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FactoryTalk Transaction Manager

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• What is FactoryTalk Transaction Manager and what does it provide for me?

  FactoryTalk Transaction Manager is an industrial transaction manager, which means it is built to send data to and from control systems (HMI’s, PLCs, Controllers) and enterprise systems (databases, custom apps, FactoryTalk systems). Although FactoryTalk Transaction Manager has many uses, it is mostly used for gathering data from the shop floor and sending that data to a corporate database where, based on good data, better business decisions can be made. FactoryTalk Transaction Manager uses transactions to pass data from one system to another.

• Can you see transactions actually run?

  Yes, FactoryTalk Transaction Manager includes a transaction monitor that shows you how many transactions have run and how many have “passed” or “failed”. FactoryTalk Transaction Manager also shows you if any transactions failed when attempting to communicate to the databases and how many transactions are cached.

• Does FactoryTalk Transaction Manager leverage FactoryTalk technology?

  Yes, FactoryTalk Transaction Manager does use several underlying FactoryTalk systems. For several years, FactoryTalk Transaction Manager has supported browsing and selecting tags via the FactoryTalk Directory and transmitting data via FactoryTalk Live Data. This provides a constant and robust environment for selecting tags and sending data from an end device to FactoryTalk Transaction Manager. FactoryTalk Transaction Manager (CPR7) supports FactoryTalk Security for authentication; this technology is used so the same accounts and passwords can be used across the entire line of software products.

• Is FactoryTalk Transaction Manager its own database?

  No, FactoryTalk Transaction Manager requires a commercial database (Oracle, SQL Server, etc.) to function and store data.

• What options are available for FactoryTalk Transaction Manager? How is it sold?

  FactoryTalk Transaction Manager is sold as Professional or Standard. FactoryTalk Transaction Manager Professional includes Microsoft SQL Server and contains services that can be distributed across multiple computers (to increase throughput). FactoryTalk Transaction Manager Standard does not include Microsoft SQL Server, the services cannot be distributed, and it has lower tag count options available. Both FactoryTalk Transaction Manager Professional and FactoryTalk Transaction Manager Standard have tag count limits where unique “tags” or “data points” are counted and there are different price points for the number of data points you want to use.

• Which operating systems are supported?

  Windows 2000, Windows 2003, and Windows XP are supported. Windows NT, Windows 98, and Windows ME are not supported. For Windows NT4, you can request an older version of FactoryTalk Transaction Manager that did support that operating system. FactoryTalk Transaction Manager does not support Windows CE-based platforms.

• In what scenarios should I use FactoryTalk Transaction Manager?

  If you need robust, configurable, and secure data logging, you should use FactoryTalk Transaction Manager as opposed to data logging features that are sometimes available in individual products (for example, the FactoryTalk View data logger). In FactoryTalk Transaction Manager, you can customize your logging needs and quickly provide more data than you could with other products. FactoryTalk Transaction Manager also has built-in fault tolerances; so if databases are not available, caching will occur on the local computer and FactoryTalk Transaction Manager can be setup in a redundant configuration. Finally, FactoryTalk Transaction Manager can obtain data from Rockwell controllers or PLCs and virtually any competitor’s server (if they are an OPC server). Although FactoryTalk Transaction Manager normally sends data to databases, it can obtain data from databases and send it to the control system using stored procedures.

• How is FactoryTalk Transaction Manager used in conjunction with other Rockwell Software products?

  Commonly, FactoryTalk Transaction Manager is used in conjunction with RSLinx Classic to get data to and from Rockwell controllers. In addition to getting data to and from controllers, FactoryTalk Transaction Manager is often also used with FactoryTalk View SE or RSView32 as the source of tags in systems. The FactoryTalk Directory is used by FactoryTalk Transaction Manager to find tags inside of the shop floor assets, and FactoryTalk Live Data can be used by FactoryTalk Transaction Manager to transmit data to and from RSLinx Enterprise or FactoryTalk View SE.

• Does FactoryTalk Transaction Manager only work with Rockwell Automation/Allen Bradley controllers?

  No, FactoryTalk Transaction Manager can connect to any device (i.e. PLC, DCS, etc.) that has an OPC server. For example, we have several prominent customers using Mitsubishi and Siemens controllers with FactoryTalk Transaction Manager.

• Does FactoryTalk Transaction Manager only work with Oracle or SQL Server?

  No, FactoryTalk Transaction Manager has a generic ODBC interface that can connect to virtually any vendor’s database; however, it is important to know that the ODBC specification is “open to interpretation” to some extent, and not all vendors code their drivers the same. Therefore, there are sometimes issues that arise when connecting to the lower volume databases.  Oracle and SQL Server do comprise the largest amount of testing that the FactoryTalk Transaction Manager teams performs, so they have the most mileage on them for driving out database specific issues.

• Can more that one copy of FactoryTalk Transaction Manager run on a computer?

  No, only one copy of FactoryTalk Transaction Manager can run on one computer at a given time. Additionally, only one configuration can run inside of FactoryTalk Transaction Manager at one time.

• What activation scheme does FactoryTalk Transaction Manager use?

  EVRSI. FactoryTalk Activation support is coming in a future release.

• How much data can FactoryTalk Transaction Manager move and how fast?

  FactoryTalk Transaction Manager can scan data in under one second. FactoryTalk Transaction Manager can also move upwards of 40,000 tags of data in one second.

• Who do I contact for more information?

  Please contact your local Rockwell Automation Sales Representative or Allen Bradley Software distributor specialist for more information on FactoryTalk Transaction Manager.

• What telephone number do I call for technical support?

  Please call 440-646-5800.

• How do I administer a FactoryTalk Transaction Manager configuration for a remote computer?

  A remote FactoryTalk Transaction Manager user interface (UI) is used to configure FactoryTalk Transaction Manager services and configuration (.dat) files to run on another computer. For example, the FactoryTalk Transaction Manager UI runs on Computer A, but the FactoryTalk Transaction Manager services and FactoryTalk Transaction Manager configuration files are located on Computer B. No additional licensing is required to perform this function remotely; you cannot perform this function with the Demo or Trial versions of FactoryTalk Transaction Manager.

  The remote FactoryTalk Transaction Manager UI communicates directly with the FactoryTalk Transaction Manager Configuration Server, which then writes to the configuration files.

  Remote browsing allows you to browse DSNs and Oracle® connection strings that are not found on the local computer. All browsing for FactoryTalk datapoints and all databases is in the context of Computer B.

  Notes: If you are not using the FactoryTalk Live Data connector, we recommend that you do not attempt to use a remote FactoryTalk Transaction Manager UI for configuring your data points. When using the remote FactoryTalk Transaction Manager UI, you must ensure that all of the computers that are involved in your configuration belong to the same FactoryTalk Directory.

  For FactoryTalk Security to work properly, the local FactoryTalk Transaction Manager UI and remote FactoryTalk Transaction Manager UI must share the same Configuration Server in the FactoryTalk Directory.

  For detailed information about browsing for remote FactoryTalk Transaction Manager services, please refer to the Advanced Topics chapter of the FactoryTalk Transaction Manager User's Guide.

• How do I restore a FactoryTalk Transaction Manager configuration?

  Tip: Before you proceed to restore configurations, make sure you have backed them up first. Refer to the Back up configurations topic in the online help for further details.

  You may want to restore configurations if you changed them and then decided not to use the changed configurations, moved them to a different computer, or updated your software. You can only restore configurations on the computer where the Configuration Server is located. If you want to restore a configuration to a remote computer, you must register/add the Configuration Server on the remote computer.

  1. Select the computer (Configuration Server) where you to want to restore the configuration.

  2. Select Configuration > Restore from the FactoryTalk Transaction Manager menu.
     The RSQ File Browse dialog displays.

  3. Select the desired *.rsq file to restore and click OK.
     The FactoryTalk Transaction Manager Restore Configuration dialog displays.

  4. The *.rsq file name displays in the Name field.

     Tip: The file name and path do not have to match the names used when the configuration was backed up.

  5. Enter the path where you want to restore the *.rsq file in the Path field or click (...) to browse for it, and then click OK.
     A message confirming the restored *.rsq file name and path displays.

  6. Click Yes to complete the process.
     A message displays if the process was completed successfully. The restored configuration displays in the Configuration tree.

• How do I use an unsolicited message to send data to FactoryTalk Transaction Manager?

  In some cases it is desirable to use an unsolicited message from a programmable logic controller (PLC) to log data to a database. This is usually used to reduce network traffic by eliminating the need to have RSLinx Classic continually poll the PLC for changes in the data. There are several steps to setting up a transaction in FactoryTalk Transaction Manager to receive an unsolicited message and log it to a database.

  PLC Message Instruction: This example is for a PLC-5. In RSLogix5, access the message instruction (MSG) setup dialog. Set the PLC Communication Command to PLC-5 Typed Write. The Data Table Address is the starting address of the block you wish to transmit and the Size of Elements is the number of words or elements that you wish to transmit. Although the Target Device Data Table Address does not exist in the PLC itself, the DDE/OPC item in FactoryTalk Transaction Manager must match this address.

  RSLinx Classic Topic Configuration: In RSLinx Classic, display the DDE/OPC Topic configuration dialog. After you select a Data Source, select the Data Collection tab. In the Data Collection Mode frame, check both the Unsolicited Messages and Send all unsolicited updates check boxes.

  FactoryTalk Transaction Manager Data Point Configuration: On the FactoryTalk Transaction Manager Data Point Definition dialog for the appropriate connector, add a data point for each incoming message block in the Item Address/String/Tag Name column. For example, if you are using an unsolicited message to send 50 words to the address N50:0, the corresponding data point that you enter in FactoryTalk Transaction Manager is N50:0,L50. This is the same address that you entered in the Target Device Data Table Address for the PLC message instruction.

  FactoryTalk Transaction Manager Transaction Configuration: To access data from a single unsolicited message block into multiple database columns, use the Parse function. Select the Data Object Column that you want to bind the data to, right click, and select Bind Expression. In the Expression Editor dialog, select the Parse() function. The parameters of the Parse function are Data Point, Offset in Bytes, Data Type, and Length in Bytes. Select the name of the data point that you wish to parse from the combo box. The Offset in Bytes is the starting location of the data you want to write to the database column, in the number of bytes from the beginning of the block. Select the Data Type of the individual data point from the combo box. The Length in Bytes is supplied for you, but it may be overridden.

• How do I configure an ODBC connector to a Microsoft SQL server?

  Tip: The following procedure is intended to configure an ODBC Data Source Administrator applet version 3.5x or higher.

  1. Select Start > Settings > Control Panel.

  2. Double-click the Administrative Tools icon. The Administrative Tools dialog appears.

  3. Double-click the Data Sources (ODBC) icon. The ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog appears.

  4. Click the System DSN tab.
     A list of system data sources displays.

  5. To create a new ODBC connector, click Add.
     The Create New Data Source dialog displays a list of available ODBC drivers.

  6. Select the SQL Server driver and click Finish.
     The ODBC SQL Server Setup dialog displays.

  7. Enter a name for the data source, for example SLQ_Server, then select it from the Server list. In this example, the server is on a local PC so Local is selected. Click OK to configure the connector.
     The ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog redisplays. Once the ODBC connector is configured to a Microsoft SQL Server database, it displays in the list of system data sources on the System DSN tab of the ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog.

  8. Click OK to finish.

  Tip: You can use the profiling feature of the ODBC driver for SQL Server to gather troubleshooting information outside the FactoryTalk Transaction Manager domain. To do this, click Options on the ODBC SQL Server Setup dialog. Click Profile. Select Save Log Running Queries and set the Query Logging Threshold to one millisecond to insure that every query is logged. The query strings are saved in the query log file indicated. You can view this file with any text editor.

• How does an unscheduled trigger with delta value work?

  FactoryTalk Transaction Manager gives you control over the criteria that determines which data is stored in the database. If you click Trigger/Storage on the Transaction Definition dialog, the Trigger and Storage Parameters dialog displays. In the Transaction Triggers frame, if On Unscheduled Event is selected, enter a data point as the event to track. If On Change is selected, enter a Positive and Negative Delta Value to Equal or Exceed.

  The positive/negative delta value to equal or exceed is used to compare the newly acquired trigger value against the previously triggered value. For example, if the unscheduled trigger is the temperature reading from a thermocouple and the temperature has increased .001 degrees, is this significant? The positive/negative delta value to equal or exceed can be set to quantify when a change is significant enough for FactoryTalk Transaction Manager to store the transaction to the database.

  The newly acquired transaction trigger value is compared with the previous value that was stored by the FactoryTalk Transaction Manager or Transaction Control Manager; this is done for each transaction. The FactoryTalk Transaction Manager or Transaction Control Manager stores the value when the positive/negative delta value comparison is equaled or exceeded. If you set one or both of the positive/negative delta values to 0, then FactoryTalk Transaction Manager stores the transaction for every new trigger value.

  For more information, see the topic named Unscheduled events in the online help.

• How do I setup FactoryTalk Transaction Manager to start automatically?
  • Automatically starting/stopping FactoryTalk Transaction Manager and RSLinx Classic

    Use the Windows 2000/2003/XP Control Panel to set FactoryTalk Transaction Manager services to start automatically. Only modify the services that are used in the FactoryTalk Transaction Manager configuration.

    1. Select Start > Settings > Control Panel.
    2. Double-click the Administrative Tools icon. The Administrative Tools dialog appears.
    3. Double-click the Services icon. The Services dialog appears.
    4. Only modify the services that are used in the FactoryTalk Transaction Manager configuration.

    Tips: It is not necessary to set RSLinx Classic to start automatically. The FactoryTalk Transaction Manager DDE, OPC, or RSLinx Classic control connectors will start RSLinx Classic.

    Do not set the FactoryTalk Transaction Manager's View control connector to start automatically. Instead use the procedure below to set the RSView32 project to run automatically.

  • Running an RSView32 project automatically

    Use the Visual Basic subroutines in your FactoryTalk View project to control the FactoryTalk Transaction Manager RSView32 control connector service. Below is a text file that can be pasted into the Visual Basic for Applications interface of an RSView32 project. This file contains VBA subroutines to start and stop the FactoryTalk Transaction Manager RSView32 connector and the accompanying declarations to reference the Windows32 API calls to perform these functions.

    There are two parts to this file. The first part is the declarations, which should be pasted into the [General] [Declarations] section of the Module Object, so that it can be referenced by all procedures. The next two subroutines should be pasted into the [General] section of the Project Object.

    These two routines can then be invoked from the appropriate place in a RSView32 macro by coding the line "vbaexec start_rsv32_col" or "vbaexec stop_rsv32_col". For example, a macro that calls the start-up routine could be assigned as the start-up macro in RSView32, and likewise the stopping routine could be assigned as the shutdown macro in RSView32.

    You can add subroutines for other FactoryTalk Transaction Manager services that need to be started automatically on the same PC from within the RSView32 project. To do this, modify the handle by passing in the string for the FactoryTalk Transaction Manager service executable name for the service that will be started.

    The FactoryTalk Transaction Manager service names can be found in the registry at:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services

    Listed here is a key for each registered service. Each FactoryTalk Transaction Manager service begins with the name 'rssql_". These are the string values to use for the handle in the VB code.

    For example:

    Transaction Manager service is "rssql_tb",
    RSView32 control connector is "rssql_rsvcoll",
    DDE control connector is "rssql_ddecoll",
    Generic OPC control connector is "rssql_opccoll",
    RSLinx Classic Connector is "rssql_lnxcoll",
    FactoryTalk Live Data control connector is "rssql_rnacoll",
    OCI Enterprise connector is "rssql_oci_storer",
    OLE-DB Enterprise connector is "rssql_oledb_storer",
    ODBC Enterprise connector is "rssql_storer",
    Microsoft Com+ enterprise connector is "rssql_mts_storer",
    Times-series Data Compression enterprise connector is "rssql_comp_storer",
    FactoryTalk Metrics enterprise connector is "rssql_pm_storer". 

    RSView Autostart

    Tip: We recommend that you start the FactoryTalk Transaction Manager before the other FactoryTalk Transaction Manager connectors.

    1. From the Windows task bar, click Start >Settings > Taskbar. The Taskbar Properties dialog displays.
    2. Click the Start Menu Programs tab.
    3. Click Add. The Create Shortcut dialog displays.
    4. In the Command Line field, enter the path to RSView32 or click Browse to locate RSView32. Add the project name and the /r parameter to the command line. For example, for a project called Norm's Bakery, you would type the following on the command line: "C:\Program Files\Rockwell Software\RSView\RSView32.exe" "C:\Norm's Bakery\Norm's Bakery.rsv" /r. If the path contains spaces, you must enclose it in double quotes with the /r parameter outside the quotes.
    5. Click Next.
    6. In the Select Program Folder dialog, select the StartUp folder.
    7. Specify a name for the shortcut.
    8. Click Finish.

    Tip: From the RSView32 Edit tab, expand the System folder, click Startup, click the Startup tab, and uncheck the OPC/DDE Server box. Edit the startup macro by entering "rtdataserveron" and "rtdatawriteenable" before the code that begins with the FactoryTalk Transaction Manager/FactoryTalk View connection.