Auto Alarm Manager Configuration Dialog Box

Field

Description

Disable Button

Allows you to disable the Auto Alarm Manager option.  On the sending node, use the Enable and Disable buttons in the Send Alarms box.  On the receiving node, use the Enable and Disable buttons in the Receive Alarms box.

Enable Button

Allows you to enable the Auto Alarm Manager option.  On the sending node, use the Enable and Disable buttons in the Send Alarms box.  On the receiving node, use the Enable and Disable buttons in the Receive Alarms box.

Disable Tagname Field

Allows you to specify a tagname that is monitored by iFIX.  When the tagname's value is 1, the Auto Alarm Manager cannot send alarms.

You can specify a tagname using the format NODE:TAG (the Auto Alarm Manager automatically uses the F_CV field for the tagname).  

Primary Contact Field

Allows you to specify the name of a Remote Access Service (RAS) phone book entry that the Auto Alarm Manager dials when it reports alarms.  Each phone book entry defines a phone number at which the receiving node can be reached.  

The Auto Alarm Manager dials the Primary Contact phone book entry first.  If for some reason it cannot connect to the node at this phone number (for example, if the line is busy), the Auto Alarm Manager dials the Secondary Contact phone number.  If it cannot connect to this node either, the Auto Alarm Manager assumes the alarms are undeliverable.

To specify the name of a phone book entry, enter the name you want or press the browse (...) button to display a list of available phone book entries from which you can select.  The name of the phone book entry you specify must match the name of the receiving node that the Auto Alarm Manager is trying to reach.  The phone book entry entered in the Primary Contact field can be different from the phone book entry entered in the Secondary Contact field.

Primary Contact Browse Button

Allows you to display a list of available phone book entries from which you can select.

Secondary Contact Field

Allows you to specify the name of a Remote Access Service (RAS) phone book entry that the Auto Alarm Manager dials when it reports alarms.  Each phone book entry defines a phone number at which the receiving node can be reached.  

The Auto Alarm Manager dials the Primary Contact phone book entry first.  If for some reason it cannot connect to the node at this phone number (for example, if the line is busy), the Auto Alarm Manager dials the Secondary Contact phone number.  If it cannot connect to this node either, the Auto Alarm Manager assumes the alarms are undeliverable.

To specify the name of a phone book entry, enter the name you want or press the browse (...) button to display a list of available phone book entries from which you can select.  The name of the phone book entry you specify must match the name of the receiving node that the Auto Alarm Manager is trying to reach.  The phone book entry entered in the Primary Contact field can be different from the phone book entry entered in the Secondary Contact field.

Secondary Contact Browse Button

Allows you to display a list of available phone book entries from which you can select.

Emergency Tagname Field

Allows you to specify a tagname on the sending node that is set to 1 when the Auto Alarm Manager cannot connect to the primary and secondary contacts or when the Auto Alarm Manager loses a connection to the receiving node during delivery and is unable to finish sending all of its alarms.  The format for entering an emergency tagname is NODE:TAG.  The Auto Alarm Manager automatically writes to the F_CV field.

TIP:  While you can specify any database block in Manual mode that accepts writes as the emergency tag, It is recommended to enter the name of an output block for best results.

Max Retries Field

Allows you to specify the maximum number of times the Auto Alarm Manager re-dials either the primary or the secondary contact when reporting alarms.  For example, if you set the value of this field to 2, the Auto Alarm Manager re-dials the primary contact twice before trying the secondary contact.

If the number of retries is exceeded for both primary and secondary contacts, the emergency tag is set to 1.  By default, the field is set to 3.  You can enter any value from 0 to 10.

Pause Time Field

Allows you to specify the number of seconds the Auto Alarm Manager waits between each retry.  Once the pause time expires, the Auto Alarm Manager re-dials the receiving node.  

For example, assume the maximum number of retries is 3 and the pause time is 30 seconds.  If the Auto Alarm Manager dials a remote site and the line is busy, it waits 30 seconds and re-dials the receiving node.  When the number of retries is exceeded, the Auto Alarm Manager dials the secondary contact.  If you do not have a secondary contact defined, or when the number of retries for the secondary contact is exceeded, the Auto Alarm Manager assumes the alarms are undeliverable and sets the emergency tag.

By default, the value in this field is set to 60 seconds.  You can enter any value from 15 to 255 seconds.

Remote Alarm Areas Button

Allows you to access the Remote Alarm Areas dialog box, which lets you select one or more alarm areas.  The alarm areas you select are assigned to the outgoing alarms, enabling you to reassign the alarms selectively to new alarm areas before they are sent to the receiving node.

Alarm Filters Button

Allows you to access the Send Alarm Filters dialog box, which lets you select one or more alarm area and an alarm priority.  Incoming block alarms are filtered based on the alarm areas and alarm priority you select from the dialog box.  Only the block alarms that meet the criteria selected are sent to the receiving node.

Yes Acknowledge Delivered Alarms Button

Allows the Auto Alarm Manager on the sending node to automatically acknowledges alarms that were delivered to the receiving node.  

If the Auto Alarm Manager cannot deliver the alarms, it deletes the alarms in its alarm queue.  These alarms are not acknowledged; they are removed from the alarm queue because they could not be delivered.

No Acknowledge Delivered Alarms Button

Prevents the Auto Alarm Manager on the sending node from automatically acknowledging alarms that were delivered to the receiving node.  

Delay After Send Field

Allows you to specify the number of seconds the sending node waits between hanging up the modem and dialing the receiving node again.  This interval is intended to let an operator dial into the sending node and change the condition that generated the last set of alarms reported.

By default, the value in this field is set to zero.  You can enter any value from 0 to 32767 into the field.

Advanced Button

Allows you to access the Advanced Send Alarm Settings dialog box, which lets you set up the Auto Alarm Manager as a service and set up the program's communication timers.

Field

Description

Disable Button

Allows you to disable the Auto Alarm Manager option.  On the sending node, use the Enable and Disable buttons in the Send Alarms box.  On the receiving node, use the Enable and Disable buttons in the Receive Alarms box.

Enable Button

Allows you to enable the Auto Alarm Manager option.  On the sending node, use the Enable and Disable buttons in the Send Alarms box.  On the receiving node, use the Enable and Disable buttons in the Receive Alarms box.

Receiving Tagname Field

Allows you to specify a tagname on the receiving node that is set to 1 when new alarms are received.  The format for entering a receiving tagname is NODE:TAG.  The Auto Alarm Manager automatically writes to the F_CV field.

TIP:  While you can specify any database block in Manual mode that accepts writes as the receive tag, It is recommended to enter the name of an output block for best results.

Once new alarms are received, you must reset the tag's value to 0 manually in order to see when the next set of alarms are delivered.

NOTE:  All alarms sent by the Auto Alarm Manager are received as operator messages.  These alarms appear in the enabled alarm destinations of the receiving node, except the Alarm Summary link.