Mediateur System Platform : How to use Mediateur 🔒
The mediator uses the MxAccess object to link to server application data.
By default, the mediator is designed to connect to the ".InAlarm" property to manage alarms. In this case, it also connects (on options) to the ".Acked" and ".AckMsg" properties for transmission of acknowledgement information between Alert and Application server.
However, it is also possible to connect to a variable, but in this case acknowledgement transmissions between Alert and Application Server are not possible.
To import variables/alarms, the mediator uses the GRAccess object.
The mediator can be installed either on the same machine as Application server, or on a remote machine. In the case of a remote machine, the bootstrap must be installed on the workstation where Alert is installed, and the workstation must be declared in the galaxy.
Requirements
1.1. Licences Wonderware nécessaires :
- This mediator works with Wonderware's MXAccess Toolkit, so you need to install an InTouch Runtime license (now referred to as Supervisory Client 2017), which includes the MXAccess Toolkit when it replaces the classic viewer
This type of license includes a platform.
- To import alarms, the ALERT workstation must be equipped with a Wonderware license enabling the GRACCESS toolkit, in order to browse objects in a System Platform project.
Une licence Wonderware Development Studio active le toolkit GRACCESS.
1.2. Compatibilité
- Compatible with Application Server version 3.0 and higher
- For compatibility with Application Server 2014, Application Server patch 1 must be installed.
- Compatible with version 3.6 rev 1 of Alert.
(see our FAQ on our website for compatibility between Alert and Application Server versions: http://www.micromedia-int.com/download/FAQ/Compatibility%20Alert%20-%20Mediator%20-%20Supervisor.pdf)
Setting up the mediator
1. Loading the mediator
From the Options window (Configuration | Options), in the Supervision tab, select the m_AppServer.dll mediator and confirm with OK.
2.2. Configuration du médiateur
To configure the m_ AppServer.dll mediator, click on the "Configuration" button in the "Supervision" tab of the "Options" window.
Galaxy Login & Password :
These 2 options allow you to define the user name and password that Alert will use to connect to Application Server and establish the link with alarms.
Login IDE (for import) & Password :
These 2 options allow you to define the user name and password that Alert will use to log in when importing alarms.
Acknowledgement transmission :
These options define whether or not alarm acknowledgments are to be transmitted from Alert to Application Server and from Application Server to Alert.
The "Message to be sent to Appserver" field is used to enter the message to be sent by Alert to the Application Server when an alarm is acknowledged.
Mask transmission :
These options define whether or not alarm masking is to be transmitted from Alert to Application Server and from Application Server to Alert (link to .Inhibit property).
Cette fonctionnalité n’est pas encore implémentée.
Tracks :
These options activate the mediator's debug traces in the event of problems.
4. Importation des alarmes
4.1. Importation des alarmes avec le médiateur
To import a database from Application Server, proceed as follows:
From the tree, select "variable", then right-click and choose the "Import" menu, then "m_AppServer.dll".
Alternatively, you can right-click on "AppServer" in the tree and select "Import" from the menu.
The Application Server database read window appears.
After reading the data from Application Server, the import window appears:
From the tree, you can browse the galaxy's platforms and objects and display their properties.
For each object, you can format the message by selecting one or more object properties (such as ".Desc"). You can also associate the alarm priority (in Alert) with an alarm property, select a functional group and define an action.
You can then select the ".InAlarm" property, and press the "Add" button to add the alarm to the list of items to be imported.
Repeat the operation for another alarm.
When you have added all the alarms you wish to import, press the "Import" button to import the items in the list.
When you have imported all your alarms, press the "Close" button to close the window.
2) Using Alert's text import module
Server application alarms can be imported directly from a text file in csv format.
To do this, use Alert's text import module.
From the tree, select "variable", then right-click and choose "Import", then "Text file".
The following window appears.
Select your csv file and create the following mapping:
- Data server = "AppServer
- Identifier = Ci (i value of the column containing the identifier data)
- Message = Cm (m value of the column containing the message data)
- On-call group = Ca (a value of the column containing the on-call group data)
- Link type = "2 (Other)".
- Type = "2 (Alarm)
This is the minimum information required to import an alarm in conjunction with AppServer. Other information can be imported (e.g. priority, functional group).
For more information on the text import module, see the documentation on our FAQ :http://www.micromedia-int.com/fr/mediateur/503-importation-texte
Configuration with a galaxy installed on a PC other than the Alert PC
1) Install boostrap on the machine where Alert is installed
To communicate with the galaxy, if Alert is not installed on the same machine as Alert, the Wonderware boostrap must be installed on the Alert machine. This boostrap is included in the Wonderware installation package.
During installation, you'll need to define a user name to connect to the galaxy. You'll need to take the same name you used to create the galaxy and create this operator on the Alert machine.
Once you've installed the boostrap, you need to deploy the galaxy on the machine where Alert is located.
2) Deploying the galaxy on Alert's machine
Use the Archestra IDE to connect to the galaxy. From the IDE, create a new WinPlatform instance and enter the name of the machine where Alert is located.
Then it's time to deploy the galaxy.
When the galaxy is deployed, Alert is normally able to read the values of variables and alarms with the MxAccess object.
3) License installation
You need a Viewer license from wonderware for Alert to communicate with the galaxy.
Put the license file in the License directory of the Archestra common files (C:\Program Files\Common Files\ArchestrA\License).
4) Galaxy link test
The link with the galaxy can be tested with the MxSample.exe application (contact our technical support to obtain this little executable).
If the link works correctly with this little utility, then it should work correctly with Alert.
5) Installation of the GRAccess component for browsing the galaxy from Alert.
The best way to install GR Access components is to install the IDE on the machine where Alert is installed.
In this case, you can test the connection to the galaxy via the IDE.
Additional comments :
- Link to the first-level "InAlarm" property of an object :
When you create an alarm on the first-level "InAlarm" property of an object, you must set automatic acknowledgement on return to normal to "yes" in the alarm configuration in Alert (alarm property => "acknowledge" button).
System Platform Mediator : Principle of the use of the mediator
Le médiateur pour Application Server utilise l'objet MxAccess pour faire le lien avec les données d'Application Server. Par défaut, le médiateur fait un lien vers la propriété ".InAlarm" pour la gestion des alarmes. Dans ce cas, il fait également un lien (sur option) vers les propriétés ".Acked" et ".AckMsg" pour la synchronisation des acquittements d'alarmes entre Alert et Application Server.
It is also possible to create a link to a single variable and define an alarm from this variable in Alert. But in this case the alarm acknowledgements are not synchronizing between Alert and Application Server.
For the importation of the variables/alarms, the mediator uses the object GRAccess.
The mediator can be installed on the same computer than Application Server (on the GRNode) or on another computer.
If the mediator is not installed on the same computer, you first have to install a bootstrap on the computer where Alert (and the mediator) is installed and the computer must be defined in the galaxy. (See the documentation of Wonderware to know how to configure a remote access link).