Set up alarm history logging

To log historical alarms and events, you can either install the version of
Microsoft
SQL Server
 available with
FactoryTalk View
, or you can use an existing
SQL Server
 database, if it is already installed on your network.
Overview: Set up alarm history logging
  1. Confirm
    SQL Server
     is installed.
  2. Add a database definition in the
    FactoryTalk Directory
    .
  3. Associate a database definition with an alarm server.
  4. Add an Alarm and Event Log Viewer object to a graphic display.
  5. Run
    FactoryTalk View
     SE Client and monitor the display.
Step 1. Confirm
SQL Server
 is installed
Verify that
SQL Server
 is installed on the computer you want to use for alarm history logging. Check the
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events
 Release Notes
 for the latest supported versions.
  • If you do not have
    SQL Server
     installed, install the version included with the
    FactoryTalk View
     software (found in the
    FTView\Redist\SQLServerEXPR_2014SP3
     folder).
    Follow the installation instructions in the
    FactoryTalk Alarms and Events
     System Configuration Guide,
     available in the following directory:
    C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Rockwell\Help\FT Alarms and Events System Configuration Guide.pdf
    .
    The guide is also available from the
    Help > Online Books
     menu in
    FactoryTalk View Studio
    .
  • If you already have
    SQL Server
     installed, you can configure the database to log alarm and event log information. Follow the configuration instructions in the
    FactoryTalk Alarms and Events
     System Configuration Guide
    , in the section titled "Using an existing
    SQL Server
     database."
Step 2. Add a database definition in the
FactoryTalk Directory
Add a database definition to create a connection between the
FactoryTalk Directory
 and the database software installed on your network.
  1. Run
    FactoryTalk Administration Console
     or
    FactoryTalk View Studio
     and open an application.
  2. In the
    FactoryTalk
     Explorer window, expand
    System
     >
    Connections
    , and then right-click the
    Databases
     folder. Click
    New Database
    .
  3. Set up properties for the new database definition.
  4. When you finish, click
    OK
    . The database definition is added to the Databases folder and is ready for use.
Step 3. Associate a database definition with an alarm server
Associate the database definition with an alarm server to begin logging historical data to the alarm history log. You can associate different alarm servers with different databases (alarm history logs), or choose to associate all alarm servers with one database.
  1. Run
    FactoryTalk Administration Console
     or
    FactoryTalk View Studio
     and open an application.
  2. Expand the
    FactoryTalk
     Explorer window until each alarm server is visible.
  3. Right-click a server, and then click
    Properties
    .
    • For a
      Rockwell Automation
       Device Server (
      FactoryTalk Linx
      ), click the
      Alarms and Events
       tab. Set
      Alarm and Event History
       properties.
    • For a Tag Alarm and Event Server, click the
      Priorities and History
       tab. Set
      Alarm and Event History
       properties.
    • For an OPC UA server, click the
      OPC UA Servers
       tab. Under
      Alarm Settings
      , set
      History
      properties.
  4. Click
    Apply
     to apply the settings, or click
    OK
     to apply the settings and close the dialog box.
Step 4. Add an Alarm and Event Log Viewer object to a graphic display
  1. Run
    FactoryTalk View Studio
     and open an application.
  2. To create a new graphic display, open the
    Graphics
     folder, right-click
    Displays
    , and then click
    New
    .
  3. On the
    Objects
     menu, choose
    Alarm and Event > Log Viewer
    , and then click and drag the cursor to add the Log Viewer object to the display.
  4. To open its properties, double-click the Log Viewer object.
  5. On the
    General
     tab, select the database that contains the alarm and event history information you want to view.
  6. On the other tabs, set properties to customize the Log Viewer display. Click
    Help
     on any tab for details. When you finish, click
    OK
     to close the dialog box.
Step 5. Run
FactoryTalk View
 SE Client and monitor the display
  1. Start
    FactoryTalk View
     Site Edition Client
    .
  2. Open the graphic display that contains the Log Viewer object and verify its operation.
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