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<h1 style="text-align: center;">Alarms<br>(Audit Trail and Alerts)</h1>
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Introduction to the Alarms Module
The Alarms Module monitors and manages real-time alarm events, alerts, notifications, and Audit Trail information. It provides alerts for critical events and stores data for future analysis. Key functions include:
Real-time alarm states processing
Storage on any database provider
Hierarchical organization of alarms
System AuditTrail events and operator actions tracking
On this page:
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Key Concepts and Terms
AlarmItem
A tag monitored by the Alarm Module, containing information such as tag name, alarm condition, AlarmGroup, Limit, Deadband, and Message.
AlarmGroup
Collection of AlarmItems sharing properties such as AckRequired and AutoAckTime.
AlarmArea
Hierarchical grouping of AlarmGroups for better organization.
Audit Trail
Logs changes and events when executing the solution, tracking who made changes and when. Useful for troubleshooting, analysis, and compliance.
Understanding the Alarms Module
Module Features
- AlarmViewer Control and AlarmAreas Control for displays.
- Real-time alarm processing
- Hierarchical alarm management
- Dynamic language localization for messages
- High-precision timestamps
- Custom notifications (e.g., SMS, email)
- Store and Forward archiving
- Automated replication in hot-standby scenarios
Monitoring Tags and Evaluating Conditions
When the Module Alarm is execution, all tags defined on AlarmItems are subscribed, so the alarm conditions are evaluated every time the tag as new value.
If a condition is reached, the alarm is issued, according to the behavior defined by its AlarmGroup. Notifications are sent if enabled to that group.
Configuring the Alarms Module
Configuration Workflow
Alarms Module Configuration Workflow | ||
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Action | Where | Comments |
Create AlarmItems | Alarms / Items | Create an AlarmItem. It will be associated with a tag by inserting the tag's name into the Tag Name column. Learn more at AlarmItems. |
Define conditions | Alarms / Items | Define the alarm behavior, configuring the Condition to trigger the alarm and the Limit for the threshold value. Learn more at AlarmItems. |
Create or edit AlarmGroups | Alarms / Groups | Define the AlarmItems that share common characteristics and use them to define several alarm attributes. Learn more at AlarmGroups. |
Create or edit AlarmAreas | Alarms / Areas | Create a hierarchically structured group of Alarms. Learn more at AlarmAreas. |
Define settings | Alarms / Global Settings | Configure database settings for logging alarm events, behavior upon system startup, and specific alarm handling parameters. Learn more at Global Settings. |
Pre-Defined AlarmGroups
The Alarms module provides a predefined AlarmGroup to quickly configure alarms for common applications. These groups have pre-configured properties that make it easier to create and configure alarms for standard purposes.
To use a predefined AlarmGroup, you simply need to select it from the list of available groups and configure additional properties as needed.
The pre-defined AlarmGroups are:
- Critical: High Priority Alarms that requires acknowledgement and History logging.
- Warning: Medium Priority Alarms and Low Priority Alarms, which don't require acknowledgment, but are logged.
- Audit Trail: Alarms and Events that don't show on Operator Displays, but are records on the History log.
AlarmHistorian Database on Datasets
The Alarm Historian database is where the Alarms module stores all alarm events and audit trail information. The AlarmHistorian database can be defined using datasets, which allows for easy configuration and modification of the database properties. The datasets can define the database connection settings, the schema of the database tables, and the properties of the alarm events and audit trail entries.
Working with the Alarms Module
Once you have set up your AlarmGroup, AlarmArea, and AlarmItem, you can use the Alarms module to monitor your process and respond to any changes in conditions.
Runtime Execution
You can control the Alarms Module execution while running your solution. You can Run, Pause, or Stop the Alarms Module directly from the platform.
Access Runtime / Runtime Diagnostics to find the tools you can use to control the module.
Monitoring the Alarms Module Execution
The Alarms Monitor lets you see real-time information about the module when the solution is running. It showcases total, unacknowledged, active alarms, their priority, and the most recent alarm notification.
→ Read more about Alarms Monitor.
Visualizing Alarms on Displays
The Displays module can be used to create displays that visualize alarms in real-time. The alarms can be displayed in tables, custom graphics, objects and others with the ability to sort and filter based on various alarm properties. The displays can also include interactive components, such as acknowledging alarms and displaying alarm details, to allow operators to quickly respond to alarms.
→ Read more about the AlarmViewer Control and AlarmAreas Control.
Handling Notifications with Scripts
The Scripting module can be used to create custom scripts that handle alarm notifications. These scripts can define the behavior of the Notification Method property of the AlarmGroup, allowing for more customized notifications based on the type and severity of the alarm. The scripts can also define notification methods beyond the built-in options, such as sending emails or SMS messages.
→ Read more about Alarm Email Notifications.
Customizing Alarm Sounds
Sets the sound played when an alarm goes off.
→ Read more about at AlarmGroup Sounds.
Alarms Advanced Topics
Alarm Execution Process
Presents in the detail the processes when executing the Alarm Engine.
→ Read more about Alarm Execution Process
Alarm Runtime Attributes
The Alarms Namespace exposes properties and methods from the .NET objects used by the Alarm Module execution.
→ Read more about Alarms Runtime Attributes
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Best Practices and Recommendations
To ensure the smooth operation of the Alarms module, follow these best practices:
- Use clear and descriptive names for Alarm Group, Alarm Area, and Alarm Item.
- Configure alarms with proper priority and severity levels.
- Use deadbands and delays to prevent alarm flooding.
- Regularly check and maintain the alarm configuration.
- Configure notifications and acknowledge alarms in a timely manner.
Common Issues and Solutions
The Alarms module may encounter some issues in its operation. Here are some common issues and their solutions:
Alarm not firing
Check the tag name, condition, and alarm item configuration. Ensure the tag is valid and the condition is met.
Alarm not acknowledged
Check the alarm acknowledgement configuration. Ensure that the alarm acknowledges property is set and the acknowledgement timeout is not expired.
Database connection error
Check the database connection string and ensure that the database is reachable.
Alarm flooding
Check the alarm configuration and ensure that the deadband settings are properly configured.
Notification not received
Check the notification configuration and ensure that the notification method is properly set.
In this section:
About the Alarm Module
The Alarm Module is a crucial component for most projects, designed to monitor and manage alarm events within your projects. By leveraging the Alarm Module, you can create a comprehensive alarm management system tailored to your specific application requirements.
The documentation will guide you through the Alarm Module's functionalities, starting with an overview of the module's purpose and key concepts. It will then cover how the Alarm Module works, followed by sections on configuring and working with the module. Finally, the documentation will provide troubleshooting information and best practices to ensure optimal performance of your alarm management system.
By understanding and implementing the Alarm Module effectively, you can enhance your projects' responsiveness to critical events and ensure a high level of control and automation for your application.| Table of Contents | ||
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Introduction to Alarm Module
The Alarm Module is a complete solution for managing real-time alarms, notification events, and Audit-Trail information. It is a powerful tool that enables users to monitor and control their processes in real-time, by providing alerts for critical events, and storing data for future analysis.The Alarm Module can be used in a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, energy, and transportation. It is an essential component of any modern control system, and is designed to help users achieve greater efficiency and productivity.The key features and functionalities of the Alarm Module include:Real-time Alarm States Processing: The Alarm Module is designed to process alarms in real-time, ensuring that critical events are identified and responded to as quickly as possible.Agnostic storage on any Database provider: The Alarm Module can store data on any database provider, making it flexible and easy to use.Store and Forward when archiving to remote databases: The Alarm Module is capable of storing and forwarding data to remote databases, ensuring that data is always available for analysis.Automated replication in hot-stand-by scenarios: The Alarm Module is designed to work in hot-stand-by scenarios, ensuring that data is always available and up-to-date.Organize and manage alarms hierarchically: The Alarm Module allows users to organize and manage alarms hierarchically, providing greater flexibility and control over their processes.Define System AuditTrail event and Track Operator actions: The Alarm Module allows users to define system audit-trail events and track operator actions, providing greater visibility and accountability.Send Notifications by SMS or e-mails: The Alarm Module is capable of sending notifications by SMS or e-mails, ensuring that users are always aware of critical events.Universal Time and Daylight Saving always considered for accurate time-stamp: The Alarm Module always considers universal time and daylight saving, ensuring that timestamps are accurate and reliable.Timestamps precision up to 0.1 ms: The Alarm Module provides high precision timestamps up to 0.1 ms, ensuring that data is always accurate and reliable.Dynamic Language localization of alarm messages: The Alarm Module allows users to localize alarm messages dynamically, ensuring that they are easy to understand and relevant to their audience.In summary, the Alarm Module is a powerful and versatile tool that enables users to monitor and control their processes in real-time, by providing alerts for critical events, and storing data for future analysis. It is an essential component of any modern control system, and can be used in a wide range of industries to improve efficiency and productivity.
Purpose and Key Concepts
AlarmGroup
Alarm Group Configuration:Alarm Groups are collections of alarms that share common settings. They are used to define the behavior of alarms and their processing rules. The Alarm Module comes with three pre-defined Alarm Groups:Warning: This group contains warning messages that do not require acknowledgment.Critical: This group contains critical messages that require acknowledgment.AuditTrail: This group is intended to track system events and operation actions, creating records for an auditing log.Users can customize the existing groups or create new ones according to their needs. To configure Alarm Groups, follow these steps:Go to Alarms → Groups.Add new rows or edit the existing table, setting the desired values to the fields.The configuration properties of Alarm Groups are as follows:Name: Enter a name for the Alarm Group. The system allows you to know if the name is not valid.AckRequired: If required, the alarm stays in the alarm list until someone acknowledges the alarm by double-clicking it in the application.ActiveTimeDeadband: Enter a time deadband that will create a delay after an alarm occurs. The alarm will trigger again only after the deadband.AckTimeout: Defines a timeout for acknowledging the alarm. If the alarm is not acknowledged after the specified time, the alarm becomes active again.AutoAckTime: If the alarm is not acknowledged after the specified time, the system acknowledges the alarm.Sound: Select the sound that will play when the alarm occurs.Show: Select the list for the alarm to display in the alarm window in the application.LogEvents: Select when you want the alarm to be logged to the alarm historian. You can choose from the following options:None: Alarms are not logged.Active: Log when the alarm is active.ActiveAck: Log when the alarm is active and acknowledged.ActiveNorm: Log when the alarm returns to normal.All: Log all of the above conditions.Colors: Select the colors you want to use for each state:Active: Configured alarm is in the alarm state.Normalized: Configured alarm was in the alarm state but is no longer in the alarm state and still needs to be acknowledged.Acknowledged: Configured alarm has been acknowledged but is still in the alarm state.NotificationMethod: Calls a Script → Class method that triggers a code when the alarm happens.Description: Enter a description of the Alarm Group.In summary, Alarm Groups are collections of alarms that share common settings. The Alarm Module provides three pre-defined Alarm Groups, which can be customized or new ones can be created. The configuration properties of Alarm Groups allow users to define the behavior of alarms and their processing rules, and include fields such as Name, AckRequired, ActiveTimeDeadband, AckTimeout, AutoAckTime, Sound, Show, LogEvents, Colors, NotificationMethod, and Description.
AlarmArea
AlarmItem
AuditTrail
The Audit-Trail is a pre-defined AlarmGroup intended to track system events and operational actions with the goal of creating records for an auditing log. The Alarm Module provides a complete solution to manage real-time alarms, notification events, and Audit-Trail information.
Configuring Audit-Trail in the Alarm Module allows you to track all system events and operator actions that can have an impact on system performance and operation. This section will guide you through the process of configuring the Audit-Trail in the Alarm Module.Pre-defined Audit-TrailThe Alarm Module includes a pre-defined AlarmGroup called Audit-Trail. This AlarmGroup is intended to track system events and operational actions automatically. You can customize this AlarmGroup by editing its properties on the Alarms → Groups page.Customizing Audit-TrailTo customize the Audit-Trail AlarmGroup, follow these steps:Go to the Alarms → Groups page.Select the Audit-Trail AlarmGroup from the list.Edit the properties of the Audit-Trail AlarmGroup, such as Name, AckRequired, ActiveTimeDeadband, AckTimeout, AutoAckTime, Sound, Show, LogEvents, Colors, NotificationMethod, and Description, to fit your needs.Save the changes.Configuring Audit-Trail PropertiesThe following are the properties that you can configure for the Audit-Trail AlarmGroup:Name: Enter a name for the AlarmGroup. The system allows you to know if the name is not valid.AckRequired: If required, the alarm stays in the alarm list until someone acknowledges the alarm by double-clicking it in the application.ActiveTimeDeadband: Enter a time deadband that will create a delay after an alarm occurs. The alarm will trigger again only after the deadband.AckTimeout: Defines a timeout for acknowledging the alarm. If the alarm is not acknowledged after the specified time, the alarm becomes active again.AutoAckTime: If the alarm is not acknowledged after the specified time, the system acknowledges the alarm.Sound: Select the sound that will play when the alarm occurs.Show: Select the list for the alarm to display in the alarm window in the application.LogEvents: Select when you want the alarm to be logged to the alarm historian:a. None - Alarms are not logged.b. Active - Log when alarm is active.c. ActiveAck - Log when the alarm is active and acknowledged.d. ActiveNorm - Log when the alarm returns to normal.e. All - Log all of the above conditions.Colors: Select the colors you want to use for each state:a. Active - Configured alarm is in the alarm state.b. Normalized - Configured alarm was in the alarm state but is no longer in the alarm state and still needs to be acknowledged.c. Acknowledged - Configured alarm has been acknowledged, but it is still in the alarm state.NotificationMethod: Calls a Script → Class method that triggers a code when the alarm happens.Description: Enter a description of the alarm group.ConclusionConfiguring the Audit-Trail AlarmGroup in the Alarm Module allows you to track all system events and operator actions that can have an impact on system performance and operation. By following the steps outlined in this section, you can customize the Audit-Trail properties to fit your needs and ensure that your system is operating optimally.
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For information on its configuration, go to the AuditTrail page. |
AlarmHistorian
How the Alarm Module Works
Features Highlights
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Alarms Database
The Alarms Database stores the events from AlarmGroups and Audit-Trail. By default, it is mapped to a SQLite database with name <project name>.tAlarm, which is defined at Datasets → Dos → AlarmHistorian.
You can change the Alarms Database to use any other SQL connection by following these steps:
Go to Datasets → Dos.
Rename or delete the AlarmHistorian object.
Create a new DB connection with name AlarmHistorian connected to the desired Database.
When you archive the alarms to the Alarms Database, the Alarm Module automatically creates and populates the necessary tables to store alarm and audit trail information.
Note that the Alarms Database is critical for logging and tracking alarms and events. It is important to ensure that the database is reliable and accessible, and that it has sufficient storage capacity.
Overall, the Alarms Database provides a central location for storing and managing real-time alarms and audit trail information, making it easier to monitor and troubleshoot system issues.
Monitoring Tags and Evaluating Conditions
Configuring the Alarm Module
Global Settings and CustomizationCreating and Managing Alarm Groups
Using Pre-defined Groups
Defining and Organizing Alarms Areas Hierarchy
Adding and Editing Alarm Items
Working with the Alarm Module
Runtime Execution
Integration with Other Modules
AlarmHistorian Database definition on Datasets
isualizing Alarms on Dislays
Handling Notifications with Scripts
Advanced Features and Options
Troubleshooting and Best Practices
Common Issues and Solutions
Best Practices and Recommendations
Alarm Module Runtime Attributes
The Alarm Namespace
The Alarm namespace has the properties of the alarm server.
The Alarm.Group object has the list of all defined groups and their properties.
The Alarm.Item object has all alarm items and their properties.
The tag properties are connected with the alarm module.
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