Access/Modify a Collector

Procedure

  1. Access Historian Administrator.
  2. Select Collectors.
    A list of collectors appears.
  3. Select the collector whose details you want to access/modify.
  4. As needed, modify values as described in the following tables, and then select Update.
    Table 1. The General Section
    Field Description
    Collection Status Field The current operating status of the collector. Contains one of the following values:
    • Running: The collector is operating and collecting data.
    • Stopped: The collector is in pause mode and not collecting data.
    • Unknown: The status information about the collector is unavailable at present, perhaps as a result of a lost connection between collector and server or because the collector was shut down improperly.
    You can specify whether you want to pause or resume data collection.
    Total Events Collected Not applicable
    Total Events Reported Not applicable
    Description The name of the collector.
    Collector Type The type of the collector.
    Computer Name The machine name of the computer on which the collector is installed.
    Memory Buffer Size (MB) The size of the memory buffer currently assigned to the store-and-forward function. The memory buffer stores data during short-term or momentary interruptions of the server connection; the disk buffer handles long duration outages. To estimate the size you need for this buffer, you need to know how fast the collector is trying to send data to the server and how long the server connection is likely to be down. With those values and a safety margin, you can compute the required size of the buffer.
    Note: If you enter a new value for this parameter, the change is effective the next time you restart the collector.
    Minimum Free Space (MB) The minimum free disk space that must be available on the computer. If the minimum space required is not available when the collector starts, the collector will shut down.
    Table 2. The Tags Section
    Field Description
    Add Prefix to Tag A prefix that is automatically added to all tag names when you add tags.
    Collection Interval The time required to complete a poll of a given tag on the collector. It is also used in unsolicited collection. In effect, it specifies how frequently data can be read from a tag. The collection interval can be individually configured for each tag.
    Note: To avoid collecting repeat values with the OPC collector when using device timestamps, specify a collection interval that is greater than the OPC server update rate.
    Collection Type Indicates whether this collector is configured for polled or unsolicited data collection.
    Time Assigned By Indicates whether the timestamp for the data value is provided by the collector or the data source.
    Collector Compression Indicates whether collector compression is enabled as a default setting. This option is overridden by tag-level settings.
    Deadband The default setting of the collector compression deadband in absolute or percentage range values.
    Compression Timeout The default setting for the collector compression time-out for tags added through the Add Multiple Tags From Collector window. You must enable collector compression to use this field.
    Spike Logic Control Indicates whether incoming data samples for spikes are captured in tag values. If spike logic is enabled, a sample of equal value to the previously archived sample is inserted into the archive in front of the spike value. For more information, refer to Enable Spike Logic.
    Table 3. The Advanced Section
    Field Description
    On-line Tag Configuration Changes Indicates whether you can make changes to tags without having to restart the collector. If you disable this option, any changes you make to tags do not affect collection until you restart the collector.
    Browse Source Address Space Indicates whether you want the collector to respond to requests to browse the tags in the source. You may sometimes want to disable this feature to reduce processing load on the collector.
    Synchronize Timestamps to Server Time Adjusts all outgoing data timestamps to match the server clock. This option is not applicable when you configure timestamps to be provided by the data source. Note that this does not change collector times to match the server time; it adds or subtracts an increment of time to compensate for the relative difference between the clocks of the server and collector, independent of time zone or day light savings time (DST) differences. If the collector system clock is greater than 15 minutes ahead of the archiver system clock, and the Synchronize Timestamps to Server option is disabled, data will not be written to the archive.
    Source/Device Timestamps The time source for the timestamps. This field applies only if you are using source timestamps. The collector uses this field to determine whether the timestamps coming from the data source are in local machine time or UTC.
    Delay Collection at Startup The number of seconds to delay collection on startup (after loading its tag configuration).
    Rate Output Address Not applicable
    Status Output Address Address in the source database into which the collector writes the current value of the collector status, letting an operator or the HMI/SCADA application know the current status of the collector.

    This address should be connected to a writable text field of at least 8 characters. This value is only updated upon a change in status of the collector.

    For an iFIX collector, use TX tag for the output address. Enter the address in the following format: NODE.TAG.FIELD (for example, MyNode.MyCollector_TX.A_CV).

    For an OPC collector, use an OPC address in the server. Refer to your OPC documentation for more information.

    Heartbeat Output Address

    Address in the source database into which the collector writes the heartbeat signal output. This address should be connected to a writable analog field.

    For an iFIX collector, use an iFIX tag for the output address. Enter the address in the following format: NODE.TAG.FIELD (for example, MyNode.MyCollector_AO.F_CV).

    For an OPC collector, use the OPC address in the server. Refer to your OPC documentation for more information.

    The data collector writes the value of 1 to this location every 60 seconds while it is running. You can program the iFIX database to generate an alarm if the Heartbeat Output Address is not written once every 60 seconds, notifying you that the data collector has stopped.

    Table 4. The Performance Section
    Section Description
    Report Rate Displays the average rate at which data is coming into the server from the collector. This is a general indicator of load on the Historian collector. Since this chart displays a slow trend of compressed data, it may not always match the instantaneous value of report rate.
    Compression Displays the effectiveness of collector compression. If the chart displays a low current value, you can widen the compression deadbands to pass fewer values and increase the effect of compression.
    Overruns Not applicable