Network Status Display Fields

What is the NSD Tag?

The Network Status Display (NSD) tag is a system tag that allows you to monitor network information. This tag is not a database block. It is a special tag residing on each networked node that contains diagnostic, failover, and network information.

The Network Status Display (NSD) fields contain networking information. For instance, these fields include node specific information such as the current active node name, the logical SCADA name, the backup path, the failover status, and so on. Networking must be enabled in SCU, or you will not be able to view the fields for NSD tags.

NSD fields can be used in a datalink in an iFIX picture. For instance, to display networking information for troubleshooting or diagnostics.

If you do not have an iFIX key on your computer, you will not be able to access the NSD tag. This is because in Demo mode, iFIX does not have networking enabled. You must have a key on your computer that supports networking in order to display the NSD information in iFIX. The NSD tag is not supported in iFIX Demo mode.

How to View NSD Fields in iFIX

To view NSD fields in iFIX, you must first enable TCP/IP networking enabled in the SCU (in the Network Configuration dialog box).

You can view NSD field names from the iFIX WorkSpace, using the iFIX Expression Builder. On the iFIX Database tab, select the Node name, and then the NSD tag should appear in the list of tags. When you click the NSD tag, the fields should appear in the field names column, as shown in the following figure.

Zero-based NSD Fields

In the following table, the _0 through _200 appended to field names indicates that information is available on a per-connection basis. When _0 is appended to a field name, the information pertains to the local node. Since there can be up to 200 node names in the SCU, _1 through _200 typically correspond to the order of the names in the SCU. However, any primary and secondary grouping in the SCU that contains the local node name is always located at index _0.

One-based NSD Fields

In the following table, if the field is 1-based, when _1 is appended to a field name, the information pertains to the local node. _2 through _200 typically correspond to the order of the names in the SCU. Any primary and secondary grouping in the SCU that contains the local node name is located at index _1.

Field Descriptions

The following table lists the fields that are available for the Network Status Display (NSD) tag.

Network Status Display (NSD) Fields 

Field Name

Description

A_ACONNREASON_0 through A_ACONNREASON_200

The current state of the connection to the active node. This is either "Established" or text describing the current state.
F_ACTIVECLIENTS The total number of connected view nodes.

A_ACTIVEPATH_0 through A_ACTIVEPATH_200

F_ACTIVEPATH_0 through F_ACTIVEPATH_200

Indicates if the active path is the primary or secondary path.

A 0 in this field indicates that the primary path is the active path; a 1 indicates that the backup path is the active path.

A_ACTIVESCADA_0 through A_ACTIVESCADA_200

Active SCADA Server name, which can be either the primary or secondary node name.

A_ACTIVESTATUS_0 through A_ACTIVESTATUS_200

F_ACTIVESTATUS_0 through F_ACTIVESTATUS_200

Status of the connection to the active SCADA (OK or an error code). It will be one of the primary, logical, or secondary statuses.

A_ALOCALADDR_0 through A_ALOCALADDR_200

This is for the active network connection. For TCP/IP, displays the local IP address used to reach the remote node.

F_ALLOWREMOTEWRITES_0 through F_ALLOWREMOTEWRITES_200

This field is 1 if remote nodes are allowed to write to the NSD fields on the active node, or 0 if writes are not allowed.

A_APATHSTATUS_0 through A_APARTHSTATUS_200

F_APATHSTATUS_0 through F_APATHSTATUS_200

Status of the connection over the active path. This is either the primary or secondary status.

A_AREMOTEADDR_0 through A_AREMOTEADDR_200

This is for the active network connection. For TCP/IP, displays the IP address of the remote node.

A_BACKUPPATH_0 through A_BACKUPPATH_200

Backup network path. When using LAN Redundancy, it shows the paths per connection. For TCP/IP, it is the IP address.

A_BACKUPSCADA_0 through A_BACKUPSCADA_200

Standby SCADA Server name for this connection.

A_BACKUPSTATUS_0 through A_BACKUPSTATUS_200

F_BACKUPSTATUS_0 through F_BACKUPSTATUS_200

Status of the connection to the standby SCADA (OK or an error code).

A_BCONNREASON_0 through A_BCONNREASON_200

The current state of the connection to the standby node. This is either "Established" or text describing the current state.

A_BLOCALADDR_0 through A_BLOCALADDR_200

This is for the backup network connection. For TCP/IP, displays the local IP address used to reach the remote node.

A_BPATHSTATUS_0 through A_BPATHSTATUS_200

F_BPATHSTATUS_0 through F_BPATHSTATUS_200

Status of the connection to the backup network path.

A_BREMOTEADDR_0 through A_BREMOTEADDR_200

This is for the backup network connection. For TCP/IP, displays the IP address of the remote node.

A_CONNDIRECTION_0 through A_CONNDIRECTION_200

Indicates whether the connection is incoming or outgoing.

–> if outgoing.

<– if incoming.

<–> if both outgoing and incoming.

A_CURACTIVENODE_0 through A_CURACTIVENODE_200

F_CURACTIVENODE_0 through F_CURACTIVENODE_200

Indicates if the active node is the primary or secondary SCADA.

A 0 in this field indicates that the primary SCADA is the active node; a 1 indicates that the secondary SCADA is the active node.

A_FAILDISABLE_0 through A_FAILDISABLE_200

F_FAILDISABLE_0 through F_FAILDISABLE_200

Automatic SCADA failover state.

A 0 in this field indicates that automatic SCADA failover is enabled if it is configured; a 1 disables automatic SCADA failover. Manual failover is still possible.

A_FAILOVER_0 through A_FAILOVER_200

F_FAILOVER_0 through F_FAILOVER_200

This field is set to 1 on automatic or manual SCADA failover. You must reset it to 0 to receive notification of subsequent failovers.

You can read to this field to trigger an event on SCADA failover.

F_FAILOVERMANL_0 through F_FAILOVERMANL_200

Total number of manual failovers to this node since iFIX startup.

F_FAILOVERTOTAL_0 through F_FAILOVERTOTAL_200

Total number of failovers (automatic and manual) to this node name since iFIX startup.

F_LANANYFAILOVER

Use this field to see if any connection has had a LAN failover. It is set to a non-zero number, if any.

A_LANFAILDSABL_0 through A_LANFAILDSABL_200

F_LANFAILDSABL_0 through F_LANFAILDSABL_200

Enabled in this field indicates that LAN Redundancy is enabled if it is configured; Disabled indicates LAN Redundancy is disabled.

Use this field to disable LAN Redundancy on a per connection basis.

A_LANFAILOVER_0 through A_LANFAILOVER_200

F_LANFAILOVER_0 through F_LANFAILOVER_200

This field is set to 1 on LAN failover. You must reset it to 0.

F_LANFAILOVERTOTAL_0 through F_LANFAILOVERTOTAL_200

Total number of automatic failovers to this path since iFIX startup. Session losses that are re-established over the same network path are not included.

A_LOCALNAME

Displays the local physical node name.

A_LOGICALNAME_0 through A_LOGICALNAME_200

Logical SCADA Server name for this connection. (Same as A_LOGICALSCADA and retained for backwards compatibility.)

A_LOGICALSCADA_0 through A_LOGICALSCADA_200

Logical SCADA Server name for this connection.

A_LOGICALSTATUS_0 through A_LOGICALSTATUS_200

F_LOGICALSTATUS_0 through F_LOGICALSTATUS_200

Status of the connection to the logical SCADA (OK or an error code).

A_NETNAME_0 through A_NETNAME_200

Name used to connect to the remote node. For TCP/IP, it is the remote node name.

A_PCONNREASON_0 through A_PCONNREASON_200

The current state of the connection to the primary node. This is either "Established" or text describing the current state.

A_PLOCALADDR_0 through PLOCALADDR_200

This is for the active network connection. Displays the local TCP/IP address used to reach the remote node.

A_PPATHSTATUS_0 through A_PPATHSTATUS_200

F_PPATHSTATUS_0 through F_PPATHSTATUS_200

Status of the connection over the primary network path.

A_PREMOTEADDR_0 through A_PREMOTEADDR_200

This is for the active network connection. For TCP/IP, displays the IP address of the remote node.

A_PRIMARYPATH_0 through A_PRIMARYPATH_200

Primary network path.

When using LAN Redundancy, it shows the paths per connection. For TCP/IP, it is the IP address.

A_PRIMARYSCADA_0 through A_PRIMARYSCADA_200

Primary SCADA Server name for this connection.

A_PRIMARYSTATUS_0 through A_PRIMARYSTATUS_200

F_PRIMARYSTATUS_0 through F_PRIMARYSTATUS_200

Status of the connection to the primary SCADA (OK or an error code).

A_PROTOCOL

Displays the current protocol (TCP/IP) that iFIX is using for networking.

A_SCADASTATUS

F_SCADASTATUS

The status of the SCADA node: ACTIVE (1) or STANDBY (2).

A_SWITCHSCADAROLE

F_SWITCHSCADAROLE

A request for change in state: ACTIVE (1) or STANDBY (2).

NOTE: The user who is currently logged on must have rights to the Enhanced Failover security area in order to perform a manual SCADA node role switch.

F_ALLOWREMOTEWRITES

This field is 1 if remote nodes are allowed to write to the NSD fields on this node, or 0 if writes are not allowed.

A_CURACTIVENODE_0 through A_CURACTIVENODE_200

F_CURACTIVENODE_0 through F_CURACTIVENODE_200

Indicates if the active node is the primary or secondary SCADA.

A 0 in this field indicates that the primary SCADA is the active node; a 1 indicates that the secondary SCADA is the active node.

You can write to this field to perform a manual failover.

F_FAILDISABLE_0 through F_FAILDISABLE_200

A_FAILDISABLE_0 through A_FAILDISABLE_200

SCADA Server failover state.

A 0 in this field indicates that SCADA Server failover is enabled if it is configured; a 1 disables SCADA Server failover. Manual failover is still possible.

You can write to this field to disable automatic failover to the standby SCADA on a per-connection basis.

A_FAILOVER_0 through A_FAILOVER_200

F_FAILOVER_0 through F_FAILOVER_200

This field is set to 1 on automatic or manual SCADA failover. You must reset it to 0 to receive notification of subsequent failovers.

You can read to this field to trigger an event on SCADA failover.

F_FAILOVERMANL_0 through F_FAILOVERMANL_200

Total number of manual failovers to this node since iFIX startup.

F_FAILOVERTOTAL_0 through F_FAILOVERTOTAL_200

Total number of failovers (automatic and manual) to this node name since iFIX startup.

F_LANANYFAILOVER

Use this field to see if any connection has had a LAN failover. It is set to non-zero if any F_LANFAILOVER_# field is set to non-zero.

F_LANFAILDSABL_0 through F_LANFAILDSABL_200

A 0 in this field indicates that LAN Redundancy is enabled if it is configured; A 1 indicates LAN Redundancy is disabled.

Use this field to disable LAN Redundancy on a per connection basis.

A_LANFAILOVER_0 through A_LANFAILOVER_200

F_LANFAILOVER_0 through F_LANFAILOVER_200

This field is set to 1 on LAN failover. You must reset it to 0.

F_LANFLOVRTOTAL_0 through F_LANFLOVRTOTAL_200

Total number of automatic failovers to this path since iFIX startup. Session losses that are re-established over the same network path are not included.

F_SCADAANYFAILOVER

Use this field to see if any connection has had a SCADA failover. It is set to non-zero if any F_FAILOVER_# field is set to non-zero.

F_SCADAREDUN

This field is set to 1 if Enhanced Failover is enabled; it is set to 0 if it is disabled.  

F_TRANSACTTIME_0 through F_TRANSACTTIME_200

Indicates the amount of time, in milliseconds, that it took this iClient to get data from the SCADA Server the last time data transfer occurred.

See Also