.
9. Select the Name of the extended property from the drop-down list. The list contains all edit able
extended properties that are not already present on the tag.
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Note: You can add new extended properties by exporting a configuration text file, adding new
TagExtendedP ropertyName entries, and importing the modified file. For more information, see
Importing or Exporting Tag Information on page 109 and Editing the Configuration Text File on page
119.
10. Enter a Value for the property, then click OK. The new property is added to the list.
11. To remove a property from a tag, select the property and click Delete Extended Property. The
property is removed from the list.
12. Click OK or Apply to save your changes.
Configuring the Engineering Units Catalog

Engineering units can be application -specific, so AVEVA Historian must know how to relate these units
to canonical definitions of engineering units. The Engineering Units Catalog is used to define the
relationships bet ween different units of measure, enabling support for converting bet ween related units
of measure.
Using the Engineering Units Catalog, you can define dimensions, unit systems, and how to convert
between units within the same dimension. Defining these ent ries and correctly specifying unit
conversions can take some care, so AVEVA Historian has preconfigured the catalog with the entries we
expect most applications will need.
You can hide units for unit systems and dimensions that aren't used at your site, making it easier to
configure the association between engineering units and their canonical units in the catalog.
Adding a Catalog Unit

Although you can add custom units to the catalog, before doing so you should make sure the required
unit is not already defined. Dimensions can have multiple valid names, so you should check under
alternate dimension names before creating a new unit. For example, length and distance are different
names for the same dimension, as are voltage and electric potential.
To add an engineering catalog unit:
Configuration.
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3. Right -click Engineering Units Catalog, and then click New Engineering Unit Catalog.... The New
Catalog Unit dialog displays.
4. For the unit's Symbol, enter Formal and Ba sic values.

If the Ba sic value is blank, it is automatically populated with the Formal value.
The Ba sic value is displayed as the unit's symbol by default.
Note s: Unit symbols are case-sensitive and unique.
In many cases, the formal and basic symbols are identical. In some cases, such as when extended
characters are part of the symbol, it is appropriat e to use the formal field for those values.
5. Enter a Name to describe the unit.

6. Selecting Vi sible allows this unit to be used as a canonical unit when creating an engineering unit.
See Adding an Engineering Unit on page 78 for more information.
7. Select the Dimension and unit System this unit is associated with. See Managing Dimensions, Unit
Systems, and Catalog Unit Visibility on page 73 for more information.
8. If the selected dimension does not already have a base unit defined for the selected unit system,
select Base to define this new unit as the base unit. If the dimension already has a base unit defined,
this box is disabled.
9. Select OK to save the unit.
See Editing a Catalog Unit on page 69 for more information.
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Editing a Catalog Unit

To edit an engineering catalog unit
Configuration.
3. Select Engineering Units Catalog.
4. In the details pane, double-click the engineering unit catalog you want to edit. The Propertie s dialog
displays.
Note: Modifying a system-defined catalog is not recommended. If you select a system-defined

catalog, a warni ng message displays. Click Yes to continue to the Propertie s dialog.
5. For the unit's Symbol, enter Formal and Ba sic values.

If the Ba sic value is blank, it is automatically populated with the Formal value.
The Ba sic value is displayed as the unit's symbol by default.
Note: Unit symbols are case-s ensitive and unique.
In many cases, the formal and basic symbols are identical. In some cases, such as when extended
characters are part of the symbol, it is appropriat e to use the formal field for those values.
69
6. Enter a Name to describe the unit.

7. Selecting Vi sible allows this unit to be used as a canonical unit when creating an engineering unit.
See Adding an Engineering Unit on page 78 for more information.
8. Select the Dimension and unit System this unit is associated with. See Managing Dimensions, Unit
Systems, and Catalog Unit Visibility on page 73 for more information.
9. If the selected dimension does not already have a base unit defined for the selected unit system,
select Base to define this new unit as the base unit. If the dimension already has a base unit defined,
this box is disabled.
10. The remaining fields are used to define the relationship bet ween this unit and the other units in this
dimension.
Select a Reference Unit from the list. The list contains all visible units for the selected dimension, in
the following format:
Unit Name (Formal Symbol) - Unit System
The fields in the Te st section are labeled with the formal symbol for this unit, and the selected
Reference Unit. Selecting To converts from this unit to the selected reference unit, while selecting
From converts from the selected referenc e unit to this unit. Changing the value in one of the test
fields changes the value in the other field based on this formula:
new value = ( original value / factor ) - offset
Change the values of Offset and Factor to define how to convert the new unit to the referenc e unit.
You can use the Test fields to verify the results. See Example: Adding a Catalog Unit on page 70 for
more information.
11. Enter the Time Base of Uni t. When converting rates to accumulated quantities, for ex ample
"liters/minute" to "liters", or "kilometers/hour" to "kilometers", Historian must know the time bas is of
the rate measurement to calculate the quantity. For units that do not measure rates, you can leave
this set to the default value of "seconds". For units that do measure rates (e.g. "per minute", "per
hour", etc.) be sure to select an appropriat e valu e. The most commonly used values are listed in the
drop-down list, but you can set a custom value if the provided options do not meet your needs. For
example, if the rate is meas ured in units/week, select Custom and enter 604800, as 1 week =
604800 seconds.
12. Select OK or Apply to save your changes.
Note: The values of the Reference Unit, To, From, and Test fields are only used for displaying the
unit conversion calculations, and are not persisted to the dat abas e.
Example: Adding a Catalog Unit

This example demonstrates adding millimeters as a catalog unit.
To add a catalog unit:
Configuration.
3. Right -click Engineering Units Catalog, and then click New Engineering Unit Catalog.... The New
Catalog Unit dialog displays.
4. Enter the following values:
o Name: millimeters
o Symbol (Formal and Ba sic): mm
o Dimension: Length
70
o System: SI
o Reference Unit: meters (m) - SI
5. A meter is equal to 1000 millimeters. To define this, select From as the convert option, and enter
1000 for the Factor.
71
You can also define the conversion in the opposite direction. In this case, a millimeter is equal to
0.001 meters. To define this, select To as the convert option, and ent er 0.001 for the Factor.
6. You can now use the Test fields to verify the conversion factor and offset are set correctly by
changing the value of the m or mm fields, and seeing how the other is affected. For example,
entering 5 in the m field calculates the number of mm as 5000.
7. When you are satisfied the conversion values are correct, select OK to save the unit.
72
Note: Before the new catalog unit can be used for unit conversion, a corresponding engineering unit
must be added and mapped to the catalog unit. See Configuring Engineering Units on page 77 for
more information.
Managing Dimensions, Unit Systems, and Catalog Unit Visibility

To manage dimensions, unit systems, and the visibility of catalog units:
Configuration.
3. Right -click Engineering Units Catalog, and then select Unit Dimensions and System s.... The
Canonical Unit Dimension and System dialog displays.
Dimensions are listed in the left column, and the remaining column headers indicat e the unit
systems. The presence of a checkbox at the intersection of a dimension and unit system indicates
that there is at least one catalog unit defined for that dimension/unit system combination, and the
state of the checkbox indicates the visibility of the defined catalog units.
A checked box indicates all units are visible.
A checked box with a grey background indicates at least one unit is visible.
A cleared box indicates no units are visible.
4. Select New Dimension... to add a new dimension. See Adding or Editing a Dimension on page 74
for more information.
5. Select New Unit System... to add a new unit system. See Adding a Unit System on page 75 for more
information.
73
6. Select Remove Unused to delete any dimensions and unit systems for which there are no catalog
units defined.
7. Double-click the name of a dimension in the Dimensions column to edit an existing dimension.
8. Select individual checkboxes to toggle visibility for dimension/unit system combinations. You can
also click a column header to toggle every checkbox in that column on or off.
9. Select OK to save any visibility changes, or Cancel to close the dialog without saving.
Adding or Editing a Dimension

To add or edit a dimension:
Configuration.
74
4. Select New Dimension... to create a new dimension, or double-click the name of a dimension in the
Dimensions column to edit it. The dimension properties dialog displays.
5. If you are creating a new dimension, enter a name in the Dimension field. If you are editing an
existing dimension, you cannot change the name and this field is read-only.
6. If the dimension has a corresponding integral or derivative dimension, select the Time Integral
dimension and/or Time Derivative dimension from the list. Otherwise, choose N/A. The time integral
dimension is appropriate for converting a dimension t hat measures a rate, while the time derivative is
appropriate for converting a dimension that measures a quantity.
For example, the "Length" dimension's time derivative is speed.
Likewise, the "Speed" dimension's time integral is length.
Note: Time integrals and time derivatives can be used in "integral" or "rate of change" queries to
request data in alternate units. For example, a "meters/second" tag can be used to query the
distance traveled over a period of time.
7. Select OK when you are done editing.
Adding a Unit System

To add a new unit system:
75
Configuration.
4. Select New Unit System.... The New System dialog displays.
5. In the System field, enter a name for the new unit system.
Select OK to create the new system.
76
6. The new unit system displays as the final column in the Canonical Unit Dimension and System
dialog.
Configuring Engineering Units

An engineering unit is the unit of measure for an analog tag. Examples of engineering unit types are
CPS, pounds, or degrees.
Note: Engineering units are case-sensitive. That means that AVEVA Historian differentiat es between ml
(milliliters) and ML (megaliters), for ex ample.
A tag's engineering unit displays in charts or reports where the tag is used. The Historian can only
convert data between units defined in the engineering units catalog. To use your own familiar labels, you
can create engineering units and map them to canonic al units in the engineering units catalog. See
Configuring the Engineering Units Catalog on page 67 for more information.
Viewing Defined Engineering Units

Engineering units are configured for a single server. Any defined engineering unit can be used when
adding or editing an analog tag.
To view defined engineering units
Configuration.
3. Expand Engineering Units to view all currently-defined engineering units.
Note: Engineering units are case-sensitive. That means AVEVA Historian differentiates bet ween ml
77
4. When you select an engineering unit in the tree, a list of tags that make use of that engineering unit
appears in the details pane.
Adding an Engineering Unit

After you add an engineering unit, you can configure both existing and new analog tags to use the new
engineering unit.
Note: Engineering units are case-sensitive. That means AVEVA Historian differentiates between ml
To add an engineering unit

Configuration.
3. Right -click Engineering Units, and then click New Engineering Unit. The New Engineering Unit
wizard displays.
4. Enter the Unit Name.

5. In the Tag Rate box, enter the default rate, in milliseconds, at which tags are cyclically stored, based
on engineering units. Although the system does not make use of this engineering unit based tag rate,
you can reference this value in custom SQL scripts. The value you enter for this tag rate does not
affect the default storage rat e set for the tag.
6. Select the appropriat e Dimension for the engineering unit. The values displayed in this list are a
combination of the available dimensions from the database, and the unit system in parentheses.
7. Select a Canonical Unit for the engineering unit. This list contains all visible units from the
Engineering Units Catalog corresponding with the selected dimension. See Configuring the
Engineering Units Catalog on page 67 for more information.
Note s: Some units with the same name or symbol may have different definitions in different unit
systems, so take care to select the correct unit. For example, the U.S. gallon and imperial gallon
have different volumes.
While it is possible to map multiple engineering units to the same canonic al unit, to avoid c onfusion it
is not recommended. For example, you could choose to create three engineering units named liters,
litres, and L, and map them all to L in the engineering units catalog.
8. Click Finish.
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Editing an Engineering Unit

If you make changes to an engineering unit, the changes are applied to all tags in the system that are
currently using that engineering unit.
Note: Engineering units are case-sensitive. That means AVEVA Historian differentiates between ml
To edit an engineering unit

Configuration.
3. Select Engineering Units.
4. In the details pane, double-click the engineering unit to edit. The Propertie s dialog box displays.
5. In the Tag Rate box, enter the default rate, in milliseconds, at which tags are cyclically stored, based
on engineering units. Although the system does not make use of this engineering unit based tag r ate,
you can reference this value in custom SQL scripts. The value you enter for this tag rate does not
affect the default storage rat e set for the tag.
6. Select a Canonical Unit for the engineering unit. This list contains all visible units from the
Engineering Units Catalog corresponding with the selected dimension. See Configuring the
Engineering Units Catalog on page 67 for more information.
7. Click OK.
Configuring Discrete Tags

You can configure general information and acquisition details for a selected discrete tag, as well as add
new discrete tags to the system.
Adding a Discrete Tag

To add a discrete tag
Configuration.
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3. Right -click Discrete Tags, and then click New Tag. The New Discrete Tag wizard displays.
4. Type a unique name for the discrete tag and click Next. For information on allowable tag names, see
Tag Naming Conventions on page 51.
5. You are then prompted to define general, acquisition, and storage information for the tag.
o For more information on configuring general properties, see Editing General Information for a
Discrete Tag on page 80.
o For more information on configuring acquisition, see Editing Acquisition Information for a Tag on
page 59.
o For more information on configuring storage, see Editing Storage Information for a Discrete Tag
on page 81.
6. When you are finished defining the new discrete tag, click Finish.
Editing General Information for a Discrete Tag

To edit general information for a discrete tag:
Configuration.
3. Select Di screte Tags.
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4. In the details pane, double-click the discrete tag to edit. The Propertie s dialog displays.
5. Select the General tab.

7. In the Me ssage Pair list, select the message pair to associate with the FALSE/ TRUE states of the
discrete tag.
For information on adding a message pair to the system, see Configuring Message Pairs on page
84.
8. In the Current Editor group, specify which application or editing environment controls the tag
using the Configuration Editor are preserved. You can manually maintain InTouch as the c urrent
preserved.
9. Click OK.
Editing Storage Information for a Discrete Tag

If you change a tag's configuration, the changes are applied only to data wit h timestamps that are equal
For related information about data storage, see Managing Data Storage on page 147.
To edit storage information for a discrete tag
Configuration.
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4. In the details pane, double-click the discrete tag to edit. The Propertie s dialog displays.
5. Select the Storage tab.

6. In the Storage Method area, select the way in which values for the tag are stored.
7. In the Deadband group, configure details for how the tag value are stored. The availability of this
group depends on which storage method you select.
o Time Deadband
of the tag each time it changes.
8. Click OK.
Editing Extended Properties for a Discrete Tag

the tag name.
The following extended properties are predefined by the system, and can be added to any disc rete tags:
To edit extended property information for a discrete tag:
Configuration.
82
4. In the details pane, double-click the discrete tag you want to edit. The Propertie s dialog dis plays.


displays.
83
119.
Configuring Message Pairs

A message pair consists of the messages associated with the FALSE or TRUE state of the discret e tag.
A discrete tag set to 0 is in the FALSE, or OFF, state. A discrete tag set to 1 is in the TRUE, or ON, state.
Viewing the Current Message Pairs for a Server

Message pairs are configured for a single server. Any defined message pair can be used when defining
or editing a discrete tag.
To view all message pairs
Configuration.
3. Select Message s to view all currently-defined message pairs in the details pane.
If you expand Message s and then select a message in the console tree, a list of tags that make use
of that message appears in the details pane.
Editing a Message Pair

If you make changes to a message pair, that change is applied to all tags in the system that are currently
using that message pair.
To edit a message pair
Configuration.
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3. Select Message s.
4. In the details pane, double-click the message to edit. The Properties dialog box appears.
5. In the Me ssage0 box, type the message associated with the FALSE state of the discrete tag. The
maximum number of characters is 64. A discrete tag set to 0 is in the FALSE stat e.
6. In the Me ssage1 box, type the message associated with the TRUE state of the discrete tag. The
maximum number of characters is 64. A discrete tag set to 1 is in the TRUE state.
7. Click OK.
Adding a Message Pair

If you add a message pair, you can configure both existing and new discrete tags to use the new
message pair.
To add a message pair
Configuration.
3. Right -click Messages, and then click New Message. The New Message wizard appears.
4. In the Me ssage0 box, type the message associated with the FALSE state of the discrete tag. The
maximum number of characters is 64. A discrete tag set to 0 is in the FALSE state.
5. In the Me ssage1 box, type the message associated with the TRUE state of the discrete tag. The
maximum number of characters is 64. A discrete tag set to 1 is in the TRUE state.
6. Click Finish.
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Configuring String Tags

You can configure general information and acquisition details for a selected string tag, as well as add
new string tags to the system.
Adding a String Tag

To add a string tag
Configuration.
3. Right -click String Tags, and then click New Tag. The New String Tag wizard displays.
4. Type a unique name for the string tag and click Next. For information on allowable tag names, see
Tag Naming Conventions on page 51.
5. You are then prompted to define general, acquisition, and storage information for the tag.
o For more information on configuring general properties, see Editing General Information for a
String Tag on page 86.
o For more information on configuring acquisition, see Editing Acquisition Information for a Tag on
page 59.
o For more information on configuring storage, see E diting Storage Information for a String Tag on
page 87.
6. Click Finish.
Editing General Information for a String Tag

To edit general information for a string tag
Configuration.
3. Select String Tags.
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4. In the details pane, double-click the string tag to edit. The Propertie s dialog displays.

6. In the Maximum Length list, select the maximum number of characters for the string.
Note: If the maximum length specified is 131 or mo re characters, the string is considered variable
length. If you create a new string tag, it's best to set its maximum length to 131 characters and not
use other values, which are provided only for backward compatibility. The variable -length string tags
values are internally limited by 512 characters.
7. In the Current Editor group, specify which application or editing environment controls the tag
preserved.
8. Click OK.
Editing Storage Information for a String Tag

To edit storage information for a string tag
Configuration.
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4. In the details pane, double-click the string tag to edit. The Propertie s dialog displays.
5. In the Storage Method group, select the way in whic h values for the tag are stored.
6. In the Deadband group, configure details for how the tag value is stored. The availability of this
group depends on which storage method you select.
Time Deadband
A time deadband is the minimum time, in milliseconds, between stored values for a single tag. Any
value changes that occur within the time deadband are not stored. The time deadband applies to
delta storage only. A time deadband of 0 indicat es that the system will store the value of the tag each
time it changes.
Select the Double-Byte Storage check box to store the string as a double -byte UTF-16 Unicode
string using 2 bytes per character. If you create a new string tag, it is recommended to s elect
Double-Byte Storage for better compatibility with the Historian SDK.
7. Click OK.
Editing Extended Properties for a String Tag

the tag name.
The following extended properties are predefined by the system, and can be added to any analog tags:
To edit extended property information for a string tag:
Configuration.
88
4. In the details pane, double-click the discrete tag you want to edit. The Propertie s dialog dis plays.


displays.
89
119.
Configuring Event Tags

E vent tags are a special tag type that allow you to track when a condition or other specific event happens
in relation to one or more specified tags. For example, you could create an event tag to indicate when a
temperature control (represent ed by a certai n analog tag) registers 100 degrees or more. Or, you could
create an event tag to track each time a particular discrete tag registered "Jam" as the reason why a
component stopped running.
Be sure that you do not exceed your licens ed tag count when adding e vent tags.
Note: For information about managing event tags that you created event tags through the Classic Event
subsystem, see Configuring Classic Events on page 311 in the AVEVA Historian Supplemental
Referenc e.
Adding an Event Tag

To add an event tag
Configuration.
3. Right -click Events Tags, and then click New Tag.
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4. The New Event Tag wizard appears. Type a unique name for the event, and click Next.
5. Type a description and click Next.
6. Use the Tag Finder to locate the tag or tags associated with this event.
a. Type search criteria in the TagName and Description fields and click Find Now.
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b. From the Found Tags box, mark the tag(s) you want to associate with this event, and click the >
button to move them to the Target Tags box. Click OK.
7. From the Detection Type dropdown, select a detector type for this event. Apply a time interval, edge
detection, and other criteria as appropriate. Click Next.
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8. From the Action Type dropdown, select the action that Historian will take as a res ult of this event.
Click Finish.
9. When you are done defining the new analog tag, click Finish.
Copying Tag Definitions

You can use an existing tag definition as the basis for additional tag definitions.
To copy a tag definition
Configuration.
3. Select the appropriat e tag type folder (for example, Analog Tags) so that the list of available tags
4. Perform any of the following:
o Right -click the tag to c opy in the details pane and click Copy. Then, right-click the tag type folder
and click Paste.
o Select the tag to copy and then drag it onto the tag type folder.
The new tag wizard appears with the definition options of t he copied t ag set as defaults. The name of
the new tag is the name of the copied tag, appended with a number. For example, "MyTag2."
5. Use the wizard to change any of the options for the new tag.
o To change an analog tag, see Adding an Analog Tag on page 54.
o To change a discret e tag, see Adding a Discrete Tag on page 79.
o To change a string tag, see Adding a String Tag on page 86.
o To change an event tag, see Adding an Event Tag on page 311.
Deleting a Tag
To delete a tag
Configuration.
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3. Select the tag in the det ails pane and perform any of the following:
o Click the Delete button on the toolbar.

o On the Action menu, click Delete.
o Right -click the tag and then click Delete.
Organizing Tags into Groups

In the System Management Console, tags are organized into two main groups:
 Public Groups folder
The Public Groups folder cont ains all objects that are visible to all clients. If you have administrative
permissions, you can create, rename, and delete groups in the Public Groups folder.
You cannot change the following default groups:
o All Analog Tags o All Event Tags
o All Discrete Tags o InTouch Nodes
o All String Tags o System Status Tags
 Private Groups folder
The Private Groups folder contains all objects that are visible to the dat abas e user that is currently
logged on. In SQL Server, database user accounts and Windows user accounts are mapped to login
IDs. Users can create, rename, and delet e groups in their Private Groups folder. Also, by default,
every domain user can have their own private namespace and dat a annotation entries. You can turn
off this functionality using the GroupedPrivateNamespace system parameter.
The console tree shortcut menu contains commands for adding groups in the hierarchy and adding tags
to them. Open t he shortcut menu by right -clicking on t he item in the c onsole tree. Add a group just as you
add a new folder in the Windows Explorer. For example, create the "BoilerTags" group under t he existing
"Private Groups" group.
When you add tags to a new group, the original reference still appears in the default system group under
Tag Configuration in the console tree. Any tag can belong to any number of groups, and any group can
contain any number of tags.
Adding a Group
To add a group
2. Expand Configuration Editor, and then expand Public Groups.
3. Select the folder under which you want to create a group.
4. Perform any of the following:
o On the Action menu, click New Group.
o Right -click and then click New Group.
o Click the Add button on the toolbar.
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The New Group dialog box appears.
5. In the Group Name box, type a name for the new group. The group name can be up to 255
characters and must be unique.
6. Click Finish.
Renaming a Group
You can rename any group that you have creat ed in the cons ole tree, except for public folders or tag
references.
To rename a group
1. Select the group in the console tree.
2. Press F2 on your keyboard.
3. Type a new name for the folder and press Enter.
Adding a Tag to a Group

If you are a member of the aaUsers group, you can only add tags to a privat e group.
To add a tag to a group
1. Select the group to which you want to add a tag.
2. Do any of the following:
o Drag the tag from the details pane into the folder.
o Right -click and then click Add Tags to Group. The Tag Finder dialog box appears, in which you
can search for and select tags to add.
o Click the Tag Finder button on the toolbar to open the Tag Finder.
For more information on the Tag Finder, see Using the Tag Finder on page 329.
Deleting a Group or Tag Reference

To delet e a tag from the AVEVA Historian, you must select the tag in the appropriate folder under Tag
Configuration. After a tag is deleted, all references to it anywhere in the public or privat e folders are also
deleted. For more information, see Deleting a Tag on page 93.
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When you delete a private group, the group folder and all references to tags are deleted. The tags
themselves are not deleted, and the original reference still appears in the default system group. You
cannot delete public folders or the tag referenc es contained in them.
To delete a group or tag reference
2. Expand Configuration Editor, and then expand Public Groups or Private Groups.
3. Select the group in the console tree.
4. Delet e the item by doing one of the following:
o Right -click the group or tag, and then click Delete.
o Click the Delete toolbar button .
Filtering Tags in the SMC Details Pane

In the System Management Console, you can select certain items in the console t ree, a list of associated
tags appears in the details pane. For example, if you click the All Analog Tags item in the Public
Groups folder, a list of all analog tags in the system appears. If you click a specific message pair in the
Message s folder, a list of tags that use that message pair appears.
You can apply simple filtering to any list of tags that appears in the details pane. Also, you can configure
a different filter for each tag list. A particular filter will remain associated with a list until you remove the
filter.
Applying a Filter
To apply a filter
1. In System Management Console, expand the console tree.
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2. Right -click in the tag list in the details pane and click Filter. The <item name> - Filter dialog box
appears.
3. Select the Enable Filter check box.

4. In the Tagname Like box, type the filter string. The maximum length of the filter string is 100
alphanumeric characters.
When filtering tags, use the percentage sign (% ) as a wildcard character for any portion of the filter.
For example, "SysDate%" or "SysPerf% ThreadCount."
Case-sensitivity for the filter depends on the SQL Server settings. If the SQL Server is
case-sensitive, then the filter is case-sensitive; if the SQL Server is case-insensitive, then the filter is
case-insensitive. Also, the string you use is not validated.
5. Click OK.
The details pane refreshes aut omatically. The word "Filtered" appears in the bottom right corner of the
details pane along with the number of tags that matches the filter string.
The filter remains in effect until you disable it or remove it, even if you close the System Management
Cons ole without saving your changes to the .msc file.
Disabling or Removing a Filter

Disabling the filter allows you to turn the filtering off without completely removing the last filter string you
applied.
To disable the current filter
1. In System Management Console, expand the console tree.
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appears.
3. Click to clear the Enable Filter check box.
4. Click OK. Notice that the filt er string remains in the Tagname Like box.
To remove a filter
appears.
2. Click Remove.
Importing and Exporting Tag Configurations

For the AVEVA Historian, configuration information includes all of the definitions for entities within the
system, such as tags, I/O Servers, and summary operations.
You can import information from an InTouch data dictionary (Tagname.x) using the Tag Importer wizard
available from within the System Management Console application.
Also, you can export all of the configuration information from a historian to a text file. This allows for
making bulk additions or modifications using third -party tools, such as Microsoft Excel. The modified text
file can be imported into the same or a different historian.
Importing an InTouch Data Dictionary

You can import an InTouch tag name database, also called the data dictionary, and use it to configure
most of the AVEVA Historian. Importing a tag name database eliminates the need to manually configure
I/O Server and tag definitions for both the InTouch HMI software and t he historian. Information in the tag
name database is automatically mapped to the appropriate tables within the historian Runtime dat abase
as part of the import process.
You can import tag name databases from multiple InTouch nodes, but you can only import one
application from each node. Tag name databases from InTouch HMI software 6.0 or lat er can be
imported.
To perform an import, you must have administrative permissions for the historian Runtime and Holding
databases, (for example, be a member of the sysadmin or wwAdministrators roles or be in the Runtime
and Holding db_owner roles ).
However, to perform a delta import, you must be importing from an InTouch 7.1 or later tagname
database. For more information, see Reimporting on page 100.
After you configure your system by importing I/O Server and tag definitions and then commit the
changes, the historian ac quires data for thes e tags. After the history data is being stored in the Runtime
database, it can be manipulated using any SQL method for ret rieving data supported by the historian.
Functions specific to the historian, such as setting the resolution for a query, can be applied to the data,
and the data can be retrieved from client applications, including InTouch HMI software.
InTouch user-defined tags are supported in the public namespace. For more information on user -defined
tags, see the InTouch HMI Data Management Guide.
Before You Import

Using the tag importer functionality from within the System Manageme nt Console, you can import topic
and ot her configuration data from one or more InTouch nodes. There are several factors that contribute
to effectively importing tags from multiple InTouch nodes into the AVEVA Historian database.
 Determining import order
 Duplicat e tags or addresses
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 Import limitations for topic names

 Editing machine names
 Reimporting
 Importing information for DDE I/O Servers
 Holding database
The AllowOriginals system parameter needs to be set to 1 before importing .lgh original data.
Be sure to close InTouc h WindowMaker before importing the Tagname.x file.
Note: Copying or moving an InTouch application in edited mode from one node to another node causes
the application to be locked.
Although you can import from multiple InTouch nodes, only one application from each InTouch node may
be imported. That is, you cannot import an InTouch node with the same computer name as one you have
already imported. However, you can import a Tagname.x from a repository and then edit the node name
location. If you delete the application from the historian, you can import a different application from the
same InTouc h node.
When you delete an application from the historian, all tag information, annotations, snapshots, and
summaries are deleted. Although the stored history data is not deleted from the history blocks, it is no
longer accessible. If you perform a reimport, the existing history data already in the historian is
accessible again.
Determining Import Order
If you are importing from more than one InTouch node, the following scenarios can exist:
 You have more than one InTouch node retrieving values from the same I/O tag, which is receiving
values from the same point on a factory device.
 You have an InTouch node retrieving values from an I/O tag on another InTouch node, which is
receiving its data value from a point on a factory devic e.
 All of your InTouch nodes are retrieving values from I/O tags on a dedicat ed InTouch node, which is
receiving its data values from a point on a factory device. In this case, the dedicated InTouch node is
set up to function as a "tag server."
When you import tagname dictionaries from multiple InTouch nodes, avoid importing duplicate I/O tags.
To maximize the efficiency of importin g data, first import the InTouch node that is functioning as the tag
server or that contains the highest number of tags that have direct access to the data points from the
factory floor devices.
As you import multiple nodes, always import a node with more tags having direct access, before
importing a node having fewer tags with direct access.
Duplicate Tags or Tag Addresses

If the Tag Importer encounters a tag that already exists in the AVEVA Historian dat abas e, it can
optionally add a string to the beginning or end of the tag name to mak e it unique within the historian.
During the import, you can select:
 Whether or not you want a string to be added.
 The string to add.
 The plac ement of the string, either at the beginning or the end of the tag name.
 Whether to add a string to all tag names from that node, regardless if they are duplicates or not, or to
only add a string when a duplicate tag is detected.
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If, by adding a string, you create a duplicate tag during the importing proc ess, the Tag Importer does not
import that tag. For example, you choose to prefix all tags from a particular node with the letter "B," and
you are importing a tag named " TestTag." However, a tag named "BTestTag" already exists in the
historian. The Tag Importer does not import potential duplicate tags. To solve the problem of potential
duplicate tags, change the names of these tags in InTouc h HMI soft ware to avoid the duplication and
then try importing a second time.
If the Tag Importer encounters a duplicate address (consisting of the application, topic, and item) for one
or more tags, the information is still imported. However, if you are using DDE and h ave duplicate
addresses, only the first tag (per tagname order) actually receives data. This is a DDE limitation.
Import Limitations for Topic Names
If the InTouc h application you are importing contains topic names that are longer than 50 characters,
the application is not imported.
Editing Computer Names
During an import, you are prompted to verify the InTouch computer name and the path to the InTouch
application.
Normally, you should not change these default values. Howeve r, you need to change the InTouch
computer name if you are importing multiple applications from the same InTouch computer. For example,
perhaps you have a dedicated "application repository" computer on which you develop all of your
InTouch applications. You then publish these applications to the actual production computers on which
they will run. In this case, you can import all of the InTouch applications from the repository computer, but
during the import process you need to change the InTouc h computer na me to the corresponding
production comput er name. The import wizard checks for duplicate InTouch nodes, but not until after you
have the opportunity to rename the InTouch computer.
You cannot change the InTouch computer name and the path to the InTouch application during a
reimport. However, you can manually edit this information in the InTouchNode table using SQL Server
Query Analyzer (or any other query tool) before the reimport. When the reimport is performed, the new
information will be used.
Reimporting
"Reimporting" means that all of the tag name dictionary information is import ed, regardless of whether
the information changed. No special configuration is required for reimporting an InTouch data dictionary.
You may only perform a reimport procedure for the same InTouch node. The steps for performing a
reimport procedure are basically the same as an initial import, with a few differenc es. For instructions on
importing, see Importing or Reimporting a Dictionary on page 101.
Note: Back up the Runtime database before you reimport.
If you are reimporting and you do not choose to reimport all topics, only the tags for the topics you select
are updated in the AVEVA Historian. All other topics remain unchanged.
You can also just reimport those tags that changed for a particular InTouch node since the last import.
This is called "delta reimport," as opposed to the full reimport procedure . A delta reimport is usually
faster than a full reimport procedure because only those tags that have changed since the last import are
updated in the historian.
However, the delta reimport procedure does not provide the flexibility of the full reimport procedure. You
cannot import a subset of the changed tags, nor can you edit the cyclic storage rate. For these
capabilities, perform a full reimport procedure . For example, if you initially imported Topic A but not Topic
B, a full reimport procedure is required to add Topic B to the historian database.
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Any existing uniqueness settings and cyclic storage paramet ers (specified during the original import ) will
be ret ained for the delta reimport procedure.
Note: Delta reimport is only supported for InTouch HMI software 7.1 and later.
Importing Information for DDE I/O Servers

If you are importing configuration information for remote I/O Servers that use DDE, you must first
configure shares for t hese I/O Servers and then import the tagname database into AVEVA Historian. You
do not need to configure shares for local DDE Servers.
When you import I/O Server configuration information from InTouch HMI software, the default prot ocol
for all I/O Servers is set to SuiteLink. If you imported a DDE I/O Server(s), use the System Management
Cons ole to change the default protocol back to DDE for the server(s).
Holding Database
The Holding dat abas e temporarily stores topic and configuration data that has been import ed from an
InTouch node. When you import data from InTouch HMI soft ware, the data is first mapped to table
structures in the Holding dat abase. Then, the data is moved into the Runtime database.
Importing or Reimporting a Dictionary

The Tag Import er allows you to select an InTouch tagname database (Tagname.x) and import all
information from an InTouch application int o the AVEVA Historian Runtime database.
To import from a Tagname.x file
2. Click Configuration Editor.
3. Start the Tag Importer wizard by doing any of the following:
o Right -click Configuration Edi tor, and then click Import Tags.
o On the Action menu, click Import Tags.
o Select the Import Tags button on the toolbar.

4. The Welcome dialog box appears. Click Next to start the import.
The Imported InTouch Node s dialog box appears. If there are no imported nodes currently in the
AVEVA Historian, only the Add, Cancel, and Help buttons are available in the dialog box, and the
dialog box only contains informational text.
5. Do any of the following:
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o To import an InTouch node and its associated tags, click Add. In the Select Tagname.x dialog
box that appears, browse for the Tagname.x file (InTouch HMI software version 6.0 or later) that
you want to import and then click Open. If you are importing for the first time, you are prompted
to verify the import.
o To reimport a node, select that node and click Full ReImport. For more information, see
Reimporting on page 100.
o To reimport only those tags that changed for a node, select the desired node and click Delta
ReImport.
o To delete a node and all its associated tags, select the desired node and click Delete. A warning
box appears so that you can confirm the deletion.
After a script runs, the InTouch Node Information dialog box appears.
6. Verify the InTouch mac hine name and the path to the InTouch application.
Options in this dialog box are unavailable during a reimport.
The current InTouch machine name and the path to the current InTouch application are shown as
defaults. For more information on changing the default machine name, Editing Computer Names on
page 100.
7. Click Next. The Tag Duplicate s dialog box appears.
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8. Configure how the Tag Import er handles duplicate tags. Options in this dialog box are unavailable if
you are reimporting.
Bypa ss Uniqueness S tring
Select to not append a uniqueness string to any duplicate tagnames. The Tag Importer does not
import these duplicat e tagnames.
Uniqueness S tring
The characters to add to the tagname to make it unique, if the Tag Importer determines that it is a
duplicate. You can use up to 6 characters for the uniqueness string. You cannot leave the
uniqueness string blank, and you cannot use a string that you used before. For information on
allowable tagnames, see Tag Naming Conventions on page 51 .
Strings already in use
The strings that are already appended to tagnames in the system.
Always affix uniqueness string
Used to append the uniqueness string to all imported tagnames from the selected node, regardless
of whether they are duplicates. However, if affixing a string creates a duplicate tagname, the Tag
Importer will not import that tag.
Prefix Uniqueness String
Select to append the string to the beginning of the tagname.
Suffix Uniqueness String
Select to append the string to the end of the tagname.
9. Click Next. The Filter Tags dialog box appears.
10. Check the category or categories for the tags that you want to import:
All
Import all tag information from the data dictionary. If you select this option, all tag information from
the other categories is automatically included.
Plant I/O
Import only tags receiving data from I/ O Servers, including I/O discrete, I/O int eger, I/O re al, and I/O
message tags.
Memory
Import only InTouch memory tags, including memory discrete, memory integer, memory real, and
memory message.
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System
Import only InTouch system tags ($<name> ).
11. In the Logged Only For Category group, select whether to include only those tags that were
configured in the InTouch HMI software to be logged, or all the tags for that category. These options
are available if you selected All, Plant I/O, or Memory tags.
12. If you selected All tags or Plant I/O tags, you can individually specify which plant I/O topics you want
to import. To do this, click Topics. The Select Topics dialog box appears.
13. Using the right and left arrow buttons, move the topics that you want to import into the To Be
Imported window. Click OK.
14. Click Next. The Tag Storage dialog box appears.
15. To use cyclic storage, select Use Cyclic Storage For All Topics. The Cyclic Storage For All
Topics area bec omes available. In the Storage Rate list, select the desired rate. The cyclic storage
rate is the time interval between consecutive stored values.
16. To use delta storage, select Use Delta Storage For All Topics. The Delta Storage For All Topics
area becomes available. Select from the following options:
No Deadband
All changed values for a tag are stored.
InTouch Deadband
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The time interval for storing a tag, as it was defined in the InTouch HMI software.
AVEV A Hi storian Specific Deadband
Allows you to specify a time and value deadband or a swinging door deadband.
value changes that occur within the time deadband are not stored. The time deadband applies to
time it changes.
engineering units for the tag. Any data values that change less than the specified deadband are not
stored. The value deadband applies to delt a storage only. A value of 0 indicat es that a value
deadband will not be applied.
A swinging door deadband is the percentage of deviation in the full-scale value range for an analog
tag. The swinging door (rate) deadband applies to delta storage only. Time and/or value
deadbands can be used in addition to the swinging door deadband. Any value greater than 0 can be
used for the deadband. A value of 0 indicates that a swinging door deadband will not be applied.
17. To use forced storage, select Use Forced Storage For All Topics.
18. To assign the storage paradigm on a per-t opic basis, select Per Topic Storage Selection and then
click the Topics button. The Topic Configuration dialog box appears.
19. Configure the storage method for a t opic. Thes e options are similar to t hat of the Tag Storage dialog
box. Click Apply to apply the new storage method.
Note: If you do not click Apply, the storage rule options revert back to their previous settings.
20. Click OK to return to the Tag Storage dialog box.
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21. Click OK. If you have more than one IDAS on the computer from which you are importing, the IDAS
dialog box appears.
22. Select the IDAS that supplies the data values for the InTouch node.
For information on IDASs, including failover and store-and-forward options, see About IDASs on
page 127.
23. Click Finish to start the import options. The Final Confirmation dialog box appears.
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24. Click Finish. The Tag Importer Status dialog box appears.
25. If you click Hide, the dialog box closes, and the import process continues. The dialog box reappears
when the import is complete.
Note: For a reimport, only the tags for the topics you select are updated in the historian. Topics from
the previous import remain unc hanged.
26. When the import is complete, click OK.

27. Commit the changes to the system.
Viewing Properties for an Imported InTouch Node

In the System Management Console, you can view details for all imported InTouch nodes, as well as a
list of tags associated with each node.
To view properties for an imported InTouch node
2. Expand Configuration Editor, expand System Configuration, and then expand Storage.
3. Expand Imported Nodes.
4. Right -click an InTouch node, and then click Properties. The InTouch Node Properties dialog box
appears.
5. The read-only properties are as follows:
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Machine Name
The name of the computer on which the InTouch application resides.
Path
The UNC path to the InTouch Tagname. X file.
InTouch Node Key
The unique numerical identifier for the named InTouch node.
Duplicate Char
The string that was added to a tag name as a prefix or suffix to make it unique.
Prefix or Suffix
Used to indic ate whether unique tags were created by prefixing or suffixing the unique string for the
node.
6. Click OK.
Viewing Tags Associated with an InTouch Node

In the Public Groups folder of the System Management Console tree, you can view a list of tags that
have been imported from an InTouch node. You can also view the list of tags under the System
Configuration folder, but with more details.
To view a list of tags in the public group
2. Expand Configuration Editor, expand Public Groups, and then expand InTouch Node s.
3. Select the InTouch node for which you want to view a list of tags.
4. The tag list appears in the details pane.
5. You can right-click any tag to access the Properties dialog box for that tag.
To view a list of tags under the system configuration
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3. Expand Imported Nodes.

4. Select the InTouch node for which you want to view a list of tags.
5. The tag list appears in the details pane.
The columns shown are:

AVEV A Hi storian Tag Name
The unique name of the tag wit hin the AVEVA Historian system.
InTouch Tag Name
The original tag name in an InTouc h application. The tag name may be different than the AVEVA
Historian tag name if a new name was generat ed to ensure uniqueness.
InTouch Tag Type
The type of tag in an InTouc h applic ation. For more information about InTouch tag types, see your
InTouch documentation.
Importing or Exporting Tag Information

The Historian Database Export/ Import Utility (aahDB Dump.exe) is a standalone utility to export or import
AVEVA Historian configuration information with a text file. Exporting and importing data are two
independent operations.
The Historian Database Export/Import Utility is useful when you want to make bulk modifications to the
configuration, instead of using the Configuration Editor to edit a single dat abase entity at a time. You
would simply export the text file, make the modifications, and then import the changes back to the
historian. The utility is also useful for transferring configuration information from one historian to another.
You can also use the Export/Import Utility to export the Tag History table. This allows you to view
different versions – and corresponding configurations – of the same tag.
You can export/import the configuration information for one or more of the following entities. For some of
the entities, the utility supports additional filtering.
 Analog tags  Messages
 Discrete tags  Summary operations
 String tags  Snapshot tags
 E vent tags  Summary tags
 IDASs  Replication servers
 I/O Servers  Replication schedules
 Topics  Replication groups
 System paramet ers  Replication tag entities
 Storage locations  Tag History
 Engineering units  Tag Extended Properties
The Historian Database Export/Import Utility does not export:
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 InTouch node information. If you import tag definitions using the Tag Import er, and then ex port the
database configuration, the node information is not included. If, after exporting, you rebuil d the
AVEVA Historian database, or want to import the database configuration into a different AVEVA
Historian, you must first reimport the tag definitions for the InTouch application before you import the
database configuration.
 Tags that have their current editor set to be AVEVA Application Server.
Starting with AVEVA Historian 2012 R2, the Tag table includes the A IHistory and ChannelStat us
columns, which were not available in previous versions. If you import a configuration file that was
exported using AVEVA Historian 2012 or earlier, the following values are us ed for these column settings:
 AIHistory = 1
 ChannelStatus = 1
The Historian Database Export/ Import Utility requires a client connection to the SQL Server used by the
historian to perform the export and import tasks. However, the historian does not need to be running.
The Historian Database Export/Import Utility does not maintain spac es in tag names during an export.
Encoding Formats for Configuration Exports

When you export configuration information, you can specify either Unicode or ASCII as the preferred
encoding format for the text file. Select Unicode if you are exporting any information that uses
double-byte characters (for example, Japanese tag names).
When importing a text file, the Historian Database Export/Import Utility automatically detects the
encoding of the file and converts all text to Unicode, if needed, before populating the AVEVA Historian
database.
Configuration Exporter Error Log

The Historian Database Export/Import Utility keeps track of errors that occur during an import, on a line
by line basis. When an error is encountered, you are prompted to stop the import or continue and process
as much of the import as possible.
The utility logs progress and any errors encountered during the import to an error log file, named
aahDBDumpLog.Txt. The error log file resides in the same folder as the utility executable and can be
viewed with any program capable of reading text files, s uch as Notepad or Microsoft Excel. The error log
file contains the:
 Date and time.
 Name of the input file.
 Line numbers of the input file where errors occurred.
 SQL Server error messages reported when processing that line.
Each subsequent export or import operation appends to the log file. You should periodically delete older
records to prevent the log file from becoming too large.
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Exporting a Configuration
To export configuration information
1. From the Windows Start menu, expand AV EVA Hi storian, and then click Configuration Export
and Import. The Hi storian Database Export/Import Utility Wizard displays.
2. Select Export from Hi storian to a text file.

3. Click Next. The Connect dialog displays.
4. In the Server name box, type the name of the AVEVA Historian for which you want to export
configuration information.
5. Provide a login for the historian.
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Select Use Windows authentication to use your Windows logon account to connect to the AVEVA
Historian.
Select Use SQL Server authentication to use a SQL Server login. Enter a valid SQL Server
username and password.
6. In the File name box, type the path for the text file to export, or click to browse to the location.
7. If you are exporting and want to encode the data as Unicode, select the Save file as Unicode check
box. For more information, see Encoding Formats for Configuration Exports on page 110.
8. To export configuration information for all database entities (for example, tags, engineering units,
summary operations, and so on), select Export all objects. Skip to Step 17.
9. Click Next. (If you are exporting a file, and the file already exists at the location, you will be prompted
to overwrite it.) The Select Objects dialog displays.
10. In the Data acquisition and miscellaneous group, select one or more groups of definitions to
export.
IDAS
An AVEVA Historian Data Acquisition Service (IDAS) is a software application that accepts data
values coming from one or more I/O Servers and forwards them to a historian. For more information,
see About IDASs on page 127.
I/O servers
An I/O Server is an application that provides data to a client over a network.
Topics
A topic is an application-specific subgroup of data elements. For more information, see I/O Server
Addressing on page 124.
System parameters
A system parameter is a numeric or string value used for system configuration. System parameters
are stored in the System Parameter table in the AVEVA Historian database. For more information,
see SystemParamet er in the Historian Dat abase Reference.
Storage locations
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The storage location is the directory in which historical data files are stored. Storage locations are
stored in the StorageLocation table in the AVEVA Historian database. For more information, see
StorageLocation in the Historian Database Ref erence.
Engineering units
An engineering unit is the unit of measure for an analog tag. For example, RPMs, milliseconds,
degrees.
Extended Property Names
The names of the extended properties associated with a tag. For example, Alias, Location.
Message s
Messages are the string values associated with the TRUE (ON) or FALSE (OFF) states of a discrete
value.
Snapshot tags
Tags that are defined to have value snapshots saved by the system.
Summary operations
Aggregation calculations that are us ed to creat e summary values. S ee About Summary Replication
on page 219.
Summary tags
Tag summaries.
Replication servers
A list of the replication servers that are configured for this instance of the historian. For information on
adding and maintaining replication groups, see Managing and Configuring Replication on page 191.
Replication schedules
A list of the replication schedules that are configured for this instance of the historian.
Extended Property Values
The current stored values of the extended properties associated with a tag.
Replication groups
A list of the replication groups that are configured for this instance of the historian.
Replication tag entities
A list of the replication tags that are configured for this instance of the historian. This is the replication
configuration for individual tags (simple or summary).
TagHistory
A list of different versions and corresponding configurations, including the unique Tag ID for each
version, of the same tag.
Structure Tag
Tags from the StructureType and StructureAttribute tables.
AutoTag
Tags generated by Historian’s auto-summary functionality.
AutoTag Hi story
Tag history.
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Note: If the DestinationTagId is empty, a new ID will be generated. If you copy a row to create a
new tag entity, either leave the column empty or specify a unique ID.
11. To export analog tag definitions, select Include Analog Tags. System tags are not included.
12. In the Where tagname like box, type a string value in order to filter the tags by name. To include all
tagnames, leave this option blank or use the wildcard symbol (%). The exporter recognizes all SQL
Server wildcard characters. For ex ample, to select all analog tags that have nam es starting wit h
"MyTag", type "MyTag%".
13. In the Acqui si tion type list, select the filter for the sourc e of the tag values.
All acquisition type s
No filt er set. The export file includes all tag definitions (that is, I/O tags, MDAS or HCA L tags, and
tags for which values are not acquired).
IOServer only
Select to only include tag definitions that specify an I/O Server as the data source.
Manual only
Select to only include tag definitions that specify MDAS, HCA L, or manual data acquisition as the
data source. For example, values from MDAS, HCAL, or Transact-SQL statements.
For more information on ac quisition, see Configuring Data Acquisition on page 123.
14. In the Storage type list, select the filter for the storage type. The storage type determines how often
the value for an analog tag is stored. An analog value can be stored either by time interval (cyclic) or
when the value changes (delta).
All storage types
Specifies no filter. Cyclic, delta, and unstored tags are selected for export.
Cyclic only
Only include tag definitions that specify cyclic storage. If you select this option, you can set an
additional filter on the storage rate in the Storage rate list. Otherwise, click All storage rates.
Delta only
Only include tag definitions that specify delta storage.
For more information on storage types and rates, see Storage modes in the AVEVA Historian
Conc epts Guide.
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15. Click Next. The Select Objects dialog displays.
16. Configure the filters for discrete, string, and event tag definitions. System tags are not included.
These options are the same as for analog tags.
17. Click Next. The Confirm dialog displays.
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18. Click Next to start the export. The Status dialog box appears, showing the results of the export. The
number of objects exported is reported.
19. Click Finish to exit the wizard.
Importing a Configuration
Important: The Historian Database Export/Import Utility offers considerable flexibility for modifying the
contents of the Runtime dat abase. However, after an import is complete, there is no rollback or "undo"
capability. It is highly recommended that you make a backup of the Runtime database before performing
an import.
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To import configuration information

1. From the Windows Start menu, expand AV EVA Hi storian, and then click Configuration Export
and Import. The Hi storian Database Export/Import Utility Wizard displays.
2. Select Import from a text file to Historian.

3. Click Next. The Connect dialog displays.
4. In the Server name box, type the node name of the computer hosting AVEVA Historian for which
you want to import configuration information.
5. Provide a login for the historian.
o Select Use Windows authentication to use your Windows logon account to connect to the
AVEVA Historian.
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o Select Use SQL Server authentication to use a SQL Server login. Enter a valid SQL Server
username and password.
6. In the File name box, type the path for the text file to import, or click the ellipsis button to browse to
the location.
7. Click Next. The Confirm dialog box appears.
8. Click Next to start the import.
Note: If you are importing a text file that includes one or more delete mode indicators, the utility
prompts you to verify each entity to delete, unless you select to turn off subsequent delete warnings.
9. The S tatus dialog box displays, showing the results of the import. The number of objects imported is
reported.
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10. Click Finish to exit the wizard.
Editing the Configuration Text File

By editing a configuration text file, you can insert new objects into the database, modify existing objects,
and delete existing objects. For example, you can add 10 new engineering units simply by adding 10
lines under the Engineering Unit entity line and then importing the configuration file into the AVEVA
Historian. You can also ignore any changes to existing objects by skipping portions of the text file when
importing.
Important: The order in which entities appear in the text file is important to ensure successful importing
of the file. For ex ample, if an analog t ag is defined in the file, and t he tag requires a new engineering unit,
the new engineering unit should appear in the text file before the analog tag. The Historian Database
Export/Import Utility scans the file onc e from top to bottom and makes no attempt at resolving ordering
conflicts. As a general rule, the following order of entities in the text file should be maintaine d: IDAS,
IOServer, Topics, System Paramet er, Storage Location, EngineeringUnits, Messages, AnalogTags,
DiscreteTags, StringTags, Event Tags, Snapshot Tags, SummaryOperations, SummaryTags,
ReplicationSchedules, Replication Servers, Replication Groups, Replication Tag Entities,
TagExtendedP ropertyNames, and TagExtendedPropertyValues.
The following is an example of a configuration text file. All values must be separated by a tab stop.
Mode Indicators
The mode indicator determines whether the data is inserted, updated, deleted, or ignored. Valid values
for the mode indicat or are:
Value Description
update: If the line being imported corresponds to an existing entity in the database, the entity is
updated with the contents of the line in the file. If the entity does not exist in the database, it is
inserted.
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Value Description
insert: If the line being imported corresponds to an existing entity in the database, that entity is left
unmodified in the database. Only non -existing database entities are added when this value is
specified for the mode indicator.
delete: If the line being im ported corresponds to an existing entity in the database, that entity is
deleted; otherwise, nothing is done.
ignore: The line in the text file is essentially ignored. This is useful for skipping portions of the text file
when importing.
The very first line in the text file must be a valid mode indicator; otherwise, the importer reports an error
and stops importing the file. Mode indicators can appear anywhere in the file and remain effective until
the next mode indicator or the end of the file is encountered.
Line Entries
The text file contains header lines to indicate the type of database object referenced by the actual data
lines following the header line. The header line consists of an entity name (shown within parent heses)
followed by a series of attribute identifiers. The entity name loosely corresponds to a table (or tables) in
the database, while the attribute identifiers res emble the column names in the tables. Note, however,
that there is no strict correspondence b etween database tables and header lines. For example, a line in
the text file relat ed to an analog tag contains all the fields necessary to populat e the Tag, AnalogTag, and
other tables.
In the text file, a header line is followed by one or more lines cont aining actual data for the entity shown in
the header line. Any particular entity can be repeat ed in the text file as many times as needed. For
example, you can have a set of new analog tags inserted at the beginning of the file, and another set of
analog tags deleted later in the file.
When you add lines to the end of the export file, make sure that the last line in the file is terminated by a
carriage return/line feed. You can do this by pressing the Ent er key on your keyboard at end of the line.
The value of the Default TagRate for an engineering unit must be one of the valid cyclic rates for analog
tags. For more information, see Understanding Retrieval Options in the AVEVA Historian Ret rieval
Guide.
Note: The name "$local" appears in the export file, instead of the real computer name, for any object that
has a comput er name that refers to the local computer. When an import is performed, "$local" is
translated into the name of the computer that is the target of the import.
Adding New Tag Extended Property Values

Line entries for tag extended property values use a different format, where each line contains all the
extended property values for a specific tag.
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The following example illustrates adding new tag extended properties, and setting extended property
values for a single tag.
Two new extended properties, NewStringProperty and NewI ntProperty, are defined by adding lines to
the TagExtendedPropertyName section.
The TagExtendedPropertyValue header line begins wit h the TagName, followed by the system-defined
extended properties Alias, Dimension, HierarchicalName, Location, and Namespace. The remainder of
the line contains the property names defined in the TagExtendedPropertyName section, in this case
NewStringProperty and NewIntPropert y.
The remainder of the TagExtendedPropertyValue section consists of one line per tag, with each line
containing all the extended property values for the specified tag, tab-delimited. In this example, the tag
MyStringTag is assigned extended property values for Alias, Location, NewStringP ropert y, and
NewI ntProperty. The remaining properties are left blank.
Limitations
The maximum number of extended properties that can be defined is 10, including the 5 system -defined
properties, Alias, Dimension, HierarchicalName, Location, and Namespace. This means that you can
define up to 5 custom extended properties.
When you are using an SDK application, if more than 10 extended properties are defined, tag extended
properties are not stored, and database warning messages are logged similar to the following example:
Main Metadata Server COM Exception caught, error = 38 (Database error)
When this occurs, the SDK application will continue retrying (and failing) until the application is closed.
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C HAPTER 4
Configuring Data Acquisition
About the Data Acquisition Subsystem
The purpose of the Data Acquisition subsystem is to accept and process incoming data that originates
from data sources. One data source is an AVEVA-compatible I/O Server. An I/O Server is an application
that provides factory data to a client by a specific protocol. An IDAS (Industrial Data Acquisition Service)
is a component of the AVEVA Historian that accepts dat a values from an I/O Server and forwards them to
the storage subsystem, which stores the data to disk.
You can also batch import existing history data into the system by means of a CSV file or by using the
Historian Dat a Importer. For more information, see Importing, Inserting, or Updating History Data on
page 171.
For information about monit oring data acquisition, see Monitoring Data Acquisition on page 281.
Data Acquisition Components

This table describes the components of the Dat a Acquisition s ubsystem. Many of the components run as
Windows Services.
Component Description
I/O Server AVEVA-compatible software application that reads values from

(DAServer) PLCs and other factory devices and forwards the real -time data
to AVEVA applications.
Query Tools Any databas e query tool capable of issuing Transact-SQL

INSE RT or UPDA TE statements; for example, Microsoft SQL
Server Query Analyzer.
Data Import Folder Defined file folder to batch import tag values to the historian.
Historian Dat a Utility to import data from one or more CSV files or InTouch
Importer history files (.lgh). For more information, see Importing History
Data on page 172.
Historian Client Process that can send non-I/O Server data to the historian to be
Access Layer (HCA L) historized. HCAL is used by Application Server 2012 R2 or later
and custom client applications built with Historian SDK 2012 R2
or later.
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AVEVA™ Historian Administration Guide formerly Wonderware Configuring Data Acquisition
Historian Client Process that can accept non-I/ O Server data and send it to the
Access Point (HCAP) historian to be historized. HCAP is used by Application Server
2012 R2 or later and custom client applications built with
Historian SDK 2012 R2 or later.
System Driver Internal proc ess that monitors the entire historian system and
Service reports the status with a set of system tags. The system driver
also sends data values to the Storage subsystem for the current
date and time, as well as for predefined "heartbeat" tags, such as
a discrete system pulse. For more information, see About
System Driver and System Tags on page 42.
I/O Server Addressing

All AVEVA-compatible I/O Servers use DDE addressing, which includes the following distinct parts:
 Computer name
This is the node name of the computer running I/O Server software.
 Application name
This is the name of the application supplying data. The application name can include the name of the
computer on which the application is running.
 Topic name
A topic is an application-specific subgroup of data elements.
 Item name
An item is a data value plac eholder.
The format for the addressing is as follows:
\\<computername>\<applicationname>\<topicname> !<itemname>
The following table provides some examples of DDE addressing.
Addre ss
Information I/O Server InTouch Microsoft Excel
application name \\Comput er1\Modbus \\Comput er1\V IEW \\Comput er1\Excel
topic name ModMac hine5 Tag name Spreadsheet1
item name Status ReactLevel A1 (cell name)
For the AVEVA Historian to acquire data from an I/O Server, the I/O Server addressing information must
be added to the overall system configuration. You can use the System Management Console to
manually add I/O Server definitions to the system, or you can import I/O Server definitions from existing
InTouch applications.
For more information about manually adding I/O Server definitions, see Configuring I/O Servers on page
137.
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Configuring Data Acquisition AVEVA™ Historian Administration Guide formerly Wonderware
For more information on importing I/O Server definitions from InTouch HMI software, see Importing and
Exporting Tag Configurations on page 98.
I/O Server Redundancy

You can edit an I/O Server definition to include a "failover" I/O Server. This alternate I/O Server can be
installed on the same computer as the primary IDAS or on another computer. If the net work connection
between the primary I/O Server and the IDAS fails, the IDAS automatically switches to the alternate I/O
Server, provided that the alternate I/O Server is running. The switch may take some short period of time,
and some data points may be lost during the transition.
Redirecting I/O Servers to InTouch HMI Software

When you redirect an I/O Server to InTouch HMI software, you are specifying to acquire tag values from
a particular InTouch node that is using an I/O Server, instead of acquiring them directly from the I/O
Server. This feature is useful when you need to reduce the loading on the I/ O Server, or if the InTouch
node is more accessible on the net work.
When you redirect the I/O Server, the computer name and I/O Server type will reflect the InTouch node
as the I/O Server from which data is acquired. For ex ample, suppose you were using the a Modicon
Modbus I/O Server on computer "I23238." The application name for the I/O Server address appeared as
\\I23238\modbus. If you redirect this I/O Server to the InTouc h node "InTouc hNode1," then the address
will be modified to reflect \\InTouchNode1\ view.
Time Synchronization for Data Acquisition

All I/O Servers that support the S uiteLink prot ocol add a timestamp and quality stamp to plant data as the
data is acquired.
It is important to understand how synchronization is handled between the timestamps for I/O Server, the
computer clock for the IDAS (s), and the computer clock for the AVEVA Historian(s ).
Note: This historian-controlled time synchronization method is not recommended on slow networks. If
you are running AVEVA Historian on a slow network, please use a tool suited for your network
configuration to synchronize your clocks.
How time synchronization works

1. If you have multiple historians on your net work, you should synchronize all computer clocks to a
single master time server using standard Windows functionality.
2. Periodically, a historian automatically synchronizes the computer clock of any remote IDASs to its
own computer clock. The IDAS synchronization is enabled by means of the TimeS yncIODrivers
system parameter.
3. E very hour, an IDAS automatically synchronizes the timestamping mechanism of any associated I/O
Servers with its own computer clock. This does not actually change the system clocks of any I/O
Server computers. Instead, the difference in the system clocks on the two computers (I/O server and
Historian) are determined, and a bias is calculated that is then applied to all values from that I/O
server computer. For example, if the historian clock is seven seconds ahead of the I/O Server
computer's clock, SuiteLink adds seven seconds to every timestamp from the I/O Server. If a topic is
disconnected/reconnected due to a topic time-out or other communications failure, the I/O Server
timestamping is not updated until the time synchronization interval has passed. You can change the
frequency of the synchroniz ation using the SuiteLink TimeSyncInterval system paramet er.
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The SuiteLink protocol also does some time adjustments to keep timestamps consistent across
nodes. SuiteLink bases this adjustment on the time difference detected at startup and each hour. For
example, NodeA and NodeB have a time difference of 17 seconds. The I/ O Server is on NodeA, and
the IDAS is on NodeB (either local to the historian or a remot e IDAS for a historian on anot her
NodeC). When the I/O Server on NodeA timestamps a value at 12:00:00.000, it is transmitted to
NodeB with an adjusted timestamp of 12:00:17.000. If the historian is configured to timestamp at the
source, this value is stored with a timestamp of 12:00:17.000. If, instead, the historian is configured
to timestamp at the server, and there is a two-sec ond communications latency, then the value is
stored wit h a timestamp of 12:00:19.000.
For normal operations on systems with synchronized clocks, there is no adjustment made by
SuiteLink and everything operates as expected. However, when either the systems are out of sync,
or even were out of sync when SuiteLink communications between the nodes started, the
timestamps will be adjusted. Because of the way SuiteLink adjusts timestamps, it is easy to produce
misleading results if system tests involve adjusting system clocks on the systems, because SuiteLink
does not immediately updat e its time skew.
Note: Time synchronization does not apply to I/O Servers that use DDE because these servers do not
perform timestamping. The time of t he IDAS computer is always used for data coming from DDE from I/O
Servers.
For more information on setting system parameters, see Editing System Paramet ers on page 261.
The following diagram shows an example of how comput ers can be synchronized to a single time:
For an MDAS-enabled or HCA L-enabled client application, you can use the net time command (for the
Windows operating system) to synchronize the client comput er's clock to your master historian.
Viewing Data Acquisition Information

To view data acquisition information
1. Open the System Management Console.
2. In the console tree area, expand a server group and then expand a server.
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3. Expand Configuration Editor, expand Management Console, and then click Data Acquisition.
Note: If you have configured an IDAS, you will see both Suit eLink and HCAL connections used by the
IDAS.
Configuring IDASs
Each AVEVA Historian server must have at least one IDAS (Industrial Data Acquisition Service)
configured.
You can use the System Management Console to configure IDASs.
About IDASs
An IDAS (Industrial Data Acquisition Service) accepts dat a from one or more I/O Servers or ot her data
source and sends it to AVEVA Historian for storage. If the connection to the historian is not available,
IDAS caches the data locally and forwards it later when the server is back online.
Note: IDAS configuration information is stored in the IODriver table in the Runtime dat abase.
When you add an I/O Server definition to the historian, a topic object is created in the associated IDAS. A
separate topic object exists for each unique combination of I/ O Server computer, application, and topic.
Each topic object maintains its own state: idle, connecting, connected, disconnecting, disconnected,
overloaded, or receiving. Also, each topic object is assigned a dat a time-out value based on your
assessment of how often data changes for that particular topic.
An IDAS can accept data from one or more I/ O Servers, but sends data only to a single historian.
An IDAS can run on the same physical computer as the historian, or on a remote computer. Use the
Ping command to check the availability of the remote IDAS or historian computers.
IDAS seamlessly handles data values, irrespective of their time. For each data point acquired by IDAS,
the timestamp, value, and quality are historized in accordance with the storage rules for the tag to which
the data value belongs.
For information on configuring an IDAS, see Configuring Data Acquisition on page 123.
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IDAS Configuration
During normal operation, when the historian is started, it configures an IDAS by sending it information
about the tags (including their data sources ) for which the IDAS is to acquire data. When the historian
Storage subsystem is ready to accept data, IDAS automatically connects to its data sources, starts
acquiring data, and sends the data to the historian Storage subsystem for historization.
The primary purpose for IDAS configuration files is to minimize network traffic and provide information for
IDASs configured for autonomous startup. For more information on autonomous startup, see IDAS
Autonomous Startup on page 131.
The IDAS saves configuration information to a file on the local hard drive in the following folder of the
IDAS computer: Document and Settings\All Users\Application
Data\ArchestrA\Historian\IDAS\Configurations.
The IDAS configuration file is named as follows:
idascfg_SERVERNAME_IDASKEY.dat
where:
 SERVERNA ME is the NetBIOS name of the historian computer
 IDASKEY is the value of the IODriverK ey column for the IDAS in the Runtime database
You can change the IDAS configuration from the System Management Console. The historian
dynamically reconfigures itself. If the IDAS is on a remote computer, the historian sends t he updat ed
configuration information to the IDAS. The IDAS reconfigures itself and updates the local configuration
file. The IDAS continuously acquires and sends data during the reconfiguration process. The historian
saves its copy of the updated IDAS configuration file in the following folder of the historian comput er:
Document and Settings\All Users\Application Dat a\ArchestrA\Historian\ Configuration\ IDAS
Configurations.
After a successfully configuring IDAS, a copy of the IDAS configuration file is stored on the historian
computer. The IDAS configuration file stored on the IDAS computer is identical.
Important: IDAS configuration files have a proprietary binary format. Do not modify these files.
If there is more than one autonomous configuration file on the IDAS computer (for example, if you
deleted an IDAS on a node while it was disconnected and then added one again), only the newest file is
used. A warning is logged on the IDAS computer. For more information on autonomous startup, see
IDAS Autonomous Startup on page 131.
IDAS Data Processing

After receiving data from an I/O server, IDAS converts data values int o storage data types, depending on
the type of the tag associated with the value. Fo r example, if the data value is associated with a floating
point analog tag, the incoming value is converted to a floating point value before transmission to the
Storage subsystem. However, no timestamp conversion is applied because both the I/O S ervers an d the
AVEVA Historian Storage subsystem base time on Universal Time Coordinated (UTC).
In Historian 2017 and later versions, IDAS uses the HCAL infrastructure for data delivery to the Historian
server. This means that the storage rules such as DELTA or CYC LIC are applied on the client side to
reduce the network traffic.
IDAS Security and Firewalls

Remote IDAS uses two-way communication:
 The Historian server sends configuration information to the remote IDAS.
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 The remote IDAS sends data collected from device interfaces to the Historian server.
AVEVA Historian provides two ways to authorize access:

 Integrated security. IDAS computers in the same domain as the historian can be configured with
integrated security. Using this model, all users and computers that access historian data are
assigned membership to one of three user groups:
o Administrators (aaA dministrators)
o Power Users (aaP owerUsers)
o Users (aaUs ers)
 Workgroup securi ty. IDAS computers outside of the historian's domain can us e username and
password as security. This username and password must match a local user on the remot e IDAS
computer.
When the IDAS is configured with this type of security, an aut hentication token and is defined and
forwarded to the remot e IDAS computer. Each time the remote computer accesses the historian, it
will use the token and the historian will use it to authenticate the remote computer before allowing
access.
The Historian server must be able to communicate with the remote IDAS using its HCA L TCP port (by
default, port 32568). The Remot e IDAS must be able to communicate with the Historian server’s HCAL
TCP port (by default, port 32568).
For a Classic remote IDAS (from an AVEVA Historian version before 2017), requirements are different. A
legacy remote IDAS supports only Windows integrated security. It requires consistent accounts on the
Historian server and the remote IDAS:
 On the remote IDAS, this is configure d using the A rchestrA Network User utility.
 On the Historian server, this is configured by setting the identity of t he aahConfigS vc service from the
Windows Services Console. The Historian server must also be able to communicate with the
Remote IDAS machine using TCP/UDP ports 135 through 139 and 445.
For more information on IDAS file sharing requirements, see IDAS Store-and-Forward Capability on
page 130.
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IDAS Error Logging

An IDAS logs all errors to the Arch estrA Logger Service. If the IDAS is installed on a remot e computer,
the ArchestrA Logger Service will also be installed on the remote computer. During normal operation,
remot e IDAS errors are logged to both the local logger and the logger on the AVEVA His torian computer.
If t he network connection between the remote IDAS and the historian fails, no error messages are sent to
the logger on the historian computer. Therefore, you should periodically use the System Management
Cons ole to check the log on the remote IDAS computer to ensure that no problems occurred. After the
network connection is restored, error messages are not forwarded to historian computer.
IDAS Store-and-Forward Capability

IDAS includes "store-and-forward" capability, which protects against a temporary loss of data in the
event that a remote IDAS cannot communicat e with the AVEVA Historian.
Note: The store-and-forward option is not available if you have specified a failover IDAS.
If the remote IDAS cannot communicat e with the historian, all data currently being processed can be
stored (cached) locally on the computer running IDAS. This hard drive location is called the
store-and-forward path and is configurable using the System Man agement Cons ole.
Note: Be sure to specify a valid Store Forward Path path. If the path is not valid and accessible, the
store-and-forward functionality will fail.
If the IDAS is unable to send the data to the historian, dat a is written to this path until the minimum
threshold for the cache is reached, at which point no more data is stored. An error message is logged.
Remote store-and-forward paths are not supported.
The following actions occur after the historian becomes available again:
 The historian verifies that the IDAS configuration information did not change while the IDAS was
disconnected. The historian attempts to restore data transmission from the IDAS. The IDAS stops
local data caching and resumes sending data acquired from its data sources to the historian.
 If historian detects a differenc e between its version of the IDAS configuration, and the IDAS version,
it dynamically reconfigures the IDAS to synchronize configuration information. The IDAS applies the
changes and updates its local IDAS configuration file. Then, the historian requests restoring dat a
transmission from the IDAS.
 When the IDAS det ects availability of the running historian, it sends the store -and-forward data to the
historian at the same time it is sending real-time data.
After data from the store-and-forward cache is sent to the historian, the cache is deleted from the IDAS
computer.
Enabling IDAS store-and-forward mode increases system resources used by the IDAS service because
the Store-and-Forward subsystem must be initialized and then maintained in standby mode, ready to
accept data.
If the historian computer has sufficient system resources, it is recommended to configure the local IDAS
for store/forward as well. The local IDAS to continue store -and-forward dat a collection even if the other
Historian subsystems are stopped.
IDAS Redundancy
For each IDAS that you define for the system, you can specify a "failover" IDAS. If the AVEVA Historian
stops receiving data from the primary IDAS, it automatically switches t o the failover IDAS. The switch
may take some short period of time, and some data may be lost during the transition.
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Note: You cannot specify a failover IDAS for an IDAS that has store-and-forward functionality enabled.
These two feat ures are mutually exclusive. Applications that require both failover and store-and-forward
functionality should use a redundant Application Server with Redundant DIObjects.
IDAS Autonomous Startup

Normally, the AVEVA Historian Configuration Service starts an IDAS. However, a remote IDAS that is
enabled for store-and-forward can be configured to start independently of the historian. Autonomous
startup is useful when the historian is unavailable due to a net work failure or when the historian is not
running when the remot e IDAS computer starts. Using autonomous startup, the IDAS starts caching
store-and-forward data without waiting for a command from the historian.
For an IDAS to autonomously start, it must be configured to acquire data from at least one dat a source.
During the configuration process, the IDAS must be connected to the historian to ensure that the
configuration file is created on the local IDAS computer. An autonomous startup requires an existing
local IDAS configuration file on the IDAS computer, so that it has all of the information it needs to begin
acquiring data. For more information, see IDAS Configuration on page 128.
When an IDAS starts, it attempts to load the configuration information from the local configuration file. If
it is able to do so, the IDAS uses that information to connect to its data sources and start acquiring data.
As soon as the internal IDAS data buffers are full, the IDAS switches to store -and-forward mode and
stores data to the local hard drive.
If there is more than one autonomous configuration file on the IDAS computer (for example, if you
deleted an IDAS on a node while it was disconnected and then added one again), only the newest file is
used. A warning is logged on the IDAS computer.
If the local configuration information cannot be loaded, the IDAS remains in an idle state until contacted
by the historian. If the IDAS is not contacted by the historian within the default start time-out of 60
seconds, the IDAS shuts down. Note that the IDAS startup time-out is different than the time-out used by
the IDAS during autonomous startup. Information on changing the default IDAS startup time-out is
provided in a TechNote, which is available from technical support.
When the historian becomes available, data transmission from the IDAS will be restored. For more
information, see IDAS Store-and-Forward Capability on page 130.
Adding an IDAS
If you are adding a remote IDAS, install the IDAS software on the remote computer before setting up the
IDAS configuration in the System Management Cons ole. During the installation, you are prompted to
specify the network account that will be us ed by a remote IDAS and the historian for communication. This
account must belong to the Windows Administrators group on both computers.
To add an IDAS
2. Expand Configuration Editor, expand System Configuration.
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3. Right -click Data Acquisition and then click New IDAS.
4. Enter the configuration information for the new IDAS.
Note: Be sure the value for Store Forward Path is correct and accessible. If not, the
For more information on these options, see Editing General Information for an IDAS on page 133.
5. Click Next.
6. Enter the advanced information for the new IDAS.

For more information on these options, see Editing Advanced Information for an IDAS on page 134.
7. Click Finish.
The right pane of the System Management Console displays both the SuiteLink and HCAL connections
for your new IDAS.
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Editing General Information for an IDAS

To edit general information
1. In the System Management Console tree, expand a server group, and then expand a server.
2. Expand Configuration Editor, expand System Configuration, and then expand Data
Acqui si tion.
3. Right -click the name of the IDAS to edit, and then click Properties. The Propertie s dialog box
appears.
4. Click the General tab.
5. To change the name of the computer on which the IDAS runs, click Modify and then type the new
name in the IDAS Node box. If you are creating a new IDAS definition or modifying an existing one,
make sure that the IDAS software is installed on the target computer.
6. Specify a failover option:
o To disable failover or store-and-forward, select No Failover or Store/Forward.
o To specify a backup IDAS, select Failover Node.
In the adjacent box, type the name of the computer on which an optional, redundant IDAS runs.
You must use the fully qualified name of the comput er. You could also use the IP address. This
should be set to an empty string if no redundant IDAS is specified. Make sure that the IDAS
software is installed on the target failover computer. If the failure of the primary IDAS is detected
by the system, the failover IDAS is automatically started. The failover IDAS is shut down after the
primary IDAS is back online.
o To enable store-and-forward, select Store/Forward Path.
Type the pat h for the IDAS dat a buffer on the local hard drive of the IDAS computer. The path
should be absolute (for example, C:\IDASBuffer). Data is written to this path until the minimum
threshold for the buffer is reached. Remot e buffer paths are not support ed.
Note: Be sure the value for Store/Forward Path is correct and accessible. If not, the
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7. If your the IDAS is on the same domain as the historian, mark the Use Integrated Security check
box to use integrated security.
If the IDAS is not in the same domain, or if your server is part of a workgroup, use Windows or SQL
authentication instead. Type a login username and password.
Note: This check box and login fields do not display for a classic IDAS. A classic IDAS is one that
existed before installing Historian 2017.
8. Accept or edit the default TCP port shown.

9. Click OK.
Editing Advanced Information for an IDAS

To edit advanced information
Acqui si tion.
3. Right -click the name of the IDAS to edit, and then click Properties. The Propertie s dialog box
appears.
4. Click the Advanced tab.
5. Mark the IDAS Enabled check box to allow the system to use the IDAS.
6. Configure store-and-forward options:
o In Min Store/Forward Duration, specify the minimum duration, in seconds, for the IDAS to
function in store-and-forward mode. The IDAS functions in store-and-forward mode for this
length of time even if the condition that caused IDAS to function in store-and-forward mode no
longer exists. The maximum duration is 3600 seconds, and the minimum is 0 seconds.
o In Buffer Count, specify the number of 64 KB buffers pre-allocated for buffering data. This
number may need to be increased to accommodate high data rates.
o In Store/Forward Free Space, specify the minimum amount of free disk space, in megabytes,
at which IDAS stops collecting data in the store -and-forward buffer
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o Mark the Compression Enabled check box to allow data compression.

o In Connection Timeout, specify amount of time, in seconds, that the Configuration service
attempts to communicate with an IDAS for configuration/reconfiguration. If this timeout elapses,
the Configuration servic e assumes that the IDAS connection has been dropped. This number
may need to be increased to accommodate slower networks.
For more information on store-and-forward, see IDAS Store-and-Forward Capability on page 130.
7. Configure the IDAS for autonomous startup:
o Mark the Autonomous Startup check box to enable the IDAS to start itself, even if the historian
is unavailable.
o In Autonomous Startup Timeout, specify the amount of time, in seconds, that the autonomous
IDAS should wait for configuration commands when started by the Configuration service before
going to the autonomous mode. This timeout may need to be increased only if you have a large
number of IDASs configured as autonomous on a slow network.
For more information on autonomous startup, see IDAS Autonomous Startup on page 131.
8. To revoke an IDAS connection and generate a new token, click the Generate new connection
token button. This adds a new encrypted connection token in the database. This token is used to
allow the remote IDAS to connect to Historian.
9. If you are configuring a classic IDAS (that is, one that existed before installing Historian 2017),
configure the classic IDAS options:
o In File Chunk Size, specify the number of bytes for the data "chunks" that are sent to the
historian when store-and-forward data is forwarded. The size of the chunks can be decreased to
accommodate slower networks. Decrease this number only if the forwarding delay is greater
than zero.
o In Forwarding Delay, specify the interval, in milliseconds, at which "chunks" of
store-and-forward data are forwarded to the historian. The length of the interval may need to be
increased to accommodate slower networks.
10. Click OK.
Setting a remote IDAS to "Classic"

When the Historian Server is upgraded from prior version, all existing remote IDAS es are s et to "Classic".
(That is, Classic =1 in _IODriver table).
If a remot e IDAS is added after installation, it is created as a new IDAS. But if it is used for data exchange
with a legacy system, it should be explicitly set to "Classic".
To set a remote IDAS to "Classic"
1. In SQL Server Management Studio, type this query:
Select * from _IODriver

2. This lists each IDAS on the computer. Notice that Classic IDAS shows "0" in the Classic column.
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3. To change a Classic IDAS to a New IDAS, type this query (where the _IODriverKey is the unique key
for the IDAS you want to change):
Update _IODriver
SET
Classic = 1
WHERE _IODriverKey = 3
If the legacy remote IDAS is later upgraded to Historian 2017, you can run a similar Transact -SQL script,
but with "SET Classic = 0" to indicate that the IDAS is no longer part of a legacy system.
Deleting an IDAS
An IDAS cannot be deleted if topics and/or I/O Servers are still associated with it. Also, at least one IDAS
must exist. It is recommended that you delete a remote IDAS when it is connected to the historian. This
ensures that the temporary configuration files on the remote computer are deleted.
Configuring I/O Server Types

The System Management Console lists every supported AVEVA I/O Server type that is available at the
time that AVEVA Historian is shipped. You can add new I/O Server types at any time. Before you add an
I/O Server, make sure that its associated type is avail able in the system for selection.
Adding an I/O Server Type

Acqui si tion.
3. Right -click I/OServer Types and then click New I/O Server Type.
4. Configure the options.

Application Name
The application name of the I/O Server. This name is usually the same as the executable file name.
Exe Name
The name of the I/O Server's executable file.
5. In the De scription box, type the description of the I/O Server type.
6. In the Revi sion box, type the revision number for the I/O Server.
Note: The values for the De scription and Revi sion options are not used by the AVEVA Historian.
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7. Click Finish.
Editing I/O Server Type Properties
To edit properties for an I/O Server type

Acqui si tion.
3. Click I/O Server Types. A list of types appears in the det ails pane.
4. Right -click the I/O Server type and then click Properties. The Properties dialog box appears.
5. You can only edit the description, revision letter, and platform for an I/O Server type. For information
on these options, see Adding an I/O Server Type on page 136.
6. Click OK.
Deleting an I/O Server Type
To delete an I/O Server type

2. In the Configuration Editor, expand System Configuration, and then expand Data Acqui sition.
3. Click I/O Server Types. A list of types appears in the det ails pane.
4. Right -click the I/O Server type and then click Delete.
Configuring I/O Servers

I/O Servers and their associated topics can be imported from InTouch HMI soft ware or added manually
using the System Management Console.
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In the System Management Console tree, selecting the Data Acquisition item shows a list of the
configured I/O Servers in the details pane. Using the System Management Console, you can view, edit,
and delete existing I/O Servers and their associated topics. You can also add new I/O Servers and
topics. You cannot creat e an I/ O Server tag unless an I/O Server and an associated topic are available.
If you edit I/O Server information and then reimport a tagname database using the Tag Importer wizard,
the changes you made to the I/ O Server will not be preserved.
Adding an I/O Server

To add an I/O Server
Acqui si tion.
3. Right -click the IDAS to which you want to add the I/O Ser ver, and then click New I/O Server.
4. Enter the configuration information for the new I/O Server.

For more information on these options, see Editing General Information for an I/O Server on page
138.
5. Click Finish.
Editing General Information for an I/O Server

To edit general information
3. Expand the IDAS associated with the I/O Server.
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4. Right -click the name of the I/O Server to edit, and then click Properties. The Properties dialog box
appears.
5. In the I/O Server Location box, type the name of the comput er on which the I/O Server runs.
6. In the I/O Server Type list, select the application name of the I/O Server. This name is usually the
same as the executable file name.
7. In the De scription box, type a description of the I/O Server.
8. In the Protocol Type group, select the protocol that the I/O Server uses to send data to the AVEVA
Historian. For more information, see Support ed Protocols in the AVEVA Historian Concepts Guide.
Note: DDE is not supported if the historian is running on the Windows Server 2003, Windows
Server 2008, or Windows Vista operating system.
9. In the Alt. Server Location box, type the name of the computer on which an optional, failover I/O
Server runs. The failover I/ O Server must be running in order for the switch to be made.
10. Click OK.
Editing Storage Rule Information for an I/O Server
When you set storage rules for a particular I/O Server, the rules apply to all tag values originating from
that I/O Server.
To edit storage rules
3. Expand the IDAS associated with the I/O Server.
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4. Right -click the name of the I/O Server to edit, and then click Properties. The Properties dialog box
appears.
5. Click the Set Storage Rules tab.

6. To redirect the I/ O Server to InTouch HMI software, click Redirect to InTouch. This button is only
available if at least one I/O Server type is "VIEW." The Select InTouch Node dialog box appears.
In the Computer name of InTouch system list, select the name of the InTouch node from which
you want to acquire tag values. If more than one InTouch nodes are imported, be sure to select the
InTouch node that receives dat a from the I/O Server you are redirecting.
For more information, see Redirecting I/O Servers to InTouch HMI Soft ware on page 125.
Important: After you redirect an I/O Server, you cannot undo.
Click OK to redirect the I/O Server.

7. In the Storage Type group, configure the storage rule for all the tags associated with the I/O Server:
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Unchanged
No storage rule is applied at the I/O Server level.
Delta
Tag values are stored only if they have changed.
Cyclic
Tag values are stored according to a fixed rate, which you can select from the Storage Rate list.
None
Tag values from this I/O Server are not stored into history.
Forced
All values received from this I/O Server are stored.
8. In the Deadband group, configure the deadband. Options in this group are only available if delta
storage is selected in the Storage Type group. For the deadband type you select, configure the
appropriate options.
Unchanged
No storage rule is applied at the I/O Server level.
Time and/or Value
value changes that occur within the time deadband are not stored. Th e time deadband applies to
time it changes.
stored. The value deadband applies to delt a storage only. A value of 0 indicat es that a value
Swinging Door
A swinging door deadband is the percentage of deviation in the full-scale value range for an analog
tag. The swinging door (rate) deadband applies to delta storage only. Time and/or value
deadbands can be used in addition to the swinging door deadband. Any value greater than 0 can be
used for the deadband. A value of 0 indicates that a swinging door deadband will not be applied.
9. In the Set Acqui sition box, select whether or not to turn data acquisition from the I/O Server either
on or off. The Unchanged option allows you to leave current acquisition settings unchanged, which is
useful if you have a mix of acquired and not acquired tags on the I/O Server and do not want to go
through all of them.
10. Click OK.
Deleting an I/O Server
If you delete an I/O Server and then reimport the tagname dat abase that contained the I/O Server
definition using the Tag Importer wiz ard, the I/O Server is added again. An I/O Server cannot be deleted
if there are still topics associated with it.
Configuring Topics
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A topic is a logical block of data from an I/O Server. Both the DDE and SuiteLink protocols use topics to
locate information coming from I/O Servers.
Adding a Topic
When you add a new topic for an I/ O Server, a new row is added to the Topic table in the Runtime
database.
Topic names must be unique for the I/O Server, not for the global system. You can have two topics with
identical names, as long as they are on different I/O Servers.
To add a topic
Acqui si tion.
3. Expand the IDAS that contains the I/O Server.
4. Right -click the I/O Server, and then click New Topic. The New Topic wizard appears.
Note: If you are configuring a topic for a classic IDAS (that is, an IDAS that existed before installing
Historian 2017), you'll also see fields for setting the idle duration and processing interval.
5. Enter the configuration information for the new topic. For more information on these options, see
Editing General Information for a Topic on page 142 and Editing Storage Rules for a Topic on page
144.
You can set storage properties for a topic after you add it to the system.
6. Click Finish.
Editing General Information for a Topic

To edit general topic information
Acqui si tion.
3. Expand the IDAS and then the I/O Server that contains the topic to edit.
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4. Right -click the topic, and then click Properties. The Properties dialog box appears.
5. In the Topic Name list, type the name of the topic.

6. In the Time Out box, enter the time span, in milliseconds, in which a data point must be received on
the topic. If no data point is received in this time span, the topic is considered "dead." The histori an
disconnects and then attempts to reconnect to the topic. The default is 60000 milliseconds.
Note: You can also manually force a reconnect for one or all of the topics in the system. For more
information, see Reinitializing I/O Topics on page 146.
7. To disable the time out, mark the Set to No Time Out check box.
You might want to disable the time out if the topic has dat a values that are not changing at all or
changing very slowly. If you have a slow-changing tag for which a time out is occurring frequently,
you will see periods of NULL data in history, as a result of the historian disconnecting and
reconnecting. Disabling the time out prevents the historian from disconnecting, so that valid data is
always being logged.
The topic timeout is automatically set to 0 and disabled if you enable lat e data for the topic
(configurable on the Set Storage Rules tab).
To allow acquisition of "late" dat a, mark the Enable Late Data check box.
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8. If you are configuring a topic for a classic IDAS (that is, an IDAS that existed before installing
Historian 2017), configure these options:
o For Idle Duration, specify the amount of time, in seconds, before dat a is processed from the
I/O Server. For example, if you set this value to 60 seconds, data from this I/O Server is cached
and only proc essed by the storage engine after no more data has been received from the I/O
Server for at least 60 seconds.
o For Proce ssing Interval, specify the amount of time, in seconds, aft er which late dat a from the
I/O Server is processed, regardless of the idle duration. If the nature of the data is such that the
idle duration is never satisfied, the historian storage engine processes data from the topic at
least one time every processing interval. The processing interval defaults to twice the idle
duration and cannot be set to a value less than the idle duration.
9. Click OK.
Editing Storage Rules for a Topic

To edit storage rules for a topic
Acqui si tion.
3. Expand the IDAS and then the I/O Server that contains the topic to edit.
4. Right -click the topic to edit, and then click Properties. The Properties dialog box appears.
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5. Click the Set Storage Rules tab.
6. In the Set Time Stamp of list, select the whether the timestamp of the data source or the historian
server (specifically, HCA L) should be used. Choosing the server option is useful if the
source-s upplied timestamp is unreliable. Note that the historian handles incoming data that has a
timestamps in the future.
Note: If a fast-changing tag is configured to use server timestamping, the packet of data t hat is sent
to the storage subsystem may contain multiple data values with the same timestamp, which may
affect data calculations, such as for swinging door storage.
7. In the Storage Type group, configure the storage rule for all the tags associated wit h the topic:
o Unchanged -- Use this if no storage rule is applied at the topic level.
o Delta -- Use this if tag values are stored only if they have changed.
o Cyclic -- Use this if tag values are stored according to a fixed rate, which you c an select from the
Storage Rate list.
o None -- Use this if tag values from this topic are stored are not stored into history.
o Forced -- Use this if all values received from this topic are stored.
8. In the Deadband group, configure the deadband. Options in this group are only available if delta
storage is selected in the Storage Type group. For the deadband type you select, configure the
appropriate options.
o Unchanged -- Use this if no storage rule is applied at the topic level.
o Time and/or Value -- A time deadband is the minimum time, in milliseconds, between stored
values for a single tag. Any value changes that occur within the time deadband are not stored.
The time deadband applies to delt a storage only. A time deadband of 0 indicates that the system
will store the value of the tag each time it changes.
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o Swinging Door -- A swinging door deadband is the percent age of deviation in the full-scale
value range for an analog tag. The swinging door (rate) deadband applies to delta storage only.
Time and/or value deadbands can be used in addition to the s winging door deadband. Any value
greater than 0 can be used for the deadband. A value of 0 indicat es that a swinging door
9. If you specify a Delta storage type, mark the corresponding check box and specify the parameters for
the deadband type you selected:
o Apply Time Deadband -- Specify time in milliseconds.
o Apply Value Deadband -- Specify value as a percentage of the engineering unit for that tag.
o Apply Rate Deadband -- Specify rat e as a percentage.
10. In the Set Acqui sition box, specify whet her to turn data acquisition from the topic on or off. The
Unchanged option allows you to leave current acquisition settings unchanged, which is useful if you
have a mix of acquired and not acquired tags on the topic and do not want to go through all of them.
11. Click OK.
Deleting a Topic
If you delete a topic and then reimport the tagname database that contained the I/O Server definition
using the System Management Console, the topic definition is added again to the database. A topic
cannot be deleted if tags are still associated with it.
Reinitializing I/O Topics

You can manually reinitialize I/O conversations for topics using the System Management Console. When
you reinitialize a topic, the existing I/O c onversation is closed and the entire process for setting up the I/O
conversation restarts. All I/O points associated with that topic are affected when the reinitialization
occurs. You can either reinitialize all of the topics or a single topic.
Note: You can also enable an automatic topic time out, in which the AVEVA Historian issues a
disconnect and reconnect for a topic that has not provided data within a specified time span. For more
information, see Editing General Information for a Topic on page 142.
To reinitialize all topics

2. Expand Management Console.
3. Right -click Data Acquisition, point to All Tasks, and then click Reinitialize All Topics. The
Reinitialize All Topics dialog box appears.
4. Click OK.
To reinitialize a single topic
1. Click Data Acqui sition.
2. In the details pane, right-click the topic you want to reinitialize, and then click Reinitialize Topic. The
Reinitialize One Topic dialog box appears.
3. Click OK.
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C HAPTER 5
Managing Data Storage
About Data Storage
AVEVA Historian uses these structures to store data:
 SQL Server database file (.mdf)
Configuration information and classic event data is stored in a SQL S erver database file (.mdf).
When you install the historian, this database file is created for you and is named Runtime. The
Runtime database file is named according to this convention:
RuntimeDat_<version_number> _<original_server_name>.Mdf. The transaction log is named:
RuntimeLog_< version_number>_<original_server_name>.Ldf. For general information on database
files, see your Microsoft SQL Server documentation.
Note: The Holding database is used int ernally by the historian if you import a tag database from an
InTouch application. The file names for the Holding database are
HoldingDat_< version_number>_<original_server_name>.Mdf and
HoldingLog_<version_number> _<original_server_name>.Ldf.
 Hi story blocks
Processing data (including alarms and events), replication data (if configured), and auto -summary
data in history blocks. A history block is a folder cont aining data files of a proprietary format and,
possibly, subfolders. E very history block is bound to a fixed time int erval specified at its creation.
History block time intervals within the same storage partition do not overlap.
If no data is acquired, or if a block is deleted, for a certain time period, there may be gaps in the
history blocks. These are also known as block gaps.
 Storage Partitions
A Historian server can be configured to run multiple storage instances at the same time, where each
instance is associated with a storage partition (also called a storage shard). A storage partition is a
set of folders with history blocks not overlapping in time. Currently two types of storage partition are
supported - the Main storage partition for primary data, and Auto Summary (see "About the
Auto-Summary Partition" on page 163) storage partition for calculated summaries.
For backward compatibility, AVEVA Historian also supports these data storage structures:
 A2ALMDB database
Since the release of Historian 2017, alarms and events are stored in historian data blocks by default.
A vailable since AVEVA Historian 2014 R2 release, you have the option of changing this default
(when configuring the historian) to use the legacy A2ALMDB (SQL) dat abas e.
About Data Storage Subsystem Processes

The Data Storage subsystem consists of one or more proc esses named aahStorage.exe. The Main and
Auto-Summary storage instanc es are child processes. Therefore, in the Windows Task Manager you
can see several instances of the aahStorage.exe process that are differentiated by their command lines.
The Storage subsystem is available in 32 and 64-bit versions. If you install AVEVA Historian on a 64-bit
operating system, the Storage subsystem always runs as native 64 -bit application. However, if an
AVEVA Application Server engine was deployed in a 32 -bit mode, the store-and-forward storage engine
on that computer will als o be 32-bit if there was no prior historian installation on the comput er. The
Storage subsystem also includes the Met adat a Server process (aahMetadataServer.ex e) responsible
for caching Storage tag metadata persisted in the Runtime database.
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AVEVA™ Historian Administration Guide formerly Wonderware Managing Data Storage
The Classic Data Redirector service (aahStoreS vc.ex e) is respo nsible for redirecting to storage any
streamed data coming from classic IDASs (version 2014 R2 or earlier) and the system driver. The
aahManStS vc.exe service handles data that is imported from CSV files and store -and-forward data from
IDASs from version 2014 R2 or earlier.
Integration with Microsoft SQL Server

While AVEVA Historian distinguishes itself in how it uniquely manages time-based data, it relies on SQL
Server for certain foundational functionality.
Static Data Management
The SQL Server Runtime database easily manages relatively static data, like configuration data which
does not change at a real-time rate. Over the life of a site, tags are added and deleted, descriptions are
changed, and engineering ranges are altered. The Runtime database stores this type of information.
Runtime Database Structure
The Runtime database is the SQL Server online database for the entire AVEVA Historian. The Runtime
database is shipped with a set of standard database entities, such as tables, views, and stored
procedures to store configuration data for a typical factory. You can use the Configuration Editor within
the System Management Console to easily add configuration data to the Runtime database that reflects
your factory environment.
OLE DB Interface
Microsoft SQL Server Object Linking and Embedding for Databases (OLE DB) is used to access the
time-bas ed data that the historian stores outside of the SQL Server database. You can query the
Microsoft SQL Server for both configuration information in th e Runtime dat abas e and historical dat a on
disk, and the integration appears seamless.
Historian also leverages SQL Server features such as database security, replication, and backups.
About Delta Storage Mode

AVEVA Historian supports four storage modes:
 No storage - No data values are stored.
 Forced storage - All collected data values are stored.
 Cyclic storage - Only data values that occur at a specified time interval are stored.
 Delta storage - Only changed data values are stored.
Using delta storage mode, the historian stores data based on a change in a value. Delta storage writes a
historical record only if the current value changes from the previous value. Delta storage is also called
"storage by exception." Delta storage is typically used to store discrete values, string values, and analog
values that remain constant for long periods of time. For example, you don’t want to store the value of the
discrete tag "PUMPON" every ten seconds if the pump us ually stays on for months at a time. The value
is stored along with a timestamp of when the change occurred, to an accuracy of 1 ms.
The following types of deadbands can be applied for delta storage:
 Time deadband
 Value deadband
 Rate of change (swinging door) deadband
Time and Value Deadbands for Delta Storage

To further decrease the resolution of tag values stored in delta mode, use a time deadband or a value
deadband.
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Managing Data Storage AVEVA™ Historian Administration Guide formerly Wonderware
 A time deadband is the minimum time, in milliseconds, between stored values for a single tag. Any
value changes that occur within the time deadband are not stored.
This illustration shows an example of applying a time deadband:
Data is stored for the time period starting with TS and ending with TE. All points in the graphic
represent data values for a given tag over time. The grey areas represent the time deadband, which
starts anew with every returned value. Only the green points (P2, P4, P7, P8, P9, P11) are stored.
The other points are not stored becaus e they fall within a deadband.
The time deadband applies to delta storage only. A time deadband of 0 indicates that the system will
store the value of the tag each time it changes.
 A value deadband is the percentage of the difference between the minimum and maximum
stored.
This illustration shows an example of applying a value deadband:
Data is stored for the time period starting with TS and ending with TE. All points in the graphic
represent data values for a given tag over time. The grey areas represent the value deadband, which
starts anew wit h every ret urned value. Only the green points (P2, P5, P6, P7, P10, P11) are stored.
The other points are not stored becaus e they fall within a deadband. P9 is not stored because P8
was discarded and it is within the percentage deviation.
The value deadband applies to delta storage only. A value of 0 indicates that a value deadband will
not be applied.
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Swinging Door Deadband for Delta Storage

A swinging door deadband is the percentage of deviation in the full -scale value range for an analog tag.
The swinging door (rate) deadband applies to delta storage only. Time and/or value deadbands can be
used in addition to the swinging door deadband. Any value greater than 0 can be used for the deadband.
A value of 0 indicates that a swinging door deadband will not be applied.
The swinging door deadband is essentially a rate of change deadband, based on c hanges in the slope of
the incoming data values. For example, specifying a swinging door deadband value of 10 percent means
that points will be stored if the percentage change in slope of the consecutive data val ues exceeds 10
percent. The percent age of allowable "swing" in the data values gives this type of deadband its name.
Benefits of the Swinging Door Deadband

One benefit of using a swinging door deadband is that it reduces the disk space required to store data.
However, because the storage system already provides a good compression ratio, the amount of disk
space that is saved by applying this type of deadband for slow -changing tags (changing less than twice
in a 15-minute interval) is negligible. For example, a t ag that changes 12 times per hour will use 2K bytes
of disk space in a 24-hour period. E ven if only every fifth point is stored, the savings is only 1.5K bytes per
day.
Another benefit of the swinging door deadband is that it captures the data value before the rate change,
which is something that a value deadband does not do. If you trend data, the peaks and valleys of the
trend curve are more defined to provide a more accurate picture of what is happening in your plant.
Generally, using a swinging door (rate) deadband provides better represent ation of the value change
curve with the same or less number of values stored than regular value or time deadbands for delta
storage.
The following graphics compare the trend curves of the same raw data, but with different deadbands
applied.
The following graph shows the trend of the actual raw dat a values:
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The following graph shows the trend of the data values wit h a value deadband applied. Notice how only
the first data value that deviates by the deadband from the previous value will be stored, and not any of
the values bet ween the starting value and the first deviating value.
The following graph shows the data values that will be stored for both a value deadband and a swinging
door deadband. Notice how the swinging door deadband captures data before the deadband change,
allowing for a more complet e view of the data.
A swinging door deadband is most useful for tags that have a steady increase and decrease in slope,
such as a tank level or tank temperature that rises and falls. A swinging door de adband may not be
appropriate for "noisy" signals, in which the value of the tag constantly fluctuates around a certain point
for long periods of time. Also, the reduction in storage requirements offered by the swinging door
deadband may not have much of an impact if you have an application wit h a small tag count (for
example, 500 tags). In this case, it may not be necessary to use a deadband at all.
A swinging door deadband is applicable for analog tags that receive data from the following sources:
 Real-time data values from I/O Servers, MDAS, or HCAL
 Store-and-forward data from a remote IDAS
 Late dat a from an I/O Server topic that was configured for late data
 A "fast load" CSV import
 Real-time inserts of data using a Transact-S QL statement
A swinging door deadband is not applicable for manual inserts of dat a through a CSV import of a
Trans act-SQL statement.
To best visualize the tag that uses swinging door storage, plot a trend using the Historian Client Trend
application and set the plot type from to "line" (rather than "step-line").
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Additional Options that Affect the Swinging Door Deadband

The swinging door deadband (the rate deadband) can optionally be combined with a value deadband
and/or a deadband override period. This combination will affect which values are actually stored.
If the data is store-and-forward data from a remote IDAS, the behavior of the swinging door algorithm
also depends on the value of the real-time window in the AVEVA Historian, as specified by the
RealTimeWindow system paramet er.
 Value deadband
When combined with rat e deadband (with or without a deadband override period), the value
deadband is always applied first, followed by the other deadbands. For the value deadband, the
system checks the difference in value bet ween the received point from the value of the last stored
point. Only when this difference exceeds the value deadband does the system consider the point for
rate evaluation.
 Deadband "override" period
If the elapsed time since the last stored point exceeds the deadband override period, the last
received point before the time at which the deadband override period expired is stored, regardless of
value and rat e deadband.
 Real-time window (Classi c Storage subsystem)
The real-time window setting for IDAS store-and-forward dat a (RealTimeWindow system paramet er)
allows for the expansion of the time window for which the storage system considers data to be
"real-time." The real-time window is important for swinging door deadbanding bec ause it determines
the maximum length of time that a point will be "held" by the storage system without storing it, while
waiting for the next point. For more information, see About the Real-Time Data Window on page 297
in the AVEVA Historian Supplemental Guide.
Real-time window and deadband override periods are two independent modifiers that force the storage
of received points that may have otherwise been discarded due to the setting of either the rate deadband
or the value deadband.
The real-time window specification is more likely to select points for storage when the time period
between points received from the source is less than the real -time window, but the slope of the incoming
data values is such that the rate deadband excludes the points from being stored.
The deadband override period is more likely to select points for storage if the rate at which points are
received from the data source is slow (slower than the real-time window) and the rate deadband
excludes the points from being stored.
For an illustration of how these factors work together to determine the actual values to be stored, see
S winging Door Deadband Examples on page 152.
Whatever the combination of rate deadband, value deadband, and deadband override period specified,
only points actually received from the data source are stored on disk. That is, points to be stored on disk
are never "manufactured" by the swinging door algorithm. This is particularly relevant in understanding
the behavior implied by specifying the real -time window and the deadband override period.
Swinging Door Deadband Examples

The effects of the different swinging door options can be illustrated using these three ex amples:
 S winging Door Deadband: Rat e Only on page 153
 S winging Door Deadband: Rat e and Value on page 154
 S winging Door Deadband: Rat e, Value, and Deadband Override Period on page 155
152
All of the examples are based on the following raw data. The numbered points represent actual values
received from a dat a source.
Swinging Door Deadband: Rate Only

The following diagram depicts an ideal case, where the incoming signal is noise -free and with a proper
rate deadband specification only (no value deadband or deadband override period).
Assume point 0 has been stored on disk. The system waits for point 2 to arrive before making its next
storage decision. When point 2 is received, the storage engine calculat es the change in slope as follows:
Slope0_1 is considered the bas e slope, and Slope1_2 is considered the current slope.
Slope0_1 = (Value1 - Value0) / (Time1 - Time0)
Slope1_2 = (Value2 - Value1) / (Time2 - Time1)
Slope_Change_Perc ent = 100* | (Slope1_2 - Slope0_1) / Slope0_1 |
If
Slope_Change_Perc ent > Rate_Deadband_S pecified
In other words, if the perc entage change in slope is great er than the specified rate deadband, the storage
engine goes ahead and stores point 1 on disk. Next, it receives point 3. The base slope for point 2 will be
the slope between points 1 and 2. The current slope will be the slope between points 2 and 3 only if point
1 was stored. If point 1 was not stored, then the base slope for point 2 will be the slope between points 0
and 1, and the current slope will be the slope bet ween points 2 and 3.
The base slope for an evaluation point is not changed unless the previous point is stored; otherwise, the
base slope will be the last known current slope that caused a point to be stored on disk.
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Assuming point 1 is stored, because the slope between points 2 and 3 is about the same as the slope
between points 1 and 2, the rate deadband criterion is not satisfied, and point 2 is discarded. When point
4 is received, the slope change calculation results in point 3 being discarded, and so on until point 6
arrives. Now the rate deadband criterion is satisfied (slope change between points 5 and 6 and points 1
and 2 is greater than the rate deadband specified), and point 5 is stored on disk.
The arrival of point 7, likewise, discards point 6 even though the actual slope between point 6 and point 7
may be quite high, and may even be higher than the rat e deadband specified, it is not sufficiently different
from the slope between points 5 and 6 to qualify point 6 to be stored. Following this logic through until
point 12 is received results in the storage on disk of points 10 and 11, discarding all the other points in
between.
Point 13 illustrates the effect of the re al-time window setting. Under normal circumstances, point 12
would not qualify to be stored. If, however, the elapsed time between receiving point 12 and point 13
exceeds the time window in which the storage engine is able to store point 12 as a real -time point, point
12 is stored anyway, and the value of the SysRateDeadbandForcedValues system tag is incremented. In
other words, if, while the system waits for point 13 to arrive, the timestamp of point 12 becomes so old
that it reaches the limit for the real -time window, point 12 is stored regardless of whether it is outside the
deadband.
The SysRateDeadbandForcedV alues system tag counts the number of "extra" points stored as a result
of an insufficient real -time window for swinging door storage.
When point 14 arrives, the base slope for evaluating point 13 is between points 11 and 12, and not
between points 12 and 13, because point 12 was stored due to the real-time window expiration. A point
stored due to the real -time window does not re-establish the base slope; only points stored due to
exceeding the rate change caus es the base slope to be re-established. Then "normal" rate change
evaluation resumes, resulting in point 13 being stored, and so on.
Swinging Door Deadband: Rate and Value

In the following diagram, a signal with some "noise" is shown. The effect of applying both a rate and value
deadband to swinging door storage is illustrated. The value deadband is indicated by two horizontal
dashed lines.
Assume that point 1 has been stored to disk. Point 3 passes the value deadband check, allowing points
2 and 3 to be evaluated for rate change. Assuming that the point exceeds the rate change requirement,
then point 2 is stored. Until point 13 is received, all intermediate points are discarded by the value
deadband filter. In this example, it is assumed that the change in slope bet ween points 2 through 3 and
points 12 through 13 is great er than the rat e deadband, so point 12 is stored on disk. When point 14 is
received, the normal operation begins.
If a rate deadband is applied without a value deadband, all of the "noisy" points (3 through 11) would
have been stored, because the slope of the signal changes radically between successive points. The
value deadband removes the noise, but also introduces some amount of distortion in the res ultant signal.
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Swinging Door Deadband: Rate, Value, and Deadband Override Period

The following graphic illustrates the effect of a rate deadband combined with a value deadband and a
deadband override period.
Assume point 1 is stored to disk. Point 3 makes it through the value deadband check, allowing points 2
and 3 to be evaluated for rate change. Assuming the point exceeds the rate change requirement, then
point 2 is stored.
Adding a value deadband alone could result in distortion of the stored data.
For example, suppose that the rate deadband is specified such that point 12 does not get stored. That is,
the change in slope bet ween points 2 through 3 and points 12 through 13 is not greater than the rate
deadband. In that case, the data representation (points 1, 2, and 15) is grossly distorted bec ause the
value deadband is discarding key points.
To allow for better representation, a deadband override period may optionally be specified. If the elapsed
time between the last stored point and the currently received point is more than the specified deadband,
then the point immediately prior to the currently received point is stored. In this ex ample, the elapsed time
between point 2 and point 10 is more than the deadband, so point 9 is stored. The data actually stored to
disk (points 1, 2, 9, and 15) is a better approximation of the original data.
It is important to not e that after point 9 is stored, subsequent rate calculations use the slope between
points 2 and 3 as the baseline for subsequent storage decisions because point 2 was last point that was
stored normally by storage.
The deadband override period can have any value and is not related to the real-time window value.
Managing the AVEVA Historian Runtime Database

The Runtime database is a SQL Server database and can be managed with SQL Server Management
Studio. The Runtime database stores relatively static information about how the AVEVA Historian is
configured, such as tag definitions and I/O Server definitions.
Although the Runtime database does not store historic al plant data, it stores other types of
system-generated data that impacts the size of the database file. For example, information is added to
the database file if you:
 Turned on modification tracking, because a record is stored for each modification made. For more
information, see Track ing Modifications on page 263.
 Defined any events in the classic event system. Each detected event is logged in the Runtime
database. If you configured any summary actions, the summarized values are stored in the Runtime
database. Also, if you set up event snapshot actions, the values for the snapshots are logged in the
database. For more information, see the Classic Event Subsystem on page 298 chapter in the
AVEVA Historian Supplemental Reference.
Be sure that you have enough disk space to accommodate a growing Runtime database file. By default,
the Runtime dat abas e is configured to expand automatically when required.
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Changing the Properties for the Runtime Database

You can view or change the properties for the Runtime database, such as the paths to the database files
and transactions logs and the permissions on the dat abas e.
To view/change the Runtime database properties
1. In Micros oft SQL Server Management Studio, expand the AVEVA Historian, and then expand
Database s.
2. Right -click the Runtime database and then click Properties. The Databa se Properties dialog box
appears.
3. To view directory in which the databas e file and transaction log resides, as well as view the current
size of the file and log, in the Select a page pane, click Files.
Note: To see the database file in the Windows Explorer, look in the \DA TA directory of the main
Microsoft SQL Server directory.
4. Using the options in the Runtime Properties dialog box, you can recalculate the space available in
the database or the transaction log. You can also set database options and grant and revok e
statement permissions for database us ers and groups.
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Important: Do not modify the default permissions for the default historian logins and users, as this
negatively affects the system.
For more information on managing databases, see your Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio
documentation.
5. Click OK.
Managing the Runtime Database

Managing a database involves procedures such as performing backups or exporting data.
Note: You should not edit any of the pre-configured tables, stored procedures, or views that are
shipped with the AVEVA Historian.
To manage the Runtime database

Database s.
2. Right -click the Runtime database, point to Ta sks, and then select the menu command for the task
you want to perform.
For more information on managing databases, see your Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio
documentation.
Backing Up the Runtime Database

We recommend that you back up all AVEVA Historian and SQL databases:
 Before you make any changes to the database, in cas e you want to return to the original
configuration.
 On a regular schedule, to minimize data loss in the event of a disk failure. The best way to perform
database backups is to set up automatic backups using SQL Server Management Studio. You
should back up your database at least once a week.
When you perform a database backup, all system tables, user-defined objects, and data are copied to a
separate file located on a backup device. Backup devices include disk files, floppy diskettes, zip disks,
and tape drives. Backups can be easily managed using the SQL Server Management Studio.
You should not back up the current history block.
The master and msdb databases should be on the same backup schedule as the Runtime dat abas e.
Backing Up the Database

Note: Any transactions that are in progress when the backup is performed are rolled back if that backup
is later restored.
To backup the database

Database s.
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2. Right -click the Runtime database, point to Tasks, and then click Back Up. The SQL Server
Backup dialog box appears.
3. Click General.
4. In the Database box, select Runtime.
5. To use an existing backup device or file for the backup, select the destination in the De stination
window and then click OK to begin the backup.
Note: For details on a particular backup destination, select the destination in the list and then click
Cont ents.
6. If you do not have a backup destination defined, click Add to add a new destination. The Select
Backup Destination dialog box appears.
7. Select to back up to either a file or device.

File name
158
Type or browse to a pat h for the location of the backup file. Be sure that you have enough free disk
space to store the backup.
Backup device
Select an existing backup device or select <New Backup Device>. The Backup Device Properties
dialog box appears. In the File name box, type a name for the device. As you type the name, the
path for the backup will be modified. Verify that the pat h for the backup is correct. When you are
done, click OK to create the backup device.
8. Click OK to close the Select Backup De stination dialog box.
9. The newly-created backup device now appears in the De stination window of the SQL Server
Backup dialog box. Select the new backup device.
10. Click OK to perform the backup.
You can configure various options for database backups, such as an expiration date for a backup. You
can also schedule automatic backups.
For a complete description of database backup and restoration using SQL Server Management Studio,
including scheduling recommendations and transaction log backup, see your SQL Server Management
Studio document ation.
Restoring the Database

When you restore a database from backup, any information saved t o t he database since the backup was
performed is overwritten with the restored information. All changes to the database since the backup are
lost. Also, any transactions in progress when the backup was performed are rolled back.
To restore the database
Database s.
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2. Right -click the Runtime database, point to Tasks, and then click Restore. The Re store Database
dialog box appears.
3. Click General.
4. In the Re store as database list, select the Runtime database.
5. Select Database from the Re store options.
6. In the First backup to restore list, select the desired backup.
7. Click OK. The information is restored.
You can configure various options for database restoration. For more information on restoring from a
backup using SQL Server Management Studio, see your SQL Server Management Studio
documentation.
Managing a Runtime Database Object

A database object is a component of a database: table, index, trigger, view, key, constraint, default, rule,
user-defined data type, or stored procedure. Anything that has a name and cons umes space in a
database is an object.
Note: Do not edit any of the pre-configured tables, stored procedures, or views that are shipped with
AVEVA Historian.
To manage database objects

Database s.
2. Expand the Runtime database.
3. All of the object groups in the database appear under the Runtime folder.
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4. To manage any database object, simply right-click the object to open the Propertie s dialog box for
that object.
5. Click OK.
For more information on managing database objects, see your Microsoft SQL Server documentation.
Space Management for Event and Summary History

If you configured AVEVA Historian to detect events using the Classic Event subsystem, each detected
event is logged into the E ventHistory table of the Runtime dat abas e. If you configured summary actions,
the aggregated values are stored in the Summary History table. The duration for which event and
summary history are kept are specified by the E ventStorageDuration and SummaryStorageDuration
system parameters, respectively.
Duration defaults are as follows:
Hi story Duration
E vent 7 days (168 hours)
Summary 14 days (336 hours)
For information on changing the value of a system parameter, see Editing System Paramet ers on page
261.
For more information on the Classic E vent subsystem, see Classic Event Subsystem on page 298.
Managing Partitions and History Blocks

Historical tag values from your facilities are stored to disk in directories containing special sets of files.
These directories are called history blocks. Sets of history blocks are stored in a particular partition on the
disk.
Normal tags are stored in one partition, and a second partition contains auto-summary dat a. See About
the Auto-Summary Partition on page 163 for more information.
You can use the System Management Console to view and manage partitions and history blocks.
For more about history blocks, see History Blocks in the AVEVA Historian Concepts Guide.
Storage Partition Locations

E very storage partition consists of up to four storage locations:
 Circular (mandatory )
 Alternate (optional)
 Buffer (optional, used for backward compatibility only)
 Permanent (optional, used for backward compatibility only)
The paths to the circular, buffer, and permanent storage partitions are initially defined during installation.
The alternat e storage partition can be defined later using the System Management Console.
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Cert ain restrictions apply when specifying a path to the storage partition. The circular storage partition
must be a local drive on the server, and the pat h must be specified using normal drive letter notation (for
example, c:\Historian\Data\ Circular). While the alternate, buffer, and permanent storage partitions can
be any where on the network, it is strongly recommended to have the alternate storage partition
configured on a dedicated physical drive locally attached by a high-speed int erface to the Historian
Server or configured to be on a different internal hard drive. If you us e a net work location, then the
ArchestrA user must have full access to the network location. The partition locations must be specified
using UNC notation. Mapped drives are not supported.
When planning your storage strategy, be sure to allow enough disk space for storing your plant data for
the required length of time.
Circular Storage
Circular storage is used for the main historical data storage. The Storage subsystem creates history
blocks of the configured default duration when the data falling into the corresponding time interval needs
to be written to disk.
The circular storage location is used to write data in a "circular buffer" fashion. When the free disk space
on the disk containing the circular storage location drops below a minimum threshold or when the dat a is
of a specified age, the history block in that storage location is moved to the alternate storage location,
and new history blocks get created when necessary. You can also limit the size of the circular storage
location. When the contents of the circular storage location reach or exceed this limit, the oldest data will
be moved to the alternate storage location. If no alternate storage loc ation is configured, the data is
deleted instead of being moved. For more information, see Automatic Deletion of History Block s on page
168.
It is the responsibility of the system administrator to monitor disk space and back up history blocks to a
safe location on a periodic basis.
Alternate Storage
When the free disk space in the circular storage location goes below the defined threshold, the circular
directory exceeds the specified maximum size, or the blocks reach a certain age, the Storage subsystem
will start moving the oldest history blocks to the alternate location, if configured.
History blocks in the alternate storage loc ation are managed in the same way as the blocks in the circular
storage location. However, blocks will not be deleted based on age until the sum of t he specified ages for
both the circular and alternate storage has passed. For example, if circular is set to 60 days, and
alternate is set to 90 days, a block is deleted after 150 days.
If the alt ernate storage location reaches its deletion threshold limit , or configured maximum size, or age,
the oldest history blocks are deleted.
A physical drive is strongly recommended, and cannot be the same drive used for circular storage. This
storage location is optional.
Permanent Storage
Permanent storage locations are used to store critical data (for example, reactor trips) which must be
excluded from the "circular buffer" management, so the Storage subsystem will never try to delete or
move to the alternate location the permanent history blocks. This, however, may break the continuity of
the history timeline in certain scenarios, and should be used with care, especially when data revision
operations can be performed across time intervals overlapping with history blocks stored in the
permanent storage location. For that reason, this storage location is support ed only for backward
compatibility, and it is recommended to use a larger alternate loc ation instead to ensure that important
blocks are never deleted..
Data in a permanent storage location can be accessed and viewed along wit h the data stored in the
circular storage location.
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Buffer Storage
Buffer partitions are used for temporary purposes, such as retrieval from a data archive. This storage
partition can reside on the same hard disk as the circular storage location or on a different disk. Data
stored in the buffer storage partition can be accessed and viewed along with the data stored in the
circular storage partition. Data is never deleted from this partition by the Storage subsy stem.
About the Auto-Summary Partition

AVEVA Historian maint ains a separate auto-s ummary partition for storing automatically generated
summaries used for faster retrieval over long time intervals. There, Historian generates a local replication
entity and a one-hour summary tag for every analog tag in the system. As values arrive for an analog tag,
Historian automatically computes and records a summary.
Auto-summary values are stored in their own history blocks within the auto-summary partition. With
auto-summarization, Historian can quickly and efficiently retrieve large-volume data for a long duration,
even months or years.
Note: The auto-summary feature was available beginning with AVEVA Historian 2017. From the time
you installed or upgraded to AVEVA Historian 2017, the system has been creating auto -summary values
for your analog tags. To backfill values for time before that installation or upgrade, you can use the
Replication Backfill Manager.
About Block Gaps

AVEVA Historian is designed to store data in a contiguous series of history blocks. But there are two
cases that may result in block gaps -- that is, gaps bet ween the history blocks:
 If no data was acquired for the timeframe corresponding to a particular history block, that block will
not be created.
 If a history block is deleted for whatever reason, a block gap will result.
By default, gaps in dat a are charted (for example, by Trend and InSight) as straight lines. If you want data
gaps to display as empty, you can change the Windows Registry settings.
To change Windows Registry settings to show block gaps
1. From the Start menu, run RegE dit.
2. Navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MA CHINE -> SOFTWARE -> ArchestrA -> Historian -> Programs -> aahRetrieval
3. Create a DWORD Value called Us eBlock Gaps and set it to "1".
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a. Right -click aahRetrieval, select New, and then select DWORD.
b. Type "UseBlockGaps" as the name of the new item.

c. Right -click UseBlock Gaps and select Modify.
d. In Value data, type "1".
4. Exit RegEdit.
Note: If data is later inserted (for example, using a data update process) in a gap, the history block(s) will
be creat ed or recreated. In that case, the Block Gap option is set to OFF, and any tags that were not
updated will show as flatlined data.
Viewing Storage and Auto-Summary Partitions

To view the storage partitions for your system
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3. Select Storage Partitions.
4. Select Auto Summary to see the aut o-summary partition.
Or, select Main to see all of the regular data partitions.
For more information about the storage loc ation types included in each partition, see Storage Partition
Locations on page 161.
Storage partitions and the history blocks they contain can be designated as circular, permanent, buffer,
or alternate. Paths to these storage partitions are specified when the historian is installed.
With the exception of the circular path, all dat a path changes are dynamic. Only changes to the circular
path require reinitializing the system (that is, a complete shutdown and restart of the historian). Also, if a
change is made to the default data paths, these directories must be manually created. The System
Management Console validates the path you specify.
To edit storage partition properties
3. Select Storage Partitions, and then click either Auto Summary or Main. All defined storage
locations appear in the details pane.
4. Right -click a storage partition, and then click Properties. The Propertie s dialog box appears.
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5. In the Path box, type the path to the storage location. The circular storage location must be a local
drive on the server machine, and the path must be specified using normal drive letter notation (for
example, c:\Historian\Data\ Circular). While the alternate, buffer, and permanent storage locations
can be anywhere on the network, it is strongly recommended to have the alt ernate storage location
configured on a dedicated physical drive locally attached by a high-speed int erface to the Historian
Server or configured to be on a different internal hard drive. If you us e a net work location, then the
ArchestrA user must have full access to the network location. The locations must be specified using
UNC notation. Mapped drives are not supported. If the path you specify does not currently exist, it is
created.
Note: The paths to the storage areas are relative to the computer on which the historian is running.
If you are running System Management Console on a separate net work computer than the historian,
the paths may not be same.
6. To disable the use of this path, click Path is Di sabled. This option is not available for the circular
storage location.
7. In the Deletion Threshold box, type the minimum amount of disk space, in megabytes, at which the
system attempts to start freeing up space. The threshold applies to circular and alternate storage
only. Typic ally, you should multiply the size of the average history block (before any compression) by
1.5 to determine the minimum threshold.
8. In the Maximum Size box, type the limit, in megabytes, for the amount of data to be stored to t he
specified location. The maximum size applies to circular and alt ernate storage only. If the maximum
size is set to 0, all available space at the storage location is used.
9. In the Maximum Age box, type the age, in days, of data that will be deleted by system to free up disk
space. The threshold applies to circular and alternate storage only. The minimum age is 2 days. A
value of 0 indicat es that no age threshold is applied.
Note: The Deletion Threshold, Maximum Size, and Maximum Age options are unavailable for the
permanent and buffer storage areas.
10. Click OK.
Viewing History Blocks

You can view details, such as the start and end time, for history blocks.
To view history block information
2. Expand Management Console and then select History Blocks. The history block information
Column descriptions are as follows:

Start Time
The starting timestamp for the history block.
End Time
The ending timestamp for the history block.
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Location
The path to the storage location. The circular storage location must be a local drive on the server,
and the path must be specified using normal drive letter notation (for example,
c:\Historian\Dat a\Circular). While the alternate, buffer, and permanent storage locations can be
anywhere on the net work, it is strongly recommended to have the alternate storage loc ation
configured on a dedicated physical drive locally attached by a high-speed int erface to the historian
server or configured to be on a different internal hard drive. If you use a network location, the
historian computer's Configuration service account should have full access to that network path. The
locations must be specified using UNC notation. Mapped drives are not supported.
Duration
The time span for the history block.
TimeZone
The time zone of the history block.
UTC Bias
The time offs et from Coordinat ed Universal Time.
The data shown in the details pane is not automatically refreshed. To refresh the list from the history
block information held by the Configuration Manager, right-click History Blocks in the console tree and
then click Refresh. In most cases, this type of refresh is all that is needed.
History Block Notation and Creation

Each history block is contained in a single subdirectory in the circular storage directory.
The subdirectory name includes the date stamp of the AVEVA Historian comput er at the time the block
was creat ed.
For example, this is a typical history block name. It has three parts:
 "A" is used by the system.
 "170221" matches the timestamp of the data it contains.
 "_001" is the numeric al suffix that identifies this history block as the first
block created that day. The block number increments if there are
multiple blocks created on the same day.
A new history block is created when corres ponding dat a is received that day. After t hat, new history block
are automatically creat ed with a time duration specified for that storage partition. .
History blocks can be creat ed for data with timestamps in the fut ure or the past.
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Changing the history block time span does not take effect until after any previously -started blocks
complete, even if a previously-started block is holding data with timestamps in the future. For example, if
the time span is changed from "daily" to "hourly", the first hourly block will be for 12:00 AM to 1:00 AM on
the following day.
Automatic Deletion of History Blocks

History blocks in the circular and alternate storage locations may be automatically deleted to make room
for new history blocks. Whether or not the blocks are deleted is determined by the minimum thres hold
and the maximum size and/ or age specified for the storage location.
The history block management system will check for available space in the circular and alternat e
locations if it detects any changes made by other subsystems or the user in cont rolled directories.
The history block managem ent system computes the sum of the sizes of all history blocks (including the
current one) in the circular storage location and determines if there is enough space on the drive to hold
all of the blocks.
If the space available on the storage loc ation drive is below a certain threshold, the Storage subsystem
will delet e enough of the oldest history blocks to bring the available disk drive space back to a positive
value and then move the new history block in.
If an alternat e storage location exists, the older block(s) will be moved there instead of being delet ed.
The alternat e storage location functions exactly like the circular storage location. However, when the
blocks exceed the set limits (minimum threshold, maximum size, or maximum age), the oldest blocks will
be deleted from disk.
To avoid this loss of dat a, it is important that the system administrator regularly monitors the disk
availability and periodically backs up old blocks to long term storage before they are deleted.
For example, a history block is stored in the circular storage location. The maximum size of the disk drive
for circular storage is 120 MB. In addition to the circular storage location, an alt ernate location with a
maximum disk drive size of 120 MB is defined. For bot h locations, the minimum thres hold value is 50 MB.
Essentially, this means that there is 70 MB of actual storage space.
Note: The sizes in this example are purpos ely small; the disk drives for storage locations should be
much larger.
You should typically set the minimum threshold to a value that is 3 times larger than the size of the
biggest history block. This will provide the history block management system enough time to copy oldest
history block from the circular location to the alternate, and then delete block from the circular location.
If you monitor the disk drive space available in the circular or alternate storage location over time, the
value will fluctuate between the threshold value and the maximum size of the location, with sharp
increases when blocks are moved out. While the system is moving a block(s) out, the space available will
dip just below the threshold value before the increase.
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If the maximum threshold is reached before the age of the block reaches the specified limit, the block is
moved or deleted. A block will be moved or deleted within one history block duration of it reaching the
age limit. If, for any reason, the system is unable to move a block that is past the age limit, the block will
not be deleted until the size or space limit is reached.
Backing Up History Blocks

It is highly recommended that you back up the history blocks to long-term storage media to avoid data
loss due to media failure. You can perform backups using the Windows Backup utility or other backup
tool. See the Microsoft Windows documentation for details.
About VSS-Aware Backups

The storage and event storage services coordinate with the Microsoft Windows Volume Shadow Copy
Service (VSS) to enable consistent backups of history blocks while the Historian continues running. This
means you do not need to shut down the Historian before performing a backup of history blocks.
Note s: You must shut down the Historian before restoring history blocks from backup.
Circular and alternat e storage locations can be backed up independently of each ot her.
Backing Up Data Stored on Network Shares

If you are backing up dat a from a network share, VSS-aware backups are not available for this location
from the Historian server.
For example, if your alternate storage location is on a network share instead of a local drive, you must
manage backups of the alternate location from the server hosting the network share. Because this
location is independent of the Historian server, the consistency of these backups cannot be guaranteed.
See Storage Partition Locations on page 161 for recommended best practices.
Adding History Blocks from Prior Versions to the System

You can add existing history blocks from prior versions to the system.
To add a history block
1. Shutdown and disable AVEVA Historian.
2. While being sure to avoid time intersections, copy the old history blocks to the appropriate
subdirectory for the current AVEVA Historian system.
3. For old tags created by Classic Storage, be sure to set AITag=1.
4. Enable and start Historian.
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C HAPTER 6
Importing, Inserting, or Updating History
Data
Ways to Acquire History Data
You can import, insert, and update history dat a in various ways.
 Import InTouch hi story data with Historian Data Importer
If y ou have existing InTouc h history data, you can easily import it into t he AVEVA Historian extension
tables using the Historian Dat a Importer utility. See Importing Data from an InTouch History File (see
"Importing Data from an InTouch History File" on page 174).
 Import a CSV file with Historian Data Importer
You can create a CSV file for the data and then use t he following methods to import it. See Importing
Data from CSV Files on page 175.
o Use the Historian Data Importer to select and import the CSV file.
o Use the Historian Data Importer to create a "watch" folder that you drop CSV files into. For more
information, see Encoding Formats for Configuration Exports on page 110.
o Drop CSV files into the predefined \DataImport watch folder.
 Insert or update history data with Transact-S QL statements
With INSERT and UPDA TE statements, you can insert or updat e history data in the AVEVA
Historian extension tables. See Inserting or Updating Data with Transact-SQL Statements (see
"Inserting or Updating Data with Transact-SQL Statements" on page 181).
 Rename tags with Tag Rename utility
With this tool, you can rename tags. See Renaming Tags (see "Renaming Tags" on page 185).
You can track modifications to history data. For more information, see Modification Track ing for Historical
Data Changes.
Guidelines for Importing, Inserting, and Updating History Data

Use the following guidelines to help you decide the best way to import or insert data into history. Each
method has its strengths for certain applications, and often you will need to balance the need for speed
against some limitations.
For a standard CSV import (as opposed to a "fast load" CSV import), the CSV file format and the format
of the data contained within the file is very flexible. However, this flexibility requires the system to perform
a large amount of proc essing on the data before it can be imported. Thus, there is an in verse relationship
between amount of data to process and import speed. The time required to process a file is at least
exponentially related to the number of values contained in the file.
Additional factors for a normal import are:
 If multiple files are to be processed at the same time, the total size of the CSV file is limited to less
than 4 MB.
 The CSV file cannot contain more than 100,000 data values.
 The number of tags represented in the file cannot exceed 1024.
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AVEVA™ Historian Administration Guide formerly Wonderware Importing, Inserting, or Updating History Data
 Single files of up to 6 MB will be processed, provided that it does not exceed the file data and tag
limits.
Performing a non-real-time insert with a Transact-SQL statement also requires a large amount of data
processing.
The fastest way to insert/import data into the system is to use one of the methods that employs the
real-time storage service to get the data into the history blocks. Thes e include real -time inserts by
Trans act-SQL statements and " fast load" CSV imports. Real-time inserts can occur at a fairly high speed,
so use this method when possible. Performing a "fast load" CSV import is also a high -speed option. To
do a "fast load" import, however, the data must be in time-series order.
In general, choose to use the fast load import if:
 It is not is not feasible to perform a normal CSV import.
 You need to import very large CSV files.
 You want storage rules applied to the data you are importing. A normal CSV import does not apply
storage rules; everything is stored as a delta.
Also, do not import fast load data for a tag if there is existing stored data for that tag in the same time
range.
Importing History Data

You can use the Historian Data Importer (aahImport.exe) to import history data from these types of files:
 InTouch hi story (LGH) file
Before you perform the import, review the requirements in Importing Data from an InTouch History
File on page 174.
 CSV file
You must format the CSV file according to the "FastLoad" format. For more i nformation, see
Importing Data from CSV Files on page 175.
You can run the Historian Dat a Importer from a command prompt. For more information, see Running the
Historian Dat a Importer from a Command Prompt on page 181.
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Importing, Inserting, or Updating History Data AVEVA™ Historian Administration Guide formerly Wonderware
To import history data

1. On the Windows Start menu, point to Programs, point to AV EVA, point to AVEVA Historian, and
then click Data Import. The Hi storian Data Importer dialog box appears.
2. In the Hi storian server box, type the name of the historian into which you want to import history
data.
3. In the Security area, provide a logon account that is an administrator for the AVEVA Historian.
o Click Current User to use the account of the currently logged on Windows user to connect to the
AVEVA Historian.
o Click Alternate remote user to use a different Windows account to connect to the AVEVA
Historian.
4. In the Path usage area, specify the location of the files to import.
a. To import a single file, click Single file import and then click Browse to select the file.
b. To import multiple files, click Import all files added to folder and then click Browse to select
the folder that contains all of the files.
The folder you select becomes a "watched folder." Any files you place in the folder at any time
are automatically processed until you change the folder configuration or change to a single file
import.
c. If y ou are importing .lgh files, select the Import LGH files for the InTouch application on node
check box and then select the name of the InTouc h node (computer) from which you want to
import data.
Note: If the desired node is not listed, you need to first import the tagname database. For more
information, see Importing an InTouch Dat a Dictionary on page 98.
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5. In the Import Method area, specify how to integrate the dat a into storage.
Append new values (streamed)
The data in the import file must be ordered according to timestamp. If you are importing multiple files,
you must start with the oldest first. That is, if there are t wo files containing data for the same tags, but
from different time periods, the file with the oldest data must be imported first, followed by the newer
data. Other data collection mechanisms (for example, SQL INSE RTs, data sent from Application
Server, or from a Historian SDK application) may interfere with streamed imports if they ever supply
values newer than the file data.
When it is processed on the historian server, streamed data is exposed through the SuiteLink server
(aahIOS vrS vc) and through the Live extension table, as well as from the History table and other
extension tables.
Insert mi ssing values in the past (non-streamed)
The data in the import file must be ordered according to timestamp. However, if you are importing
multiple files, you can import the files in any order.
Non-streamed data will not be reflected in the SuiteLink ser ver or in the Live extension table, but can
be queried from the History table and other extension tables.
For more information on the different categories of dat a, see Data cat egories in the AVEVA Historian
Conc epts Guide.
6. For the Store Forward Path box, click Browse to select a folder in which processed data collects if
a disconnect to the historian occurs after the data transfer to storage starts. After the connection is
restored, the dat a trans fer resumes.
7. Click Process.
The results of the import are shown in the Log window. Errors are logged to the ArchestrA Logger. If
the utility can’t process a file, the file moves into a support folder that is automatically created.
Note: The history importer does not report whether the data in the resultant CSV files is successfully
imported into the AVEVA Historian extension tables.
8. Click Close.
Importing Data from an InTouch History File

The Historian Data Importer (aahImport.exe) is a stand -alone utility that allows you to import existing
InTouch history data into the AVEVA Historian history blocks. InTouch history data is stored in one or
more .lgh files located in the InTouch application folder.
Before you start the import, be sure that:
 You can access the LGH files (that is, files having an .lgh filename extension). The InTouch HMI
software is not required to be installed on the same computer as the InTouch History Importer, and
InTouch is not required to be running. The import er can import hist ory data generated with InTouch
HMI software version 7. 0 or later.
 The tag definitions already exist in the AVEVA Historian database. The easiest way to make sure
that you have all of the definitions is to use the AVEVA Historian Tag Importer to import the contents
of the InTouch tag database. For more information, see Importing an InTouch Data Dictionary on
page 98.
 You can log on to the AVEVA Historian. The InTouch History Importer requires a logon account to
the historian to retrieve a list of all currently imported InTouch nodes.
 The full path to the InTouch LGH files (including the name of the actual LGH file) is not longer than 64
characters. This limitation is inherent in the underlying InTouch infrastructure used to access LGH
files. If the path is longer than 64 characters, the import er produces an error message and prevents
the import from continuing. If necessary, use a mapped drive or a drive substitution to shorten the
name of the path.
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 The InTouch application is not currently storing data to the LGH file that you plan to import.
 You change the value of the AllowOriginals system parameter to 1. This allows you to insert original
data for I/O Servers. For more information on editing system parameters, see Editing System
Parameters on page 261.
 The data you want to import does not interfere with data in the current history block for the same
tags. For example, suppose you import tag definitions from an InTouch application and are currently
storing the tag values received from the I/O Server in the hist orian. If you attempt to import existing
InTouch data for these same tags, and the timestamps of the data to be imported fall within the
current history block, the import may produce unexpected results. Wait until the next history block is
created before attempting to import existing InTouch data.
 If you have a large amount of data to import, process the data in batches, starting from the most
recent data to the oldest data. For example, you want to import one year's worth of InTouch history.
Divide up the data so t hat one month of data is included in a batch. When you import the most recent
batch, the utility automatically starts with the most recent block and t hen proceeds backwards. Then,
import the second-most recent batch, and so on.
The fast load import mechanism used by the InTouch History Importer is intended for importing dat a into
history for periods where no data for the tags currently exists. For delta stored tags, importing into a
region where data already exists results in the addition of the new points. For cyclically stored values,
however, the new points are imported on top of the existing cyclic values. For more information on fast
load imports, see About Fast Load CSV File Imports on page 176.
Importing Data from CSV Files

You can import data int o the history blocks, as long as the dat a is formatted according to a specific
comma-separated values (CSV) format. The basic steps for importing data are:
1. Configure the data import folder, which is where you will put your formatted CSV files.
For more information, see Predefined CSV File Import Folders on page 176.
2. Add tag definitions to the AVEVA Historian database for all data values you plan to import. Importing
data for a tag that is not defined results in an error. If you are importing legacy InTouch data, you can
use the Tag Importer to import a tagname database, which cont ains the tag definitions. Otherwise,
you must manually add the tag definitions.
For information on importing an InTouch tagname dat abase, see Importing an InTouch Data
Dictionary on page 98.
For information on adding tag definitions manually, see Defining Tags on page 51.
3. Determine the type of import, either normal or "fast load."
For more information, see About Normal CSV File Imports on page 176 and About Fast Load CSV
File Imports on page 176.
4. Determine if you want to insert original dat a for I/O Server tags. By default, the system does not
insert original data for I/O Server tags by a CSV file. However, you can change this setting by
changing the value of the AllowOriginals system parameter to 1.
For more information on editing system parameters, see Editing System Parameters on page 261.
5. Format the CSV file according to the import type.
For more information, see Formatting the CSV File for a Normal Import on page 177 or Formatting
the CSV File for a Fast Load Import on page 179.
6. Place the file int o the appropriate data import folder, where it is automatically processed by the
system.
For more information, see Copying a CSV File into an Import Folder on page 180.
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For a comparison of the various import methods, see Guidelines for Importing, Inserting, and Updating
History Data on page 171.
Predefined CSV File Import Folders

By default, import folders are created in the main AVEVA Historian data folder when the product is
installed. For ex ample, if you specified D:\ Historian\DA TA\Circular as the circular data folder, the CSV
data import folder is D:\Historian\DA TA\DataImport,.
Important: If you leave the data import path at the default location (on the drive hosting the circular data
folder), placing large CSV files in a data import folder may prompt the AVEVA Historian disk
management subsystem to immediately start moving or deleting history blocks to maintain the
configured amount of required free space on the disk. It is highly recommended to change the data
import folder to a different drive than your circular storage.
The different import folders are described in the following table:
Import Folder Description
\DataImport Used for normal CSV import files.
\FastLoad Used for "fast load" CSV import files. Files in this folder are processed one at a time, in
the order that they appear in Windows Explorer as you are viewing the folder contents.
\Manual Used by MDAS for tags. If the amount of data spans multiple 64 KB chunks, files are
collected in the \Support subdirectory until all of the data is received. The files are then
copied to the \Manual folder for inclusion into history.
To manually change the predefined import folder

1. Use Windows Explorer to creat e the new folder.
Note: Be sure that you maintain the \Manual\Support subfolder and optional \FastLoad subfolder.
You cannot change the name of the \FastLoad or the \Support folder to another name.
2. Edit the DataImportPath system parameter to specify the new data import folder.
For more information on editing system parameters, see Editing System Parameters on page 261.
3. Restart the AVEVA Historian.
About Normal CSV File Imports

Use the normal import mechanism if you primarily want to modify a small amount of existing data stored
in the AVEVA Historian or store a small amount of new values. The insert of an entire CSV file results in
a single new version of the data. If an inserted data point falls exactly on an existing timestamp, the data
value is added to history. The existing data is maintained in history.
For guidelines on using this import met hod versus other import methods, see Guidelines for Importing,
Inserting, and Updating History Data on page 171.
About Fast Load CSV File Imports

Using the "fast load" CSV import mechanism, you c an import original data very quickly, using essentially
the same CSV file format as for a normal import, with some modifications.
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A "fast load" import is much faster than a normal CSV import. For example, a CSV file that is 4 MB
imports approximately 100 times faster. For larger files, the speed improvement gets substantially better.
Also, there are no restrictions on the size of the file to import, or the number of tags or data values in the
file. However, the data that is contained in the CSV file for a fast load import must be formatted in time
sequential order. It is this ordering that allows the system to process a fast load CSV file more quickly
than a normal CSV file.
Put a formatted CSV file into a special \FastLoad import folder.
A fast load import can only be applied where there is no existing stored data.
General File Format for a CSV Import

The CSV file format for imports is as follows.
Formatting the CSV File for a Normal Import

To import external data into the history blocks, you must format your dat a according to the CSV file
format as outlined in the following table. For a general illustration of the format, see General File Format
for a CSV Import on page 177.
You can name the CSV file anything you want. For the format, note that:
 Only one operation type per line is allowed.
 Multiple records per line of the same operation type is allowed.
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 A multipoint update is a sequence of updates where the beginning of an update period is the end of
the previous update. A multipoint update is faster t han a simple sequence of inserts because a single
version is used for all values. Use a multipoint update to mask underlying data with a new set of
values for the specified time period.
o Fields 3 and 4 of the values are used in single point updat e only and must be excluded from the
record for a multipoint updat e. A single point update refers to the situation when an update value
is assigned to a time period specified by the start date/time and end dat e/time. A multipoint
update can replace a single or multiple previous points. It represents, like a single point update,
a span of time that starts with the current row date/time and ending at the next row date/time.
The value specified in each rec ord is held as the latest value until the next record. The last rec ord
is ignored in a multipoint update.
o The last record (time wise) will indicate the end of the previous update period. The value will be
ignored.
If two multipoint update CSV files for the same tag are simultaneously copied to the \DataImport
directory, the updat e spans across the total time for the two files. A query returning latest data hides
(masks) the original version of the data from the end of the first file to the start of the second file.
For example, if the update in one file ranges from 00:00:00 to 00:05:00, and the other ranges fr om
00:10: 00 to 00:15:00, the result is an update starting at 00:00: 00 and ending at 00:15:00 ("lat est"); the
original data from 00:05:00 to 00:10:00 is masked as "original" data. No dat a is lost. To view either data
from a query, use the wwVersion column to specify either "original" or "latest." By default, the latest data
is shown. To prevent the masking of the original data, process the CSV files one at a time.
It is recommended not to use both inserts and original ins erts for the same tag in the same fil e or files
processed together.
When configuring the scaling setting (field 6), keep in mind that the data conversion to engineering units
(a setting of 0) is performed before the value is stored. The reverse of the scaling formula for the tag is
used to convert the data before storage. During retrieval, the scaling formula is applied so that the
original inserted values are returned. For integer type tags, if the value after the conversion is not an
integer value, it is rounded off. The rounding off can change the value to be exactly the same as the
previous value, and thus the rounded off value is not stored to disk if delta storage is used. If the tag is a
real type tag, the rounding off does not occur, and all values are stored.
The value to insert can be a NULL. For more information, see Handling of NULL Values in CSV Files on
page 180.
For a fast load CSV import, the end time of the current block in the block80.inf file is considered to be the
current time, not the current system time stamp. The end time in the .inf file is updated by the storage
subsystem every 20 seconds.
Example CSV Files for a Normal Import

The following is an example of an insert of data values for a single tag, "ReactTemp." The pipe ( | ) is
used as a delimit er.
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The following is an example of an update of data values for a single tag, "Man1." A comma ( , ) is used as
a delimiter.
The following is an example of a multipoint update of data values for a single t ag. A comma ( , ) is used as
a delimiter. The last value is ignored.
Formatting the CSV File for a Fast Load Import

Important: The data points must be sorted in time sequential order for a successful "fast load" import.
The format for the fast load CSV file is essentially the same as the normal format, with a few exceptions.
For a general illustration of the CSV format, see General File Format for a CSV Import on page 177. For
a detailed description of the normal format, see Formatting the CSV File for a Normal Import on page
177.
The fast load format exceptions are:
 All data in the file is treated as original data. The Operation Type field in the file header is ignored.
 The actual dat a values in the file must be in time sequential order, starting at the top of the file. This
is the most important requirement. Values that have out-of-sequence timestamps are ignored. If a
data value in the file has a timestamp that is earlier than the timestamp in the previous line in the file,
the data value is discarded, regardless of whet her it belongs to the same tag or a differe nt tag.
 The file should contain only one data value per line.
Example CSV Files for a Fast Load Import

The following is an example of an insert of original data values for a single tag, "Manual_01." The pipe (
| ) is used as a delimiter.
ASCII
|
RolandoM|1|Server Local|10|0
Manual_01|0|2004/12/08|04:00:17.000|0|22|192
Manual_01|0|2004/12/08|04:01:17.000|0|23|192
Manual_01|0|2004/12/08|04:02:17.000|0|24|192
Manual_01|0|2004/12/08|04:03:17.000|0|25|192
Manual_01|0|2004/12/08|04:04:17.000|0|26|192
Manual_01|0|2004/12/08|04:05:17.000|0|27|192
Manual_01|0|2004/12/08|04:06:17.000|0|28|192
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Manual_01|0|2004/12/08|04:07:17.000|0|29|192
Manual_01|0|2004/12/08|04:08:17.000|0|30|192
Manual_01|0|2004/12/08|04:09:17.000|0|31|192
The following example shows an insert of original data values for a single tag, identified by a wwTagK ey
of 777. A comma ( , ) is used as a delimiter. The file is saved as UNICODE, where every character is
represented by two bytes.
UNICODE
,
MikeA,1,Server Local,11,2
777,0,2004/12/09,12:05:24.000,0,100,192
777,0,2004/12/09,12:48:36.000,0,101,192
777,0,2004/12/09,13:31:48.000,0,102,192
777,0,2004/12/09,14:15:00.000,0,103,192
777,0,2004/12/09,14:58:12.000,0,104,192
777,0,2004/12/09,15:41:24.000,0,105,192
777,0,2004/12/09,16:24:36.000,0,106,192
777,0,2004/12/09,17:07:48.000,0,107,192
777,0,2004/12/09,17:51:00.000,0,108,192
Handling of NULL Values in CSV Files

The value to insert can be a NULL.
If the OPC Quality in the CSV file is between 0 to 6 3, then:
 The NULL value is stored.
 The Quality Detail is set to 249 (not a number).
 The OP C Quality is what was specified in the CSV file.
If the OPC Quality in the CSV file is great er than 63, then:
 The value that was specified in the CSV file is stored.
 The Quality Detail is set to 192 (unless the value specified is NULL in the CSV file, in which case the
Quality Detail is set to 249).
 The OP C Quality is what was specified in the CSV file (unless the value specified is NULL in t he CSV
file).
If the value is not NULL, but the OPC Quality is less than 63, then:
 A NULL value is stored.
 The Quality Detail is set to 249 (not a number).
 The OP C Quality is what was specified in the CSV file.
Copying a CSV File into an Import Folder

After you copy one or more CSV files to an import folder, the AVEVA Historian attempts to read the file(s)
only one time. If the read is successful, the data is automatically convert ed and merged in with the
appropriate history block according to the date range provided in the CSV file. The CSV file is then
deleted from the directory. If an error occurs during the import, the CSV file is moved to the \Support
folder. A message is also posted in the error log.
At any given time, the manual storage service processes either fast load CSV files or normal CSV files;
the two types are not processed concurrently.
Do not attempt a CSV file import if the manual storage process is initializing, as indicated by the icon in
the status display of the Management Console.
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Be sure that the access for the history blocks is read/ write (if you copy them from a CD or DVD, for
example, they are read-only).
Running the Historian Data Importer from a Command Prompt

You can run the Historian Data Importer in console mode from a command prompt to process CSV files.
The following table describes the command line arguments when running the utility in console mode. All
the arguments are case-insensitive. The utility returns a 0 or a non-zero integral value, where 0 indicates
success and a non-zero value indicates an error code.
Argument Description Optional? Example
-? or -help Shows the help. Yes aahimport.exe -?

aahimport.exe -help
-f Name of a single CSV file to process. No aahimport.exe -f

"C:\CSVFiles\201312021201.
csv"
-h Name of the historian node on whic h the No aahimport.exe -h HistNode

utility is running.
-e This is the file encoding type to use. Valid Yes aahimport.exe -e ASCII
values are: ASCII, UNICODE, or UTF-8.
-fs Specifies that data should be processed Yes aahimport.exe -f

as streamed values. "C:\CSVFiles\201312021201.
csv" -fs
-u and -p Administrative security credentials for Yes aahimport.exe -u "username"

logging on to the Historian computer. -p "password"
-fw Specifies for the utility to "watch" the Yes aahimport.exe -fw
folder and process any valid CSV file that "C:\CSVFiles" -h HistNode
is placed there.
Inserting or Updating Data with Transact-SQL Statements

Using the Trans act-SQL INSE RT and UP DA TE statements, you can insert or update data in the
AnalogHistory, DiscreteHistory, StringHistory, and History tables (Value and OP CQuality only).
The AVEVA Historian uses the same security defined for SQL Server for inserting and updating dat a.
However, as with a CSV file, you cannot delete any data value from storage.
If you are attempting to insert or update values whose time period spans across missing history blocks,
the necessary history block(s) are recreated for the duration of the data.
INSERT ... VALUES Syntax

An INSE RT statement with a VALUES clause is supported only if you use the four-part syntax.
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Syntax
INSERT [INTO] {table_name | view_name} (column_list)
VALUES ({DateTime: constant | variable},
{TagName: constant | variable},
{Value: constant | variable}
[, {OPCQuality: constant | variable}]
[, {wwTimeZone: constant | variable}]
[, {wwVersion: constant | variable}] )
Using variables in t he VALUES claus e is permitted only with four-part naming. For more information, see
"Using the Four-Part Naming Conventi on" in Chapt er 6, "Data Retrieval Subsystem," in the AVEVA
Historian Concepts Guide.
Arguments
table_name
The name of the extension table into which you want to insert the data. Valid values are:
AnalogHistory, DiscreteHistory, StringHistory or History.
view_name
The corresponding view name for an extension table. Valid values are: v_AnalogHistory,
v_DiscreteHistory, v_StringHistory or v_History.
column_list
Mandatory columns are DateTime, TagName and Value. OPCQualit y, wwTimeZone, and
wwV ersion are optional columns. If the OP CQualit y column is omitted in an INSERT … VALUES
statement, an OPCQuality value of 192 (Good) is inserted automatically. If the wwTimeZone column
is omitted, the time zone of the server is assumed. The wwVersion column defaults to 'original' for
non-I/O S erver tags and for I/O Server tags.
Due to a restriction on the vValue (variant) column in Microsoft SQL Server, any string data insert ed or
updated must be done to the StringHistory table, not the History table.
The column_list parameter, which is optional in a regular SQL INSE RT … VALUES statement, is
mandatory for the AVEVA Historian INSE RT … VALUES syntax.
Examples
The following examples show valid INSE RT … VALUES statements using the "four-part" query syntax.
For more information on four-part queries, see "Query Syntax for the AVEVA Historian OLE DB Provider"
in Chapter 6, "Data Retrieval Subsystem," in the AVEVA Historian Concepts Guide.
INSERT INSQL.Runtime.dbo.AnalogHistory (DateTime, TagName, Value, OPCQuality)
VALUES ('1999-11-11 16:05:10', 'NonIOTag1', 56, 192)
INSERT INTO INSQL.Runtime.dbo.StringHistory (DateTime, TagName, Value,
wwTimeZone, wwVersion)
VALUES ('1999-11-11 16:05:10', 'IOstring1', 'Batch 10', 'Eastern Standard
Time', 'latest')
You can also use the view name in place of the four-part name. For example, in the following queries,
v_History and v_A nalogHistory are used instead of the four-part name INSQL.Runtime.dbo.History and
INSQL.Runtime. dbo.AnalogHistory, respectively.
INSERT v_History (TagName, OPCQuality, Value, DateTime)
VALUES ('NonIOtag1', 192, 56, '1999-11-11 16:05:10')
INSERT INTO v_History (TagName, DateTime, Value, OPCQuality)
SELECT 'ManualReactTemp', DateTime, 32 + Value * 9 / 5, 192 FROM
v_AnalogHistory
WHERE TagName = 'ReactTemp'
AND DateTime >= dateadd(mi, -50, getdate())
AND DateTime < dateadd(mi, -10, getdate())
AND wwRetrievalMode = 'Delta'
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You can use SQL variables in a four-part query. For example.

DECLARE @Value float
DECLARE @DateTime DateTime
SET @Value = 1.2345
SET @DateTime = DateAdd(Minute, -10, GetDate())
INSERT v_History (DateTime, TagName, Value, OPCQuality)
VALUES (@DateTime, 'NonIOTag1', @Value, 192)
Using the wwVersion Parameter for INSERTs

You can use the wwV ersion parameter to specify different handling for data that you are ins erting. You
can use the following values for wwVersion:
 REALTIME
 LATES T
 ORIGINA L
You can insert any quality detail values, but it is recommended that you use values of either 0 (BAD), 64
(Unc ertain), or 192 (GOOD).
Inserting Real-time Original Data

Real-time data insertion by means of an INSE RT statement is supported f or all non-I/O Server tags. Data
that is acquired in this manner is handled just like real-time data coming from an I/O Server tag. You
insert real-time data into history by specifying REALTIME for the value of the wwVersion parameter in a
Trans act-SQL INSE RT statement. All data insert ed as real-time data is assumed to be "original" data.
"Original" data is the first data value that is stored for a particular timestamp.
Real-time data is always inserted into the current history block and incorporated into t he primary
(real-time) data stream. This eliminat es the performance overhead that is associated with inserting
and/or versioning non-real-time data, thus making the inserts very efficient.
For example, you can create a client application that uses Trans act -SQL INSE RT statements to insert
real-time dat a into the system.
The following restrictions apply to a real -time insert.
 You cannot insert real-time data for an I/O Server tag.
 You must have SQL Server permissions to perform an insert.
In the following example, a value is inserted for 'MyAnalogTag1' directly into the primary data stream.
The timestamp for the value is determined by the result of the getdate() function:
INSERT INSQL.Runtime.dbo.AnalogHistory (DateTime, TagName, Value, OP CQuality,
wwVersion)
VALUES(getdate(), 'MyAnalogTag1', 10, 192, 'REALTIME')
You can also allow the system to timestamp the value by specifying a NULL value for the DateTime
column. The timestamp is the current time of the historian. For example:
INSERT INSQL.Runtime.dbo.AnalogHistory (DateTime, TagName, Value, OPCQuality,
wwVersion)
VALUES(null, 'MyAnalogTag1', 10, 192, 'REALTIME')
Note that this is a special case that is supported by the REALTIME parameter; under normal
circumstances a NULL value for the DateTime column produces an error.
Inserting Original Non-Streamed Data

You insert original data into history by specifying ORIGINAL for the value of the wwV ersion parameter in
a Transact-SQL INSE RT statement.
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You can insert original data for both I/O Server tags and non-I/O Server tags. However, to insert original
data for I/O Server tags, the AllowOriginals system parameter must be set to 1. For more information,
see Editing System Parameters on page 261.
If original data is already stored in the history blocks with the same timestamps as the data you are
inserting, the system retains the first set of original values and adds the second set of original values as
well, resulting in multiple original values for the same timestamps. If you specify to retrieve original
values, there is no way to determine the order in which the values were inserted. In a case such as this,
it is better to insert revision data, if the added performance overhead is not a problem.
The following query inserts an original value for 'NonIOTag1' into history:
wwVersion)
VALUES('2002-11-11 16:05:10', 'NonIOTag1', 10, 192, 'ORIGINAL')
Inserting Latest Revision Data

The AVEVA Historian supports inserting the first (original) and last (latest) version of a tag value.
You insert revision data into history by specifying LA TES T for the value of the wwVersion paramet er in a
Trans act-SQL INSE RT statement. This is essentially the same as performing an update, but without
some of the limitations.
You can insert revision dat a for bot h I/O Server tags and non-I/O Server tags.
The following query inserts revision data for 'NonIOTag1' into history:
wwVersion)
VALUES('2002-11-11 16:05:10', 'NonIOTag1', 15, 192, 'LATEST')
UPDATE Syntax
The AVEVA Historian implements UPDA TE only by the OPENQUE RY function, not by a four -part
syntax. The reason for this is the method of implementation of UP DA TE in Microsoft SQL Server. If you
attempt to update values using the four-part query syntax, you will receive an error.
Also, a limitation of using the OPENQUE RY function is that SQL variables cannot be used in the
UPDA TE statement.
Updating data in history always results in a new history version, and can be performed multiple times;
however, only the original or the latest version of the data is available upon retrieval.
Syntax
The syntax of the UPDA TE statement in the OPENQUE RY portion is:
SELECT * FROM OpenQuery(INSQL, 'UPDATE { table_name }
SET
column_name = constant [,...n]
WHERE
<search_condition>')
Arguments
table_name
The name of the extension table into which you want to update the data. Valid values are:
AnalogHistory, DiscreteHistory, StringHistory or History.
column_name
Valid values are: Value, OP CQuality. (Update of the vValue column of the History table is not
supported.)
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Remarks
For the <search_condition>, DateTime and TagName search criteria are mandatory. The DateTime
criterion must refer to a time range; an update at a single time point ('Dat eTime= ') is not supported.
Important: When updating data using the OLE DB provider, the greater than operator (>) and the less
than operator (<) are always interpret ed as >= and <=, respectively. For more information, see Example
2 in this section.
DateTime >[=] earlier_datetime_value AND DateTime <[=] later_datetime_value
Similarly, TagName may refer to one or more tags:
TagName = ...
-or-
TagName [NOT] LIKE ...
-or-
TagName IN ( ... )
'TagName NOT IN (…)' is not supported. This is similar to the capabilities of OpenQuery SELECT;
'NOT IN' syntax is also not supported her e.
As with INSERT … VALUES, wwTimeZone is optional. If not specified, the time zone defaults to the time
zone of the AVEVA Historian.
Important: Other types of s earc h conditions (for example, using a condition on Value) are not supported.
Example 1
The support ed UP DA TE syntax is shown in the following example:
SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY(INSQL, 'UPDATE History SET Value = 10, OPCQuality = 192
WHERE TagName LIKE "Line1V%"
AND DateTime >= "1999-11-11 16:05:10"
AND DateTime <= "1999-11-11 16:05:40" ')
This query sets the Value to 10 and t he OP CQuality t o 192 for all data values for the specified tags, when
the specified DateTime criteria are met.
Example 2
For the following query, the data that is updated will include the timestamps of 2002-10-03 14:59:59 and
2002-10-03 16:00:00, respectively. Existing points at these timestamps will therefore be affected by the
update.
SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY(INSQL, 'UPDATE History SET Value = 1, OPCQuality = 192
WHERE TagName = "Manual_AD32SI1"
AND DateTime > "2002-10-03 14:59:59"
AND DateTime < "2002-10-03 16:00:00" ')
Renaming Tags
The Historian Tag Rename Utility lets you rename tags in AVEVA Historian while preserving the
historical data associated with thos e tags. At rename, the old tag’s data history is linked to the new tag
name that you specify.
Note: For classic history blocks, use the earlier version of the Tag Rename utility. In this case, be sure to
run the earlier version before you run the new Historian Tag Rename Utility.
Historian tags, along with other tags, are stored in the Runtime database in the Tag, AnalogTag,
DiscreteTag, and StringTag tables. You can view thes e tags in the ArchestrA System Management
Cons ole. These tags cannot be renamed from the Historian Configuration Editor.
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To view Historian tags in the Runtime database

 In ArchestrA System Management Console, expand Historian, expand Historian Group, expand
Configuration Editor, expand System Configuration, and then expand Tag Configuration.
The Historian also stores tag meta data, including information about tag name and tag version, in history
blocks.
About Historian Tag Ownership

Although all tags are created and stored with their associated data in a historian server, each tag ha s an
implicit "owner". That owner is the entity responsible for creation and re -creation of that tag and for
sending data associated with it. Tag ownership may change over time, but at any point in time it can be
clearly identified. A tag can have one of three possible owners:
 AVEVA Application Server. When an application server is deployed, a tag is created and its name is
automatically generated from the object hierarchy. If, for some reason, that historian tag completely
disappeared from the historian server, the AVEVA Application server could recreate that tag
automatically at the next deployment.
 AVEVA Historian SDK application, if it adds a tag before sending dat a. As in the case with the
AVEVA Application Server, that application can re -create the tag automatically if necessary.
 AVEVA Historian, if that tag is an IDAS tag or one created manually through the Configuration Editor
or a stored procedure.
AVEVA Historian can become a tag owner for already -collected data if the associated AVEVA
Application Server deployment or S DK application no longer exists and is no longer able to re -create or
send dat a.
If a tag must be renamed, the first step is renaming it in the owner and then forcing the owner to re-create
a tag with the new name. For AVEVA Application Server, it means making changes in the object
hierarchy and redeploying. For an S DK application, it means renaming the tag in the application,
restarting the application to reconnect to the historian, and then reconfiguring the current most recent
version of the tag.
If, however, the Application Server no longer exists or the application is no longer used, the tag
ownership is already trans ferred to the historian and that first step is unnecessary.
After the tag owner re-creates the tag with a new name, the new incoming data will be stored under that
new tag name. However, previously collected data is still associated with the old name. To make that old
data visible, you can use the Tag Rename Utility to update previous tag met adat a records with the new
tag name without changing the tagids of those records.
Preparing to Rename Application Server Tags

Before renaming Application Server tags with the Tag Rename Utility, be sure to do the following:
1. Complete the store-and-forward at the user end to synchronize the tag information.
For more information, see the Application Server doc umentation.
2. Undeploy any Galaxies that are already deployed using the System Platform IDE.
3. Stop, shutdown, and disable the Historian.
For more information, see Starting and Stopping AVEVA Historian (s ee "Starting and Stopping AVEVA
Historian" on page 27).
Important: After connecting to the database, the Tag Rename Utility will check for the Runtime dat abase
version and will proceed only if you are using version 11.5 or higher.
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Renaming Tags Using the Tag Rename Utility

To rename tags:
1. Open the Tag Rename Utility.
2. Provide authentication information in either of these ways:
o Use Windows authentication. With this method, you are not required to provide a username and
password. You will be connected with the credentials that you have already used to log onto the
computer.
o Use SQL Server authentication. With this method, you must provide the username and
password for the SQL Server.
Important: For either authentication method to work, you must have administrator privileges on the
SQL Server Runtime database.
3. Click Connect to connect to the Historian Runtime database.

4. Click Add Tag to specify the tag you want to rename.
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5. In Old Tag Name, type the current tag name.
6. In New Tag Name, type a new name for the tag. The tag names may contain letters, numbers, and
the special characters "_" and "$", but no spaces. Click OK.
7. Repeat steps 4 through 6 for each tag you want to rename.
8. Click Rename Tags. A screen like this displays your tags:
You may see bot h red and green outcomes as a result of renaming the tags.
o Green indicates that the Tag Rename Utility has successfully renamed the tag in the Runtime
database.
o Red indicates that the rename was not successful. This typically happens because the
connection failed, the old tag did not exist, or the new tag name was a duplicate. The Details
column shows the reasons for any failure.
Note: You can also rename several tags at a time by clicking Add CSV, and then specifying a .CSV
file that contains an old tag name and a new tag name consecutively in each row.
9. After using the Tag Rename Utility, enable and start the Historian.
For more information, see Starting and Stopping AVEVA Historian (s ee "Starting and Stopping
AVEVA Historian" on page 27).
Your tags will be updated to the new tag name and contain the history associated with the old tag.
10. If applicable, open the System Platform IDE and deploy the Galaxies.
Updating Replicated Data

Updating replicat ed dat a is very similar to updating non-replicated data with a few exceptions.
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Always update data at the tier-1 historian. The replic ation process then propagates the information from
the tier-1 historian to the tier-2 historian. In ot her words, do not attempt to update Tier-2 dat a. Remember
that there is some latency with propagatin g updated information, typically from a few seconds to a few
minutes. However, bandwidth limitations and the quantity of data to be replicated may also cause delays
in propagation. After propagation, all replicated tag values and their OPC qualities are id entical on both
tiers.
If any data modification is performed on the tier -2 historian, including deletion of history blocks and if the
data for the same tag is then modified on the tier -1 historian and an overlapping time int erval, then the
data modification on the tier-2 historian may be overwritten during replication. The replication proc ess
also creates new "patch" history blocks on the tier -2 historian when necessary.
If s ome history blocks are deleted on the tier-1 historian manually or due to scheduled disk management,
the tier-2 values remain unchanged.
For more information on tag replication and replication servers, see Managing and Configuring
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C HAPTER 7
Managing and Configuring Replication
About Replication
With AVEVA Historian, you can replicate tag information
from one historian to another. This creates a "tiered"
relationship between historians. That is, the tier-1 historian
send its replicated data to a tier-2 historian.
Historian also supports multi-tier replication. Data
originating at tier 1 can be replicated to tier 2, then again to
tier 3, and so on.
AVEVA Historian can replicate process data as well as
alarms and events.
AVEVA Historian supports two types of replication:

 Simple replication
You can replicate tag data directly using simple replication, where the tag information is replicated
directly to the next-tier historian (for example, from tier 1 to tier 2). For simple replication, every value
for a tag is copied.
 Summary replication
You can also set up summary tags that receive a summarized version of the tag data.
Replication Schedules
Each real-time summary has a specified schedule, by which the summary is calculated and sent for
storage to the next-tier historian with the timestamp of the cycle.
There are two types of replication schedules:
 Periodic replication schedule s
You can configure a summary to replicate based on an cycle such as 1 minute, 5 minutes, 1 hour, 1
day, and so on. The cycle boundaries are calculated starting at midnight, lower -tier (originating)
server loc al time, and continue in fixed time inc rements. The time between cycles is constant within a
day even through a daylight savings change. Note that the last cycle in a day may be shorter t o force
replication at midnight. The calculation cycle starts at midnight. For example, a 13 -minute cycle is
stored at 12: 00 a.m., 12:13, 12:26, ... 11:27 p.m., 11:40, 11:53, and then again at 12:00 a.m.
 Custom replication schedules
Custom schedules force replication cycles to occur at fixed times of the day in lower-tier (originating)
server local time. You choose the fixed times of day.
Replication Schedules and Daylight Savings Time

Daylight Savings Time affects replication schedules that are triggered according to a time period, such
as every hour, every thirty minutes, and so on. Replication schedules that are triggered at a fixed time
that you specify are not affected.
In the following examples, the time change occurs at 2:00 a.m.
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AVEVA™ Historian Administration Guide formerly Wonderware Managing and Configuring Replication
In this example, the summary period is configured to be every 30 minutes. On the "fall back" day, will be
two extra summaries performed during the repeated hour for that day. For the "spring forward" day, there
will be two summaries missing becaus e of the skipped hour. The next replication occurs at the next
scheduled time. In this case, it would be 3:00 a.m.
Summary Period = 30 Minutes
“Fall Back” Day Regular Day “Spring Forward” Day
1:00 a.m. Daylight 1:00 a.m. Standard 1:00 a.m. Standard

1:00 a.m. Standard 2:00 a.m. Standard
1:30 a.m. Standard 2:30 p.m. Standard
2:00 a.m. Standard 3:00 a.m. Standard 3:00 a.m. Daylight time gap
extra summaries 2:30 p.m. Standard 3:30 a.m. Standard 3:30 a.m. Daylight
3:00 a.m. Standard
3:30 a.m. Standard
In the next example, the summary period is configured for every four hours. The scheduled summaries
do not occur exactly on or within the boundaries of the time change hour. In this case, on the "fall back"
day, the summary subsequent to the time change hour includes four hours of data for the "fall back" day.
An extra summary for an hour’s worth of data is performed at the end of the "fall back" day. On the
"spring forward" day, the summary period that contains the skipped hour includes one less hour of data.
Summary Period = 4 Hours

3:00 a.m. Standard 4:00 a.m. Standard 4:00 a.m. Daylight
11:00 p.m. Standard 12:00 p.m. Standard only 3 hours of
4 hours of data 12:00 p.m. Daylight
15:00 a.m. Standard 16:00 a.m. Standard data summarized
summarized 16:00 a.m. Daylight
0:00 a.m. Standard
“extra” hour
For a custom summary period, the summaries always occur at the fixed times of day that you specify in
local time. However, the summary includes and extra hour of data for the "fall back" day (because of the
overlap hour) and for the "spring forward" day (becaus e of the skipped hour).
Summary Period = Custom: 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20

extra hour - 12:00 p.m. Standard 12:00 p.m. Standard 12:00 p.m. Daylight only 3 hours of
5 hours of data 16:00 a.m. Standard 16:00 a.m. Standard 16:00 a.m. Daylight data summarized
summarized 20:00 a.m. Standard 20:00 a.m. Standard 20:00 a.m. Daylight
If a Daylight Savings Time change causes a scheduled time to be ambiguous, such as 1:30 a.m. on a
"fall back" day when the clock jumps from 1:59 a.m. Daylight Savings Time to 1:00 a.m. standard time
and the time could be interpret ed as 1:30 a.m. Daylight Savings Time or 1:30 a.m. Standard Time, the
replication will occur at the latter of the two occurrences. In this case it would be 1:30 a.m. Standard
Time.
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Replication Groups
A replication group abstracts a tag from a schedule. You can assign multiple summary tags to a single
replication group.
Replication Schedule
1 Day
Summary Tags
Summary Tag A
Summary Tag B
Replication 1 Day Summary Tag C
Server A
.
Replication Group Summary Tag N
Multiple groups can be assigned to a single schedule. This simplifies maintenance. If you need to edit the
schedule (for example, change the time of day for a shift end), you only need to edit the replication
schedule, not the individual groups or summary tag configurations.
8-hour shift
Summary Tags
Summary Tag A
My Group A Summary Tag B
Replication Summary Tag C
Server A
Summary Tag D
My Group B Summary Tag E
Summary Tag F
Replication Groups
A replication group must be unique for a type of summary tag, either analog or state. You can, however,
have the same group name for analog summary tags as you do for state summary tags. You can also
have the same replic ation group defined in multiple servers.
8-hour shift
Summary Tags
Replication Summary Tag A

Server A My Group A Summary Tag B
Summary Tag C
Summary Tag D
Replication My Group A Summary Tag E
Server B Summary Tag F
Replication Groups
How Replication is Handled for Different Types of Data

An accurate map of data between replication tiers is maintained over time. This mapping includes bot h
tag configuration and data synchronization.
Replication is unidirectional -- it goes from one tier to the next tier. For example, from the tier-1 historian
to the tier-2 historian, but not from tier 2 to tier 1. If the data on a next-tier historian is changed in any way,
the system does not try to map the change back to the lower-tier historian.
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For example, suppose a tag from historian A is replicated in real-time to historian B. The tag on historian
B has exactly the same data and OPC quality values as the tag on historian A. The replication system
performs the following actions:
 When a new original value fitting the real-time window gets stored on historian A, it gets transmitted
and stored on historian B, as well as the original value.
 If you perform an insert or updat e operation for some old values of the historian A, the same change
is reflected on historian B.
 If some store-and-forward data gets merged into history on historian A, the same data gets
transmitted to historian B and gets merged int o history of historian B.
Replication is implemented in two ways: streaming replication and queued replication. The replication
system uses a combination of streamed replication and queued replication as required.
Streaming Replication
When values of originating tier-1 tags are received from an IDAS or HCAL (AVEVA Application Server)
and arrive at the tier-1 historian as a time-ordered dat a stream directly, the historian not only stores the
data, but also forwards it to the Replication subsystem if replication is configured for those tags.
Then the Replication subsystem immediately streams that data to the tier-2 historian for simple
replication, or performs summary calculations and streams the resulting summaries. Likewise, if there
are more tiers beyond tier 2, the Replication subsystem streams the data beyond tier 2 to the next -level
tiers.
This happens equally efficiently for t ag values of timestamps close to the current system time and for late
data tags.
If any next-tier historian becomes unavailable, the Replication subsystem continues to stream replicated
data into the local store-and-forward path. When the connection is restored, all replicated data is sent as
compressed snapshots to the next-tier historian and incorporated into history.
Streaming replication is the fastest and most efficient way of data replication, but there are some
scenarios where it cannot be used. In that case, anot her method called queued replication is applied.
Queued Replication
AVEVA Historian uses queued replication in certain cases when streaming replication is not appropriate,
such as when:
 The data stream is interrupted.
For example, the remote IDAS configured for store -and-forward cannot communicate with the tier-1
historian for a long time. When the connection is restored, the store-and-forward data finally arrives
at the tier-1 historian. But by that time, it may already be streaming newer data.
 Lower-tier historian gets new data.
For example, an ins ert, update, or CSV file import operation is performed for lower-tier tag values.
This means the summaries should be rec alculated for that time period, and then re -replicated to the
next-tier historian(s).
 The lower-tier historian is stopped or re started.
For example, if the l ower-tier historian is restarted and there are some summaries spanning across
the startup/shutdown time, they must be recalculated and re-replicat ed to the next-tier historian(s).
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When such cases occur, the Replication subsystem receives notifications from the manual data storage
service. The notifications contain information about what kind of lower -tier tag data (original or latest) has
changed for a particular time interval. The Replication subsystem places that notific ation record into the
replication queue stored in the Runtime database of the lower -tier historian. Later, when the connection
to the next-tier historian is restored, the Replication subsystem proc esses that queue by querying the
lower-tier dat a and replicating it to the next-tier historian(s). When the queue item is successfully
processed, it is removed from the replication queue.
Although the Replication subsystem optimizes the queue by combining adjacent records, queued
replication is slower and requires more system resources as compared to streamed replication, because
it involves querying lower-tier data already stored on disk.
Queued replication does not support data values with timestamps before the year 1970.
Tag Configuration Synchronization between Tiered Historians

If a summary tag is deleted on the lower-tier historian, its corresponding tag on each next-tier historian
remains intact to allow for retrieval of data already collected. A lower -tier tag cannot be delet ed from the
lower-tier historian if it is being replicat ed. You must first delete the tag replication and then delete the
lower-tier tag.
A next-tier tag can be deleted from the next-tier historian, but it should be deleted only after the
corresponding replication has been deleted from the lower -tier historian in that replication relations hip.
Otherwise, it will be rec reat ed.
Replication Run-time Operations

Communication bet ween tiers of replication historians may be int errupted because of a net work outage
or some other reason. When such interruptions occur, the replicat ed tags can still be configured and the
data collected. Then, when communication is restored, the replication configuration and data are sent to
the next-tier historian.
System and data integrity is not guaranteed if a disorderly shutdown occurs, such as a power outage.
Replication for tags will stop if:
 You delete the source tag configuration on the tier -1 historian.
 You configure the tier-1 tag so that its data values are not stored.
 An integer analog tag is being replicated as a state summary, and you change the sourc e tag to be a
real analog tag.
Replication Latency
Replication latency is the time it takes for the system to make a value available for retrieval on the
next-tier historian from the moment it was stored or calculated on the previous tier.
Replication latency depends primarily on whether the streaming or queued replication method is being
applied in each particular case and the available system resources to exec ute that method in each
particular case.
Streaming replication tends to have a shorter latency period than queued replication as it deals with
smaller amounts of data and is processed at a higher priority.
Replication Delay for "Old" Data

Replication delay identifies how frequently "old" data -- which includes inserts, updates, and
store-and-forward data -- is sent from the one tier to the next-tier historian. The replication delay applies
only to queued replication.
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You specify the delay using the OldDat aSynchronizationDelay system parameter. For more information,
see System Parameters (see "System Parameters" on page 35).
This delay represents your intent, while the replication latency identifies the real time difference. If the
latency period becomes longer than the replication delay, the system will not be able to maintain the
expected replication.
If you set the OldDataSynchronizationDelay system parameter t o 0 (zero), all changes det ected in the
lower-tier are immediately sent to the next-tier historian(s), which may be very inefficient for certain
applications.
Continuous Operation
If a next-tier historian that is configured for store -and-forward operations becomes unavailable, AVEVA
Historian ensures these continuous operations:
 You can still add, modify and delete replication and summary objects in the local configuration of the
lower-tier historian.
 You can store data locally for next-tier tags creat ed before the next-tier historian became unavailable
or while it is still unavailable.
Once the next-tier historian is available, the Replication Service does the following:
 Compares the latest replication and summary objects with the next -tier tags currently existing on the
next-tier historian
 Performs a dynamic reconfiguration to ensure all dat a is synchronized.
 Sends reconfiguration history that was stored locally to the next -tier historian so it can be merged
with other history information.
Once done, It will appear as though the disconnection between the tiers never took place.
Overflow Protection
If a next-tier historian cannot handle the inc oming replication dat a, the Replication Service detects the
situation and s witches into store-and-forward mode. The data is then accumulated locally until the limit is
reached. If that happens, all data to be sent to the next-tier historian is discarded and an error message
is logged.
Security for Data Replication

Connections from a lower-tier historian to a next-tier historian must be authenticated before any
replication task can be performed on the next-tier historian.
A local Windows user group called aaReplicationUsers is created on the next -tier historian during the
next-tier historian installation. The Arc hestrA user account is automatically added to this group. Only
members of the aaReplicationUsers group are allowed to perform replication tasks. These include
adding, modifying, and sending values for replication tags. This group is not allowed to perform other
non-replication tasks, such as adding or modifying a tier -1 tag.
When you configure a replication server on one historian, you must specify a valid Windows user account
on the next-tier historian for the replication service to use.
For example, suppose you are configuring a replication server on a tier -1 historian. The tier-2 security
account does not have to be a valid account on the tier -1 historian or even be in the same security
domain as the tier-1 historian. If no replication user credentials are configured in at the tier -1 historian,
the ArchestrA user account credential is passe d to the tier-2 historian for authentication.
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Adding a Replication Server

A replication server is a next-tier historian that receives and stores replicated data. The "next" tier
depends on where the data is being sent from. A tier -1 historian replicates to its next tier, tier 2. The tier-2
historian replicat es to its next tier, tier 3, and so on.
A replication server is configured on the lower -tier historian; that is, the one sending the replication data:
 The tier-2 replication server configuration is defined on the tier-1 historian.
 Tier 3 is configured on tier 2, and so on.
When you define the configuration for a replication server, you set up replication schedules, groups, and
tags for that next-tier historian.
Important: Replication is not supported bet ween a case-s ensitive historian and a case-insensitive
next-tier historian.
If t he next-tier historian doesn’t yet exist or can’t be reached over the network, the information is held until
the lower-tier historian can connect with an instance of AVEVA Historian on the next -tier computer. If the
lower-tier historian cannot communicate with the next-tier historian for any reason, data accumulates in
the designated store-and-forward path.
By default, AVEVA Historian creates a local replication server (named Local Replication) as part of the
installation process. You can creat e replication tags that use this local replication server or another
replication server.
When you create a new replication server, the system automatic ally generates replication groups for
analog summary and state summary replication types using default replication schedules. For more
information, see Adding a Replication Group on page 216.
A few default replication schedules are also created for your new replication server, and you can use
these schedules to create replication groups.
The system also creates a list of system tags for each replication server. For more information on the
default system tags, see Replication Subsystem Tags on page 46 in the AVEVA Historian Concepts
Guide.
Note: If you want to use AVEVA Insight as a replication server, see Adding AVEVA Insight as a
Replication Server (see "Adding AVEVA Insight as a Replication Server" on page 200) for specific steps.
To add a replication server

2. Expand Configuration Editor, expand System Configuration, and then expand Replication.
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3. Right -click Replication Servers and select New Replication Server. The New Replication Server
dialog box appears.
4. Configure the basic options for the replication server as follows:

o Node Name/IP Address
Type the node name or IP address of the computer where the next -tier historian resides. (This
node name or IP address does not need to be active or accessible when you set up the
information for the new replication server.)
o Description
Type a description of the server. This description appears in the System Management Console
and in Historian Client reports.
o Store & Forward path
Type the store-and-forward pat h for dat a for this next-tier replication server. This must be an
absolute path on the current computer. Remot e paths are not supported for store-and-forward
addresses.
o Replicate Alarms and Events
This is enabled by default. This replicates alarms and events to the replication server.
Note that this is a simple replication of alarms and events. Summary replication does not apply.
o Replicate to AVEVA Insight
Check this to replicate data to AVEVA Insight.
o Connection Info
Type the user name and password for the replication server. To specify a Windows domain,
prefix the username with the domain name and a backslash. For example:
<domainname>\<username>.
o TCP Port
Type the TCP port to use for the new replication server. The TCP port is used by the next-tier
historian to receive data from the replication service on the lower -tier historian. This can be an
integer bet ween 1 and 65535. The default is 32568. This port number must match the
ReplicationTcpP ort system parameter value that is specified on the next-tier historian. Be sure
that you open this port in Windows Firewall. The port must not conflict with any other ports used
by other applications on the next-tier historian.
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5. To test the connection to the new replication server computer, click Test Connection.
The test succeeds only if:

o There is a valid node name.
o The TCP port is the same for both the lower-tier and next-tier nodes. To configure the TCP port,
click the Advanced tab.
o Valid credentials for an account that has permission on the next -tier node to send replication
data are ent ered.
If the test fails, see the ArchestrA Logger entries on both the lower-tier and next-tier historians for
more information.
6. Click Next. The New Replication Server - Advanced dialog box appears.
You can use the default summary and simple replication tag naming schemes, or you can create
your own.
7. In the Summary Replication Tag Naming Scheme and Simple Replication Tag Naming
Scheme areas, select the replication tag naming scheme to use. Specify a custom naming scheme
by selecting Custom and clicking the ellipsis button to the right of the box. The Naming Scheme
dialog box appears. For information about configuring the naming scheme, see Specifying Naming
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8. Configure the remaining advanc ed settings as follows:

o Min SF Duration
Enter the minimum duration in seconds for the replication service to function in
store-and-forward mode. The replication service functions in store-and-forward mode for this
length of time even if the condition that caused the replication service to function in
store-and-forward mode no longer exists. The duration can be an integer from 0 to 3600. Pick a
value that provides a smooth transition for store -and-forward operation and prevents the system
from repeatedly going in and out of store-and-forward mode.
o Compre ssion Enabled
Select this option to enable compression for the packets sent to the replication server. For
guidelines on using compression, see the performance information in the AVEVA System
Platform Installation Guide.
o Buffer Count
Enter the number of 64KB buffers to allocate for the new replication server. This can be an
integer from 128 to 2048. You may need to increase the buffer count to accommodate high data
rates.
o Bandwidth
– Select Unlimited to allow unlimited bandwidth to be used by the HCAL to communicat e with
the historian.
– Otherwise, leave it unselected and ent er a value in the Kbps box to specify a custom
bandwidth. This can be an integer from 10 to 1000000.
Setting a limit on the bandwidth throttles the amount of data that is sent during operations
such as a store-and-forward, an update, or a CSV export. You commonly use this feature
when you have a WAN with a low bandwidth. For example, suppose your WAN has a
128kbps bandwidth between the lower-tier and next-tier historians. If you have real -time
streaming dat a that requires 64kbps for normal operation but the network is down for 8 hours
and information is saved for store -and-forward, it will take 8 hours for the data to be
uploaded. If you leave this set to Unlimited, it will work fine.
But if you have 256kbps bandwidth that you have to share with other applications, set this to
128kbps to throttle the store-and-forward data and anything that isn’t streaming. This
prevents the historian’s operations from choking the other applications for bandwidt h. The
most common symptom of a problem is that when you come out of store -and-forward and
start sending data, the remote desktop is very sluggish and unresponsive. The band width
limit also applies to streaming data. However, streaming data will not be throttled, and
instead HCAL will be put into store-and-forward mode. For example, if the streaming
bandwidth is always 96kbps, and you set the limit at 128kbps, there will be 3 2kbps
remaining for store-and-forward to use. However, if you had a sudden spike and streaming
jumped up to 156kbps, it would exceed the limit and force HCAL into store -and-forward
mode.
o High Latency Network
– Select this option if the connection to the re plication server takes place over a high-latency
network (ping response times over 500 milliseconds). This option allows for longer
connection timeouts. If you use this option, we rec ommend that you also enable
compression.
– Leave it unselected if you are not expecting connection timeouts, as this setting can
negatively affect performance on a low-latency network.
9. Click Finish. The new replication server appears in the replication server list.
Adding AVEVA Insight as a Replication Server

If you want to connect from AVEVA Historian to AVEVA Insight as a next -tier server, follow these steps.
200
Note: You must have an account with AVEVA Insight first to complete these steps. If you do not have an
AVEVA Insight account, go to the AVEVA Insight site (https://insight.connect.aveva.com
https://insight.connect.aveva.com/) and click Register.
To add a replication server

1. In the System Management Console, expand a serve r group and then ex pand a server.
3. Right -click Replication Servers and select New Replication Server. The New Replication Server
dialog box appears.
4. Specify a Node Name and Description for the next-tier server. The default name is provided, but
you can type your own. The description you provide appears in the System Management Console
and in Historian Client reports.
Note: Although the field is called Node Name/IP Address, an IP address is not allowed for AVEVA
Insight.
5. Check the Replication to AV EV A Insight check box.
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6. Click Register.
This launches AVEVA Insight Publisher.
7. Follow the on-screen instructions to sign into AVEVA Insight, register your Insight data source, and
publish your historian replication tags to Insight.
Note: For more information about publishing data to AVEVA Insight, see AVEVA Insight help
(https://insight.connect.aveva.com/help https://insight.connect.aveva.com/help ).
8. Once the registration process is complete, you'll see encrypted information in the Connection Info
box.
Important: Do NOT tamper wit h this encrypted string in any way. This information is valid only on the
computer that created it. If you backup or restore Runtime, or use the DB Config Import/Export utility
to move it to a different comput er, you must re -register using the same data source name and then
select the Replace option.
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This is an example of the encrypted information you'll see:
9. Click Next. The New Replication Server - Advanced dialog box appears.
You can use the default summary and simple replication tag naming schemes, or you can create
your own.
10. In the Summary Replication Tag Naming Scheme and Simple Replication Tag Naming
Scheme areas, select the replication tag naming scheme to use. Specify a custom naming scheme
by selecting Custom and clicking the ellipsis button to the right of the box. The Naming Scheme
dialog box appears. For information about configuring the naming scheme, see Specifying Naming
11. Configure the remaining advanc ed settings as follows:
o Min SF Duration
Enter the minimum duration in seconds for the replication service to function in
store-and-forward mode. The replication service functions in store-and-forward mode for this
length of time even if the condition that caused the replication service to function in
store-and-forward mode no longer exists. The duration can be an integer from 0 to 3600. Pick a
value that provides a smooth transition for store -and-forward operation and prevents the system
from repeatedly going in and out of store-and-forward mode.
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o Compre ssion Enabled

Select this option to enable compression for the packets sent to the replication server. For
guidelines on using compression, see the performance information in the AVEVA System
Platform Installation Guide.
o Buffer Count
Enter the number of 64KB buffers to allocate for the new replication server. This can be an
integer from 128 to 2048. You may need to increase the buffer count to accommodate high data
rates.
o Bandwidth
– Select Unlimited to allow unlimited bandwidth to be used by the HCAL to communicate with
the historian.
– Otherwise, leave it unselected and ent er a value in the Kbps box to specify a custom
bandwidth. This can be an integer from 10 to 1000000.
Setting a limit on the bandwidth throttles the amount of data that is sent during operations
such as a store-and-forward, an update, or a CSV export. You commonly use this feature
when you have a WAN with a low bandwidth. For example, suppose your WAN has a
128kbps bandwidth between the lower-tier and next-tier historians. If you have real -time
streaming dat a that requires 64kbps for normal operation but the network is down for 8 hours
and information is saved for store -and-forward, it will take 8 hours for the data to be
uploaded. If you leave this set to Unlimited, it will work fine.
But if you have 256kbps bandwidth that you have to share with other applications, set this to
128kbps to throttle the store-and-forward data and anything that isn’t streaming. This
prevents the historian’s operations from choking the other applications for bandwidt h. The
most common symptom of a problem is that when you come out of store -and-forward and
start sending data, the remote desktop is very sluggish and unresponsive. The bandwidth
limit also applies to streaming data. However, streaming data will not be throttled, and
instead HCAL will be put into store-and-forward mode. For example, if the streaming
bandwidth is always 96kbps, and you set the limit at 128kbps, there will be 32kbps
remaining for store-and-forward to use. However, if you had a sudden spike and streamin g
jumped up to 156kbps, it would exceed the limit and force HCAL into store -and-forward
mode.
o High Latency Network
– Select this option if the connection to the replication server takes place over a high-latency
network (ping response times over 500 milliseconds). This option allows for longer
connection timeouts. If you use this option, we rec ommend that you also enable
compression.
– Leave it unselected if you are not expecting connection timeouts, as this setting can
negatively affect performance on a low-latency network.
12. Click Finish. The new replication server appears in the replication server list.
Specifying Naming Schemes for Replication

A replication naming scheme is a collection, or ex pression, of identifiers that fully describe a replication
tag. Replication t ag naming schemes identify the information being replicated quickly and easily and also
prevent name collisions between tags that inadvertently have identical names. You are enc ouraged to
plan your naming conventions and system requirements before implementing a naming scheme.
Note: Name collisions can occur when you have two or more tags (usually from dif ferent historians )
that have the same name. The dat a stored from one tag is mixed with data from the ot her tag,
contaminating the data on the replication server.
The naming scheme placeholders are described in the following table:
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Value Description
<ReplicationDefaultPrefix> A prefix based on the replication server name.
<SourceTagName> The name of the source tag on the lower-tier historian that is being
replicated to the next-tier historian.
<TypeA bbreviation> The type of summary tag: blank for analog summary or S for state
summary. The type abbreviation is most useful for preventing collisions
between analog tags. For an integer source tag, you can create both
analog and state summary tags, which can res ult in tag naming
collisions if you use only the ot her naming parameters.
<GroupAbbreviation> The abbreviation for the replication group.
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This diagram illustrates the naming scheme relationships:

SummaryReplicationNamingScheme system parameter
SimpleReplicationNamingScheme system parameter

default
default scheme
scheme
New Replication Server
Simple Replication Tag Naming Scheme:

<ReplicationDefaultPrefix>.<SourceTagName>
Summary Replication Tag Naming Scheme:

<ReplicationDefaultPrefix>.<SourceTagName>.<TypeAbbreviation><GroupAbbreviation>
New Replication Schedule
default
Schedule Abbreviation:
scheme
<Schedule Abbreviation>
default value
New Replication Group
GroupAbbreviation:
<GroupAbbreviation>
Summary Replication Tag Naming Scheme:

<ReplicationDefaultPrefix>.<SourceTagName>.<TypeAbbreviation><GroupAbbreviation>
New Replication Tag
Destination Tag Name:

<ReplicationDefaultPrefix>.<SourceTagName>.<TypeAbbreviation>
fixed value fixed value
ReplicationDefaultPrefix system StateSummaryTypeAbbreviation system parameter

parameter AnalogSummaryTypeAbbreviation system parameter
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When you define a new replication server:

 The default scheme for the simple replication tag naming scheme is taken from the
SimpleReplicationNamingScheme system parameter.
 The default scheme for the summary replication tag naming scheme is taken from the
Summary ReplicationNamingScheme system parameter.
When you define a new replication schedule, you define a schedule abbreviation.
When you defi ne a new replication group:
 The default value for the group abbreviation is taken from the schedule abbreviation for the
associated replication schedule.
 The default scheme for the summary replication tag naming scheme is copied from the summary
replication tag naming scheme of the associated replication server.
When you define a new replication tag:
 The value for the <ReplicationDefaultPrefix> is taken from the current setting of the
ReplicationDefaultPrefix system parameter.
 The value for the <Ty peAbbreviation> is taken from the StateSummaryReplicationTypeA bbreviation
or AnalogSummaryReplicationTypeAbbreviation system parameter, depending on the type of
replication (the " folder" within the server). The <TypeAbbreviation> is applicable only for summary
replicated tags.
To configure the naming scheme
1. Specify a custom naming scheme in a dialog box by clicking Custom, and then clicking the button to
the right of the box. The Naming Scheme dialog box appears.
2. Enter the naming scheme to us e for tagging the replication tags. The paramet ers you can use and an
example of what the string looks like appear in the Tag Name Example box.
Note: Simple replication tags do not have a type abbreviation and are not assigned to a group. You
can use the < TypeAbbreviation> and <GroupAbbreviation> paramet ers in a simple replication tag
naming scheme, but they always have empty values.
3. Click Finish.
Multiple lower-tier historians can replicate alarm and events to the same next -tier historian. Replication
records on the next-tier historian include a source name to indicate the originating lower-tier historian. By
default, that is the server name itself, but it can be modified.
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To change source name for a lower-tier historian

1. In the SMC, click Configuration Editor, click System Configuration, and then click Parameters.
2. In the list on the right, right -click ReplicationDefaultPrefix and then click Properties.
3. In Value, type a new name. Click OK.
Editing Replication Server Properties

You can edit the properties for a replication server. The general procedure and options are the same as
for adding a replication server.
To edit properties for a replication server
2. Expand Configuration Editor, expand System Configuration, expand Replication, then expand
Replication Servers.
3. Right -click the replication server to be edited and then click Properties. The Propertie s dialog box
appears.
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4. Edit the general properties. The options are the same as for adding a new replication server. For
more information, see Adding a Replication Server on page 197.
Important: Non-replicat ed data contains the replication server name as part of the
store-and-forward identification information. Changing the node name/IP address can creat e
orphaned data with no connection to the replication server.
Also, if you have non-replicated data in the old store-and-forward path, changing the path can create
orphaned data with no connection to the replication server.
If you change the store-and-forward path, you must commit the change to the database before the
change will go into effect.
5. Click the Advanced tab.
6. Edit the advanced properties. The options are the same as for adding a new replication server. For
more information, see Adding a Replication Server on page 197.
When you change a naming scheme, the change is reflected for all subsequent tag entries, but the
change does not affect any existing replication data already on the server.
7. When you are done, click OK.
Deleting a Replication Server

You can delete a replication server using the System Management Console. Deleting the server also
automatically deletes the replication groups associated with the server.
WARNI NG! Be very certain that you are deleting the right replication server and that you have backed
up dat a and tag information appropriat ely.
If you have configured a tag for replic ation to a server, you must first delete the tag replication before you
can delet e the server.
To delete a replication server
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3. Select the server in the details pane and perform any of the following:

Configuring Tags to Be Replicated

Simple replication is when the destination tag on the next -tier historian has the same type and storage
rules as the source tag on the lower-tier historian, and that the destination tag will also have the same
values/data.
The rules for other kinds of tags also apply to replicated tags:
 Each tag is identified by a unique name.
 Configuration information for each type of tag is stored in the historian, as well as the history for tags
over time.
 You can use the Configuration Edit or to view and edit information for existing tag definitions, create
definitions for new tags, or delete existing tags.
For more information about tags and tag naming conventions, see About Tags in the AVEVA Historian
Conc epts Guide.
You can create simple replication tags one at a time or in multiples.
If you delete a replication tag, the associated tag entities are deleted. Replication continues until you
manually commit the change to the dat abase or stop and restart the system. If you modify a replica tion
tag, the changes are automatically committed.
Adding a Single Tag for Simple Replication

You can configure a tag for simple replication. This is particularly useful if you have added or modified a
tag, or are now using a tag as part of summary calculations, and just need to add a simple replication tag
for that one tag.
To add a single simple replication tag
2. Expand Configuration Editor, expand System Configuration, expand Replication, expand
Replication Servers, then expand the replication server.
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3. Right -click the Simple Replication folder and select Add Single Tag. The New Simple Tag
Replication dialog box appears.
4. In the Replication Server box, select the replication server to create the tag on.
5. In the Source Tag Name box, type the name of the tag that provides the source data for the
summary tag. (For more information on finding a tag, see Finding Source Tags on page 221.)
6. In the De stination Tag Name box, type the name of the simple replication tag.
Note: The Current Editor option is reserved for future use.
7. Click Finish. The simple replicated tag appears in the folder.
Adding Multiple Tags for Simple Replication

When you are setting up a new replication server or incorporating a new set of tags from an application,
it is easier to configure tags for simple replication all at once rather than singly.
To add multiple simple replication tags
1. Start the System Management Console (sometimes labeled "System Platform Management
Cons ole"). You'll find it in the Start menu under AVEVA Utilities or AVEVA, depending on the version.
1. In the the left pane, expand a server group and then expand a server.
Replication Servers, then expand the replication server.
3. Right -click the Simple Replication folder and select Add Multiple Tags. The Add Multiple Tags -
Step 1 of 2 dialog box appears.
4. In the Tag Name box, select an option from the drop-down list. Check Not to negate the search
option in the Tag Name box. Type the search string in the box to the right.
5. If you also want to search using a description, select an operator in the Operator box and then make
entries in the De scription boxes.
6. Click Find Now to start the search. Results matching the criteria appear in the Found Tags box.
7. Move tags from the Found Tags box to the Target Tags box by double-clicking them or highlighting
the tags and using buttons to the right of the Found Tags box.
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8. Click OK. The Add Multiple Tags - Step 2 of 2 dialog box appears.
9. You can modify the destination tagname by editing it directly in the Destination Tag Name column.
10. Click Apply. The system adds the tags. A status indicating the outcome of operation appears for
each tag in the Status field.
If you prefer, you can search for tags using a SQL query. Click the SQL Query tab, then use the same
procedure as for adding a single summary tag using the SQL Query tab. For more information, see
Adding a Summary Tag on page 220.
Editing Simple Replication Tag Properties

You can edit the properties for a simple replication t ag. The general procedure is similar to the procedure
for adding a simple replication tag.
To edit properties for a simple replication tag
3. Expand the replication server, and then select the Simple Replication folder.
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4. Double-click the tag you want to edit properties for. The Propertie s dialog box appears.
5. In the Replication Server list, click the replication server.

6. In the Source Tag box, type the name of the tag that provides the source data for the tag. For more
information on finding a tag, see Finding Source Tags on page 221.
7. In the Replicated Tag box, type the name of the replicated tag. The naming scheme shown for the
replicated tag appears depends on the system parameter or as specified for the replication server.
8. Click OK. The tag’s properties are updated.
Deleting a Simple Replication Tag

You can delete a simple replication tag through the System Management Console.
If you delete a replication tag from the lower-tier historian, data will no longer be replicated its
corresponding next-tier historian. However, the replicat ed data for the delet ed tag is not deleted from the
next-tier historian for the simple replicated tag. Also, the replication tag is not delet ed from the next -tier
historian.
WARNI NG! Be very certain that you are deleting the right tag.
To delete a simple replication tag

Replication Servers, then expand the replication server, expand the Simple Replication folder.

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Adding a Replication Schedule

A replication schedule defines the interval or specific times for summary periods. Replication intervals
are defined by a number of minutes or hours.
The AVEVA Historian sets up several standard replication schedules: 1, 5, 15, and 30 minutes, 1 hour,
and 1 day. You can also add custom replication schedules to fit your own time requirements.
Replication is triggered at the schedule interval calculated from the beginning of the day (local time). For
example, if you specify a 5-hour int erval: replication will have summary values at 0:00, 5:00, 10:00,
15:00, 20:00 and again at 1:00. This is only the case for periodic schedules, not custom ones.
If a partial interval has elaps ed at midnight, it will automatically trigger whet her or not the interval has
expired. All replication intervals cannot be longer than one day (24 hours).
Custom replication schedules are a list of start times (local time) to trigger the summary. These will only
trigger at the specified times and will not necessarily trigger at the end of the day.
You can also define a schedule abbreviation that is used when new replication groups are defined using
the particular schedule. The schedule abbreviation is automatically generat ed as the interval is modified,
but you can override the default. For ex ample, wit h a tag named LevelTag1 configured for 7 minut e
replication using the schedule abbreviation 7m and being replicated from LocalS erver1 to ReplServer2,
the abbreviation is included in the destination tag name: LocalServer1.LevelTag1.7m.
The schedules you set up are expressed in loc al time and are impacted by Daylight Savings Time
changes. For more information, see Replication Schedules and Daylight Savings Time on page 191 .
To add a replication schedule
3. Right -click Replication Schedule and select New Replication Schedule. The New Replication
Schedule dialog box appears.
4. In the Schedule Name box, type the name of the schedule (up to 256 characters).
5. In the Schedule Abbreviation box, type the schedule abbreviation (up to 32 characters). This is
used as part of the default naming scheme.
6. Check Automatically create replication group for each new Replication Server to have the
Historian add this schedule group to the default list of schedule groups whenever you create a
replication server. (To add it to an existing server, you have to manually add the group.)
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7. Select Interval and specify a time to set a regular time interval for replication. Alternatively, you can
select Custom Replication Schedules and then ent er specific trigger times for the replication
schedule. A custom replication schedule can have up to 100 trigger times.
8. Click Finish. The new replication schedule appears in the replication schedule list.
Editing Replication Schedule Properties

You can edit the properties for a replication schedule. The general procedure is similar to the procedure
for adding a replication schedule.
Replication schedules are referenced by replication groups rather than copied, so changes to a
replication schedule affect all replication groups that reference that schedule. However, changes to the
tag naming rules (such as the schedule abbreviation) do not affect any tags already configured for
replication.
You can modify replication schedules when there are existing replication entities referencing the
schedules or groups. When you c hange the schedule for a summary tag, an extra replic ation summary is
sent at the time of the configuration change to transition to the new schedule.
If you change an interval replication schedule to a custom replication schedule, there is loss of data on
the next-tier historian for the period from the last interval schedule to the first custom replication
scheduled.
To edit properties for a replication schedule
Replication Schedule.
3. Right -click the replication schedule to be modified and then click Properties. The Properties dialog
box appears.
4. Edit the general properties. The options are the same as for adding a new replication schedule. For
more information, see Adding a Replication Schedule on page 214.
5. Click OK.
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Deleting a Replication Schedule

You can delete a replication schedule through the System Management Console.
WARNI NG! Be very cert ain that you are deleting the right replication schedule.
If you have configured a replication schedule for use in a replication group, you must first remove the
replication schedule from the group before you can delete the schedule.
To delete a replication schedule
Replication Schedules.
3. Select the schedule in the details pane and perform any of t he following:

Adding a Replication Group

When you create a new replication group, you can add it to existing replication group configurations.
You can have an unlimited number of groups.
To add a replication group
3. Expand the replication server you want to add the group to, and then right -click the folder you want to
create the replication group in. S elect New Replication Group. The New Replication Group dialog
box appears.
4. In the Group Name box, type the name for the new group (up to 255 characters).
5. In the Schedule Name list, select an existing schedule to assign to the group.
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6. In the Summary Replication Tag Naming Scheme area, select the replication tag naming scheme
to use. Specify a custom naming scheme by selecting Custom and clicking the ellipsis button to the
right of the box. The Naming Scheme dialog box appears. For information about configuring the
naming scheme, see Specifying Naming Schemes for Replication on page 204.
7. In the Group Abbreviation area, select the default group abbreviation or type a custom group
abbreviation.
8. Click Finish. The new replication group appears in the replication server’s group list.
Editing Replication Group Properties

You can edit the properties for a replication group. The general procedure is similar to the proc edure for
adding a replication group.
You can modify replication groups when there are existing replication entities referencing the schedules
or groups. When y ou change the schedule for a summary tag, an extra replic ation summary is sent at the
time of the configuration change to transition to the new schedule.
To edit properties for a replication group
3. Expand the replication server, and then expand the folder the replication group is in.
4. Right -click the replication group to be modified and then click Properties. The Propertie s dialog box
appears.
5. Edit the general properties. The options are the same as for adding a new replication group. For
more information, see Adding a Replication Group on page 216.
6. Click OK. The replication group’s properties are updat ed.
Deleting a Replication Group

You can delete a replication group through the System Management Console.
If you have configured replication tags in a replication group, you must first remove the replication tags
from the group before you can delete the replication group.
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If the replication group contains replication entities, you cannot delet e the replication group.
WARNI NG! Be very cert ain that you are deleting the right replication group and that you have backed
up dat a and tag information appropriat ely.
To delete a replication group

3. Expand the replication server you want to delete the group from.
4. Select the group in the details pane and perform any of the following:

Creating a Replication Group for Multiple Servers

You can quickly create the same replication group for multiple servers. The replication group is based on
a replication schedule that you select.
To create a replication group for multiple servers
3. Select Replication Schedules.
4. In the details pane, right-click the desired schedule and then click Create replication groups. The
Create replication groups dialog box appears.
5. Use the arrow buttons to move one or more replication servers from the Available Replication
Servers window to the Create group for servers window.
6. Click OK.
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About Summary Replication

Summary replication takes information from a source tag on a lower-tier historian and summarizes the
tag data to a next-tier historian in one of two types of summary tag:
 Analog summary tag
 State summary tag
If a lower-tier historian is unable to perform a scheduled summary calculation for any reason, it adds a
record about the event into a replication queue. When there are enough system resources available, or
there is a specific event from another subsystem, the lower-tier historian can perform the summary
calculations and clear the queue.
You can add analog or state summary tags one at a time or in multiples.
State summary replication is not supported for scaled tags.
About Analog Summary Replication

Analog summary replication produces summary statistics for analog tags. The statistics relate only to the
recorded interval. Statistics available are:
 Time-weighted average
 Standard deviation
 Integral
 First value in a period with timestamp
 Last value in a period with timestamp
 Minimum value in a period with timestamp
 Maximum value in a period with timestamp
 Start time of summary period
 End time of summary period
 OPC Quality
 Percentage of values with Good quality
 Value
When you ret rieve the data, you specify which calculation you want to return. For more information, see
Querying the AnalogSummaryHistory View in the AVEVA Historian Ret rieval Guide.
The functionality provided by analog summary replication is similar to using the minimum, maximum,
average, and integral retrieval modes. For a comparison example, see Querying Aggregat e Data in
Different Ways in the AVEVA Historian Retrieval Guide.
When you use the AVEVA Historian SDK to retrieve analog summary tag data, the values returned
through the S DK for analog summary tags from history correspond to the "Last" values in the
AnalogSummaryHistory table when using defaults. Use the corresponding retrie val mode to get the
minimum, maximum, average, slope, and integral values.
About State Summary Replication

State summary replication summarizes the states of a tag value. State summary replication can be
applied to analog (integer only), discrete, and string tags.
You use t his for analyzing process variables with a limited number of states, such as a machine’s state of
running/starting/stopping/off. State summary replication provides the following, for each distinct state:
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 Total time
 Percent of the cycle
 Shortest time
 Longest time
 A verage time
 OPC Quality
 Value
A state summary results in a series of values, each representing a different state, for the same tag and
time period.
When you ret rieve the data, you specify which calculation you want to return. For more information, see
Querying the StateS ummaryHistory View in the AVEVA Historian Retrieval Guide.
The functionality provided by analog summary replication is similar to using the ValueState and
RoundTrip retrieval modes.
You can define state summary replication for a large number of states, but state data is dropped if the
number of states occurring in the same reporting period exceeds the maximum number of states
allowed. You configure the maximum states when you create the state summary tag. The default number
of maximum states is 10. The Replication subsystem will calculate summaries for the first 10 disti nct
states, in the order in which they occur in the data (not in numeric or alphabetic order). Be aware that the
higher the number of maximum states, the more system resourc es are used to keep track of the
time-in-state for each distinct state.
Adding a Summary Tag

You can add a single analog or state summary tag. This is particularly useful if you have added or
modified a tag and simply need to add a summary tag for that one tag.
WARNI NG! If you are replicating from multiple source tags to the same summary tag on a next-tier
replication server, the next-tier logger does not log a message of the naming conflict. As a result, it is
possible to have multiple source tags overwriting eac h other in the same summary tag. Make sure you
have a naming convention for your destination tags that avoids potential name collisions.
To add a single summary tag

3. Expand the replication server, then expand the Analog Summary Replication or State Summary
Replication folder.
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4. Right -click the replication group and select Add Single Tag. The New Analog Summary Tag
Replication dialog box or New State Summary Tag Replication dialog box appears.
5. In the Replication Server box, select the replication server to create the tag on.
6. In the Replication Group box, select the replication group to assign the tag to.
7. If you are defining a state summary tag, in the Maximum States box, type the maximum number of
states allowed in the same reporting period. The default number of maximum states is 10. The
replication subsystem will calculate summaries for the first 10 distinct states, in the order in which
they occur in the dat a (not in numeric or alphabetic order). The higher the number of maximum
states, the more system resources are used to keep track of the time-in-state for each distinct state.
8. In the Source Tag Name box, type the name of the lower-tier tag that provides the source dat a for
the summary tag. For more information on finding a tag, see Finding Source Tags on page 221.
9. In the Destination Tag Name box, type the name of the new next-tier summary tag. By default, the
destination tag name appears as configured for the SummaryReplicationNamingScheme system
parameter or as configured for the replication server.
Note: The Current Edi tor option is reserved for future use.
10. Click Finish. The new summary tag appears in the selected replication group.
Finding Source Tags

If you aren’t sure of the exact tag name or need to verify which tag to use, you can search for tags as part
of the process of adding summary tags.
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To find a tag to use as the source tag

1. Click the button to the right of the Source Tag Name box. The Tag Finder dialog box appears.
5. Double-click a tag in the Found Tags box to move it to the Target Tags box. You can also use the >
and < buttons to move tags between the boxes.
6. Click OK. The selected tag appears in the Source Tag Name box on the Add Analog Summary
Tag Replication dialog box or the Add State Summary Tag Replication dialog box.
If you prefer, you can search for tags using a SQL query.
1. Click the button to the right of the Source Tag Name box. The Tag Finder dialog box appears.
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2. Click the SQL Query tab.
3. Type a SQL query in the box and then click Find Now. The qualifying tags appear in the Found
Tags box.
If you want an example of how this works for your system, use the preceding procedure to select tags
based on a string and/or description, then look at the SQL Query tab. The searc h criteria appear in a
SQL query. For example, the following screen shows the results of searching for tags containing the
string "KC" and a description containing the string "level."
4. Select a tag and click OK as described in the previous procedure. The selected tag appears in the
Source Tag Name box on the New Analog Summary Tag Replication dialog box or the New
State Summary Tag Replication dialog box.
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Adding Multiple Summary Tags

When you are setting up a new replication server or incorporating a new set of tags from an application,
it is easier to add summary tags all at once rat her than singly.
To add multiple summary tags
3. Expand the replication server, then expand the Analog Summary Replication or State Summary
Replication folder.
4. Right -click the replication group you want to add the tag to and select Add Multiple Tags. The Add
Multiple Tags - Step 1 of 2 - Select Tags to Replicate dialog box appears.
8. Move tags from the Found Tags box to the Target Tags box by double-clicking them or highlighting
the tags and using the buttons to the right of the Found Tags box.
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9. Click OK. The Add Multiple Tags - Step 2 of 2 - Create replicated tags dialog box appears.
10. Check the tag names. You can edit the destination tag names in this dialog box by selecting the
specified tag and clicking the name to modify in the De stination Tag Name column. By default, the
destination tag specified by the system parameter appea rs in this dialog box. The destination
tagname can be modified by editing it directly in the Destination Tag Name column.
11. Click Apply. The system adds the tags to the specified replication group. A status indicating the
outcome of operation appears for each tag in the Status column.
If you prefer, you can search for tags using a SQL query. Click the SQL Query tab, then use the same
procedure as for adding a single summary tag using the SQL Query tab. For more information, see
Adding a Summary Tag on page 220.
Creating a Summary Tag Quickly Using Default Settings

You can select an existing tag on a lower -tier server and then quickly configure a summary tag.
To create a replication tag
Configuration.
3. Select the appropriat e folder. For example, Analog Tags.
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4. In the details pane, right-click the source tag for which you want to create an associated summary
tag and then click Replicate To. The Replicate To dialog box appears.
5. In the Replication Server Name list, click the replication server.

6. In the Replication Type list, click the type of replication, either Analog Summary Replication or
State Summary Replication.
7. In the Replication Group list, click the replication group.
8. In the De stination Tag Name box, type the name of the summary tag. By default the destination
name appears as configured for the replication server.
9. Click OK. The Operation Re sult dialog box appears, showing the details of the source tag,
destination tag, and the status of the operation.
10. Click Close.
Editing Summary Tag Properties

You can edit the properties for a summary tag. The general procedure is similar to the procedure for
adding a summary tag.
In case of a change that would result in a tag name collision with tags defined on the same lower-tier
historian going to the same next-tier historian, the change is discarded and an error message appears.
Collisions with replication tags configured from other lower-tier historians are overwritten without an error
message from the next-tier historian. Be careful not to create or modify a replicated tag on a lower-tier
historian to have the same tagname that already exists on a next -tier historian. The system does not
prevent you from having a replicated tag on a next-tier historian receiving data from multiple lower -tier
historians. However, when you retrieve data for that replicated tag on the next -tier historian using the tag
name, an incorrect blend of data from the two (or more) data sources is returned. Collisions of
non-replication tags on the next-tier historian fail at connection time and are logged to the ArchestrA
Logger.
When you change the replication server node name or replication group, the replication tag is removed
from the old group and added to the new group. Replication tags that are changed to a new replication
server or group do not have their changes logged to the new server or group until changes are
committed.
To edit properties for a summary tag
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3. Expand the replication server, expand the Analog Summary Replication folder or State Summary
Replication folder, and then ex pand the replication group containing the summary tag.
4. Double-click the summary tag you want to edit properties for. The Properties dialog box appears.
5. In the Replication Server list, click the replication server to edit.

6. In the Replication Group list, click the replication group.
7. In the Source Tag box, type the name of the tag that provides the source data for the summary tag.
For more information on finding a tag, see Finding Source Tags on page 221.
8. In the Replicated Tag box, type the name of the summary tag.
9. Click OK.
Deleting Replication for a Summary Tag

You can delete replication for a summary tag through the System Management Console.
The data of the summary tag at the next-tier historian is not deleted when you delet e a summary tag at
the lower-tier historian. You can query for the summary tag on the next=tier historian for data as long as
the summary tag exists on the next-tier historian.
WARNI NG! Be very cert ain that you are deleting the right summary tag.
To delete replication for a summary tag

3. Expand the replication server, expand the Analog Summary Replication folder or the State
Summary Replication folder, and then expand the replication group containing the summary tag.
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Viewing Source Details for a Summary Tag

You can view the source details for an analog or state summary tag, such as the sourc e tag, source
historian, and the engineering unit and raw value information of the source tag from a next -tier historian.
To view details for a summary tag from a next-tier historian
1. In the System Management Console on the next-tier historian, expand a server group and then
expand a server.
Configuration.
3. Click either the Analog Summary Replication folder or the State Summary Replication folder.
4. In the details pane, right-click the summary tag for which you want to view details. The Propertie s
dialog box appears.
5. Click the General tab. The following properties are shown:

o The TagName box shows the name of the summary tag.
o The Source Server box shows the name of the lower-tier historian from which the source data
originates.
o The Source box shows the name of the tag that provides the source data for the summary tag.
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6. If you have selected an analog summary tag, click the Analog tab and view the properties.
o The Engineering Unit box shows the unit of measure. Examples are mph, grams, and pounds.
o The MinEU box shows the minimum value of the tag, measured in engineering units.
o The MaxEU box shows the maximum value of the tag, measured in engineering units.
o The MinRaw box shows the minimum value of the raw acquired value.
o The MaxRaw box shows the maximum value of the raw acquired value.
7. Click OK.
Viewing the List of Associated Replicated Tags for a Tag

You can view the list of all of the replicated t ags that are configured/based on a particular source tag from
a lower-tier historian.
To view the list of replicated tags for a source tag
1. In the System Management Console on the lower -tier historian, expand a server group and then
expand a server.
Configuration.
3. Select the type of tag for which you want to view the summary tags.
4. In the details pane, double-click the tag. The Properties dialog box appears.
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5. Click the Replication tab.
A list of all of the simple replicated, analog summary, and state summary tags that use the tag as a
source are shown.
6. Click OK.
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C HAPTER 8
Managing Security
About Security
The AVEVA Historian uses two security mechanisms:
 Windows operating system security
 Microsoft SQL Server security
Note: During installation, Historian requires that you change the passwords for any default login
accounts, such as wwUser. Use of default passwords (which are often published in various documents)
is highly discouraged.
For clients to access the historian, they must pass through both of these security levels. The historian
Management Console (within the System Management Console) in particular adds an additional level of
security checking to restrict access to functions affecting the state of the historian to only authorized
users. Also, some of the historian components require Windows and SQL Server logins.
For more information on configuring user rights assignments for local security policies, see the Microsoft
documentation.
Security for AVEVA Historian is managed using the following tools:
 Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio.
Use this application to manage access to the SQL Server and databases.
 Windows Local Users & Groups MMC snap-in.
Use this to manage permissions on the historian and for the ODat a/RES T web s ervice interface. You
can also use it as an alternative t o configuring permissions within the database when using Windows
authentication.
 Arche strA Change Network Account utility.
Use this utility to modify the Windows login for the historian services.
Windows Operating System Security

To log on to AVEVA Historian as a client, the first thing a user must be able to do is to log on to the
operating system on their computer. For the Windows operating system, a valid user account, consisting
of a login ID (username) and password, is required to log on to the computer. This Windows user account
can also be used to gain access to network resources in the domain.
SQL Server also requires authentication in order for clients to connect to it. You can use either Windows
authentication or SQL Server authentication. For more information, see SQL Server Security on page
232.
Default Windows User Account for AVEVA Historian Services

All of the modules in the AVEVA Historia n, except for the Management Console and the Configuration
Editor, run as Windows services, and therefore require a valid Windows user account (the ArchestrA
administrative user account) to ensure proper operation. This ArchestrA user account is specified during
installation.
The ArchestrA account must be a member of the local administrators group on the server hosting the
historian, as well as on all computers hosting a remote IDAS.
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You can change the ArchestrA user account by using the ArchestrA Change Network Account Utility.
WARNI NG! Changing the ArchestrA user account affects all ArchestrA components that run as
services, not just historian services. If you change this account, you must restart the computer.
Do not configure historian services (including remote IDASs) to run under a specific user account. All
services should be configured by default to log on to the Windows operating system using the
LocalSystem account. The historian services will impersonate the ArchestrA user account, and this
impersonation will fail if the service is not run using the LocalSystem account.
SQL Server Security

Because the AVEVA Historian works closely with Microsoft SQL Server, it uses and takes advantage of
the security features that Microsoft SQL Se rver has to offer. The purpose of security for a SQL Server is
to control who can access the server, access specific databases within a server, and perform certain
actions within a database.
Note: During installation, Historian requires that you change th e passwords for any default login
A database user must pass through two stages of security for the historian:
 Authentication, which validates the user’s identity to the server itself.
 Database authorization, which controls the database(s ) that user can access, as well as the types of
actions that the user can perform on objects within the database.
User authentication and dat abase authorization are managed from Microsoft SQL Server Management
Studio.
To access information in the AVEVA Historian databases, users need to be granted access to the
databases. The historian is shipped with preconfigured database roles and user accounts to serve as a
starting point for your security model. Dat abas e roles, SQL Server login IDs, and user accounts are
managed using the Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio.
Authentication
Microsoft SQL Server authenticates users with individual login account and password combinations.
After the user’s identity is authenticated, if authentication is successful, the user is allowed to connect to
a SQL Server instance. There are two types of authentication:
 Windows authentication
Uers must connect to the SQL Server using a Windows user account (a Windows login ID and
password that is provided during the Windows login session).
 SQL Server authentication
Users must connect to the SQL Server using SQL Server login acc ount (a SQL Server login ID and
password).
SQL Server can operate in one of two security modes, which control the type of accounts that must be
used for access to the server:
 Windows authentication mode
The SQL Server only uses Windows authentication.
 Mixed mode
The SQL Server uses both Windows authentication and S QL Server authentication. If t he login name
matches the Windows network username, then validation is handled by the Windows security
mechanisms. If the user login name does not match the Windows network username, then Microsoft
SQL Server security mechanisms are used.
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SQL Server authentication is provided for backward compatibility only. Microsoft recommends that you
use Windows authentication, when possible.
For more information about aut hentication, see your Microsoft SQL Server documentation.
Default Windows Security Groups

The following Windows security groups are created by default on the AVEVA Historian comput er. Use
these groups to assign different levels of database permis sions to users.
 aaAdministrators
 aaPowerUsers
 aaUs ers
 aaReplicationUs ers
Each group is automatically configured to be a member of the SQL Server database role with the same
name. For example, the aaA dministrat ors Windows security group is a member of the default
aaAdministrators SQL Server database role. If you add Windows users to the aaAdministrators security
group, they will automatically be given permissions of the aaAdministrators SQL Server database role.
AVEVA Historian Default Logins

When the AVEVA Historian is installed, default SQL S erver logins are created that you can use for
logging on to the historian from client applications. These default logins provide "out of the box"
functionality in that you do not have to create logins to start using the system. The following table
describes the pre-configured logins:
Login
Name Password Description
aaAdmin pwAdmin A user who can access and modify all data and creat e objects. Cannot drop
the database or truncat e tables.
aaPower pwPower A user with full read access and the ability to create objects and modify the
contents of the non-core tables.
aaUs er pwUser A read-only user who can access all data, but cannot modify data or consume
database res ources.
aadbo pwddbo Database owner. Full permissions.
The default database for each of these logins is the historian Runtime database. This default security
model is provided as a starting point for system security and is suitable for many types of installations.
These logins are valid if the Microsoft SQL Server is set to mixed mode security. If only Windows
authentication is used, you must configure the access rights for each user.
Important: Never us e blank passwords for logins.
The following logins are provided for backward compatibility only. They will be deprecated in a future
release. Do not use these logins.
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Login Name Password Description
wwUser wwUser Same as aaUser.
wwP ower wwP ower Same as aaP ower.
wwA dmin wwA dmin Same as aaA dmin.
wwdbo pwddbo Same as aadbo.
Database Authorization
After a us er successfully connects to the Microsoft SQL Server, the user needs authority to access
databases on the server. This is accomplished by user accounts for each database. A database us er
consists of a user name and a login ID. Each database us er must be mapped to an existing login ID.
User names are stored in the sysusers table in each dat abase. When a user tries to access a database,
the Microsoft SQL Server looks for an entry in the sysusers table and then tries to find a match in the
syslogins table in the master database. If the Microsoft SQL Server cannot resolve the username,
database access is denied.
The types of actions the user can perform in the database are based on authority information defined in
the user account. The authority to perform a certain action is called a permission. There are two types of
permissions: object permissions and statement permissions.
Permission Description
Object Regulates the actions that a user can perform on certain database objects that already
exist in the database. Database objects include things such as tables, indexes, views,
defaults, triggers, rules, and procedures. Object permissions are granted and revok ed
by the owner (creat or) of the object.
Statement Cont rols who can issue particular Transact-SQL statements. Database statements
include commands such as SELECT, INSE RT, or DE LE TE. Statement permissions,
also called command permissions, can only be granted and revoked by the system
administrator or the dat abas e owner.
Users can be grouped into roles, which is a single unit against which you can apply permissions.
Permissions granted to, denied to, or revoked from a role also apply to any members of the role.
AVEVA Historian Default Users and Roles

AVEVA Historian is shipped with a number of preconfigured user accounts and roles.
The following table describes the default SQL Server usernames, the login IDs and database roles to
which they belong, and the actions that they are allowed to perform in the Runtime database. You can
add additional users and roles using SQL Server Enterprise Manager.
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Username in
Login ID Database Member of Role Permissions
aaUs er aaUs er aaUs ers SELECT on all tables

INSE RT, UPDA TE, DE LE TE on
Privat eNameSpace and Annotation
aaPower aaPower aaPowerUsers CREA TE Table

CREA TE View
CREA TE Stored procedure
CREA TE Default
CREA TE Rule
SELECT on all tables
INSE RT, UPDA TE, DE LE TE on grouping tables
aaAdmin aaAdmin aaAdministrators CREA TE Table

CREA TE View
CREA TE Stored procedure
CREA TE Default
CREA TE Rule
DUMP Database
DUMP Trans action
SELECT, INSE RT, UPDA TE, DELE TE on all tables
aadbo dbo db_owner Full database owner capabilities
The following us ers and roles are provided for backward compatibility only. They will be deprecated in a
future releas e. Do not use these users and roles.
Username in
Login ID Database Member of Role Permissions
wwUser wwUser wwUsers Same as for aaUser.
wwP ower wwP ower wwP owerUsers Same as for aaP ower.
wwA dmin wwA dmin wwA dministrators Same as for aaA dmin.
wwdbo wwdbo db_owner Same as for aadbo.
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Each default role contains the corresponding SQL Server user account, as well as the corresponding
default Windows security group. For more information on the default Windows security groups, see
Default Windows Security Groups on page 233.
Default SQL Server Login for AVEVA Historian Services

Some components of the AVEVA Historian require a SQL S erve r login ID to access the master, Runtime,
and Holding databases. By default, the historian us es the ArchestrA user account to log on to the
Microsoft SQL Server, using Windows authentication.
For Microsoft SQL Server, if the Windows user account is an administrative account on the local
computer, it will map the account to the sysadmin fixed server role. (This user will be granted the same
permissions as the sa SQL Server user account.) Because the ArchestrA user account is always a local
administrative account, it will always have administrative permissions (sysadmin) within the SQL Server.
Management Console Security

The AVEVA Historian Management Cons ole (which is part of the overall System Management Console)
runs in the context of the logged on Windows user account. To protect against unauthorized access to
the AVEVA Historian, you must specify a s eparate Windows user account that the Management Console
will use to connect to the historian. You can specify this account when you set up the server registration
properties. For more information on registration, see About Administrative Tools on page 17.
If the account specified is not a member of the local administrators group on the computer hosting the
historian, the Management Console has "read-only" access. That is, you may view all the information
shown in the Management Console, but you cannot perform any control actions on the historian, such as
starting or stopping the system.
Important: To prevent possible unauthorized access, the password for the Management Console login
account must NOT be blank.
Verifying the Authentication Mode for a SQL Server

The AVEVA Historian is compatible with either Windows authentication mode or mixed mode (Windows
authentication and SQL Server authentication). Windows authentication is recommended.
To verify the authentication mode
1. Start SQL Server Management Studio.
2. In the console tree, right -click the SQL Server.
3. In the shortcut menu that appears, click Properties. The SQL Server Properties dialog box
appears.
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4. Click the Security tab.
5. Verify the authentication mode.

The SQL Server and Windows option corresponds to mixed mode authentication. If you change the
authentication mode, you must stop and restart the SQL Server. Also, modification tracking in the
historian, if enabled, will not occur until you restart the historian.
The AVEVA Historian services log on to SQL Server using the ArchestrA user account, which is a
Windows account. For information, see Default Windows User Account for AVEVA Historian
Services on page 231.
6. Click OK.
Managing Logins
A login account must be added to the Microsoft SQL Server before a user can access a SQL Server. By
default, only members of the sysadmin and securityadmin server roles can add SQL Server logins.
Logins are managed using SQL Server Management Studio.
Note: Creating individual login accounts for each user is not required if Windows authentication mode
is used in SQL Server. You can map Windows user accounts and groups to SQL Server logins using the
SQL Server Management Studio. For more information, see Adding a User to a Role on page 248.
A member of the sysadmin server role can add logins and configure certain login options, such as a
username (login ID), password, a default database, and a default language. If the user is not assigned a
username in the default database, the user's login name is used.
In addition to the default Microsoft SQL Server logins, four more default logins are created during AVEVA
Historian installation: aaAdmin, aadbo, aaP ower, and aaUser.
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If a large number of users will be connecting to the dat abase with the same set of permissions, creating
a single databas e role to grant access for all of these users will reduce the work involved in account
management. The individual users can the n be added to the database role. For more information, see
your Microsoft documentation.
Four Windows security groups are created when you install the historian:
 aaAdministrators
 aaPowerUsers
 aaReplicationUs ers
 aaUs ers
These groups are mapped to SQL Server database roles of the same name. You can assign different
levels of capability to users by adding the users to the Windows groups.
For more information about default AVEVA Historian logins and Windows security groups, see About
Security on page 231.
If you are a member of the sysadmin server role, you can add, modify, and remove logins, as well as
administer database roles. For detailed information on managing logins, see your Microsoft
documentation.
Viewing Login Properties

To view properties for a login:
1. In SQL Server Management Studio, expand the server group and then expand the SQL Server
associated with the AVEVA Historian.
2. Expand Security and then click Logins. The default logins appear in the details pane.
3. Double-click the login for which you want to see the properties. The SQL Server Login Properties
dialog box appears.
For information on configuring login properties, see your Microsoft documentation.
Adding a Login
You can add a login that uses either Windows authentication (rec ommended) or SQL Server
authentication.
To add a login
2. Expand Security and then right-click the Logins folder.
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3. In the shortcut menu that appears, click New Login. The SQL Server Login Properties dialog box
appears.
4. Do the following:
a. In the Name box, type the name of the new login. If you are using Windows authentication, click
Search and browse the network for a Windows user account.
b. In the Authenti cation group, configure the new login to use Windows authentication or SQL
Server authentication. If you use SQL Server authentication, you must enter a password for the
login.
c. In the Database list, select the databas e that the login will use by default.
d. Select a language from the Language list, or leave as <Default> to use United States English.
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5. Click Server Roles.
6. To assign the new login to an existing server role(s), select the appropriat e check box in the list. This
will probably not be necessary unless you are defining a power user who will require specific
administrative capabilities on the server.
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7. Click the User Mapping tab.
8. The User column contains the username to map to the login ID. The default username is the same
as the login name.
9. Select the databases that can be accessed by the new login. AVEVA Historian users generally
require access to the Runtime and Holding databases. They only need access to the master
database if they are to be granted administrative (or higher) privileges.
When you select a database, available database roles for that dat abase appear in the Databa se
Roles list.
By default, all new logins are a member of the Public database role. You can select an additional or
different role for the login for a particular database.
10. When you have configured the login, click OK.
11. If you created a login with a SQL Server password, you are prompted to confirm the new password.
Confirm the password and then click OK.
Local Times and System Times

The Historian Console is date/time format sensitive, but the historian s erver is not. However, S QL Server
handles converting string values to dates and vice versa in queries and as a res ult, is sensitive to the
date/time format. For example, SQL Server bas es its interpretation of "12/30/09" as DMY, MDY, or YMD
based on the "default date order" associated with the "Default Language" for the SQL Server login used
by the database connection.
Note: You cannot directly set the default date order for a login. You can only set the default language,
which has an associated default date order.
If you are using SQL authentication for your logins or you are using Windows authentication and you
have an explicit SQL login, changing the date format is straightforward using SQL Management Studio.
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If you are using Windows authentication with a Windows group login such as BUILTIN/Administrators, it
is not always apparent which group applies to a particular Windows account. If all the logins can use the
same date order/language, change them all to that one.
If you need differing date formats, set the default language for new logins with the langid value in the
syslanguages table (sys.syslanguages in Transact-SQL). The initial default language is based on the
language version of the SQL Server installation. You can use the SET LA NGUAGE or SET
DA TEORDE R statements or sp_addlogin or sp_defaultlanguage in Transact -SQL to override the default
language for a particular login for a session.
Managing Users and Roles using the Configurator

To make managing a large number of database users easier, each username can be assigned to a
Microsoft SQL Server role. All members of a role inherit the permissions that are assigned to that role.
For example, if the user "MaryH" is added to the "aaPowerUsers" role, that user is automatically granted
the permissions for that role. If a role name is not specified, the user is added only to the public role,
which includes all users. There are two types of roles: server roles and dat abas e roles.
Using the AVEVA Historian Security configurator, you can manage users and role assignments all at
once from a simple interfac e.
You can also use SQL Server Management Studio to individually assign Windows users and user
groups, as well as Microsoft SQL Server users and roles, to roles. For more information, see Managing
Users and Roles using SQL Server Management Studio on page 246.
For more information about default AVEVA Historian users and roles, see About Security on page 231.
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Viewing All Users and Role Assignments

To view all users and role assignments:
1. Launch the configurator, and select the AVEVA Historian Security node.
2. The Hi storian Users section lists all active user accounts assigned to Historian roles, with one entry
for each role the user is assigned to.
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Adding Users and Assigning Roles

To add a user and assign a role:
1. Launch the configurator, and select the AVEVA Historian Security node.
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2. You can assign roles to Windows domain and local user accounts, and the configurator sets up the
SQL Server user and role mappings accordingly. To assign a role to an existing domain or local user
account, select Add Users.... The standard Windows user selection dialog displays.
Select a user account with this dialog, and select OK.

3. The user account is added to the Historian Users section, and assigned the Historian Users role by
default. To assign a different role, click beside the role name, and select another role from the list.
To assign multiple roles to a user account, repeat steps 2 and 3 for each different role.
4. To create a new local Windows user account and assign it a role, select Create User. The create
user dialog displays.
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5. Select Local Account, enter a new User Name, select Create new user, and ent er the new user's
Password. Select OK when you are finished.
6. The user account is created with the password you specified. It is added to the Hi storian Users
section, and assigned the Hi storian Users role by default. To assign a different role, click beside
the role name, and select another role from the list.
7. Repeat the above steps until you have finished adding users and role assignments, and then select
Configure. All of your changes are applied.
Managing Users and Roles using SQL Server Management

Studio
To make managing a large number of database users easier, each username can be assigned to a
Microsoft SQL Server role. All members of a role inherit the permissions that are assigned to that role.
For example, if the user "MaryH" is added to the "aaPowerUsers" role, that user is automatically granted
the permissions for that role. If a role name is not specified, the user is added only to the public role,
which includes all users. There are two types of roles: server roles and dat abas e roles.
Using SQL Server Management Studio, you can assign Windows users and user groups, as well as
Microsoft SQL Server users and roles, to roles.
You can also use the AVEVA Historian Security configurator to manage users and role assignments all
at once from a simple interface. For more information, see Managing Users and Roles using the
Configurator on page 242.
For more information about default AVEVA Historian users and roles, see About Security on page 231.
Viewing All Users and Roles for a Database

To view all users and roles:
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2. Expand Database s, expand the database for which you want to view all users and roles; for
example, the Runtime database, then expa nd Security.
3. To view all users, click Users. All users appear in the details pane.
4. To view all roles, click Roles. All roles appear in the details pane.
Adding a New Database User

To add a database user
1. In SQL Server Management Studio, expand the server group, and then expand the SQL Server
2. Expand Database s, expand the database to which you want to add the new user, then expand
Security.
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3. Right -click Users and then click New Database User. The Database User Propertie s dialog box
appears.
4. In the User name box, type the new user name.

5. In the Login name list, select the login ID to associate with the user name. You can also select
<new> and then type a new login ID to be added to the system at the same time as the database
user.
6. In the Default schema list, select the default schema for the user. This schema owns all the objects
this user creates, unless a different schema is specified.
7. In the Owned Schemas window, check the owned schemas for this user. (Schemas can only be
owned by a single user. )
8. In the Database role membership window, select the database role to make the user a member of.
Note: All users are also included in the public role. Membership in this role is permanent and
cannot be altered.
9. Click OK.
Adding a User to a Role

To add a user to a role, you must have system administrator permissions.
To add a user to a role:
instance associated with the AVEVA Historian.
2. Expand Database s and then ex pand the database to which you want to add the user to a role.
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3. Click Roles. In the details pane, right-click the role to which you want to add a user and then click
Properties. The Database Role Properties dialog box appears.
4. Click Add. In the dialog box that appears, select the user from the list and then click OK.
5. Click OK.
Managing Permissions
Permissions are the allowed actions that a user can perform in a designated SQL Server dat abase. You
can give object or statement permissions to any user or databas e role. Users inherit the permissions of
any roles to which they belong.
Setting Object Permissions

Object permissions control the actions that a user can perform on database objects, such as tables,
indexes, views, defaults, triggers, rules, and procedures. You must be the owner (creator) of an object to
grant and revoke permissions. You can grant object permissions by user and role, and by object.
To grant object permissions by object
2. Expand Database s and then ex pand the database to which you want to add the object permission.
For example, expand the Runtime dat abas e.
3. Right -click the object and then click Properties. The Properties dialog box appears.
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4. Click Permissions. The Permissions dialog box appears.
5. For each user or role, select permissions to grant for the object.
6. Click OK.
To grant object permissions by user or database role
2. Expand Database s and then ex pand the database to which you want to add the object permission.
For example, expand the Runtime dat abas e.
3. Click Security.
4. Click either Users or Roles.
5. If you are selecting a role, click Database Roles or Application Roles.
6. Right -click the user or role and then click Properties. The Properties dialog box for the user or role
appears.
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7. Click Securables. The Securables page appears.
8. Select the object for which you want to grant permissions, and then select the permissions to grant
listed in the Explicit tab.
9. Click OK.
Setting Statement Permissions

Statement permissions control who can issue particular Transact -S QL statements, such as SELECT,
INSE RT, or DELE TE. You must be a member of the sysadmin or db_owner roles to grant and revoke
statement permissions.
Note: CREA TE DA TABASE permissions can only be set from the master database.
To set statement permissions

2. Expand Database s and then right-click the database for which you want to set statement
permissions. For example, right -click the Runtime database.
3. Click Properties. The Databa se Properties dialog box appears.
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4. Click Permissions. The Permi ssions page appears.
5. Select the user or role to which you want to grant permissions, and then select the permissions to
grant.
6. Click OK.
Managing Passwords
If you are a member of the sysadmin role, you can change the password for any login. If you are not a
member of the sysadmin role, you can modify only your own password.
Important: If you are using mixed mode authentication, it is very important to have a password for the
system administrator (sa) for the Microsoft SQL Server. If any user does not have a password, AVEVA
reserves the right to refuse Technic al Support services.
To change a password
2. Expand Security and then click Logins.
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3. In the details pane, right-click the user for which you want to change the password and then click
Properties. The Login Properties dialog box appears.
4. In the Pa ssword box, type the new password and then confirm it.
5. Click OK.
Adding a User to a Windows Operating System Group

When the AVEVA Historian is installed, default Windows security groups are created on the server
computer and are automatically configured to be members of the dat abase roles wit h the same names.
You must be an administrator to add a user to a group.
If Windows authentication mode is used with SQL Server, you can simply add Windows users to these
groups. For example, you can add an Active Directory group to the aaUsers group and all members will
be able to query the Historian Runtime database; you don't also need to add them to the login/role within
SQL Server.
Note: You can also use the configurator to manage this. For more information, see Managing Users and
Roles using the Configurat or on page 242.
Access to the oData/ RES T interfac e is accomplished using Windows groups, not through SQL Server.
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To add a user to a group

1. On the Windows Start menu, point to Programs, point to Admini strative Tool s, and then click
Computer Management. The Computer Management console appears.
2. Expand System Tool s, expand Local Users and Groups, and then click Groups.
3. In the details pane, right-click the name of the historian group to which you want to add a user.
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4. In the shortcut menu that appears, click Add to Group. The <Group Name> Properties dialog box
appears.
5. Click Add. The Select Users or Groups dialog box appears.
6. Select the users or other groups to add to the historian group.
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7. Click Add.
8. Click OK. The <Group Name> Properties dialog box appears, showing the new users or groups in
the Members window.
9. Click OK.
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C HAPTER 9
Viewing or Changing System-Wide
Properties
Some administrative tasks apply to the entire AVEVA Historian system, such as configuring system
parameters or committing configuration changes. You can also view a system report that includes
information such as tag counts and dat a acquisition details.
About the Configuration Subsystem

Configuration data is information about elements that make up the AVEVA Historian, such as tag
definitions, I/O Server definitions, and storage locations for historical dat a files. Configuration data is
relatively static and does not change frequently during normal plant operation. The Configuration
subsystem stores and manages configuration data.
Setting up the required databas es and included entities (such as tables, stored proc edures, and views)
to support a typical factory environment would take countless hours. However, when you install the
historian, all of these entities are defined for you, allowing you to quickly start using AVEVA Historian.
Configuration data is stored in SQL Server tables in the Runtime database. If you are already using
InTouch HMI software, you c an easily import much of this information from existing InTouch applications,
thus preserving your engineering investment. If you are using Application Server, much of the AVEVA
Historian configuration is handled automatically by Application Server. You can also use the System
Management Console to manually add definitions and configure the system. You can make bulk
modifications to your historian configuration or migrate the configuration f rom one historian to another
using the AVEVA Historian Dat abase Export/Import Utility.
You can rec onfigure the system at any time with no interruption in the acquisition, storage, and retrieval
of unaffected tags. Configuration data can be stored with a complete revision history.
Configuration Subsystem Components

The components of the Configuration subsystem are:
Runtime database SQL Server database that stores all configuration information.
Configuration and Consists of the System Management Console client application, the
management tools AVEVA Historian Database Export/Import Utility, and the configuration
tools shipped with Microsoft SQL Server. For more information, see About
Administrative Tools on page 17.
Configuration Servic e Internal proc ess that handles all status and configuration information
(aahCfgS vc.exe) throughout the system. This process runs as a Windows service.
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AVEVA™ Historian Administration Guide formerly Wonderware Viewing or Changing System -Wide Properties
About the Runtime and Holding Databases

A relational database management system (RDBMS ) such as Microsoft SQL Server can contain many
databases. A database is a collection of objects such as:
 Tables
 Stored procedures
 Views
 User-defined data types
 Users and groups
AVEVA Historian includes two preconfigured databases: the Runtime and Holding databases.
The historian embeds a full -featured Microsoft SQL Server. The historian supports all system tables
associated with SQL Server. For more information on the Microsoft SQL Server tables, see your
Microsoft documentation.
Note: When installed on a case-s ensitive Microsoft SQL S erver, the Runtime and Holding databases are
case-sensitive. Be sure that you use the correct case when performing queries.
Runtime Database
The Runtime database is the online database against which the AVEVA Historian runs. The tables within
the Runtime dat abas e store all configuration information, such as:
 System configuration
 Tag definitions
 InTouch integration information
 System namespaces and grouping information
 Classic Event subsystem configuration information
 User-ent ered annotations
Runtime database tables are usually used as references or lookup tables by the historian and client
applications. Any changes to the historian are reflected in these configuration tables. The configuration
tables exist as normal SQL Server tables and data within them can be modified by using the Microsoft
Trans act-SQL query language. For more information on Transact-SQL, see your Microsoft
documentation.
The Runtime database also stores some types of history dat a:
 Modification tracking data
 Classic Event subsystem data
Tables that store modification tracking and event data are also normal SQL Server tables.
Finally, the Runtime dat abase is used to logically store historized tag values. Although the tag values
are stored in the history block files on disk, the values appear to be saved to tables in the Runtime
database. For more information on history blocks, see History blocks and partitions. For more
information on retrieving historized tag values, see About Data Retrieval.
Note: You cannot change the name of the Runtime database.
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Viewing or Changing System -Wide Properties AVEVA™ Historian Administration Guide formerly Wonderware
Holding Database
The Holding dat abas e temporarily stores topic and configuration data imported into AVEVA Historian
from an InTouch node. When you import configuration data from an InTouc h application, the data is first
mapped to table structures in the Holding database. Then, the data is moved into the Runtime database.
Important: Do not modify any entities in the Holding database.
For more information about importing configuration information from an InTouch application, see
Importing and Exporting Tag Configurations on page 98.
About the Configuration Service

The Configuration Service is an internal process that accepts configuration changes and updates the
Runtime database. Thus, the Configuration Servic e is the only component that interacts with the
configuration store.
The Configuration Service runs as a Windows servic e and accepts and distributes configuration
information to and from different parts of the system by a set of interfaces. The Configuration Service
also serves as a gateway for all information pertaining to the status of the different components of
AVEVA Historian.
Dynamic Configuration
AVEVA Historian supports dynamic configuration. That means you can reconfiguration of tags and other
objects in the historian database while the system is running. The historian automatically detects and
applies the modifications to its internal run -time state without requiring the system to be restarted. In
addition, clients do not experience interruptions due to configuration changes.
The dynamic configuration feature in the historian caters for all possible database modifications that
affect the run-time operation of the system. The Configuration subsystem is designed to ensure that no
loss of data occurs for tags that are not affected by the modifications being applied. However, tags that
require a change in data acquisition configuration will obviously lose data during the reconfiguration.
In most cases, the system continues to run uninterrupted. In the following cases, a restart of the system
is required:
 When you change the main historization path in the system, a parameter that is rarely modified after
installation.
 When you modify the DataImportPath system parameter.
For a description of the effect of various types of modifications made while the system is running, see
Effects of Configuration Changes on the System on page 260.
Dynamic configuration is usually a two -step process:
1. Add, modify, or delete one or more objects in the database, using the System Management Console,
Trans act-SQL statements, or the database modification tool of your choice.
As soon as you make a change, the Runtime database is updated to reflect the change. For
example, when you add an analog tag using the wizard within the Configuration Editor, the database
is updated as soon as you click Finish.
2. After making all of the modifications, you must commit the changes, which triggers the dynamic
configuration process in the server. Modifications made to the system are done in a transactional
fashion.
The databas e modifications are not reflected in the running system until you commit the changes.
You are committing changes to the system, not to the database.
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You can commit changes to the configuration of the system as often as you want. You can also commit
changes in batches or individually. There is no limit on the number of changes that may be committed to
the system. Configuration changes typically take effect within 10 seconds under maximum dat a
throughput conditions.
For information on cases in which a commit is prevented, see Cases in Which Configuration Changes
Are Not Committed on page 260.
Effects of Configuration Changes on the System

Different types of dynamic changes to the database affect the system in different ways.
A summary of typical changes and their effect on the system after a commit is as follows.
 Modifying system parameters
A modification to system parameters usually takes effect immediately. If you change the
HistoryCacheSize parameter and commit the change, the cache is not immediately flus hed to bring
the cache size to less than or equal to the new value.
 Modifying storage locations
Modifying the circular storage location requires a shutdown and restart of AVEVA Historian.
Changes to the other storage locations take effect immediately.
 Adding, deleting, and modifying tags
Modifying data acquisition characteristics of a tag could result in a brief period of data loss, for that
tag. As a guideline, any change to the source of data for the tag (for example, modifying the item
name, topic name, or I/O server name of the t ag) will result in a short gap in data for the tag, while the
system disconnects from the old data source and connects to the new data source.
 Adding, deleting, and modifying IDAS s
Adding a new IDAS to the system results in a new set of system tags being added (the status and
performance system tags associated with that IDAS).
Modifying an IDAS may result in dat a loss for the tags serviced by that IDAS (for example, moving an
IDAS to another computer caus es a disconnect from the data sources).
 Adding, deleting, and modifying I/O Servers and topics
Modifying I/O Server or topic characteristics may result in data loss for their tags, if the modification
implies a disconnect from the data source.
Cases in Which Configuration Changes Are Not Committed

If the system is not running, or storage is stopped, any commit is ignored and the contents of the
ConfigStatusPending table are cleaned up. The exceptions are changes to t he following fields in the
SystemParameter table:
 HistoryCacheSize
 HistoryDaysAlwaysCached
 AutoStart
If the system is running, a commit is not allowed if a previous dynamic configuration is still in progress. A
message appears, indicating that the commit is not allowed.
Viewing Properties for System Parameters

To open the Propertie s dialog box for an item in the details pane, do any of the following:
 Double-click the item.
 Right -click the item and click Properties.
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 Select the item and click the Properties button .

 Select the item and click Properties on the Action menu.
Editing System Parameters

Note: Not all system paramet ers are editable.
For a list of system parameters, see System Parameters on page 35.

To edit a system parameter:
1. In the System Management Console, expand a server group, expand the server, and then expand
Configuration Editor.
2. Expand System Configuration and then click Parameters. A list of all of the system paramet ers
3. Double-click the system parameter you want to edit. The Propertie s dialog box for that parameter
displays.
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4. In the Value box, type a new value of the system paramet er.
5. (Optional) In the De scription box, type a new description of the system parameter.
6. Click OK.
Adding a System Parameter

You can create your own named system parameters for the AVEVA Historian by adding rows to the
SystemParameter table using a SQL script.
Committing Configuration Changes

After you make a change to the database (for example, add a tag), you must commit the change to the
AVEVA Historian system. All database changes are immediately implemented. However, database
modifications are not applied to the system until you commit them. You are committing the changes to
the system, not the database.
The system reconfigures itself with no interruption for unaffected objects in the database.
Changes cannot be committed:
 During the first five minutes aft er starting the historian.
 During the creation of a new dat a block becaus e of a prior change.
For more information, see Dynamic Configuration on page 259 in the AVEVA Historian Concepts Guide.
To commit configuration changes to the system:
2. Right -click Configuration Edi tor (or any sub-items in the console tree) and then click Commit
Pending Changes. The Commit Pending Changes - Confirmation dialog box appears.
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3. To view a list of the pending changes, click Display.

Object Type
Used to indic ate the type of object to which the modifications apply.
Status
Used to indic ate the type of modification.
Object Key
The unique identifier of the modified object. If the modified object is a system parameter, the value
will be 0. For all other object types, the value is from one of the following tables and columns:
IODriver.IODriverKey; IOS erver.IOServerKey; Topic. TopicKey; Tag.wwTagKey;
StorageLocation.StorageType; Snapshot Detail.StorageSize.
Item
The key identifier for the column modified in the table. For ex ample, TagName for the Tag table,
Name for the Topic table, and so on.
4. To commit the outstanding changes, click Commit.
5. An information box appears, showing the status of the reconfiguration.
6. Click OK.
Tracking Modifications
AVEVA Historian tracks modifications (inserts, updates, and deletions) to columns in t he Runtime
database. If your plant tracks changes for compliance with regulatory agencies, you can configure the
historian to use modification tracking.
Modification tracking is system-wide; it is controlled by the ModLogTrackingStatus system parameter.
You cannot turn modification tracking on or off at a table level. Enabling modification tracking decreases
the historian's performance when making changes to the system. This is due to the extra work and space
required to track the changes. However, there is no performance degradation during run-time operation.
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Information in the modification tracking tables are stored in the data files of the Microsoft SQL Server
database. If modification tracking is turned on, the amount of data that is stored in these files is greatly
increased.
All of the objects for which modifications can be tracked are stored in the HistorianSysObjects table.
You can track changes to configuration data. For example, additions or changes to tag, I/O Server, and
storage location definitions. For more information, see About Modification Track ing for Configuration
Changes on page 264.
Note: Changes to history data are tracked through an internal stored procedure called
aaInternalHistoryModTrack. It captures the data modification with History view.
The types of changes that will be tracked is controlled by the ModLogTrackingStatus system parameter.
You can track inserts, updates, and deletes, as well as various combinations. For more information, see
Turning Modification Track ing On/Off on page 265.
About Modification Tracking for Configuration Changes

For configuration data, when a modification is made to a table in the database, a rec ord for the
modification is inserted into the ModLogTable table. One row will be inserted for each separate type of
modification, either an insert, update, or delete.
The actual value changes are recorded in the ModLogColumn table. Each column that is modified will
result in a row inserted into the ModLogColumn table. The entry in the ModLogColumn table includes
both the column value before the change and the new column value.
For example, if you added (inserted) a single analog tag to the system, the following changes would be
reflected in the modification tracking tables:
 Two rows would be added to the ModLogTable table, one to track the change to the Tag table and
one to track the change to the AnalogTag table.
 One row for each of the columns in bot h of the Tag and AnalogTag tables will be added to the
ModLogColumn table.
As another example, if you updated for a single analog tag the StorageType column in the Tag table and
the ValueDeadband and RateDeadband columns in the AnalogTag table, the following changes would
be reflected in the modification tracking tables:
 Two rows would be added to the ModLogTable table, one to track the change to the Tag table and
one to track the change to the AnalogTag table.
 Three rows would be added to the ModLogColumn table to record the changes to the StorageType,
ValueDeadband, and RateDeadband columns.
 Important things to note:
For a tier-2 historian, modification tracking for a replicated tag appears as being made by the system
account that the configuration service is running under, which is typically NT AUTHORITY \SYS TEM. To
find out who modified a tag, examine the ModLogTable of the tier -1 historian.
If modification tracking is enabled and tags are configured in offline mode and modified, only the last
known modifications are recorded in the modification tables.
About Modification Tracking for Historical Data Changes

Modifications to history data can be performed by either executing Trans act -SQL statements or by using
the CSV import functionality. In the case of Transact-SQL statements, the AVEVA Historian OLE DB
provider provides the change information to the modification tracking tables by means of a stored
procedure. This stored proc edure is also used by the Storage subsystem to communicate changes that
are the result of a CSV import.
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Although the history dat a that is changed is physically stored on disk in the history blocks, for the
purposes of modification tracking, the data is considered to reside in the History_OLEDB extension
table. For more information on extension tables, see Extension Tables for History Data.
When a modification is made to history data, a record for the modification is inserted into the
ModLogTable table. One row will be insert ed for each separate type of modific ation, either an ins ert or an
update, for each tag.
The ModLogColumn table is used to store details for the column modific ation in the Hi story_OLEDB
table. The modified column will always be the vV alue column. The total count of consecutive value
changes attempted per tag is stored in the NewValue column of the ModLogColumn table.
The OldV alue column cont ains the value stored in the column before the modific ation was made, if the
modification was to a configuration table. For modifications to history data using SQL INSERT and
UPDA TE statements, this column contains the times tamp of the earliest data affected by the INSERT or
UPDA TE operation. If multiple changes are made to the same data, then only the most recent change
will be contained in this column. This column is not used for modifications made to history data using a
CSV file.
For example, if you insert 20 data values into history for the React Temp analog tag using a CSV import,
the following changes would be reflected in the modification tracking tables:
 One row would be added to the ModLogTable table, to track the change to the Hi story_OLEDB
table. The UserName column will contain the name of the user as contained in the CSV file header.
 One row would be added to the ModLogColumn table to record that the value change occurred. A
value of 20 will be stored in the NewValue column to indicate that 20 values were inserted.
Turning Modification Tracking On/Off

Use the ModLogTrackingStatus system paramet er to c onfigure modification tracking. The following table
describes the allowable values:
Value Type of Modification(s) Tracked
1 inserts
2 updates
3 inserts + updates
4 deletions
5 inserts + deletions
6 updates + deletions
7 inserts + updates + deletions
For information on editing system parameters, see Editing System Paramet ers on page 261.
For more information on modification tracking, see Track ing Modifications on page 263.
Viewing Database Modifications

For more information on modification tracking, see Track ing Modifications on page 263.
You can search for all database modifications or apply filtering to ret urn modifications for only those
tables and columns you specify.
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Note: To view database modifications, you must enable modification tracking. For more information, see
Turning Modification Track ing On/Off on page 265.
To view a current list of modifications:

2. Right -click Configuration Edi tor (or any sub-items in the console tree) and then click Track
Modifications. The Modi fication Tracker - Selection dialog box appears.
3. In the Modi fication Date area, configure the time span for the search.
All Modification Dates
Returns all changes to table columns made since modification tracking was first enabled.
Between
Returns all modifications between the start date and end dat e that you specify. Click the date arrow
to access a calendar in which you can pick the date.
During the Previous
Returns all modifications for a recent time period. Durations can be in minutes, hours, days, weeks,
or months.
4. In the Modi fication Type area, select the types of modifications to search for.
5. In the Object Type area, set the type of modifications to search for.
Table Name
Returns modifications for all tables in the database or for a s pecified table. Only tables that currently
have modifications appear in the list.
Column Name
Returns modifications for a specified column in the selected table. This option is only available if you
select to filter on a single table.
Object Key
6. To reset the dialog box options back to the defaults, click Clear.
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7. Click Search to search for dat abas e modifications according to the filter options you select. A list of
all matching modifications appears.

Date and Time
The timestamp of when the modification occurred.
Table
The name of the modified object.
Column
The name of the modified column.
Modification Type
The type of modification.
Row Key
New Value
The new value stored in the column, if the modification was to a configuration table. For
modifications to history data, this column cont ains the total count of consecutive value updates
attempted.
Old Value
The value stored in the column before the modification was made, if the modification was to a
configuration table. For modifications to history data using SQL INSERT and UP DA TE statements,
this column contains the timestamp of the earliest data affected by the INSERT or UPDA TE
operation. If multiple changes are made to the same data, then only the most recent change will be
contained in this column. This column is not used for modifications made to history data using a CSV
file.
User
The name of the database user that made the modification. The value of this column reflects the
Windows authentication user name (for ex ample, DOMA IN\user_login_name) or the SQL Server
authentication user name (for example, dbo), depending on how the user is logged into the SQL
Server when the modification is made. In the case of a CSV file import, this column cont ains the user
name as it appears in the CSV file.
8. To sort on a column, click the column name at the top of the window.
9. Click Cancel to close the dialog box.
Viewing the Runtime Database Report

The Runtime database report includes information such as:
 System paramet ers
 Total number of licensed tags
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 Number of cyclically-stored tags for each storage rate

 Number of analog tags for each storage type (delta, cyclic, or "forced")
 Acquisition subsystem details
 E vent tag definitions
 Summary information
To view the database report:

2. Click Configuration Editor. The report appears in the details pane.
3. Click a major heading in the report to view a list of objects for that category.
4. To select, copy, or print the information, right-click in the window and then click the appropriat e
command from the shortcut menu.
Using a Redundant Historian

You can configure the AVEVA Historian to have a "partner" AVEVA Historian that can be used as a hot
backup if the primary historian is not available. This is called a "redundant historian" setup.
If AVEVA Application Server is configured to send data to the AVEVA Historian, the AppEngine
automatically sends data to both the primary historian and the specified part ner. If one of the historians
goes offline, the AppEngine stores the historized data until the historian comes back online. After the
connection is restored, the AppEngine forwards the data to the historian that was offline.
The Historian Client automatically detects and selects the online Historian from the redundant pair.
The historians in a redundant setup are not intended to be a synchronized pair, where both the historian
configuration and dat a are fully and automatically synchronized. It is up to you to make sure that the two
historians are symmetrical and synchronized. The following recommendations are examples of actions
you should take to keep the pair synchronized, or else incoming data is not stored as previously
described.
 If you make configuration changes for one historian, be sure to perform the same actions on the
partner.
 If you import a CSV file on one historian, you will need to rep eat the import on the partner.
 If you add or update data to one Historian using SQL or the Historian SDK, you will need to repeat
the action on the partner.
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To specify a historian partner:

1. In the System Management Console, expand Hi storian Group, expand the server, and then expand
Configuration Editor.
2. Expand System Configuration and then click Parameters. A list of all system paramet ers displays
in the details pane.
3. Double-click the Historian Partner system parameter. The System Parameter Properties dialog
box appears.
4. In the Value box, type the computer name of t he partner historian. You can use either the host name,
fully qualified name, or an IP address. Leading backslashes are optional.
Note: In net work environments where AppEngine and Historian Client computers on different
subnets must access the partner, be careful to use a name or IP address that can be correctly
resolved from all of those network locations and not just between the histori an servers themselves.
5. Click OK.
Changing the Default Network Protocol

AVEVA Historian client/server connections are set in the same way as Microsoft SQL Server
connections. No additional configuration is required to run client applicatio ns against the AVEVA
Historian if you are using the default named pipes protocol.
However, you can change the client configuration parameters by using the SQL Server Client Net work
Utility. The historian supports clients using Net-Libraries for named pipes, IP X/SP X, TCP/IP sockets, and
any other protocol supported by Microsoft SQL Server.
For more information changing the net work protoc ol used by clients, see the documentation for the
Microsoft SQL Server Client Network Utility.
Configuring a Custom TCP Port

AVEVA Historian uses default TCP port 32568 for communic ation.
 The "sending" application (for example, Application Server for data collection or a tier -1 server for
replication) needs to allow outbound connections on the configured port .
 The "receiving" Historian (for example, the historian server for data collection or the tier-2 server for
replication) needs to allow inbound connections on the configured port.
 No inbound connections need to be allowed into the "sending" application for this communications
channel, but it may be needed by other components (for example, if the "sending" node is also
receiving SuiteLink data, SuiteLink requires port 5413 to be opened).
 These requirements apply to the Windows Firewall and any hardware firewall sitting between the
systems.
You can configure a custom port for data historization from AVEVA Application Server and for
replication.
WARNI NG! If the historian is running and receiving data, clients using the port, such as AppEngines or
replication, will be disconnected and go into store-and-forward mode. Make sure all clients have
store-and-forward configured or dat a loss will occur.
To configure a custom port for Application Server:

1. Change the ReplicationTcpPort system parameter on the historian. Do the following:
a. Start the System Management Console (SMC).
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b. Make sure that the historian is not shut down and disabled. If it is, right -click Management
Console, point to All Tasks, and then click Enable (allow to run) Historian.
c. Change the ReplicationTc pPort system parameter default value to the custom port number. For
more information on editing system parameters, see Editing System Parameters on page 261.
A message appears stating that you must manually update the firewall settings.
d. Commit the configuration change. For more information on committing changes, see Committing
Configuration Changes on page 262.
The configuration service detects the change and restarts the Historian Client Access Point
(HCAP) to allow it to use the custom port.
e. To confirm the change, open the ArchestrA Logger to see a message from
aahClientAccessPoint such as "Client access point (Opening Historian listening port nnnnnn)…"
where nnnnnn is the custom port number you just configured.
2. Update the firewall settings on the Historian computer and update router/switch settings to allow
communication through the custom port.
3. Change the TCP port on the Application Server. Do the following:
a. Undeploy the Galaxy.
b. Open the object editor for either the WinPlatform or the AppE ngine.
c. In the Hi story area of the configuration options, expand Advanced settings and change the
TCP port option value to the custom port number.
d. Save the configuration.
e. Repeat steps b through d for all AppEngines.
f. Redeploy the Galaxy.
Application Server now sends data to the historian through the custom port.
To configure a custom port for replication:
1. Change the ReplicationTcpPort system parameter to the custom port value on the tier-2 historian.
2. Update the firewall settings on the tier-2 historian computer and update router/switch settings to
allow communication through the custom port.
3. Change the replication server TCP port setting to the custom port value on the tier -1 historian. For
more information on editing replication server properties, see Editing Replication Server Properties
on page 208.
4. Commit the configuration change. For more information on committing changes, see Committing
Configuration Changes on page 262.
The tier-1 historian now replicat es data to the tier-2 historian through the custom port.
Historian Client Web Customization

The following section outlines some additional tasks you can perform to customize your AVEVA
Historian Client Web installation.
White Labeling
You can customize AVEVA Historian to change the look and feel of certain interface elements on the
main page to match your company standards.
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Configuring Customizable White Label Settings

UI customization is controlled by the presence of a "BrandingInfo.json" file. The file's location is the
Configuration subfolder, located in the folder identified by the Data Path setting in the Historian
Server configurator.
To configure customized white label settings:
1. Launch the configurator, and select the Historian Server node. Note the location specified by the
Data Path setting.
2. Locate the folder named Configuration inside the folder identified by the Data Path setting. For
example, if the Data Path is C:\Historian, then use the folder
C:\Historian\Configuration.
3. Create a text file in the Configuration folder, named BrandingInfo.json. Copy the following
text into the file to use as a templat e:
{
"HeaderBackgroundColor": "#0F76C7",
"HeaderForegroundColor": "#F4F4F4",
"SiteTitle": "AVEVA Historian Client Web",
"CompanyLogo": "/Images/AVEVA_Blue.svg",
"CompanyLogo_Link": "https://www.aveva.com/",
"InsightLogo": "/Images/wwo-logo-home.png",
"Copyright": "Copyright © 2020 AVEVA Group plc and its subsidiaries.<br>All
rights reserved."
}
4. Update the provided sample values wit h your own values as required:
o HeaderBackgroundColor - This is the background color of the page header
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o HeaderForegroundColor - This is the text color of the page header

o SiteTitle - This is the site title displayed in the page header
o Company Logo - This is the path to the company logo
o Company Logo_Link - This is the URL that is loaded when the company logo is clicked
o InsightLogo - This is the path to the Insight logo displayed in the middle of the home/main page
o Copy right - This is the copyright information that is displayed.
Note s: A color value can be specified either as a name (ie. blue, red), or as a hexadecimal color
code (ie. #0012FF, #E83311).
The image files used for logos can be in either SVG or P NG file formats. Other file formats are
incompatible.
The paths specified for logo files are relative to the hosting directory pat h for Insight. The default path
is C:\Program Files (x86)\Wonderware\HistorianInsight\Server\wwwroot. For
example, if the value for CompanyLogo is set to /Images/logo.png, then the image file should
be located in C:\Program Files
(x86)\Wonderware\HistorianInsight\Server\wwwroot\Images\logo.png.
5. Save the file, and restart the AV EV A Hi storian Web Client service.
6. After the service has restart ed, refresh the AVEVA Historian Web Client home page to see your
custom values applied.
CORS Whitelisting
CORS origin configuration is a form o f whitelisting mechanism for the back-end API to determine the
origin of the web applications that are allowed to request resources from a different domain. This must be
configured with the identity of the front-end web application so that the front-end application is allowed to
access the API, and no other applications are allowed access.
Configuring the CORS Whitelist

The CORS whitelist is controlled by the presence of a "CorsSetting.json" file. The file's location is the
Configuration subfolder, located in the folder identified by the Data Path setting in the Historian
Server configurator.
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Viewing or Changing System-Wide Properties AVEVA™ Historian Administration Guide formerly Wonderware
To configure CORS whitelist settings:

1. Launch the configurator, and select the Historian Server node. Note the location specified by the
Data Path setting.
2. Locate the folder named Configuration inside the folder identified by the Data Path setting. For
example, if the Data Path is C:\Historian, then use the folder
C:\Historian\Configuration.
3. Create a text file in the Configuration folder, named CorsSetting.json. Copy the following
text into the file to use as a templat e:
{
"Origin": ""
}
4. Within the second set of quotation marks, enter a comma -separated list of all the CORS origins
granted access to the API, including scheme and port.
For example, the following sample would grant API access t o requests from server1.company.com
on port 8080, and server.company2.com on port 80:
{
"Origin":
"http://server1.company.com:8080,http://server.company2.com:80"
}
5. Save the file, then restart the AV EVA Hi storian Web Client and AVEV A Hi storian Gateway
services.
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Export Data to Excel Online

The version of Excel that you use must be version 2002 (Build 12527.20470) or later for complete
functionality.
This add-in relies on the Microsoft Excel API version 1.11 for complete functionality. P artial functionality
is available with the Microsoft Excel API version 1.9. Please refer to the following document from
Microsoft for a list of supported Excel versions by API level:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office/dev/add-ins/reference/requirement-sets/excel-api-requirement-s
ets.
To determine your Excel version:
1. Open an existing workbook in Excel, or create a new one.
2. Select the File menu.
3. Select Account.
4. Locate the About Excel section on the screen to view the version information:
Minimum Supported Versions of Microsoft Excel

The following table summarizes the minimum supported version of Excel for specific add -in functionality:
Excel Version Excel Build Excel API Version Add-in Functionality
1903 11425.20204 1.9 Custom Functions - The ability to use custom functions
is enabled, but the output range must be refreshed
manually to update the data.
2002 12527.20470 1.11 Dynamic Array Formulas - Custom functions can be
used, and the out put range is updated automatically
when the function parameters change.
2008 13127.20408 1.12 Date/Time Formatting - Date/time format defaults to the
format defined by the system's regional settings.
Registering and Installing the Excel Add-In

You must register and install the Excel add-in before you can use it with AVEVA Historian Client Web.
To register and install the Excel add-in:
1. Open a blank workbook in Excel.
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2. Select the File menu, then select Options. The Excel Options dialog displays.
3. Select Trust Center, and then click Trust Center Settings. The Trust Center dialog displays.
4. Select Trusted Add-in Catalogs.

5. In the Catalog Url field, enter the UNC path for the shared location created on the Historian server.
The UNC path should use this format:
\\your_server_name\InsightAddIn
6. Click Add catalog. A new line appears in the table.
7. Select the new line, then select the Show in Menu option.
8. Click OK, then restart Excel to apply the changes.
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Applying the Add-In to a Workbook

To apply the add-in to a workbook:
1. Open a workbook in Excel.
2. Select the Insert menu, then click My Add-ins. The Office Add-ins dialog displays.
3. Select Shared Folder, then select the AVEVA Historian add -in.
4. Click OK.
5. The AVEVA Historian add-in appears in the menu bar.
Note: If your version of Excel is not supported by the add -in, an error message displays in the side
panel.
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C HAPTER 10
Monitoring the System
Performance of the AVEVA Historian can be considered in two conc eptual contexts; as processes
running within the Windows operating system, and as software modules acquiring and storing dat a.
Monitoring the General Status of AVEVA Historian

To monitor the status:
2. Expand Management Console and then click Status. The overall status information appears in the
details pane.
o A snapshot of the current system status. For more information, see Viewing the Current System
Status on page 277.
o The status of different components of the system. For more information, see Viewing the Status
of System Modules on page 279.
o A log of status messages. For more information, see Viewing System Status Messages on page
280.
Note: The information in the det ails pane is refreshed according to the rate specified in the
registration properties for the server. For more information, see Registering AVEVA Historian
Servers on page 14.
Viewing the Current System Status

The system status window of the details pane shows the current values for key system tags.
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Many of the items in the display are self-explanat ory. All timestamps reflect the time of the AVEVA
Historian computer, which may be different than the System Management Console running on a remote
computer. However, all timestamps are formatted according to the Windows regional settings for the
local computer. Descriptions for some of the items are as follows:
Time of last reconfiguration
The time that the last reconfiguration of the system was committed. For more information, see Dynamic
Configuration on page 259.
System status
The current status of the system.The icon for the corresponding server in the console tree shows the
current state.
Icon State
Connecting
Unchecked
Starting
Running
Stopping
Stopped
Disconnected
License status
The status of license validation. For more information on licensing, see the AVEVA System Platform
Installation Guide.
Total number of tags in database
The total number of all tags in the databas e.
Number of licensed tags in database
The total number of tags for which the historian will retrieve data. If the historian is unlicensed, the tag
count shows the number of system tags.
Licensed tag count
The total number of tags you can configure for dat a retrieval in AVEVA Historian.
Total number of data values received
The number of tag values received since the System Management Console was started up. This value is
continuously updated as long as the system is running.
Overall data rate
A verage rate (per second) at which data values are acquired by the system.
Fatal errors, cri tical errors, errors and warnings
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The number of errors detected since the AVEVA Historian was restarted or since an error reset was
performed. For more information on errors, see System Messages on page 39.
Time of last error re set
The time that the error count was reset back to 0. For more information, see Resetting Error Counts on
page 279.
Space available on XXX path
The total amount of space for historical data storage in the storage location. For more information about
storage locations, see Storage Partition Locations on page 161.
System version
The current version of the AVEVA Historian.
Resetting Error Counts

Error counts are automatically set to zero at system startup and shutdown. You can also set the error
counts back to zero at any time.
To reset error counts:
2. Right -click Management Console, point to All Tasks, and then click Reset Error Counts. The
Reset AVEV A Hi storian Error Counts confirmation box appears.
3. Click OK. The number of errors shown in the system status window resets to 0.
Viewing the Status of System Modules

The module status window of the details pane indicates whether or not the module is started.
See the following table to find out more about each of thes e modules.
Module For more information, see
Storage, Indexing, Metadat a server, E vent Managing Data Storage on page 147
storage
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Module For more information, see
Classic data redirector Classic Storage Subsystem in the AVEVA Historian

Supplement al Reference
Replication Managing and Configuring Replication on page 191
Classic Event system Classic Events Subsystem in the AVEVA Historian

Supplement al Reference
Retrieval, OLE DB provider, Historian I/O AVEVA Historian Retrieval Guide

Server
System driver About System Driver and S ystem Tags on page 42
Data acquisition, Client access point, Data Data Acquisition Subsystem

import
Viewing System Status Messages
Status messages are shown in the bottom window of the details pane. These messages are also written
to the ArchestrA Log Viewer (not all messages written to the Log Viewer are shown here). For more
information on the Log Viewer, see Monitoring System Messages on page 283.
Viewing Status Information

Using the Management Console, you can monitor five main areas of the system: general system status,
data acquisition, client connections, history blocks, and legacy error messages. These items appear in
the console tree.
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 If you click Status, the details pane shows the overall status for the AVEVA Historian, such as
whet her the server is running, the number of system errors, and the time since the last startup.
 If you click Data Acquisition, the details pane shows each data source (IOServer\topic or ot her
client) that is supplying the historian with data.
 If you click Replication, the details pane shows a list of servers to which this Historian is replicating
data. On the server actually receiving the data, there will be a correspo nding entry under its Data
Acqui si tion node.
For more information on tag replication, see Managing and Configuring Replication on page 191.
 If you click Clients, the details pane shows the status of all clients that are currently connected to the
historian.
 If you click History Blocks, the details pane shows a list of all of the history blocks stored on the
historian computer.
For more information on administering history blocks, see Managing Partitions and History Block s on
page 161.
For more information on monitoring the general status, data acquisition, client connections, and the
system message log, see Monitoring the System on page 277.
If you have multiple historian servers registered in the console, make sure that you select the server you
want to manage before you right-click in the tree to select a short-cut menu command.
Monitoring Data Acquisition

You can monitor the status of data acquisition from all configured data sources. You can monitor how
individual data sources are performing compared to past history or to another data source.
For more information on data acquisition, see Configuring Data Acquisition on page 123.
To view data acquisition status
2. Expand Management Console and then click Data Acqui sition. Data acquisition information
Tier-1 historian sources appear in this pane when you view the data acquisition for a tier-2 historian.
Note: The information in the details pane is refreshed according to the rate specified in the
Servers on page 14.

Computer
The name of the computer on which the data source runs.
Topic
The name of the topic.
Protocol
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The protocol used by the AVEVA Historian to communicate with the dat a source.
Tags
The total number of tags associated wit h the data source.
Status
The status of data acquisition from the data sourc e.
Values
The total number of tag values received from the data source.
Rate
A verage number of data values received from the topic per second.
Connections
Number of connections to the I/O Server for the topic. This number is incremented.
Monitoring Replications
You can monitor the status of replications, including how well data is being replicated on the servers.
For more information on replication, see the Managing and Configuring Replication on page 191.
To view replication status
2. Expand Management Console and then click Replication. Replication information appears in the
details pane.
Note: The information in the details pane is refreshed according to the rate specified in the
Servers on page 14.

Replication Server
The name of the replication server.
Status
The status of replication to the replication server.
Total Tags
The total number of tags being replicated to the replication server.
Values/Sec
The average number of data values replicated per second.
Sync Queue Values/Sec
The average number of synchronization queue values replicated per second.
Total Values
The total number of values being replicated.
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Monitoring Client Connections

To view the client connection status
2. Expand Management Console and t hen click Clients. The client connection information will appear
in the details pane.
Note: The information in the det ails pane is refreshed according to the rate specified in the
Servers on page 14.

ID
Unique number that the AVEVA Historian assigns to the client.
Application
The executable name of the application that is accessing the historian.
Computer
The name of the computer on which the application in running.
User
The Windows login name under which the client application is running.
Connected At
The start time of the connection.
Duration
The length of time that the client has been connected.
For the Connected At and Duration columns, the timestamp reflects the time of the historian, shown
using the Windows regional settings for the loc al computer.
Monitoring System Messages

System messages provide information about the state of the AVEVA Historian as it starts up, runs, or
shuts down. For more information about system messages, see System Messages on page 39 .
From wit hin the System Management Console, you can view the system messages generated by the
AVEVA Historian using the Log Viewer.
To view system messages
1. In the console tree, expand Log Viewer and then expand Default Group.
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2. Click Local. All of the messages appear in the det ails pane.
For more information on the Log Viewer, see the Log Viewer documentation.
Viewing Errors in the Windows Event Viewer

The E vent Viewer is a Windows administrative tool for managing error log files. It allows the logs on any
workstation or server to be viewed from any other workstation or server that is connected by a network.
The E vent Viewer can be used to check the logs for the following type of messages:
 Error messages from the operating system.
 Messages confirming that scheduled Windows events occurred correctly.
 Error messages from AVEVA Historian.
There are hundreds of messages that can appear in the logs, depending on how your system is
configured and how healthy it is. It is important to know what the messages mean and what action is
required.
To view errors in the Event Viewer
1. Start up the E vent Viewer.
2. In the console tree, click Application. Messages from all applications appear in the details pane.
3. On the View menu, click Filter. The Application Properties dialog box appears.
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4. Click the Filter tab.
5. In the Event source list, click Historian.

6. Click OK. The details pane shows only AVEVA Historian errors.
7. To view the message text, double-click the message in the details pane.
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Monitoring System Tags from within InTouch HMI Software

The overall healt h of an AVEVA Historian is monitored continuously by a dedicated system driver. Critical
system variables (throughput rates, errors, remaining disk space, and so on) and timing counters are
acquired by the system driver and stored in the same manner as plant tags. This driver allows remot e
monitoring of the current and historical state of the historian, and alerts users to problems in the system.
For more information on the system tags, see About System Driver and S ystem Tags on page 42.
For example, you can write an InTouch application that monitors t he historian system health tags.
Monitoring t he overall health by means of system tags is done from the "top" of the system, ensuring that
each layer of the system is working properly, from the acquisition layer up through the historian:
Using Windows Performance Logs and Alerts

You can use Microsoft Performance Logs and Alerts console to monitor system variables that pertain to
your computer's operating system and hardware. Performance Logs and Alerts allows you to view
different types of counters that have been incorporated int o the Windows operating system.
In Performance Logs and Alerts, "counters" are associated wit h objects and with instances of objects.
Objects include memory, processes, servers, system, and so on. Instances of objects identify, for
example, specific processes. Counters include such measurements as percent age of processor time,
private bytes, available memory, and so on. The available counters depend on the object and the
instances selected.
You can select one or more process instances so that the Performance Logs and Alerts provides
measurements of counters for, for example, all the AVEVA Historian processes running within the
Windows operating system.
Using counters within Performance Logs and Alerts can provide valuable information to assist in system
tuning and to identify bottlenecks in a sluggish system. Using the Pool Non -paged Bytes counter of the
memory object, for instance, can identify memory leaks that contribute to a poorly responsive system.
For information on using Performance Logs and Alerts, see the documentation for your Windows
operating system.
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C HAPTER 11
Browsing the ArchestrA Model View Using
Historian Clients
You can c onfigure WinPlatforms and A ppEngines in Application Server s o that the ArchestrA model view
for objects and attributes hosted by these objects can be replicated to the AVEVA Historian. Gala xies
and objects in ArchestrA are repres ented in the historian as groups in the public namespace.
You can then browse the model view representation using any historian client application that shows the
historian public groups, such as the Historian Client Trend.
Model View Representation in the Historian Namespace

The ArchestrA model view namespace is represented in the AVEVA Historian database as a public
group namespace. Each Galaxy and object in the model view is represented as a namespace group in
the database.
The top-level group reflects the name of the Galaxy. The top-level Galaxy group contains a group for
every child Area and object, so that the ArchestrA object hierarchy is accurately reflected in the
group/sub-group structure. Only one Galaxy can be represented in a single historian.
Each group under the Galaxy group is named according to t he object in the model view that it represents.
Each group can contain:
 Additional child groups.
 Historian tagnames for the historized attributes of the object that the group represents.
 Groups that represent objects without any historized attributes, if the objects contain child objects
with historized attributes or if they contain special types of objects, such as traceability objects.
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The following illustrates the mapping bet ween a sample ArchestrA model view namespace and the
corresponding group names pace in the historian:
Model View Replication to the Historian

Model view replication is the process of sending the model view hierarchy information to the AVEVA
Historian and incorporating it into the public group namespace. Replication is initiated by ArchestrA.
Replication is a two-step process:
1. The historian is checked to see if there is a need to updat e the public group namespace with
information from the model view.
Replication only occurs when the public group names pace is determined to be out of sync with the
model view, in terms of objects with historized attribut es and/or special types of objects, such as
traceability objects.
2. The required model view changes are transmitted to the historian and incorporat ed into the public
namespace.
During replication, only the object/attribute information that needs to change in the historian is
transmitted and processed, wit h the exception of Area objects. For example, if one object is added to
a Galaxy of 1000 objects, the new object will be the only entity transmitted to the historian and
incorporated into the public group namespace. B ecause the amount of dat a for A rea objects is small,
all Area information is transmitted and processed, without negatively impacting performance.
ArchestrA objects and attributes that can be replicated include:
All historized attribut es.
 All objects that contain historized attributes.
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 All objects that contain other objects with historized attributes. This allows for represent ation of the
complete hierarchy from the Galaxy level down to lowest-level object that has historized attributes,
even if objects at intermediate levels do not have any historized attributes.
 Some special types of objects that do not typically have historized attributes, such as traceability
objects. Also, their parent objects are replicat ed, as needed, to fill out the entire hierarchy.
Attributes that are not historized do not appear in the historian namespac e.
Replication occurs when:
 Objects with historized attributes and/or traceability objects are deployed.
 Objects with historized attributes and/or traceability objects are redeployed.
 The historian starts up, and there was a relevant change to the model view while the historian was
offline. There may be a delay in the replication.
If you undeploy or delete an object, the changes will not be replicated until you perform a redeploy.
If replication fails to complete (for example, due to a network failure), ArchestrA will try to send the model
information again during the next scan cycle, until the replication succeeds. No error message is logged
to the ArchestrA Logger if replication fails; however, you can log a cus tom message using the
"ModelViewSync" custom log flag.
Replication Configuration using the IDE

Use the System Platform IDE to enable or disable the automatic replication of the ArchestrA model view
to the AVEVA Historian computer.
Replication is configured at the platform and engine levels.
Configuring Replication for a WinPlatform

Configuring replication at the plat form level simply enables any WinPlatform attributes, marked for
historization, to be associated with the WinPlat form in the historian namespace.
To configure model view replication for a WinPlatform
1. Start the IDE.
2. In the model view, browse to the WinPlat form that you want to configure.
3. Open the object editor for the selected WinPlat form.
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4. Click the Engine tab.
5. Select the Enable storage to historian check box, if not already checked.
6. Select the Enable Tag Hierarchy check box.
7. In the Hi storian box, specify the name of the AVEVA Historian computer.
8. Configure other history settings as required.
9. Close the editor, saving your changes.
10. Close the IDE.
Configuring Replication for an AppEngine

Configuring replication at the engine level enables the replication of AppE ngine attributes marked for
historization, as well as the replication of all qualifying objects hosted by the AppEngine, and their
attributes.
To configure model view replication for an AppEngine
1. Start the IDE.
2. In the model view, browse to the AppEngine that you want to configure.
3. Open the object editor for the selected AppEngine.
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5. Select the Enable storage to historian check box, if not already checked.
6. Select the Enable Tag Hierarchy check box.
7. In the Hi storian box, specify the name of the AVEVA Historian computer.
8. Configure other history settings as required.
9. Close the editor, saving your changes.
10. Close the IDE.
Enabling Replication at Runtime
You can enable or disable replication at run time without having to undeploy and redeploy the engine of
any affected objects. To do this, set the Engine. Historian.EnableTagHierarchy attribute to True. This
attribute is available for both WinPlatform and AppEngine objects.
Viewing Historized Attributes in the AVEVA Historian

Configuration Editor
Note: You cannot view the model hierarchy in the AVEVA Historian System Management Console.
To view historized attributes

1. In the AVEVA Historian System Management Console, expand a server group and the n expand a
server.
Configuration.
3. Select any of the tag type groups, such as Analog Tags.
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4. In the details pane shows all tags of that type, including historized attributes from A VEVA Application
Server.
Browsing the Model Hierarchy in a Historian Client

You can browse the ArchestrA model view hierarchy in any AVEVA Historian client that incorporates the
Public Groups folder in the navigation tree, such as the Historian Trend client.
It is recommended that you not modify the model view hierarchy replication either directly from the
database or by using an application such as the Historian Trend client.
To browse the model hierarchy
1. Start a client, such as the Historian Trend client.
2. Connect to the historian.
3. In the navigation tree, expand Public Groups.
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4. Expand the group that reflects the name of the Galaxy you want to browse.
5. Navigate through the ArchestrA model view hierarchy and select a group representing an object with
historized attributes.
6. Select attributes for which you want to view history data in the client.
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For example, when you select a group in the Trend Tag Picker, the Tags pane shows a list of all the
historian tagnames representing the historized attribut es of the selected group (object).
If only the objects at the bottom of the model view hierarchy are deployed, the names for the objects
higher in the hierarchy are not available to clients. To enable replication of the hierarchy in other
applications, ArchestrA generates generic names for the undeployed objects. Client applications display
these generic names instead of the actual names that appear in the IDE.
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A PPENDIX A
Legacy Features
If you install AVEVA Historian from an earlier version, you may still use some legacy features when
 Data is collected by previous historian versions
 E vents are stored in A2ALMDB
 Classic Event subsystem is used for notifications
 Classic Storage subsystem was used for classic IDASes.
Note that the Classic Storage subsystem is now replaced by the Classic Data Redirector process
(aahStoreS vc.exe), which performs the same functionality.
This table compares legacy features with upgraded features in Historian 2017:
Legacy feature Upgraded feature in Historian 2017
Classic storage subsystem The current storage subsystem. See Managing Data Storage on
page 147.
Classic events subsystem E vents are managed through the Alarms and E vents subsystem.
(now Classic Data Redirector
process)
A2ALMDB New events are written to special history blocks for events. For more
information, see Managing Partitions and History Block s on page
161.
Classic Storage Subsystem

Note: The Classic Storage subsystem is now replaced by the Classic Data Redirector process
(aahStoreS vc.exe), which performs the same functionality.
Starting with AVEVA Historian 2014 R2, classic storage as a subsystem no longer exists. However, all
historical data that was collected by the Classic Storage subsystem from previous releases remains fully
accessible in a seamless manner.
Any tags previously configured for classic storage will automatically use storage after you install AVEVA
Historian 2014 R2 or lat er.
Starting with AVEVA Historian 2014 R2, data from the following sources are accept ed by a classic
storage "redirector" service (aahStoreS vc.exe) and sent to the current Storage subsystem.
 A remote IDAS that has not been upgraded to Historian 2017
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 System driver
Memory Management for Retrieval of Classic Storage Data

The AVEVA Historian Indexing Service (aahIndexS vc.exe) is used to retrieve data t hat was stored by the
Classic Storage subsystem.
For large systems, it is possible that loading the tag information from all of the history blocks will require
more memory than the 2 GB limit that is imposed by the Windows operating system for a single process.
The actual limit may be even be less than 2 GB, if the amount of installed RAM is insufficient.
The total amount of tag information for the history blocks depends not only on the total number of tags,
but also on the number of tag versions, which are created during modifications to old data. Therefore, it is
recommended that you monitor the memory consumption for all systems, large and small, if you are
regularly performing data inserts, updat es, or CSV file import s.
To avoid excessive memory consumption by the AVEVA Historian Indexing Servic e, tune and monitor
the servic e for your system using the following system parameters and system tags.
 Hi storyCacheSize and HistoryDaysAlwaysCached system parameters.
You can limit the maximum amount of memory the Indexing Service can use for tag information by
adjusting the value of the HistoryCacheSize system parameter. When this parameter is set 0
(default), the Indexing Service selects a default cache value automatically by taking into account the
amount of installed physical memory and the maximum available address space for the process. In
some rare cases when some specific performance tuning is needed, you may want to set the
HistoryCacheSize parameter manually. In this case, the Indexing Service uses the specified value,
but still may automatically change the effective HistoryCacheSize if the specified value is too low or
too high.
Regardless of whet her the effective HistoryCacheSize was selected automatically (default ) or
specified by you, the Indexing S ervice manages the cache using a "least -recently used" algorithm. In
this algorithm, when there is a request to access a history block that is not currently cached, the
Indexing Service unloads the tag information from the least-recently used history block and then
loads the tag information from the requested block.
All of these operations are performed automatically in the background, but you may notice a
slowness data retrieval if the data is retrieved from a block that is not currently loaded into memory.
Keep in mind that the smaller the amount of memory that you allocate for the cache, the potentially
longer it may take to service data requests.
To guarantee the maximum ret rieval performance for the newest history blocks (for example, if you a
running a trend application for the last week ), you can "lock" a certain number of the most recent
history blocks in the cache. To do this, set the number of days to be locked in the cache by changing
the HistoryDaysAlwaysCac hed system parameter.
 SysHi storyCacheFaults and SysHi storyCache Used system tags.
To determine if you need to clamp the memory used by the Indexing Service, use the Windows Task
Manager application or the Performance console to see how much memory is used by the
aahIndexS vc.exe process. Also, you can monitor the SysHistoryCacheFaults and
SysHistoryCacheUsed system tags. A high number of cache faults may be indicating that the cache
size is insufficient. The SysHistoryCacheUsed system tag shows the number of bytes currently used
for keeping the tag information. This tag may be helpful to see how much memory is consumed by
the tag information, even if the memory management is not enabled.
At any time, you can observe the current status of the history blocks in the AVEVA Historian
Management Console. When the tag information from a history block is not loaded into memory, the
history block icon is dimmed. You can manually refresh the console window to see changes in the status
for the history blocks.
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About the Real-Time Data Window

The real-time data window is applicable only for store-and-forward data from remote IDASes that are not
upgraded to Historian 2017.
The real-time "window" is the maximum delay, relative to current time of the server, in which dat a is
considered real-time by storage. The real-time window can range from -30 sec onds to +999 milliseconds
of the current server time.
 For real-time data, the timestamp for the data value must fall within the time window.
 For late data, the timestamp for the data value can fall either inside or outside of the time window,
depending on whether the late date setting is enabled for the topic. Note that late dat a can be
processed very slowly if the timestamp falls outside of the real-time window.
 For non-streamed data, the data can have any timestamp.
The following rules apply when storing data with timestamps relative to the real -time window:
 If the late dat a setting for a tag topic is not enabled and the received data is more than 30 seconds
late, the value is discarded, and a warning is logged. If the received data value is within 30 seconds
of the server time, it is stored as received.
 If the late dat a setting for a tag topic is enabled and the received dat a value is within the real-time
window, then the value is stored by the real-time storage service with no changes. If the received
data value is outside of the real-time window, then the value is passed to the alternate storage
services and stored without changes.
 If the late data setting for a tag topic is enabled, the received data value is stored in delta mode, even
if the tag is configured for cyclic storage and the received data value is within the real -time window.
For more information on the late data setting for a topic, see IDAS Late Data Handling.
You can adjust the real -time window for "late" data topics by configuring the RealTimeWindow system
parameter. The real -time window for regular real -time data (not "late") is fixed as 30 seconds. For more
information, see Editing S ystem Parameters on page 261.
Adjusting the real -time window also has implications if you are using delt a storage with a swinging door
deadband. For more information, see Swinging Door Deadband for Delta Storage.
If the system does not have enough memory to adequately process real -time data, the window is
adjusted internally. An appropriate message is logged. The value of the RealTimeWindow system
parameter, however, remains unchanged.
Important: The real-time window is not intended to accommodate time synchronization problems
between an IDAS and the historian. It is imperative that you properly synchronize the IDAS and historian.
If the IDAS is sending data in a steady stream outside of the real -time window, it is likely there is a time
synchronization problem. For more information, see Time Synchronization for Data Acquisition on page
125.
If a data value is discarded because it did not fit the requirements of the real -time window, the historian
logs a warning message. Warning messages are logged at one intervals during the period when data is
being discarded.
Determining If the Real-Time Window Is Configured Appropriately for a Swinging

Door Deadband
To determine if the real -time window is configured correctly for a swinging door deadband, look at the
number of data values that are forc ed to be stored while the system waits for the next valid data point to
make the filtering calculation.
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The SysRat eDeadbandForcedValues system tag counts the number of "extra" points forced to be stored
as a result of an insufficient real-time window for swinging door storage. Also, you can determine the
number of points forced to be stored for an individual tag by execut ing a query that uses the full retrieval
mode and specifies a quality detail of 2240, which indicates that these points were stored becaus e of an
insufficient real-time window.
If y ou find a large number of forced storage points, you can eit her reconfigure the tag to use delta storage
or increase the real -time window.
Note: The first two points received for a tag configured for swinging door storage are always stored.
Also, use caution when setting the real -time window to accommodat e a swinging door deadband.
 If your system has a large tag count or high data throughput, increasing the real -time window will
increase the memory requirements for storage, because the storage system will have to process
more data as real-time data, which is more resource-intensive than the storage of late dat a.
 If you increase the real-time window and you apply a swinging door deadband to a slow -changing
tag, the amount of storage space required increases because the tag value is forced to be stored
more often than if you used delta storage with no deadband.
Classic Event Subsystem

Plant events range from startups and shutdowns, through trips and shift changes, to batch events and
operator actions.
You can use the AVEVA Historian Classic Event subsystem to detect events and associate actions when
they are detected. At a basic level, anything that can be determined by examining stored data can be
used as an event. The Classic Event subsystem can be configured to periodically check to see if an
event occurred. This is called event detection. A subsequent action can then be triggered after an event
is detected. However, there is no guarantee of immediacy for actions; in fact, other mechanisms can
preempt actions under certain circumstances.
For the historian, event storage encapsulates more than just the fact that something happened. An event
is the set of attributes describing the moment a detection criterion is met on historical tag values in the
historian. Attributes of an event include the date and time that the event occurred in history and the da te
and time that it was det ected. Records of detected events can be logged to the database regardless of
whet her or not any configured actions are subsequently initiated. In other words, sometimes it may be
desirable to simply log the fact that an event occurred without initiating an action. The opposite may be
true, as well.
In short, the Classic Event subsystem performs the following basic functions:
 Detects when events occur by comparing sets of criteria against historical data in the database.
 Optionally logs event records to a dedicated SQL server table (E ventHistory ).
 Optionally triggers a configured action eac h time an event is occurs.
For information about configuring events within the Classic Events Subsystem, see the Configuring
Classic Events on page 311.
The Classic Event subsystem does not support Daylight Savings Time changes. The Replication
subsystem, however, does handle Daylight Savings Time changes, and you can us e replication to
generate data summaries according to a schedule. For more information, see Managing and Configuring
Classic Event Subsystem Components

The following table describes the components of the Classic E vent subsystem.
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Configuration Editor Part of the System Management Cons ole. Used to specify event definitions
and possible actions.
Runtime database Stores event definition information and all data generated by the E vent
subsystem, such as records of event detections, data summaries, and data
snapshots.
E vent System Service Internal proc ess that coordinates event det ection and action functions. This
(aahE ventS vc.exe) process runs as a Windows service. Using the System Management Console,
you can configure the event service to automatically start and stop at the same
time as the AVEVA Historian. The event service is responsible for:
Reading event defi nition information from the Runtime dat abase.
Creating event detectors and actions, including allocating the necessary
processing threads and establishing dat abase connections.
Initiating the event detection cycle.
SQL variables A vailable for use in event queries.
You use the System Management Console to configure the Classic Event subsystem.
Uses for the Classic Event Subsystem

Generally, you should use the AVEVA Historian Classic Event subsystem to monitor non -critical system
conditions that occur only occasionally. For ex ample, possible event detections that you can set up
include:
 Detect all occurrences in history when the value of a discrete tag is set to 0
 Detect if the system clock is set to a specified date and/or time
 Determine the state of information in the database by a SQL statement
You can use event actions to perform tasks such as the following:
 Send e-mail messages to remind managers about weekly maintenance checks
 Summarize plant data to create a statistical analysis over defined periods of time
 Take "snapshots" of system data
 Modify storage conditions (such as time and value deadbands)
 Generally perform any databas e-related task
The Classic Event subsystem is not designed to transfer data to and from the database continually and
should not be used in this manner. The only exception is for summary actions; the Classic E vent
subsystem can continually process data ag gregat es so that they are available for reporting purposes.
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The Classic Event subsystem should not be used as an alarm system. An alarm system such as
provided with InTouc h HMI soft ware can be used to alert operat ors to specific satisfied conditions. The
InTouch alarm system is intended as a notification system to inform operators of process and system
conditions promptly upon their occurrence. The InTouch alarm system supports displaying, logging, and
printing capabilities for process alarms and system events. (Alarms represent warnings of process
conditions, while events represent normal system status messages.) For more information on the
InTouch alarm system, see your InTouch documentation.
In contrast, the Classic Event subsystem is intended to initiat e actions based upon historical event
detection. An alarm system presupposes an immediate message response is propagated for all
configured alarms at the time the respective conditions are met. In this sense, the historian Classic E vent
subsystem is not an alarm system. The Classic Event subsystem queues up detected events and
processes them accordingly based upon preconfigured priorities.
Classic Event Subsystem Features and Benefits

You can obt ain a number of distinct operational benefits from properly using the features of the Classic
E vent subsystem. A list of key benefits is as follows:
 Unlike real-time alarming, the Classic Event subsystem determines events from stored his torical
data and is not dependent on real-time detection. No events are missed unless the machine is
severely overloaded for a long period of time.
 The Classic Event subsystem is SQL-bas ed, thus providing a means of managing database -related
tasks within the system. You can use custom SQL queries as detectors, as well as create custom
SQL-based actions.
 A number of preconfigured det ectors and actions are available.
 Detections may be made by external sources. (A COM mechanism is available for invoking the
detector in the Classic E vent subsystem.)
 Time-based detection (based on the system clock time) allows you to schedule certain tasks, such
as data aggregations (summaries).
 The Classic Event subsystem is designed to manage overload situations. If the system is currently
busy due to some other processing for a period of time, the Classic Event subsystem will "catch up"
at a later time during off-peak periods. If the overall AVEVA Historian is continuously overloaded, the
Classic Event subsystem degrades in functionality gracefully.
 You can select which actions have priority and can assign certain actions (preferably only a few)
never to be compromised, even under overload conditions.
 System tags are available to monitor Classic E vent subsystem conditions.
Classic Event Subsystem Performance Factors

The overall performance of the AVEVA Historian Classic Event subsystem is subject to factors related to
data storage and query processing time. Too often, systems are commissioned with specifications that
estimate average or "typical" expected loading. Instead, you should size the system so that it can
accommodate the peak load that you expect during the projected system life cycle. Some performance
factors you should consider are:
 Sufficient hardware.
Your selection of hardware is important to guarant ee peak performance for the range of behaviors
required for a given operating environment. For example, you should make sure that you have
enough disk space to store the records of detected events and the results of any actions
(summaries, value snapshots, and so on).
 Processor availability.
The Classic Event subsystem is subject to processor availability as much as any other soft ware
sharing a common plat form. At any given moment, multiple processes contend for processor time.
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 Nature of the database queries executed by the Classic Event subsystem.

For example, because Classic Event subsystem actions typically operate on normal SQL Server
tables, they are subject to performance limitations of the Microsoft SQL Server. Also, query activity
tends to be very CP U-intensive and is extremely sensitive to other conc urrent activities being
performed on the same server.
 Time intervals for SQL -ba sed detectors.
For more information, see Time Intervals for SQL-B ased Detectors on page 302.
Performance can vary greatly for the same event task, depending upon the computer configuration, user
interaction, and other unpredictable activity common in a plant situation with shared database and server
resources. It is often very difficult to determine precisely what combinations of hardware and soft ware
parameters will work optimally for your required operating environment. Therefore, you should test your
Classic Event subsystem configuration before running it in a production environment to make sure that
the system will not become overloaded during peak use.
Event Tags
An event tag is a name for an event definition in the system. For example, if you want to detect an event
when a tank temperature reaches 100 degrees, you can define an event tag and name it "TankAt100."
E vent tags differ from the other tag types in the AVEVA Historian (analog, discrete, and string). Analog,
discrete, and string tag types are the definitions of variables to be stored. In cont rast, an event tag is a
named reference for the definition of the specific event you want to detect, including an optional action to
perform when the event is detected. An event tag provides a way to reference all event definition
information in the system.
E vent tags are created and maintained using the System Management Console. When you define an
event tag, you must specify:
 A name, description, and other general config uration information.
 The event criteria, which describes the conditions that must exist for the event and how often the
Classic Event subsystem checks to see if an event occurred.
 Whether or not to log the event detection.
 Whether or not to enable or disable event detection.
 An optional action that is triggered when an event is detected.
Event Detectors
Each event tag must have an associated event detector. An event detector is a mechanism for
determining when the set of event criteria for a n event tag has been satisfied. When you configure an
event detector, you must first configure its type and then configure the parameters associated with that
detector type. You can choose from the following types of event detectors:
 SQL-Bas ed Detectors on page 302
 Schedule Det ectors on page 303
 External Detectors on page 304
The generic SQL, analog specific value, and discrete specific value detectors are SQL-based detectors.
The schedule detector is a time-based detector. The external detector is used when triggering an event
by the ActiveE vent ActiveX control.
For all detectors, the Classic E vent subsystem will initially base the que ry for data in history at the time
the Classic E vent subsystem starts. Subsequently, the Classic Event subsystem will base the query on
the last successful detection; that is, the time of the most recent detection becomes the starting time for
the next detection.
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SQL-Based Detectors
Analog specific value, discrete specific value, and generic SQL detectors operate on data stored in the
database. The detection criteria for each of these detectors is a SQL statement that is executed against
the AVEVA Historian. Generic SQL detectors can query against both the historian and Microsoft SQL
Server.
Generic SQL Detectors
A generic SQL detector detects an event bas ed on criteria that are specified in a S QL statement. You can
use pre-c onfigured SQL templates that are stored in the databas e as the basis for your script, or you can
create your own script from scratch.
To use a pre-configured SQL template, simply select it from a list of available templates when defining
the event tag.
If you create a new script, you will need to add it to the SQLTemplates table in the Runtime database in
order for it to appear in the list of pre-c onfigured templates. You should test your SQL queries in SQL
Server Query Analyzer before using them in a generic SQL event detector.
Specific Value Detectors

Two specific value detectors are available:
 Analog specific value detector
 Discrete specific value detector
These det ectors can be used to detect if a historical tag value matches the state defined by the detector
criteria. For the criteria, historic al values are compared to a target value that you specify. If a value
matches the criteria, then an event is logged into the E vent History table, and any associated actions will
be triggered. For example, an analog specific value detector could be configured to detect if the value of
'MyAnalogTag' was ever greater than 1500. Likewise, a discrete value det ector could be configured to
detect if the value of 'MyDiscreteTag' was ever equal to 0.
For a specific value det ectors, you can apply either edge detection or a resolution to the ret urned data.
The resolution is used only when the edge detection is set to NONE (in which case the retrieval mode is
cyclic). For more information, see thes e topics from the AVEVA Historian Retrieval Guide:
 Resolution (Values Spaced E very X ms) (wwResolution)
 Edge Detection for E vents (wwE dgeDetection)
Time Intervals for SQL-Based Detectors
For SQL-based detectors, you must specify a time interval that indicates how often the detector will
execute. The time interval is very important in that it affects both the response rate of any event a ctions
and the overall performance of the system.
The detection of an event may occur significantly later than the actual time that the event occurred,
depending on the value you specify for the time interval. The time between when an event actually
occurred in history and when it was detected is called latency.
For example, you configure a det ector to detect a particular event based on a time interval of 10,000 ms
(10 seconds). This means that every 10 seconds, the event detector will check to see if the e vent
occurred. If the event occurs 2,000 ms (2 sec) after the last check, the event detector will not detect that
the event occurred until the full 10 seconds has elapsed. Thus, if you want a greater possibility of
detecting an event sooner, you should set the time interval to a lower value.
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Also, the time interval affects when an associated action will occur, because there could be s ome actions
that are queued to a time equal to or great er than the interval.
The following are recommendations for assigning time intervals:
 When configuring multiple event detectors, distribute them evenly across multiple time intervals;
don't assign them all to the same interval.
All configured detectors are first divided into groups, based on their assigned time interval. The
detectors are then sequentially ordered for processing in t he time interval group. The more det ectors
assigned to a particular time interval, the longer it will take the system to finally process the last one
in the group. While this should not have a negative impact on actual detection of events, it may add
to increased latency.
 A void assigning a faster time interval than is really necessary.
The time interval for detectors should not be confused with a rate required by a real -time system that
needs to sample and catch the changes. For the Classic Event subsystem, a slower time interval
simply means that more rows are returned for each scan of the history data; no events are lost
unless then detection window is exceeded (for more information, see "Det ector overloads" on
page 370). For example, you create an event tag with a detector time interval of 1 minute, and you
expect an event to occur every 5 seconds. This means that the system would detect 12 events at
each time interval. In most cases, this is an acceptable rate of detection. Also, assigning short time
intervals will res ult in higher CP U loading and may lead to degraded performance.
For detailed information on how det ectors are executed, see Classic Event Subsystem Resource
Management on page 306.
The E ventHistory table can be used to determine if too many event tags have the same time interval. If
the latency between when the event actually occurs (stored in the DateTime column) and when it was
detected (stored in t he DetectDateTime column) is constantly growing and/or multiple event occurrences
are being detected during t he same detector time interval, you need t o move some of the event det ectors
to a different time interval.
Schedule Detectors
The schedule det ector is a time-based detector. A schedule detector detects whether the system clock
is equal to or greater than a specific date and/or time. For example, you could log an event every week on
Monday at 2:00 p.m.
Schedule detectors are different from other detectors in that they are real -time detectors. The value of
the system clock is checked every second. Schedule detectors are very fast and can be used without
great concern about efficiency. Thus, a schedule detector provides the only real-time event processing.
However, there is no guarantee of when the action will occur.
All of the schedule detectors that you set up are handled by a dedicated scheduling thread. This allows
for a separation between the processing load needed to execute schedule detectors and the processing
load needed to perform all of the other event work. The scheduling thread will maintain a list of detection
times in a time queue. If you add a schedule detector, the thread will register the detection time in the
queue and then re-sort the list of all detection times from the earliest to the latest.
The time of the system clock is then compared with the time of the first item in the schedule queue. If the
system clock time is equal to or greater than the time o f the first item, the detection algorithm for the first
item will be invoked and the det ection will be performed.
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The Classic Event subsystem does not account for Daylight Savings Time changes. If you set up a
schedule detector that runs periodically with a specified start time, you will need to change the start time
to reflect the time change. Another solution would be to use the time-weighted average retrieval mode
instead of the Classic Event subsystem to generate averages, because the retrieval mode han dles the
Daylight S avings Time changes. However, if the period for the average is hourly, then it is recommended
that you use the Classic Event subsystem, as the amount of data will not generally not be a factor in the
speed of calculating the average.
External Detectors
For an external detector, event detection is triggered from an external source by the ActiveE vent
ActiveX c ontrol that is provided as part of the AVEVA Historian. For example, an InTouch or Visual Basic
script can invoke the necessary ActiveE vent methods to trigger an event. This ActiveX control must be
installed on the comput er from which you want to trigger the external event.
For more information, see Configuring an Ext ernal Detector on page 318.
Event Actions
An event may or may not be associated with an event action. An event action is triggered after the event
detector determines that the event has occurred. The Classic E vent subsystem is not intended to run
external proc esses. There is only a very limited ability to run external program files or to call methods
from COM interfaces within the given system or network.
Actions are not required; there are times when you may want to simply store when events happened. In
this case, you would select "None" for the action type when defining the event tag.
Generic SQL Actions

A generic SQL action executes an action that is outlined in a SQL statement. For example, a SQL action
can update the database (for example, turning off storage for tags) or copy data to a separate table or
database.
You can use pre-configured SQL templates that are stored in t he database as the basis for your script, or
you can creat e your own script entirely from scratch. You cannot submit multiple queries against the
AVEVA Historian in a single event action and you cannot use GO statements. Also, if you are querying
against history data, the SQL statement is subject to the syntax supported by the AVEVA Historian OLE
DB provider. You should test your SQL queries in SQL Server Query Analyzer before using them in a
generic SQL event action.
Snapshot Actions
A snapshot action logs into dedicated SQL Server tables the dat a values for selected analog, discrete,
or string tags that have the same timestamp as the detected event. Quality is also logged. Value
snapshots are stored in tables according to the tag type, either AnalogSnapshot, Discret eSnapshot, or
StringSnapshot.
A snapshot action requires an expensive SQL join between the extension tables and the snaps hot tag
table. The process of performing the join and logging the retrieved results to the snapshot tables can be
very slow. This is because most of the ta bles used for event snapshots are normal SQL Server tables,
subject to the data processing limitations of Microsoft SQL Server. Thus, the higher the number of
snapshots that are being taken by the event system, the higher the transaction load on the Micros oft SQL
Server.
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Important: The Classic E vent subsystem is not a data acquisition system. DO NOT attempt to use
snapshot actions to move data stored in the extension tables to normal SQL Server tables. This type of
misapplication is guaranteed to res ult in exceedingly poor throughput and storage rates.
When trying to determine how many snapshots can be made by the system, you should execute the
intended snapshot queries to the server using a batch file, leaving the Classic Event subsystem out of
the exercise. By executing repeated snapshot queries at the server as fast as the computer will allow,
you can better determine how many snapshots can be performed on a system over a given time period.
Using this result and applying a safety factor may provide a good guideline for assessing how much your
system can safely handle. Keep in mind that discrete snapshots are many times slower than analog
snapshots.
E-mail Actions
An e-mail action sends a pre-c onfigured Microsoft Exchange e-mail message. Although e-mail actions
are useful for sending non-critical messages triggered by an event detection, these types of actions are
not to be used for alarm-type functionality. For e-mail notifications of alarm situations, use an alarm
system such as the SCADAlarm alarm notification software.
Deadband Actions
Important: Deadband actions are no longer supported. Any configured deadband actions are ignored.
A deadband action changes the time and/or value storage deadband for one or more tags that are
using delta storage. (Value deadbands only apply to analog tags.) Deadband change actions are useful
for increasing data storage bas ed on an event occurring. For example, an event detector has detected
that a boiler has tripped, you might want to start saving the values of certain tags at a higher rate to help
you determine the cause of the trip.
Summary Actions
A summary action is a set of aggregation calculations to be performed on a set of tags bet ween a start
time and an end time with a defined resolution. When you configure a summary action, you must define
the type of aggregation you want to perform (called a summary operation) and the analog tags that you
want to be summarized. The Classic Event subsystem performs average, minimum, maximum and sum
calculations on the basis of a specific event being detected.
Note: Summary actions using the Classic Event subsystem are retained for backward compatibil ity.
We recommend that you us e the more robust and flexible Replication subsystem to perform data
summaries. For more information, see Managing and Configuring Replication on page 191.
Data summaries are useful for:

 Extremely long-term data storage. Becaus e summarized dat a takes up less space than full
resolution dat a, even a moderately sized system can store daily summary information for many
years.
 Production reporting. For many reporting purposes, aggregate data is more import ant than raw data.
For example, the total mass produc ed in a day is often more relevant than the actual rate of
production during the day.
 Integration with business systems. The full resolution, high-performance AVEVA Historian history
and real-time dat a tables are best accessed with tools that can take advantage of the AVEVA
Historian time domain extensions. However, not all client tools support these SQL extensions. The
summary tables reduce the volumes of data to manageable quantities that can be used by any
normal SQL client application.
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A summary action is usually triggered by a schedule detector. However, you can perform a summary as
a result of any event detection.
Tag values with bad quality are not filtered out before the aggregation is performed. To perform an
aggregation with only good quality, for example, use a generic SQL action that executes an aggregation
calculation query on the History table where the value of th e Quality column equals 0.
The results of all summaries are stored in the SummaryData table in the Runtime database.
Important: Use caution when setting up summary actions. Using a high res olution for your summary
queries can have a negative impact on th e overall performance of the system.
A verage, minimum, and maximum values can also be determined by using the time-weighted average,
minimum, and maximum retrieval modes, respectively. For more information on these retrieval modes,
see Understanding Retrieval Modes in the AVEVA Historian Retrieval Guide. Keep the following in mind
when deciding to use eit her the event summaries or the retrieval modes:
 For the time-weight ed average ret rieval mode, the amount of time between the data values is a
factor in the average, whereas the event summary action is a straight statistical average. For more
information, see A verage Retrieval.
 Performing an average at retrieval eliminates problems that occur during Daylight Savings Time
adjustments for schedule-based summaries. For more information, see Schedule Detectors on page
303.
For a comparison of all the different types of summaries that the AVEVA Historian supports, see
Querying Aggregate Data in Different Ways in the AVEVA Historian Retrieval Guide.
Event Action Priorities
The Classic Event subsystem contains three different queues for event actions:
 Critical queue
A critical queue cont ains any actions for event tags that have been assigned a critical priority.
Actions for events that are given a critical priority will be processed first. It is extremely important that
the critical queue is used with caution. Only singularly important actions with short processing times
should be assigned as critical. You should never assign snapshot or summary actions as critical.
There is no overload protection for processing critical actions; if the system becomes overloaded,
actions may not execute in a timely fas hion or may not execute at all.
 Normal queue
This type of queue contains any actions for event tags that have been assigned a normal priority. All
non-critical events are labeled with a "normal" priority and will be processed after the critical events.
 Delayed queue
This type of queue contains any actions for event tags that have been assigned a post -detector
delay. The post detector delay is the minimum amount of time that must elapse aft er an event was
detected before the associated action can be executed.
Classic Event Subsystem Resource Management
The E vent System Service (aahE ventS vc.exe) manages all of the system resources required to detect
events and process actions. System resources are allocated for detectors and actions by means of
threads. A thread is an operating system component that independently performs a particular function
within a larger process. Within the overall process of the Classic E vent subsystem, event detectors and
actions are assigned different threads, so that they can execute independently of each other and thus
perform more efficiently.
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The Classic Event subsystem uses two thread groups, or "pools." One thread pool is for detectors and
the other one is for actions. The E vent Service automatically creates both of these t hread pools if there is
at least one event tag defined.
Other as pects of res ource management include the number of database connections required by event
system components, and how the system handles event overloads and query failures.
Detector Thread Pooling
The detector thread pool is made up of one or more threads allocated for SQL-based detectors and a
single thread for schedule detectors. Each thread maintains a connection to the database. The detector
thread pool is illustrated in the following diagram:
A SQL-based detector is assigned to a thread bas ed on the time interval that you specify when you
define the event tag. Each time interval requires its own thread. For example, you define three event
detectors and assign them time int ervals of 10, 15, and 20 seconds, respectively. Each event detector
will be running in its own thread, for a total of three threads.
As another example, you define three event detectors, assigning the first two a 10 second interval, and
the third a 15 second interval. The first two will be running under the same thread, while the third will be
running under its own thread, for a total of two threads.
For multiple detectors that are assigned to the same time interval, the SQL detection statement for each
event tag will be executed in sequential order. That is, the first SQL statement must return results before
the next statement can be executed. After eac h detection has taken plac e (results are returned), the
detection is logged int o the E ventHistory table and any associated action is queued into the action thread
pool.
All schedule det ectors are assigned to a single thr ead.
The efficiency of the detector thread pool depends on how you have spread the load when assigning
time intervals to different event tags. Detections generally do not cause overloading on the system: the
actions (especially snapshots and summaries) are where most processing and resourc e loading occurs.
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Action Thread Pooling
The action thread pool is essentially a pool of four threads that execute actions from three different
action queues. Each thread in the pool maintains a database connection.
The three action queues are:

 Critical queue
 Normal queue
 Post-detector delay queue
For detailed information about each of these queues, see Event Action Priorities on page 306.
As a processor thread completes its previous task, a new action will be fetched from one of the queues.
If there are any actions in the critical queue, these will be processed first. Actions in the critical queue are
executed in the order in which they were added to the queue; that is, the oldest action sitting in the queue
will be processed first.
If the critical queue is empty, actions will be fetched from the post -detector delay queue. Actions in the
post-det ector delay queue are ordered by time. Actions assigned the shortest post -detector delay will be
executed first.
If both the critical and post-detector delay queues are empty, actions will be fetched from the normal
queue. Like critical actions, normal actions are processed in the order in which they were added to the
queue.
Classic Event Subsystem Database Connections

The following table cont ains the number of SQL Server database connections required by the different
components of the Classic E vent subsystem.
Component Number of Connections Used
E vent Service 1
SQL-based detectors 1 per each time interval used
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Component Number of Connections Used
Schedule detectors 1
Action threads 4
Handling of Event Overloads and Failed Queries
The Classic Event subsystem handles SQL-based detector and action queries that fail, as well as to
degrade gracefully if detector and action overload conditions occur.
 Event query failures
If the query for a SQL-based detector fails, the query will aut omatically be executed again. The
detection window start time will remain the same until the next detection is made.
For a failed SQL-based action query, the query will be submitted three times. The system will
establish a new connection to the database each time the query executes. If the action query is a
snapshot query, the snapshot tables will first be "cleaned up" as part of the re-query process.
 Detector overloads
A detector overload occurs when the system cannot process all of the detectors in a timely manner.
Detector overload is handled by means of the detection window. This window is defined by the
differenc e between the current system time and the time of the last detection. If the window grows
larger than one hour, some det ections will be missed. This condition will be report ed in the error log.
 Action overloads
An action overload occurs when the system cannot process all of the actions in a timely manner.
Only actions assigned a normal priority have overload protection. An action will not be loaded into
the normal queue by a detector if the earliest action currently sitting in the queue has been there for
an hour. (Basically, it is assumed that the system has become so overloaded that it has not had the
resources to process a single action in the past hour. ) This prevents an accumulation of actions in
the normal queue when the system is unable to process them. The system will be allowed time to
recover, and actions will not start to be queued again until the time difference bet ween earliest an d
latest action in the queue is less than 45 minutes (75 percent of the time limit). In short, when the
system becomes too overloaded, actions are not queued. This condition is reported in the error log,
but not for every single action missed. The first on e missed is reported, and thereafter, every
hundredth missed action will be logged.
There is no overload protection for critical actions, because these types of actions should only be
configured for a very small number of critical events. There is also no overload prot ection for actions
that have been assigned a post-detector delay.
For more information on action priorities, see Event Action Priorities on page 306. For more information
on how actions are queued, see Action Thread Pooling on page 308.
Classic Event Subsystem Variables

The Classic Event subsystem uses a set of variables to facilitate event detections and actions. The
purpose of these variables is to provide ease of query creation by a user (or a configuration editor).
These variables are replaced with the associated values by the event components immediately before
actual query execution. The query actually being received by the AVEVA Historian never contains the
variables.
The variables and their associated values are as follows:
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Variable Description/ Associated Value
@E vent Time Date/time of the detected event of the current detector.

@E vent TagName Tagname associated with the detected event.
@Start Time Start date/time for the detector query.
@EndTime End date/time for the det ector query.
The @Start Time and @E ndTime variables can be used only in detector strings. The @E vent Time and
@E vent TagName variables can be used only in action strings.
All of the variables are case-sensitive.
Typically, a detection query executed by a detector component is similar to the following ex ample:
SELECT DateTime
FROM History
WHERE Tagname = 'BoilerPressure' AND Value > 75
AND DateTime > '@StartTime'
AND DateTime < '@EndTime'
@Start Time and @EndTime are simply placeholders for the detector component to coordinate event
detection over a moving time range.
The following action query show how event variables can be used:
SELECT * INTO TEMPTABLE

FROM History
WHERE DateTime = '@EventTime'
AND TagName IN
(SELECT TagName FROM SnapshotTag
WHERE EventTagName = '@EventTagName'
AND TagType = 1)
Note: These variables only function in the internal context of the Classic E vent subsystem and do not
apply to queries from client tools such as SQL Server Query Analyzer.
Classic Event Subsystem Tags

The following table describes the Classic Event subsystem tags.
TagName Description
SysEventCritActionQSize Size of the critical action queue. For more information, see -old-Action
Thread Pooling in the AVEVA Historian Supplemental Guide.
SysEventDelayedActionQSize Number of entries in the delayed action queue.
SysEventNormActionQSize Size of the normal action queue.
SysEventSystem A discrete tag that indicates the status of the event system service
(aahE ventS vc.exe). 0 = Bad; 1 = Good.
SysStatusEvent Snapshot event tag whose value changes every hour.
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Configuring Classic Events

You can use the Classic Event subsystem to set up the detection of events and associate actions with
those events. At a basic level, anything that can be determined by looking at historical or system data can
be used as an event. The Classic E vent subsystem stores data to SQL Server.
Important: The Classic E vent subsystem is not a real-time system; rather, it operates on historical
data. For real-time alarming, use an application such as the InTouch HMI.
When setting up an event, you must provide the following information:

 The criteria for the event. For example, the value of an analog tag being equal to 1500 could be an
event. Also, the system clock on the AVEVA Historian computer reaching 9:30 a.m. on Monday
morning could be an event.
 How oft en you want the Classic Event subsystem to check if an event occurred. This is called event
detection.
 Whether or not you want information about the event detection saved to the dat abas e.
 Whether or not you want to exec ute an action as a result of a successful event detection and the type
of action. For example, send an e-mail message.
The configuration information for the detection and action for a particular event m ust be given a unique
name, which is stored as an event tag.
The Historian als o supports the storage of alarms and events generated through external sources such
as Application Server to history blocks.
Accessing Event Information
To access event information

Configuration.
3. Click Event Tags. All configured event tags appear in the det ails pane.
Adding an Event Tag

To add an event tag
Configuration.
3. Click Event Tags.
4. Start the E vent Tag wizard by doing any of the following:
o Click the Add button on the toolbar.

o On the Action menu, click New Tag.
o Right -click Event Tags, and then click New Tag.
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The New Event Tag wizard appears.
5. In the Unique Tag Name box, type a unique name for the event tag. For information on allowable
tagnames, see Tag Naming Conventions on page 51.
6. Click Next. You are prompted to define general information for the event tag.
7. Configure the general options for the event tag. For more information, see Editing General
Information for an Event Tag on page 314.
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8. Click Next. You are prompted to configure the detector for the event tag.
9. Configure the detector for the event tag. Detectors are external, generic SQL, analog specific value,
discrete specific value, and schedule. The lower portion of the dialog box changes based on the
detector type that you select.
For more information about... See...
Configuring an external det ector Configuring an External Detector on page 318

Configuring an analog or discrete specific Configuring a Specific Value Detector on page
value det ector 316
Configuring a schedule detector Configuring a Schedule Det ector on page 317
Configuring a generic SQL detector Configuring a Generic SQL Detector on page 318
10. Click Next.
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11. You are prompted to configure the action for the event tag.
12. Configure the action for the event tag. Actions are none, generic SQL, snapshot, e-mail, deadband,
and summary. The lower portion of the dialog box changes based on the action type that you select.
For more information about... See...
Configuring a generic SQL action Configuring a Generic SQL Action on page 320
Configuring a snapshot action Configuring a Snapshot Action on page 320
Configuring an e-mail action Configuring an E-mail Action on page 322
Configuring a deadband action Configuring a Deadband Action on page 318
Configuring a summary action Configuring a Summary Action on page 325
13. Click Finish.
Editing General Information for an Event Tag
General information for an event tag includes information about the tag definition. E vent detectors and
actions are defined separately and then associated wit h an event tag.
To edit general information for an event tag
Configuration.
3. Click Event Tags.
4. In the details pane, double-click the event tag to edit. The Propertie s dialog box appears.
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5. Click the General property tab.

7. Click Enabled to allow the detector and action for this event tag to run.
8. Click Logged to specify whether or not to log events for this tag into the E ventHistory table. E vent
logging can only be turned off if no associated actions are configured.
9. In the Priority list, select a priority level for the action, either critical or normal. The priority level
determines the sorting queue to which the action will be sent. The critical queue is used for highly
important events. If a system overload condition occurs, events that are given a critical priority will
always be processed first. E vents that are given a normal priority will be processed after any critical
events and may possibly be dropped (t hat is, not performed) on an o verloaded system. For more
information, see Event Action Priorities on page 306.
10. Click OK.
Configuring Detectors
You can set up the following types of detectors:

 Analog specific value
 Discrete specific value
 Schedule
 Generic SQL
 External
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Note: If you change an event tag from using any SQL bas ed det ector to a time based detector, or vice
versa, stop and restart the E vent system. Or, delete the existing event tag and recreate it using t he
desired detector.
Configuring a Specific Value Detector
The configuration is basically the same for analog and discrete specific value detectors, with only a few
small differences.
To configure a specific value detector
1. In the Detector Type list, select Analog Specific Value or Discrete Specific Value.
2. In the Time Interval box, type the interval, in milliseconds, at which the system checks to see if the
event conditions specified by the detector occurred. This value must be greater than or equal to 500
milliseconds, and less than or equal to 1 hour (3600000 ms).
Be careful when assigning time intervals to event tags. For more information, see Time Intervals for
SQL-Bas ed Detectors on page 302 .
3. In the Edge Detection list, select the "edge" for the event detection.
A leading edge detection ret urns only rows that are the first to successfully meet t he criteria (return
true) after a row did not successfully meet the criteria (returned false). A trailing edge detection
returns only rows that are the first to fail the criteria (return false) after a row successfully met the
criteria (returned true). For an edge detection of "both," all rows satisfying both the leading and
trailing conditions are returned.
For more information, see Edge Detection for E vents (wwEdgeDetection) .
4. In the Tag Name box, type the name of the tag to which the event criteria will be applied. To search
the dat abas e for a tag, click Search. The Tag Finder dialog box appears, in which you can query the
database for tags. For more information, see Using the Tag Finder on page 329.
5. Set the value criteria for the tag.
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If you are configuring an analog specific value detector, in the Operator box, select an operator for
the criteria. Then, in the Detection Value box, type a value against which the stored values for the
tag are compared to determine if the event occurred.
If you are configuring a discrete specific value detector, in the State Value list, select the target state
of the discrete tag that causes the event to occur.
6. If you selected None in Edge Detection list, you can specify a resolution for the data. In the
Resolution box, type a sampling rate, in milliseconds, for ret rieving the data in cyclic mode. The
system returns values stored over the requested time period at the interval specified by the
resolution. For example, if you specify a 5000 ms res olution, the system queries for all data during
the time period and then only returns those values that occur at each 5000 ms interval, starting with
the start date and ending with the end date.
Configuring a Schedule Detector
This feat ure is included only for backward compatibility. You should instead use summary tags and
replication. For more information on configuring replication, see Managing and Configuring Replication
on page 191.
To configure a schedule detector
1. In the Detector Type list, select Schedule.
2. In the Frequency area, select how often you want the event to occur.
When you select a frequency, different options to the right of the Frequency group become
available.
3. Configure the time specific for the selected frequency.
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Configuring a Generic SQL Detector

The AVEVA Historian does not validate SQL query syntax. First, test the SQL query using a tool such as
Microsoft SQL Server Query Analyzer.
To configure a generic SQL detector
1. In the Detector Type list, select Generic SQL.
2. In the Time Interval box, type the interval, in milliseconds, at which the system checks to see if the
event conditions specified by the detector occurred. This value must be greater than or equal to 500
milliseconds, and less than or equal to 1 hour (3600000 ms).
Be careful assigning time intervals to event tags. For more information, see Time Intervals for
SQL-Bas ed Detectors on page 302.
3. In the Detector Query window, enter the ad-hoc query that detects the event. To open a list of SQL
templates to use for your query, click Templates.
4. To clear the window, click Clear.
Configuring an External Detector

An external detector is triggered using the AVEVA Historian ActiveE vent control. The detector is a COM
component and has an external interface. An InTouch or Visual Basic s cript can trigger a historian event
by using the ActiveE vent methods, which are similar to functions. Using the InvokeE ventEx() method
causes an external event to be detected within the E vent subsystem.
After you select "External" as your detector type, you need to configure the security attributes for the
ActiveE vent control and write the script that invokes the event. For more information, see Using
ActiveEvent on page 335.
Configuring Actions
You can set up the following types of actions: deadband, snapshot, generic SQL, e-mail, and summary.
Configuring a Deadband Action
Important: Deadband actions are no longer supported. Any configured deadband actions are ignored.
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To configure a deadband action

1. In the Action Type list, select Deadband.
2. To add one or more tags for which to set a new deadband, click Add. The Tag Finder dialog box
appears, in which you can query the database for tags. For more information, see Using the Tag
Finder on page 329.Select a tag in the Tag Li st list, and then click Properties. The Deadband
3. Configure the appropriate deadbands for the tag.

Apply Time Deadband
The minimum time, in milliseconds, between stored values for a single tag. Any value changes that
occur within the time deadband are not stored. The time deadband applies to delta storage only. A
time deadband of 0 indicates that the system will store the value of the tag each time it changes.
Apply Value Deadband
The percentage of the difference bet ween the minimum and maximum engineering units for the tag.
Any data values that change less than the specified deadband are not stored. The value deadband
applies to delta storage only. A value of 0 indic ates that a value deadband will not be applied. The
value deadband applies only to analog tags.
4. Click OK. The changes appear in the Tag List window.
5. To delet e a tag from the Tag List window, select the tag and then click Delete.
6. (Optional) In the Post Detector Delay box, type the amount of time, in milliseconds, that must
elapse after an event is detected before the event action can be executed.
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Note: If the tag list contains a tag that is deleted from the Runtime dat abase, then the word "Deleted"
appears as the tag type for the tag.
Configuring a Snapshot Action
A snapshot action records the values of a selected mix of analog, discrete, and string tags at the time
that the event occurred.
To configure a snapshot action
1. In the Action Type list, select Snapshot.
All tags included in the snapshot are listed in the Snapshot Tag List list. Snapshots can include
analog, discrete, and string tags.
2. To add one or more tags, click Add. The Tag Finder dialog box appears, in which you can query the
database for tags. For more information, see Using the Tag Finder on page 329.
3. To delet e a tag, select the tag in the Snapshot Tag List list and then click Delete.
Configuring a Generic SQL Action

The AVEVA Historian does not validate the SQL query syntax. First test the SQL query using a tool such
as Microsoft SQL Server Query Analyzer.
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To configure a generic SQL action

1. In the Action Type list, select Generic SQL.
2. In the Action Query window, enter an ad -hoc query that detects the event. To access a list of SQL
templates to use for your query, click Templates.
For information on using event system variables in your query, see Classic Event Subsystem on
page 298.
3. To clear the window, click Clear.
Generic SQL Action Template for Executing a Command
To configure a generic SQL statement that executes a command, select the "Invoke an External
Application" option in the list of generic SQL action templates:
master..xp_cmdshell '<Your Command>', no_output

In the syntax, replace <Your Command> with the desired command. Be sure to enclose the command in
single quotes. For example:
master..xp_cmdshell 'dir *.exe', no_output

The xp_cmdshell extended stored procedure does not start a Windows application. You can only
execute simple DOS commands, batch files or executables (.E XEs) that do not display a user-interfac e
window.
You must have the correct permissions set for the xp_cmdshell extended stored proc edure for it to run.
For more information, see your Microsoft SQL Server documentation.
Generic SQL Action Templates for E-mail
Note: To use the sp_send_dbmail, you must first configure a default e-mail profile or specify an
explicit profile. Refer to the S QL S erver doc ument ation for specific steps on how to configure each one. If
an e-mail message is not sent as expected, check the SQL Server Log for possibl e errors.
Users can use the following queries to get information about whether the e-mail profile is configured.
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 To view configured profiles, use this query:
SELECT * FROM msdb.dbo.sysmail_profile

 To view configured e-mail accounts, use this query:
SELECT * FROM msdb.dbo.sysmail_account

 To view the link bet ween the profile and the account, use this query:
SELECT * FROM msdb.dbo.sysmail_profileaccount

 To view the information about the profile (Is Default/Public), use this query:
SELECT * FROM msdb.dbo.sysmail_principalprofile
To configure a generic SQL statement that sends an e-mail message, select one of the "Send an E-mail
message…" options (one with a query and one without) in the list of generic SQL action templat es. For
example:
master..sp_send_dbmail
@recipients = <ToWhom>,
@body = 'The event @EventTagName occured at @EventTime',
@query = <"Your query">,
@exclude_query_output = <exclude_query_output>
In the second line of the syntax, replace < ToWhom> with the e -mail display name or complete e-mail
address of the intended recipient or recipients. Assign the e-mail message to the @message variable.
Be sure to enclose the recipient(s) and the message in single quotes. For ex ample:
master..sp_send_dbmail
@recipients = 'John Doe',
@body = 'Check this out',
@query = 'SELECT TagName, DateTime FROM EventHistory
WHERE TagName = "SysStatusEvent"
AND DateTime = (SELECT Max (DateTime)
FROM EventHistory
WHERE TagName = "SysStatusEvent")',
@exclude_query_output = <exclude_query_output>
You must have the Microsoft SQL Server and the SQL Mail component set up properly in order for the
sp_send_dbmail extended stored procedure to work correctly.
For more information, see Configuring an E-mail Action on page 322.
Configuring an E-mail Action
An e-mail action sends a pre-configured e-mail message when an event occurs. For the event system to
support e-mail actions, you must properly configure all of the following:
 SQL Server login
 Microsoft Outlook Mail Client
 SQL Mail functionality for Microsoft SQL S erver
 E-mail action for the event system
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Note: The exact steps may vary depend on what version of the Windows operating system you are
using.
Setting Up Microsoft SQL Server
For Microsoft SQL Mail to work correctly, Microsoft SQL Server must be configured to log on with a user
account that has a valid MAPI mail profile. Perform these steps on the computer running the Microsoft
SQL Server Service that will process the e-mail event.
1. On the Windows Start menu, point to Programs, point to Admini strative Tool s, and then click
Component Service s. The Component Services console appears.
2. In the console tree, click Services.

3. In the results pane, right -click on MSSQLServer and then click Properties. The Propertie s dialog
box appears.
5. In the Startup Type list, click Automatic.
6. Click the Log On tab.
7. In the Log On As area, click This account. Enter the user account (domain or local) or click Brow se
to browse for a valid account. The user account you select needs to have a valid MAPI mail profile
set up.
8. For information on determining the MAPI mail profile, see Determining the Microsoft Outlook Mail
Profile on page 324.
9. In the Pa ssword and Confirm Password boxes, enter the password for the us er account.
10. Click OK.
11. Right -click the MSSQL Server service in the results pane, and then click Stop to stop the service.
12. After the MSSQL service stops, right-click the MSSQL Server service in the results pane, and then
click Start to restart the servic e.
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13. Close the Component Services console.

The next step in setting up an e-mail action is to determine the Microsoft Outlook profile. For more
information, see Determining the Microsoft Outlook Mail Profile on page 324.
Determining the Microsoft Outlook Mail Profile
To properly set up the Microsoft SQL Server e -mail configuration, you need to know the name of the
MAPI mail profile for the MSSQL Server service logon account. You must determine the MAPI profile
name on the computer running MSSQL Server.
To determine the MAPI profile name
1. In Control Panel, double-click Mail.
2. Click Show Profiles.
3. Determine the MAPI mail profile.
The mail profile is commonly set to "MS Exchange Settings" so that the use the user's profile on an
Exchange Server is used.
4. Click OK.
For more information on configuring us er accounts for the Exchange Client, see your Microsoft
documentation.
The next step in setting up an e-mail action is to configuring SQL mail in SQL Server Management
Studio. For more information, see Setting Up SQL Mail in SQL Management Studio on page 324.
Setting Up SQL Mail in SQL Management Studio
SQL mail is set up using the SQL Server Management Studio. Make sure that the Microsoft SQL Server
is running. For more information on configuring mail profiles, see your Microsoft SQL Server
documentation.
Configuring the E-mail Action
Note: Only Microsoft Outlook addresses can be used. Internet addresses are not directly supported.
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To configure an e-mail action

1. In the Action Type list, select E-mail.
2. In the To line, ent er the Outlook e-mail address of one or more persons to whom you want to send an
e-mail message when an event occurs. You can also send a copy of the e-mail to one or more
persons in the Cc line.
You can access the address book of the e -mail account by clicking the To or Cc button.
3. In the Subject line, enter a synopsis of the e-mail. If you do not provide text for the subject line, "SQL
Server Message" is used by default.
4. Enter the e-mail text in the Message window.
Configuring a Summary Action
If you only need scheduled data summaries, you should instead use summary tags and replication.
However, if you want to trigger summaries based on events in history, you must use the event
subsystem. For more information on configuring replication, see Managing and Configuring Replication
on page 191.
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To configure a summary action

1. In the Action Type list, select Summary.
2. To add a new summary operation, click Add and define the operation. For more information, see
Adding a Summary Operation on page 326.
3. To assign analog or discret e tags to a summary operation, select the summary operation in the list
and then click Tags. For more information on adding a summary tag, see Assigning a Tag to a
Summary Operation on page 327.
4. To delet e a summary action, select the summary operation in the window and then click Delete.
5. To clear the window of all summary operations, click Clear All.
6. To modify a summary action, select the summary operation in the window and then click Properties.
For more information on the dialog box that appears, see Adding a Summary Operation on page
326.
If you modify a summary operation, you may see inconsistencies bet ween old summary data and
new summary data. You can not save the modified summary operation if its criteria is identical to an
existing summary operation associated with the current event tag.
Adding a Summary Operation
You can add multiple summary operations for a single summary action, as long as no two summary
operations have the exact same configuration.
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To add a summary operation

1. In the summary action options, click Add. The Summary Operation Properties dialog box appears.
2. In the Calculation Type list, select the type of calculation to be performed: SUM, MA X, MIN, or AVG.
3. In the Time Stamp list, select the timestamp to use when storing the result of the calculation. The
timestamp can be either the time when the calculation period starts or ends.
4. In the Re solution box, enter sampling rate, in milliseconds, for retrieving the data in cyclic mode.
The system returns values stored over the requested time period at the interval specified by the
resolution. For example, if you specify a 5000 ms res olution, the sys tem queries for all data during
the time period and then only returns those values that occur at each 5000 ms interval, starting with
the start date and ending with the end date.
In general, the higher the resolution, the more accurate the result, because you are including more
values into your aggregation. However, the calculation takes longer and consume more server
resources. A void very fine resolutions for summary actions associated with schedule detectors that
cover long periods of time, such as weekly.
Resolution is also very useful when calculating SUMS. For example, setting the resolution to 60,000
milliseconds for a flow in gallons per minute automatically produces a result that is the total volume.
5. In the Duration group, select the period for which the calculation must be performed.
For example, if you are associating a summary action with a duration of 1 hour with a detector that is
scheduled for 3:00 a.m. every Monday, then the system performs the aggregation on values stored
between 2:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. on Mondays.
6. In the De scription box, type a description of the summary operation.
7. Click OK.
The new summary operation now appears in the summary action grid.
Assigning a Tag to a Summary Operation
You can add more than one tag to a single summary.

You cannot add string tags to a summary operation.
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To assign a tag to a summary operation

1. In the summary action options, select the summary operation in the list and then click Tags. The
Summary Tag List dialog box appears.
2. To search for a tag in the database, click Add. The Tag Finder dialog box appears, in which you can
query the database for tags. For more information, see Using the Tag Finder on page 329.
3. After you add a tag, select the tag in the list and then click Properties. The Summary Tag List
4. In the Lower Limit and Upper Limit boxes, set the validity range for the summary tag. Setting a
validity range allows you to control the lower or higher limits at which the calculation is performed.
Upper Limit
The upper limit of validity for the tag's value. Values higher than this limit are not used in the
calculation. By default, this value is set to 1000000000.
Lower Limit
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The lower limit of validity for the tag's value. Values lower than this limit are not used in the
calculation. By default, this value is set to -1000000000.
For example, if the lower validity limit is 1000, the calculation algorithm ignores all returned data with
a value lower than 1000 when performing the aggregation.
5. In the De scription box, type a description of the summarized tag. This normally describes the result
of the operation, although this description can be the same as that of the tag on which the operation
is performed.
6. Click OK. The new summary operation tag will appears in the Summary Tag List dialog box.
7. To delet e a summary tag from the list, select the tag and then click Delete.
8. To delet e all of the summary tags, click Clear All.
Using the Tag Finder
You can search the database for tags using t he Tag Finder dialog box. This dialog box can be accessed,
for example, by clicking the Search or Add button in a dialog box.
Using the Tag Finder, you can quickly search the database for tags that match a particular search pattern
for either a tagname or a tag's description. You can either search for tags by using the point-and-click
interface or by typing in your own SQL statement. After the Tag Finder returns a set of tags that match
the query, you can select the ones you want to include.
Using the Form Query Tab
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Use the Form Query tab of the Tag Finder dialog box to select the criteria to search the database.
To form and execute the query

1. In the Tag Name list, choose the phras e for the search criteria for the tagname. For example, "Ends
with."
2. Enter the tagname search parameters for the query. For example, "level". When searching for tags,
you only need to specify wildcard characters to exclude a middle portion of the search word. For
example, "le%el".
3. To exclude the paramet er for a search, click Not.
4. To add search parameters for a tag's description, selec t a logical operator from the Operator list.
5. In the De scription list, choose the phrase for the search criteria for the tag description. This field is
optional.
6. Enter the tag description search parameters for the query. This field is optional. When searchi ng for
tags, you only need wildcard characters to exclude a middle portion of the description.
7. To exclude the paramet er for a search, click Not.
8. In the Tag Type s area, select a tag group to searc h.
9. After you set the query parameters, click Find Now to run the query.
The results of a tag search appears in the Found Tags window of the Tag Finder dialog box.
10. To add a tag, select the tag in the Found Tags window and then use the arrow button to move the
selected tag into the Target Tags window.
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11. Click OK.

To view the syntax used to query the database, click the SQL Query tab.
Using the SQL Query Tab
Use the SQL Query tab of the Tag Finder dialog box to enter and run your own SQL queries against the
database.
To form and execute the query

1. In the query window, type in the WHERE clause parameters for the SQL query.
Note: You cannot change the SELE CT statement. The required tables and columns for the query
result are already entered for you.
2. After you enter the query parameters, click Find Now to run the query.
The results of a tag search appears in the Found Tags area of the Tag Finder dialog box.
3. To add a tag, select the tag in the Found Tags window and then use the arrow button to move the
selected tag into the Target Tags window.
4. Click OK.
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Retrieving Logged Event Data
When an event is detected, the event system logs the following into the E vent History table: 1) the name
of the event tag to which the criteria is associated; 2) the date/time stamp of the event occurrence; 3) the
time the event is detected, and 4) the detection criteria information.
The detection criteria information, shown in the Edge column, is as follows:
Value Description
0 Trailing Edge Detection (SQL Detectors)
1 Leading E dge Detection (SQL Detectors)
2 Detection on Both Edges (SQL Detectors)
3 No Edge Detection (SQL Detectors)
4 Schedule Det ection
5 External Detection
If a snapshot action was configured for the event, the snapshot dat a is logged between the Snapshot Tag
table and the snapshot table for the tag type (for example, the AnalogS napshot table). If a summary
action is configured for the event, the aggregat ed data is stored in the Summary History and
Summary Data tables.
To view the event history, perform a query on E ventHistory table. For example, an event tag,
"Event Tag1" det ects when the value of "ReactLevel" was equal to 2000. The query to retrieve the event
history on January 1, 2001, bet ween 12:36 p.m. and 12:41 p.m. is:
SELECT * FROM EventHistory

WHERE TagName = 'EventTag1'
AND DateTime >= 'Jan 1 2001 12:36 PM'
AND DateTime <= 'Jan 1 2001 12:41 PM'
To view action snapshot information for an event tag (no wildcards allowed), use the v_E ventSnapshot
view and specify the name of the event tag as the event in the WHERE clause. For example:
SELECT * FROM v_EventSnapshot

WHERE Event = 'EventTag1'
This query returns the name of the event tag, the time of the event occurrence, and the detection time, as
well as the name, value, and quality for eac h tag in the snapshot. One row is returned for each tag value.
Viewing Summary Information
If you configure summary actions in the event system, you can view information pertaining to them in the
console tree. You can also view the summary history.
To view summary information
Configuration.
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3. Expand Summaries.
4. To view all summaries sorted according to name of the event tag, expand Event Tag View.
5. To view all summaries grouped by summary operation (AV G, MIN, MA X, S UM), expand Operation
View.
Viewing Summary Tag Properties
If you select the summary operation details item ("Dur. xxxx, Res. xxxx, Timestamp x") in the console
tree, the summary tag properties appear in the details pane. The columns for the properties are as
follows:
Tag Name
The name of the tag to be summarized.
Description
The description of the summarized tag. This normally describes the result of the operation, although this
description can be the same as that of the tag on which the operation is performed.
Upper Limit
The upper limit of validity for the tag's value. Values higher than this limit are not used in the calculation.
By default, this value is set to 1000000000.
Lower Limit
The lower limit of validity for the t ag's value. Values lower than this limit are not used in the calculation. By
default, this value is set to -1000000000.
333
Viewing Data for a Summary Tag

To view the summary data for a event tag, click the summary operation det ails item ("Dur. xxxx, Res.
xxxx, Timestamp x") in the console tree. The summary tag properties appear in the details pane.
Double-click a summary tag in the pane.
The columns are as follows:

TagName
The unique name of the tag wit hin the AVEVA Historian system.
Summary Date
The date applicable to the results of the calculation. It is either the time of the beginning or end of the
calculation period, as specified by the summary operation definition.
Value
The value of the summary.
Quality
The basic data quality indicator associated with the data value.
Viewing History for a Summary Operation
334
To view the summary history for a particular operation, right-click the summary operation det ails item
("Dur. xxxx, Res. xxxx, Timestamp x") in the cons ole tree and click Properties.
The Summary History columns are as follows:

Summary Date
The date applicable to the results of the calculation. It is either the time of the beginning or end of the
calculation period, as specified by the summary operation definition.
Operation Start
The timestamp when the calculation started for the operation.
Operation End
The timestamp when the calculation completed for the operation.
Using ActiveEvent
ActiveE vent is an ActiveX cont rol that notifies the E vent subsystem when an event occurs in another
application, such as InTouch HMI software. ActiveE vent is script-bas ed. You can use it in any application
that uses a COM -enabled scripting language to detect an event for that application. COM-enabled
scripting languages include InTouch scripting and Visual Basic.
After you install the ActiveE vent control on an InTouch computer using the AVEVA Historian installation
program, ActiveE vent does not automatically appear in the list of available ActiveX objects for use within
WindowMaker. You need to run the Wizard/ActiveX installation from within WindowMaker, as well. For
more information on performing a Wizard/ActiveX installation, see your InTouc h documentation.
To enable external event det ection for the historian, you must:
1. Create an event tag in the historian to store the event occurrence information. Make sure that the
detection type is set to External.
335
You can define the event tag so that the event is associated with an action that is triggered from the
historian, such as executing a SQL script, sending an e-mail message, or recording the values of a
set of tags at the time the event occurred.
For more information, see Adding an Event Tag on page 311.
2. Install the ActiveE vent control so that it can be used in the ActiveX c ontainer application (for
example, in InTouch HMI software).
For more information on installing the ActiveE vent control, see the AVEVA System Platform
Installation Guide.
3. Configure the DCOM security attributes for the external detector to be used with ActiveE vent.
Security attributes must be set up on the AVEVA Historian computer.
For information, see Configuring Security Attributes for ActiveEvent on page 336.
4. Write a script that notifies the historian event system of the external event.
For more information, see ActiveEvent Methods on page 339.
Important: You cannot use ActiveE vent in an InTouch version 7.0 SP2 application.
Synchronize the system time for the ActiveE vent computer with the system time for the historian. If the
ActiveE vent computer time is ahead, the event system may generate NULL values for snapshot data.
Configuring Security Attributes for ActiveEvent

For ActiveE vent to work, security attributes (for example, permission to launch) must be correctly
configured. Configure the security attributes on the AVEVA Historian computer using the
DCOMCnfg.Exe program.
To configure security attributes for ActiveEvent:
1. On the Windows Start menu, click Run. The Run dialog box appears.
2. In the Open box, type DCOMCnfg.Exe.
3. Click OK. The Di stributed COM Configuration Propertie s dialog box appears.
336
4. Click Computers, then My Computer, and then DCOM Config, and then select EventDetector
Class.
5. Click Properties. The EventDetector Cla ss Properties dialog box appears.
337
6. Click the Security tab.
7. Select Acce ss permi ssions - Customize and then click Edit. The Acce ss Permissi on dialog box
appears.
338
8. Click Add. The Select Users, Computers, and Groups dialog box appears.
9. In the Names list, type Everyone.

10. Click OK. The Acce ss Permission dialog box now shows the Everyone group with allowed access.
11. Click OK to return to the EventDetector Class Properties dialog box.
Repeat the general proc edure to add Everyone to the launch permissions.
1. Select Launch and Activation permissi ons - Customize and then click Edit.
2. Repeat steps 8 through 11 to add the Everyone group to the list of users who have launch
permissions.
3. Click OK to close the EventDetector Cla ss Propertie s dialog box.
4. Click OK to close the DCOMCnfg.Exe program.
ActiveEvent Methods
Use ActiveE vent's methods in scripts to connect to an AVEVA Historian and trigger an event. The
ActiveE vent control aids the remote triggering of events on the historian by first initializing with the
historian computer name and event tag, and then calling the InvokeE ventEx() method.
ActiveE vent can be scripted using any scripting language that supports COM. For example, an InTouch
script can trigger an AVEVA Historian event if you use this control in an InTouc h application. You can
also trigger an event from a Visual Basic script.
Note: ActiveE vent does not work in asynchronous mode in an InTouc h application.
The following example InTouch script connects to a server named "WWHistorianServer1," adds the
event tag called "ExternalE vent," and logs an "ExternalE vent" event tag event.
{ Connect ActiveEvent to your AVEVA Historian--only needs to be done once.}

intResult = #WWHistEvent1.InitializeEx( "WWHistorianServer1");
{Was initialization successful or are we already initialized? }
IF intResult == 0 OR intResult == 4 THEN
intResult = #WWHistEvent1.AddEventTag("ExternalEvent");
IF intResult == 0 THEN
intResult = #WWHistEvent1.InvokeEventEx("ExternalEvent");
IF intResult == 0 THEN
sDisplayResult = "Logged event";
ELSE
sDisplayResult = "Failed to log event";
ENDIF;
ENDIF;
ENDIF;
339
AddEventTag()
Adds an event tag to the active event tag list

Method
AddEventTag(string EventTag)
Parameter
EventTag
Name of the event tag wit h which the ActiveE vent event det ector is associated. ActiveE vent is used
with an external type event detector.
Returns Value
0 = Success.
2 = Unable to execute met hod because ActiveE vent is not initialized.
7 = Remote function call failed.
InitializeEx()
Creates a connection to the AVEVA Historian.
Method
InitializeEx(string ComputerName)
Parameter
ComputerName
Name of the comput er on which the historian is running. If you are not connecting to the historian
over a network, use a blank string ("") for the computer name.
Note: You cannot use an AVEVA Historian alias for this paramet er.
Returns Value
0 = Success.
1 = Unknown failure.
3 = Unable to initialize ActiveE vent.
4 = ActiveE vent is already initialized.
8 = Unable to determine local computer name.
Remarks
After you initialize the historian, use the IsConnected pr operty to determine if the connection was
successful. Also, you only need to initialize wit h the server one time. You can invoke an unlimited number
of events after initialization has occurred.
If you are using the InTouch HMI software, initialization does not occur unless the ActiveE vent ActiveX
control is part of an open window. This limits the use of the InvokeE ventEx method wit hin InTouch
Application Scripts, Condition Scripts, or Data Change Scripts.
When you close an InTouch window, all ActiveX cont rols are automatically uninstantiat ed.
InvokeEventAtTimeEx()
Triggers the event at a specified date/time.
340
Method
InvokeEventAtTimeEx(string TagName, string EventDateTime)
Remarks
You can invoke an unlimited number of events aft er you initialize with an AVEVA Historian.
Parameter
TagName
Event DateTime
Date/time that you want the event triggered. This date is in local time for the historian. The event date
and time must be formatted as:
YYYY-MM-DD hh:mi:ss.mmm
Returns Value
0 = Success.
5 = Unable to perform date/time conversion due to invalid format.
6 = Date/time cannot be a future dat e.
InvokeEventEx()
Triggers the event at the time this method is called.
Method
InvokeEventEx(string EventTag)
Remarks
You can invoke an unlimited number of events aft er you initialize with an AVEVA Historian.
Parameter
EventTag
Returns Value
0 = Success.
IsConnected
Determines whet her a connection to the AVEVA Historian exists.
Method
IsConnected
Returns Value
0 = Not connected
341
1 = Connected to the historian
RemoveEventTag()
Removes an event tag from the active event tag list.

Method
RemoveEventTag(string EventTag)
Parameter
EventTag
Name of the event tag to remove from the list of external events for the ActiveE vent control.
Returns Value
0 = Success.
7 = Remote DCOM call failed.
Scripting Example: Triggering Events within an InTouch Application

To trigger an event within an InTouch application, include these methods in an InTouch script, similar to
the following:
#WWHistEvent1.InitializeEx("Historian01"); {Initialized the server}

#WWHistEvent1.AddEventTag("ASVTag");
#WWHistEvent1.AddEventTag("SysStatusEvent"); {Added event tag}
#WWHistEvent1.InvokeEventEx("ASVTag");
#WWHistEvent1.InvokeEventEx("SysStatusEvent"); {Invoked event}
where:
 WWHistorianE vent1 is the name of the instantiation of the ActiveE vent ActiveX cont rol
 Historian01 is the computer name for the AVEVA Historian (not an alias)
 ASVTag is the name of the event tag that is associated with this external det ector
To add more tags to be detected, use the AddEventTag() method and use InvokeEventEx() specifying
the tagname. A single ActiveE vent cont rol handles many tags.
Scripting Example: Triggering Multiple Events within Visual Basic

In this Visual B asic script, the initialization occurs with AVEVA Historian running on a s pecified computer,
and more than one event is invoked:
Private Sub Command1_Click()

Dim ComputerName As String
ComputerName = "Computer1"
Dim TagName As String
Dim Connected As Long
TagName = "Event1"
WWHistEvent1.InitializeEx ComputerName
WWHistEvent1.AddEventTag TagName
Connected = WWHistEvent1.IsConnected
If Connected = 1 Then
WWHistEvent1.InvokeEventEx TagName
342
MsgBox ("Sent off three events")

Else
MsgBox ("Failed To Connect")
End If
End Sub
History Block Storage for Alarms and Events

Historian can store alarm and events history in history blocks.
For information about setting up history blocks for alarms and events, see the AVEVA System Platform
Installation Guide.
You can migrate alarms and events from the A 2ALMDB database to history blocks. For more
information, see Migrating Data from the A2ALMDB Database to History Block s on page 354.
Note: Alarms and events from AVEVA Application Server versions prior to 2014 R2 were stored in the
A2ALMDB database. E vents previously configured using the Classic E vent subsystem were stored in
SQL Server tables in the Runtime database.
A2ALMDB Database
The A2ALMDB SQL Server database stores alarms and events ge nerated through external sources
such as Application Server.
Note s: Starting with AVEVA Historian 2014 R2, alarms and events from Application Server can be
stored to history blocks instead of the A2A LMDB database. Also, the Classic Event subsystem stores
data in the Runtime database, not the A2ALMDB database. For more information on the Classic Event
subsystem, see Configuring Classic Events on page 311.
Earlier versions of AVEVA System Platform used WWALMDB databas e rather than A2ALMDB for
alarms and events. If you are c urrently using WWALMDB and want to to use A2ALMDB instead, you may
need to change your alarm historization settings from within the System Platform IDE and change your
alarm queries to use A2ALM DB.
Managing the A2ALMDB database is necessary to ensure that the size of the database is maintained
within its normal operating parameters. If the database is left unchecked and allowed to grow
unbounded, the risk of losing valuable data increases.
You manage the alarm databas e using two alarm database utilities. Use the Alarm DB Purge -Archive
utility to remove records from the database permanently or archive them to files. Use the Alarm DB
Restore utility to query previously archived data.
Purging is used to permanently remove data that is no longer required. Archiving allows data to be
exported to a file so they can later be restored in needed.
343
The following figure shows how both utilities purge/archive records and then restore them back to the
database.
You must be logged into the computer as an administrator to use the Alarm DB Purge-A rchive utility.
Configuring Purge or Archive Settings
Use the Alarm DB Purge-A rchive utility to:

 Manually purge or archive records from the database to free up space and improve performance.
 Automatically purge or archive records regularly.
 Optionally archive database records to files.
 Save the status of archive or purge operations to a log file to troubles hoot problems.
 Show the status of purge or archive operations.
Configuring the Database Connection
You must select a database to restore the archived data to. If t he specified dat abase is not present on the
server, you are prompt ed to create a new dat abas e with default server paramet ers.
To configure a database for restoring
1. Open the Alarm DB Restore utility. Do the following:
a. In the Tool s view, expand Applications.
b. Double-click Alarm DB Restore.
344
2. Click the Configure tab.
3. Configure the connection to the alarm database. Do the following:

a. In the SQL Server Name list, click the node name of the server that hosts the alarm database.
b. In the Database Name box, type the name of the alarm database.
c. In the User Information area, type an alarm database user name and password in the
respective boxes.
4. Click Test Connection to test your connection to the database. A message indicat es whet her the
connection to the alarm database is successful or not. Click OK.
5. Click Apply.
Configuring How Much Data to Purge from the Server

You can:
 Select the type of alarm records to be purged from the alarm database.
 Optionally, archive purged records from the alarm dat abase to files.
 Select the folder loc ation to store the purge log file.
You can select the type of table that needs to be purged, either the AlarmDet ail or AlarmConsolidated
table.
Note s: The Historian alarm database is named A 2ALMDB. Earlier versions of AVEVA System Platform
used WWALMDB database rather than A2ALMDB for alarms and events. If you are currently using
WWALMDB and want to to use A2ALMDB instead, you may need to change your alarm historization
settings from within the System Platform IDE and change your alarm queries to use A2ALMDB.
The Historian A2A LMDB database is created only in Det ailed mode, while the InTouch WWALMDB
database is supported in both Detailed and Consolidated modes.
All data from the day previous to the number specified is purged. Valid entries are 0 -9999. If you select 0,
all records are purged from the alarm database except the current day’s records.
345
To select records to purge

1. Open the Alarm DB Purge-A rchive utility. Do the following:
b. Double-click Alarm DB Purge-Archi ve.
3. In the Purge Propertie s area, configure the type of records to purge. Do either of the following:
o Click Detailed Mode to purge alarm records that are saved in the database in Detailed mode.
o Click Consolidated Mode to purge alarm records that are saved in the database in
Cons olidated mode.
4. In the Days Online box, type the number of days worth of records to retain in the alarm database.
5. Click Apply.
Configuring the Archive of Purged Data
You archive the records purged from the alarm database and then restore them using the Alarm DB
Restore utility.
When you purge the alarm database, the Alarm DB Purge-A rchive utility automatically creates a set of
nine archive files that corres pond to the purged alarm database tables. Each file contains the purged
records of a single table.
The Alarm DB Purge-Archive utility assigns names to the archive files based upon the table name, date,
and time when the purge operation occurred. For example, the name of the archi ve file for the
AlarmMaster table that was purged on June 22, 2007 at 5:30 p.m. is formatted like the following:
AlarmMaster_06222007_1730.txt
346
To configure the archive

3. Select the Archi ve check box.

4. In the Archive Folder Path box, type the folder location where archive files should be saved or click
the ellipsis button to browse for the location.
5. Select the Create Unique Folders check box if you want the arc hive files to be placed in an
individual sub-folder beneat h the archive file folder.
6. Click Apply.
Configuring Log File Settings
The Alarm DB Purge-Archive utility generates status messages during a purge operat ion. You can view
these messages online from the utility’s Status window. The Alarm DB Purge-Archive utility also writes
purge messages to the purge log file named WWAlmPurge.log.
The example below shows the messages stored in the log file after a success ful purge operation.
Purge Started on 12:16:48 PM 6/22/2007

Starting transaction....
Archiving Table ProviderSession...
Archiving Table Query...
Archiving Table Cause...
Archiving Table Alarm Master...
Archiving Table OperatorDetails...
Archiving Table Alarm Detail...
347
Archiving Table Comment...

Archiving Table Events...
Archiving Table TagStatus...
Purging records in the database...
Committing....
Purge Completed On 12:16:52 PM 6/22/2007
144 records from AlarmMaster were purged along with the related records from
other tables.
By default, the purge log file is stored in this folder: C:\Users\UserName\Documents\My InTouch
Applications.
You can change the storage location of the purge log file.
The Alarm DB Purge-Archive utility appends new messages to the log file each time a purge occurs.
To set archive logging
3. In the Log File Path box, type the folder location where the purge log file should be placed or click
the ellipsis button to browse for the location.
4. Click Apply.
Manually Purging and Archiving the Database
You can purge and archive your alarm database manually. This overrides the activation time and starts
the purging and archiving immediately.
The purge operation checks for the presence of an arc hive file and appends to the same. If the archive
file is not present, the file is created as per the naming convention and then used for archiving.
348
The purge operation does not delete entries in tables such as ProviderS ession, Query, and Cause that
are linked to the main tables such as AlarmMaster through foreign key constraints. The related records in
these tables are written to the files to maintain the data consistency and also ret ained in the database.
Caution: Manually purge all records (the Purge All Now option) only when the Alarm DB Logger
service is stopped. If the purge operation is committed successfully while the Alarm DB Logger service is
running, the Alarm DB Logger service stops logging and starts caching records.
To manually purge and archive records from the alarm database

2. Click the Purge/Archive tab.
3. Click Test Now to perform a test purge to verify your connection to the dat abas e and archive
locations.
The test purge creates empty archive files in the specified archive folder. The Status area shows a
message that the test was successful.
The Te st Now button is available only if you have chosen to archive your purged records. The
Archive option is located on the General tab.
4. Purge the rec ords from the database. Do either of the following:
o Click Purge Now to purge the selected records.
o Click Purge All Now to purge all records.
349
5. To stop a purge, click Cancel Purge. If you cancel the purge, the alarm database is rolled back to its
original state.
Setting a Schedule for Automatic Purging
The Alarm DB Purge-A rchive utility can automatically purge or archive records from the alarm dat abase
at scheduled intervals. You can perform a test purge t o verify your connection to the database and target
locations and to start and stop purging.
To set a schedule for automatic purging
2. Click the Purge/A rchive tab.
3. In the Time Interval area, select a purge interval, either daily, weekly, or monthly.
If you click Weekly or Monthly, a Day box appears in the Activation Time area for you to specify
the day of the week or day of the month.
If you click Daily, in the Time box, configure the time of day that you want the purge/archive
operation to start.
4. In the Run As area, click Service to run the purge-arc hive utility as a service. It is recommended to
run the scheduled utility as a service to ensure the utility restarts automatically after a computer
reboot.
5. Click Apply to save your purge and archive settings.
6. Click Activate to place the Alarm DB Purge-Archive utility on an automatic purge schedule.
7. Click Close.
350
Restoring the Alarm Database
The Alarm DB Restore utility restores the archived alarm records in the archive files back to your alarm
database. The following figure summarizes the steps to restore alarm records to the database.
Alarm DB Alarm Database
Restore
Archive Records
Archive Alarm Records Alarm Records
Files
Alarm Records
Archive
Log File Request
To restore a dat abas e, you must:

 Configure the connection to the alarm database.
 Select which rec ords to restore to the alarm database.
 Restore archived records to the alarm database.
When minimized, the Alarm DB Restore utility appears as an icon in the system tray. When you
right-click the icon, a menu shows the following commands:
Command Description
Restore Begins the restoring process.
Cancel Restore Canc els the restoring process.
Clear Status Clears the status window.
Hide Window Minimizes the Alarm DB Restore utility to an icon in the system tray.
Show Window Opens and maximizes the Alarm DB Restore utility.
Exit Closes the Alarm DB Restore utility.
If you right-click in the Alarm DB Restore utility, the same menu appears.
Configuring the Database Connection

You must select a database to restore the archived data to. If t he specified dat abase is not present on the
server, you are prompt ed to create a new dat abas e with default server paramet ers.
To configure a database for restoring
351
2. Click the Configure tab.
3. Configure the connection to the alarm database. Do the following:

a. In the SQL Server Name list, click the node name of the server that hosts the alarm database.
b. In the Database Name box, type the name of the alarm database.
c. In the User Information area, type an alarm database user name and password in the
respective boxes.
d. Click Test Connection to test your connection to the database. A message indicat es whet her
the connection to the alarm dat abas e is successful or not. Click OK.
4. Click Close.
Configuring Which Files to Restore
You can select a time period for the rec ords to restore and whether you want the database tables to be
recreated.
If you cancel the restore, the database is rolled back to its original state.
Caution: If you try to restore archived alarms that are already present in the database, the arc hived
records are not restored. This avoids duplicate alarm/ event entries in the dat abase. The Alarm GUID or
E vent GUID associated with records determines whether an alarm or event is already pres ent in the
database.
To select database records to restore

352
2. Click the Selection tab.
3. In the Folder Path for Archived Files box, type the full path (up to 255 alphanumeric characters) to
the location of the archived files or click the button to locate and select the folder where archived files
are stored.
4. In the Restore files later than (Date/Time) area, select the date and time to start restoring records
to the database.
The starting date and time are set by default to the current date and time.
5. In the Folder path for log file box, type the full path (up to 255 alphanumeric characters) where the
log files are created and stored or click the button to locate and select a folder.
6. If you select the Recreate Tables check box, the tables of the specified alarm database are
recreated. Depending on the type of logging you selected for the alarm records contained in the
archived files, select:
o Detailed - Recreate the alarm database tables in detailed mode.
o Consolidated - Rec reate the alarm database tables in consolidated mode.
Important: Recreating tables overwrites all records currently stored in the alarm database.
7. Click Restore.
Starting a Database Restore Operation
You restore archived database records after you have established the database connection, specified
the archived files folder and a time filter.
To restore database records from an archive
353
2. Click the Selection tab.
3. Click Restore. A message shows whether the restoration is successful and the number of records
restored to the database.
Migrating Data from the A2ALMDB Database to History Blocks

You can migrate the alarm and event data in the A2ALMDB database to history blocks. Before you start
the migration, be sure that:
 The historian is running.
 The user account used to connect to the A2ALMDB database is a member of the aaA dministrators
group. Members of the aaPowerUsers group can also run the utility if they are granted the V IEW
DA TABASE STA TE permission.
 The historian is configured to store alarms and events to history blocks.
 There is at least one rec ord in the A2ALMDB database.
At the end of the migration, the following migration statistics are logged to the ArchestrA Logger:
 Number of alarms and events in the database
 Number of events forwarded to history block storage
 Number of events/second forwarded to history block storage
354
To migrate alarm and event data

1. On the Start menu, click All Programs, click AVEVA, click Historian and then click Migrate
A2ALMDB. The Migrating Alarm and Event to Block Storage utility appears.
2. In the SQL Login Information area, specify a user account that has administrative access to the
A2ALMDB database.
3. Click Connect.
4. Click Start to begin the migration.
355

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AVEVA™

Historian Administration Guide

Chapter 1 Getting Started................................................................................................... 13

Starting and Stopping AVEVA Historian ............................................................................. 27

Error Count Tags ......................................................................................................... 42

Defining Tags .......................................................................................................................... 51

Importing or Reimporting a Dictionary ......................................................................... 101

Configuring Data Acquisition .............................................................................................. 123

Managing Data Storage ...................................................................................................... 147

About Delta Storage Mode..................................................................................................... 148

Importing, Inserting, or Updating History Data ................................................................ 171

UPDA TE Syntax ............................................................................................................. 184

Managing and Configuring Replication ............................................................................. 191

Managing Security ............................................................................................................... 231

Viewing or Changing System-Wide Properties ............................................................... 257

About Modification Tracking for Historical Data Changes ................................................... 264

Monitoring the System ......................................................................................................... 277

Legacy Features ................................................................................................................... 295

About the Real -Time Data Window ................................................................................... 297

AVEVA Historian Documentation Set

About AVEVA Historian Licensing

Viewing License Information

This dialog box shows the type of license and, if

Refreshing the License Information

Registering AVEVA Historian Servers

Registering an AVEVA Historian

Editing Registration Properties

Deleting a Registered Historian

Moving a Registered Server to a Different Group

About Administrative Tools

About the System Management Console

About the Management Console

About the Configuration Editor

For example, the Configuration Editor allows you to:

Configuration Editor Toolbar Buttons

Delet e the currently selected item.

Start the wizard to add an analog tag.

Start the wizard to add a discrete tag.

Start the wizard to add an event tag.

Start the wizard to add a string tag.

MMC toolbars are not moveable or redockable.

Determining the Configuration Editor Version

System Management Console Menu Commands

Start Historian/Stop Historian Start or stop the historian.

View License Information View licensing details for the historian.

Refresh License Information Update the licensing information.

Track Modifications Show a list of modifications to the system.

Commit Pending Changes Commit changes to the system configuration.

New IDAS Add a new IDAS.

New I/O Server Type Add a new I/ O Server type.

New I/O Server Add a new I/ O Server.

New Topic Add a new topic.

New Analog Tag Add a new analog tag.

New Discrete Tag Add a new discrete tag.

New String Tag Adding a new string tag.

New E vent Tag Add a new event tag.

New Message Add a new message.

New Engineering Unit Add a new engineering unit.

Filter Apply a filter to the list of tags in the details pane.

Add Replication Schedule Add a new replication schedule.