Vaisala M211518 User Manual

ADMINISTRATOR GUIDE

viewLinc 4.1

Vaisala Veriteq viewLinc Software

M211518EN-A

No copying, distribution, publication, modification, or incorporation of this document, in whole or part, is permitted for commercial purposes without the express written permission of Vaisala Canada Inc.

Vaisala Canada Inc 13775 Commerce Parkway Richmond, BC V6V 2V4 Canada

Trademarks

Vaisala Canada Inc, Vaisala Veriteq, Vaisala Veriteq vLog, and Vaisala Veriteq viewLinc are trademarks of Vaisala Canada Inc.

Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

All other trademarks referred to are the property of their respective owners.

Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability

Vaisala Canada Inc and its subsidiaries assume no responsibility for any damage or loss resulting from the use of this manual.

Vaisala Canada Inc and its subsidiaries assume no responsibility for any loss or claims by third parties which may arise through the use of this software. Vaisala Canada Inc and its subsidiaries assume no responsibility for any damage or loss caused by deletion of data as a result of hardware malfunction. Be sure to make backup copies of all important data to protect against data loss.

Vaisala Canada Inc makes no warranties, either expressed or implied, regarding Vaisala Veriteq data loggers, Vaisala 300 Series Transmitters, or software, its merchantability, or its fitness for any particular purpose. The exclusion of implied warranties is not permitted by some states. As such, the exclusion may not apply to you.

Vaisala Veriteq viewLinc has been tested using a variety of network systems. However, the large number of possible hardware and network configurations makes testing under every circumstance impossible. If you have trouble using Vaisala Veriteq viewLinc software, contact Vaisala Canada Inc.

Technical Support

For technical support in North America, please call 1-866-861-3388, or for customers outside North America, see “Getting Help” on page 19.

Email: veriteqsupport@vaisala.com

Document part number:

Release date: Oct 2012

M211518EN-A

Table of Contents

About this Manual vii

Who this Manual is for vii How this Manual is Organized vii Conventions Used in this Document viii Related Documentation and Software Products viii Support Information ix

Chapter 1: Getting Started 1

Overview 2 Administrator’s Road Map 4 System Requirements 5 Installing viewLinc 8

Connecting Devices 9 Installing vLog Software 13 Installing viewLinc Software 14

Logging in to viewLinc 15 First Steps in viewLinc 17 What’s New in viewLinc 18 Getting Help 19

Chapter 2: Management 21

About Views Manager 22

Creating a New View in Views Manager 22

About Dashboard Manager 24

Creating a New Dashboard in Dashboard Manager 24 Deleting a Dashboard Item 25 Erasing the Dashboard 26 About Device Manager 26

About Locations Manager 26

Where are My Locations? 27

Organizing Locations into Zones 28

Creating Zones 28 Renaming Zones 30

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide i

Contents

Searching for Zones and Locations 30 Ordering Columns 31 Linking and Unlinking Channels 31 Deleting Zones 34 Editing Location Properties 35 Hiding and Showing Location Columns 36 Creating and Editing Location Thresholds 36

Chapter 3: System Settings 39

Discovering Devices 40 Adding Devices 40 Swapping Devices 42 Removing Devices 44 Editing Device Properties and Aliases 45 Viewing Device Details 47 Editing Channel Properties and Aliases 50 Adding Hosts 53 Configuring Email Settings 53 Editing Alarm Email Templates 55 Working with Users 56 About Contact Schedules 57

Editing Users and Passwords 58 Deactivating Users 59 Reactivating Users 59

About Preferences 59

Choosing Device and Channel Description Lengths (Aliases) 60 Choosing Temperature Measurement Unit Preferences 61 Setting Session Expiry Time 61

Creating Preconfigured Comments for Email Messages 62

Chapter 4: Locations 65

About Locations 66

What is a Location? 66

Understanding the Locations Screen 67 Understanding the Options Dropdown Menu in Locations 69 Understanding The Tabs in Locations 70 Building a Trend with the Trend Tab 71 Understanding the Dropdown Menus and Buttons in the Loca-

tions Tabs 73

Opening Large Popup Trend Views 75

Real-Time Graphs 77

Reading Graphs in Popup Trend View 77 Viewing Graph Detail in Large Popup Trend View 79 Acknowledging Alarms from Large Popup Trend View 79

Chapter 5: Alarms 81

About Alarms 82

What Happens When an Alarm is Triggered? 84

Creating Alarm Templates 84 Threshold Alarms 90

Setting Threshold Alarms 90 Editing Threshold Alarms 92 Disabling Threshold Alarms 93 Deactivating and Reactivating Threshold Alarms 93

Communication Alarms 94

Setting Communication Alarms 94 Editing Communication Alarms 96 Disabling Communication Alarms 96

Device Alarms 97

Setting Device Alarms 97 Editing Device Alarms 98 Disabling Device Alarms 98

Acknowledging Alarms 98 Pausing Alarms 101

Chapter 6: Permissions 103

About Permissions 104

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide iii

Contents

Creating New Groups, Users and ACL’s 105

Creating a New Group 105 Deactivating/Reactivating a Group 106 Creating a New User 106 Adding an ACL to a Zone 108

Chapter 7: Events 113

Viewing Events 114 Adding Comments to Events 115 Adding Custom Events 116 Printing Event Logs 116 Exporting Event Logs 117

Chapter 8: Reports 119

About Reports 120 Generating Historical Data Reports 120

Generating Alarm History Reports 121 Generating Location History Reports 123

Creating New Reports 127 Deleting Reports 128

Chapter 9: Transfers 129

About Transfers and Transfer Schedules 130

Creating Transfer Schedules 130 Performing an Immediate Data Transfer 132 Editing Transfer Schedules 132 Deactivating a Transfer Schedule 133 Temporarily Disabling Transfer Schedules 133

Chapter 10: Mobile UI 135

About the Mobile UI 136

Logging in to the the Mobile UI 136

Working with the Mobile UI 137

Acknowledging Alarms with the Mobile UI 140

Appendix: FAQs & Troubleshooting 143 Index 163

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide v

Contents

About this Manual

The viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide includes the information you need to install, configure and operate the viewLinc system.

You can also view the Quick Start Guide for a graphical overview of installing viewLinc. If you are not an Administrator, refer to the User Guide for information on the standard tasks performed using viewLinc.

Who this Manual is for

This manual is for administrators who will install and configure viewLinc Server software and its associated components to allow end users to view and monitor device readings across a network. This manual covers several topics, including how administrators set threshold alarms, configure email alarm notification, organize locations, define reports, and set device data transfer schedules.

How this Manual is Organized

About this Manual

The viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide is organized into the following chapters:

Chapter 1: Getting Started. Contains viewLinc overview,

hardware and software requirements, essential installation instructions, how to log in.

Chapter 2: Management. Includes information about how to

configure and work with Locations Manager, Views Manager, Dashboard Manager, and Device Manager.

Chapter 3: System Settings. Includes information

specifically for administrators, including how to create user accounts, configure email server settings for alarms, choose temperature units to display, and change how and which devices are shown in Locations.

Chapter 4: Locations. Covers what a Location is, creating

Locations, opening large popup trend views, and organizing Locations into zones. This chapter covers topics of interest to both a general viewLinc user and the administrator.

Chapter 5: Alarms. Contains information on creating,

editing, deactivating, and pausing alarms informing those

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide vii

About this Manual

monitoring the system of threshold-exceeding conditions or if data communication between the device and the system is down. Includes how to acknowledge alarms.

Chapter 6: Permissions. Includes information about User

Permissions, User Rights and Access control lists. Shows how to create users, assign them to groups and zones, add permissions and control rights.

Chapter 7: Events. Includes filtering and printing event logs,

including details on transfers, alarms, and acknowledgements.

Chapter 8: Reports. Includes a definition of historical data,

what you can do with it, how to generate reports.

Chapter 9: Transfers. Includes information about how to

transfer Vaisala Veriteq device data to a PC for analysis using vLog.

Chapter 10: Mobile UI. Includes information about

viewLinc’s Mobile application and its interface.

Appendix: FAQs & Troubleshooting. Answers common

troubleshooting questions, including what is installed with viewLinc, how to stop and start the viewLinc service, and how to resolve common issues.

viii

Conventions Used in this Document

This document uses the following conventions:

• A sequence of actions is indicated by a list separated by a vertical line. For example:

“In viewLinc, choose

Locations Manager

• Menu selections, items you select, and the names of

buttons are shown in bold.

• Keys on the keyboard are shown in

Options | System Configuration |

”

[square brackets].

Related Documentation and Software Products

For help with viewLinc, consult the viewLinc Quick Start Guide.

About this Manual

Use vLog software and its associated Quick Start Guide for setting up Vaisala Veriteq devices and viewing and printing device historical data as graphs or text files.

Use your specific Vaisala product User Guide for information about installing HMT140 or 300 Series Transmitters.

Support Information

In North America, technical support is available between 8am-4pm PST Monday - Friday, 1-866-861-3388 (or 604273-6850). You can also email veriteqsupport@vaisala.com, or visit www.vaisala.com/lifescience-hitech.

For sales, pricing, quotations, or general information, please call 1-800-683-8374 (in North America), or 604-273-6850.

For assistance outside North America, see “Getting Help” on page 19.

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide ix

About this Manual

Chapter 1: Getting Started

This section includes:

• Overview of the Vaisala Veriteq Continuous Monitoring System (CMS)

• Administrator’s Road Map

• What’s New in viewLinc

• System Requirements, Hardware and Software

• Installing viewLinc

• Logging in to viewLinc from an Internet Browser to Monitor Conditions

• First Steps in viewLinc

• What’s New in viewLinc

• Getting Help

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide 1

Chapter 1: Getting Started

Overview

Welcome to viewLinc 4.1, a key element in the Vaisala Veriteq Continuous Monitoring System (CMS). Using viewLinc you can easily monitor device readings locally on a PC or across a network using a supported version of

Microsoft the iPhone

With viewLinc 4.1, you can:

• Monitor remote conditions in multiple languages from multiple devices from a local or remote PC desktop

• View real-time data in a customizable graphical format

• Generate historical data and alarm reports

• Receive visual or email alarms when conditions you are monitoring are out of compliance or if there is a network communication problem

• Analyze automatically documented device events, such as when alarms are triggered, acknowledged or there are device communication problems

• Schedule transfers of Vaisala Veriteq device data (also referred to as ‘historical data’) to be viewed and graphed with the vLog software

• Easily identify devices and the zones in which they operate

• Swap a device for calibration or replacement purposes without breaking the data audit trail

• Create preconfigured comments for alarm notifications

• Check readings and acknowledge alarms from your mobile device

• Create reusable alarm templates

When installed, the Vaisala Veriteq CMS is comprised of software components (including viewLinc), and hardware components (including devices, a PC with a supported Internet browser, and, depending on how you connect the devices to your PC, various cables, Vaisala Veriteq vNet or Digi networking devices).How you connect your devices to your PC is a very important administrative decision. There are four methods and each requires certain hardware

® Internet Explorer® or from mobile devices like

®, Google Android®, or Blackberry®.

Overview

connections. The most convenient methods of attaching devices to PCs are using vNet or Digi devices. These options are described in Table 1.

Method How Connected Detail

vNet devices Ethernet • Allows devices to be con-

nected to the PC across an Ethernet network, allowing the PC and devices to be separated by large distances within a facility

• Requires installation of vNet drivers (provided)

• Requires use of vNet device

Digi device Ethernet • Allows devices to be con-

nected to the PC across an Ethernet network, allowing the PC and devices to be separated by large distances within a facility

• Requires installation of Digi drivers (provided)

• Requires use of Digi device

USB port Vaisala Veriteq

USB cable

• Allows devices to connect directly or over an Ethernet network (when device host is installed) to the viewLinc server

• Requires installation of USB drivers (provided) and uses a USB connection on a PC

• Requires a USB to logger cable

Table 1: Methods of attaching devices to PCs

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide 3

Chapter 1: Getting Started

Method How Connected Detail

Serial port Vaisala Veriteq

serial port cable

Table 1: Methods of attaching devices to PCs

It is also possible to use a mix of these methods if your system requires it.

The outlined Administrator’s Road Map applies to all

installation options.

Administrator’s Road Map

Once your viewLinc system is installed, you may find the following roadmap a useful overview of the setup and configuration activities required to implement viewLinc.

1 Edit Vaisala Veriteq device properties using vLog. (such

as sample timing and device channels - see vLog user guide for details)

2 If you plan to set day and time schedules during which

specific users will be notified of alarms, set Contact Schedules (see “About Contact Schedules” on page 57)

3 Create User Accounts (see “Editing Users and

Passwords” on page 58)

4 Choose temperature measurement unit preferences (see

“Choosing Temperature Measurement Unit Preferences” on page 61)

5 Configure Email settings (see “Configuring Email

Settings” on page 53)

6 Create Zones, assign Locations to Zones and edit

Location properties (see “Organizing Locations into Zones” on page 28)

• Allows devices to connect directly or over an Ethernet network (when device host is installed) to the viewLinc server

• Requires a Serial port on a PC

• Requires a Serial to Logger cable

Edit Alarm email templates (see “Editing Alarm Email Templates” on page 55)

8 Create Alarm and Threshold Templates (see “Creating

Alarm Templates” on page 84)

9 Add Devices (see “Adding Devices” on page 40) 10 Set and configure Alarm Thresholds (see “Setting

Threshold Alarms” on page 90)

11 Configure Alarms (see the sections on setting threshold,

communication and device alarms in Chapter 5: Alarms)

Once these set up activities are complete, you are ready to start monitoring device readings, viewing events and printing reports. You can also set up transfer schedules to view and analyze Vaisala Veriteq device data in the vLog software (see “About Transfers and Transfer Schedules” on page 130)

System Requirements

To install viewLinc, you need:

• Vaisala Veriteq loggers or Vaisala 300 Series Transmitters (both are referred to as ‘devices’ in this guide and in viewLinc)

• PC (will be referred to in the rest of this document as the viewLinc Server)

• Vaisala Veriteq cables (there are specific cables for attaching devices to Digi devices and attaching devices to USB or Serial ports on a viewLinc Server)

• (optional) vNet devices, for connecting devices to a viewLinc Server using an Ethernet connection

• (optional) Digi devices, for connecting devices to viewLinc Server using an Ethernet connection

System Requirements

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide 5

Chapter 1: Getting Started

viewLinc Server Requirements

The viewLinc Server machine must meet the following requirements:

• Be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• Have 350 MB free application disc space.

• Use one of the following operating systems:

•Microsoft

•Microsoft 2008 (32 or 64 bit versions)

• Other operating systems can be used depending on the size of the installation

• If you plan to use viewLinc from the viewLinc Server machine, you must have a supported Internet browser

installed (Microsoft later are recommended).

• The Historical database requires 200KB per location per day. The default location for the application is in the 'program files' folder. The historical database and configuration files are located 'public documents' folder. The default locations of the database are as follows:

® Windows XP ® Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server

® Internet Explorer® 6.0, 8.0, 9.0 or

Windows 2008/Windows Vista x64

Program files: C:\Program Files(x86)\Vaisala\Vaisala Veriteq viewLinc

Data files: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Vaisala\Vaisala Veriteq viewLinc

Windows 2003/Windows Vista x32

Program files: C:\Program Files\Vaisala\Vaisala Veriteq viewLinc

Data files: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Vaisala\Vaisala Veriteq viewLinc

Windows XP x64

Program files: C:\Program Files (x86)\Vaisala\Vaisala Veriteq viewLinc

System Requirements

Data files: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Vaisala\Vaisala Veriteq viewLinc

Windows XP/2003 x32

Program files: C:\Program Files\Vaisala\Vaisala Veriteq viewLinc

Data files: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Vaisala\Vaisala Veriteq viewLinc

Note: It is strongly recommended to use the default

installation folders for data files as other folders may have special security restrictions placed on them. For example, Windows 7/2008 does not allow files in the ‘Program Files’ folders to be deleted by non-admin users.

Depending on the number of channels you are using, the viewLinc Server machine should also meet the following requirements:

Large size installation (400-5000 channels)

• a dedicated machine

• 3.2 GHz, Quad Core

•4 GB RAM

• sufficient HD space to support 200KB/channel/day

For example, if you have 400 channels, you will need approximately 30GB (400x200x365) per year.

Medium size installation (20-400 channels)

• machine may be shared with other applications

• 1.6 GHz Dual Core

•4 GB RAM

• sufficient HD space to support 200KB/channel/day

For example, if you have 40 channels, you will need approximately 3GB (40x200x365) per year.

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide 7

Chapter 1: Getting Started

Small installation (<20 channels)

• 1.6 GHz

•2 GB RAM

• sufficient HD space to support 200KB/channel/day

For example, if you have 4 channels, you will need approximately 300MB (4x200x365) per year.

End User PC Requirements

A machine on the network used to administer viewLinc must have:

• 2.4 GHz

•2 GB RAM

• a supported Internet browser installed (Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0, 8.0, 9.0 or later recommended).

Installing viewLinc

This section outlines how to install viewLinc on a server or a remote host, including a description of the four methods by which devices can be connected to the system. The four methods are:

• using a vNet device to connect devices to the network

• using a Digi device to connect devices to the network

• using USB port to connect devices to viewLinc Server or Remote Host

• using Serial port to connect devices to viewLinc Server or Remote Host

If you are connecting 300 Series Transmitter devices, they are connected either wirelessly or using a Digi device. Refer to your Vaisala product User Guide for more information.

For further graphical representation of installing viewLinc, see the relevant Vaisala Quick Start Guides. There are versions for those using vNet or Digi devices and those using USB/Serial ports. For copies of Quick Start Guides, see www.vaisala.com/lifescience-hitech or speak to your sales representative.

Installing viewLinc

Connecting Devices

Choose from the following methods to connect your devices to the network or appropriate PCs.

Method 1: Using vNet Devices

The following procedure shows how to use vNet devices to connect your devices to the network.

Figure 1: Overview of viewLinc system using vNet devices

Attaching Main Hardware

1 Remove protective label on the bottom of the device. 2 Connect the device to the vNet device. 3 Connect the vNet device to the Ethernet outlet and (if not

using PoE) power supply. When power is supplied to the vNet device, the red power LED light will blink for 7-8 seconds, then stay solid. When a network connection is made, the red LNK LED should light up and stay solid, and the green ACT LED should blink occasionally.

Note: To ensure a secure connection, insert the power

supply barrel-end connector into the device and turn 1/4 to the right. If your network supports Power Over Ethernet, you do not need to connect to a power supply.

For more information about installing vNet devices, refer to the vNet User Guide.

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide 9

Chapter 1: Getting Started

Installing Vaisala Veriteq Drivers

This section covers installing the drivers for vNet devices to connect Vaisala Veriteq devices to the network using an Ethernet connection. Repeat all of these steps for each vNet device you want to use.

Discovering the vNet Device

1 Obtain a reserved (recommended) or static IP address

for your vNet device from your IT department. If your networking policy requires you to reserve IP addresses using DHCP, see www.vaisala.com/lifescience-hitech for instructions.

2 Insert the vNet Device driver CD into the viewLinc

Server.

3 The Device Setup Wizard launches automatically. Click

Next.

4 Select the device that matches the MAC address from

the side of your vNet device, then click

Note: If your device is on a different subnet from the

Next.

server, you will need to know the IP address of the vNet device and launch the RealPortSetup.exe installer from the RealPort folder on the vNet Device Drivers CD.

Configuring RealPort and Installing Drivers

1 In the Configure Network Settings screen, enter an IP

address (provided by your IT department). Click times.

2 In the Configure RealPort Settings screen, select Install

RealPort on this computer

Click Next again. The settings are saved.

4 Click Finish.

, then click Next.

Repeat Installing Vaisala Veriteq Drivers for each vNet

device.

Next two

Installing viewLinc

Method 2: Using Digi Devices

The following procedure shows how to use Digi devices to connect your Vaisala Veriteq devices to the network.

Figure 2: Overview of viewLinc system using Digi devices

Attaching Main Hardware

1 Connect your Vaisala Veriteq device to a Digi device

using a Vaisala Veriteq cable.

2 Connect your Digi device to power supply and Ethernet

outlet.

Note: These instructions focus on the Digi One SP. For

other Digi models, see www.vaisala.com/lifescience-hitech.

Installing Digi Drivers

This section covers installing the drivers for Digi devices to connect Vaisala Veriteq devices or Vaisala 300 Series Transmitters to the network using an Ethernet connection. Repeat all of these steps for each Digi device you’ll use.

Discovering the Digi Device

1 Obtain a reserved (recommended) or static IP address

for your Digi device from your IT department. If your networking policy requires you to reserve IP addresses using DHCP, see www.vaisala.com/lifescience-hitech for instructions.

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide 11

Chapter 1: Getting Started

2 Insert the Digi driver CD into viewLinc Server. 3 The Digi Device Setup Wizard launches automatically.

Click

4 Select the device that matches the MAC address from

the bottom of your Digi device. Click

Note: If your device is on a different subnet from the

Configuring RealPort and Installing Drivers

1 In the Configure Network Settings screen, enter an IP

address (provided by your IT department). Click times.

2 In the Configure RealPort Settings screen, select “Install

Digi RealPort on this computer”. Click

Click Next again. The settings are saved.

4 Click Finish.

Repeat Installing Digi Drivers for each Digi device.

Next.

server, you will need to know the IP address of the Digi device and launch the RealPort installer on the Digi Driver CD.

Next two

Next.

Method 3: Using USB Port

You can also connect Vaisala Veriteq devices directly to PCs using a USB Port, as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Overview of viewLinc system using USB port to connect devices

Installing viewLinc

Installing USB Drivers

 Using the supplied Vaisala Veriteq USB cable driver CD

and Quick Start guide, install USB drivers on every PC you plan to attach devices to.

Connecting Hardware

1 Connect the device to a Vaisala Veriteq USB cable. 2 Connect the USB cable to your viewLinc Server or

Device Host (ensure the viewLinc Server computer is attached to your network).

3 Install a USB cable driver. You only need to install a

driver once on each machine to which devices are connected.

Method 4: Using Serial Port

You can also connect devices to PCs using a Serial Port. The configuration using a Serial port is very similar to using USB; refer to Figure 3.

Connecting Hardware

1 Connect your device to a Vaisala Veriteq Serial port

cable.

2 Connect the Serial port cable to your viewLinc Server or

Host (ensure this computer is attached to your network).

Repeat these steps for all devices.

Installing vLog Software

Once your devices are installed, you are ready to install vLog software.

Note: If you use 300 SeriesTransmitters, you are not

required to install vLog Software.

Installing vLog allows you to:

• set sample intervals

• enable or disable channels

• specify device and channel descriptions

• store historical data for backup purposes

It is recommended you install vLog on all PCs with Vaisala Veriteq devices connected to them.

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide 13

Chapter 1: Getting Started

Refer to the vLog User Guide for installation instructions.

Installing viewLinc Software

Now you are ready to install viewLinc which will be used to make device monitoring, alarming and reporting available across your network. There are two options available to you:

• Install viewLinc software on a network server (must be installed once).

• Install viewLinc software on a PC as an offsite host to make devices connected to it available to the viewLinc server.

T o install viewLinc on the viewLinc Server:

On your viewLinc Server, insert the viewLinc CD and run

setup.exe.

2 Select the installation language using the dropdown.

Click OK.

3 Start the Setup Wizard by clicking Next. 4 Review and accept the License Agreement, and click

Next.

5 Choose a destination location for the viewLinc program

files, then click

6 Select Enterprise Server from the Select Components

screen and click

Enter the installation key purchased from Vaisala.

Select Non-secure, Secure server (SSL) or Both.

7 Review the install options and click Install. 8

Click Finish once the application is finished installing.

You can set up additional computers as remote hosts using a USB or Serial cable.

T o install viewLinc on an offsite host PC:

Insert viewLinc CD and run setup.exe.

1 2 Select the installation language using the dropdown.

Click OK.

3 Start the Setup Wizard by clicking Next. 4

Review and accept the License Agreement, then click

Next.

Choose a destination location for the viewLinc program files, then click

6 Select Logger Host, then click Next. 7 Click Install. 8 Click Finish.

Next.

You have installed all necessary viewLinc components.You can now move to any machine on the network - or stay where you are - and log in to viewLinc to monitor channels using any supported Internet browser on the network.

Logging in to viewLinc

viewLinc allows you to:

• watch conditions (such as temperature and relative humidity) being recorded by devices and in the viewLinc historical database

• receive alarms if conditions are outside limits you set or if there is a communication problem

• receive other system-related alarms

When you are ready to start using viewLinc, such as setting alarms, configuring email settings, and scheduling device data transfers, log in to viewLinc from a supported Internet browser.

By default, one administrator account is created when viewLinc is installed. The username and password are both “admin”. It is important you change the admin password as soon as possible to prevent unauthorized access (see “Editing Users and Passwords” on page 58).

To log in to viewLinc: 1 Double-click the desktop icon .

2 Or, in the address box of a supported Internet browser,

enter the name or address of the machine where viewLinc is installed, and the port number. For example, http://computername:portnumber or https:// computername:portnumber if secure. (if no port number is specified, 443 is used by default). Save this address to your favorites or set as your homepage to easily access viewLinc from your browser.

Logging in to viewLinc

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide 15

Chapter 1: Getting Started

3 In the login screen, first select your language from the

language drop-down. When a new language is selected, the page will automatically refresh and update accordingly. This language setting will remain the same as long as the browser’s cookies are kept.

Note: The default administrator username and pass-

4 Enter your username and password. Click Login. 5 The main viewLinc screen appears, showing “Getting

Started” screen. To start using viewLinc, click the Options button and choose Locations.

word are both “admin”.

6 Here you will find a tree view with your location and

device data. Expand the tree with the plus icon. If you

don’t see any Location data, click a Location from the

tree view, and select Location’s data should appear. If no Locations display, you may not have any Locations assigned to you, the administrator may need to configure the system, or there could be a problem with viewLinc itself. If you use Vaisala Veriteq devices, try discovering devices - see “Discovering Devices” on page 40.

Note: The administrator may have set up the system to

prompt for password periodically to ensure system security. When prompted, re-enter your password.To change or set the session expiry, see“Setting Session Expiry Time” on page 61

For more on locations, see Chapter 4: Locations.

First Steps in viewLinc

When you first log in to viewLinc, load the Locations function by clicking the

If you don’t see anything listed in the tree on the left side of this window, you will need to start by adding and configuring new zones. This is done by clicking

Configuration | Locations Manager.

click on the System folder and click

‘manage locations’ right must be added by the administrator to perform this function.

Zones can also be created by dragging a device/devices across to the System folder in the tree and accepting the option to create zones based on the device names. The devices must not currently be attached to any other location for this functionality to work.

Once a zone is created, you can then add a location to it by

right clicking and selecting

displayed in the device browser, your device may not be connected properly. If you use Vaisala Veriteq devices, try discovering devices - see “Discovering Devices” on page 40.

Options button and selecting Locations.

First Steps in viewLinc

Options | Refresh. The selected

Options | System

From the left panel, right

Add Zone. The

Add Location. If no devices are

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide 17

Chapter 1: Getting Started

What’s New in viewLinc

Locations: A Location is a ‘data point’ which can be linked to

any channel and is located in a hierarchical tree of zones. The Locations feature replaces the previous channels/my channels functionality, providing improved customization and flexibility with more information available from the tree view.

Views: A View is a customized combination of locations

selected from all available zones by the user. They offer the flexibility of navigating a tree view similar to the locations view with a customized hierarchical zone organization. They can be customized so a user can create a view of all location readings regardless of zone. These Views remain saved and allow each user to have the software set up in a way that better suits their role or job function.

Trends: Trends are custom graphs which can be built with

user friendly drag and drop functionality. The trend view allows you to combine, contrast and compare location history in visual graphs using real-time data.

Dashboards: Dashboards provide the ability to upload a

custom image for any zone or view and place locations on this image (for example a map or floor plan). They provide a customized display of the current readings at several locations at a glance.

Mobile Support: viewLinc 4.1 provides improved access from

mobile devices, allowing you to perform key tasks from your smartphone or tablet. Apple iPhone iOS

2.1+, and BlackBerry

® 6+ devices are supported.

® 3+, Android®

Device Support: viewLinc 4.1 provides support and

configuration options for all new compatible devices, including the Vaisala HUMICAP® Wireless Humidity and

Temperature Transmitter HMT140.

Users and Groups: viewLinc 4.1 provides several new

security options and introduces the concepts of groups, users and zones for better access control. Groups allow the administrator to better control permissions on a group level while maintaining user-based permissions. These features provide quicker methods of configuring permissions for

multiple users and subsequently adding individual user permissions as needed. viewLinc 4.1 also provides the ability to add an access control list (ACL) to a particular zone and

give a group permissions specific to that zone.

Getting Help

If you need help, technical support is available:

North America

Contact Vaisala Canada Inc, 8am-4pm PST Monday - Friday, at 1-866-861-3388 (or 604-273-6850) or email veriteqsupport@vaisala.com. See also www.vaisala.com/ lifescience-hitech.

For sales, pricing, quotations, or general information, please call 1-800-683-8374 (or 604-273-6850).

Outside of North America:

helpdesk@vaisala.com

Getting Help

Vaisala Headquarters (Finland)

Vanha Nurmijärventie 21

01670 Vantaa

FINLAND

Industrial Instruments

Phone: +358 9 8949 2658

Fax: +358 9 8949 2295

Japan Service Center

42 Kagurazaka 6-Chome

Shinjuku-ku

Tokyo 162-0825

JAPAN

Phone: +81 3 3266 9611

Fax: +81 3 3266 9610

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide 19

Chapter 1: Getting Started

China Service Center

Floor 2, EAS Building

No. 21, Xiao Yun Road, Dongsanhuan Beilu

Chaoyang District

Beijing 100027

CHINA

Phone: +86 10 5827 4100

Fax: +86 10 8526 1155

Chapter 2: Management

This section describes how to:

• Configure various components of viewLinc using the Managers from the system configuration menu

• Create and work with views in Views Manager

• Use access control to give views access to different users and groups

• Set up and add locations to a custom dashboard using the Dashboard Manager

• Navigate the Device Manager, add a device and add access controls

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide 21

Chapter 2: Management

About Views Manager

A View is a customized combination of locations selected from all available zones by the user. It offers the flexibility of navigating a tree view similar to the locations view with a customized hierarchical zone organization. Views Manager allows you to create and edit views for use throughout the application.

Views are useful when you wish to group important locations together. For example, a user could create a view of all humidity readings or all temperature readings regardless of zone. These Views remain saved and allow each user to have the software set up in a way that suits their role or job function. Once a View is saved it is possible for the administrator to assign permissions to that view to a User or Group with ‘View’ or ‘Full Control’ permissions.

Creating a New View in Views Manager

1 Select Options | System Configuration | Views Manager. 2 Navigate to a View in the Views Tree. When a view is

selected, its access control information will appear on the right. To create a new view, click Options Menu icon turns red to indicate that there are unsaved changes.

3 Once the view has been created and named, you can

add a zone or location to it by navigating the Locations tree in the center panel and dragging and dropping it to the Views Tree. When you drag and drop a zone, all locations beneath it are also added to the view. It is also

Options | New. The

About Views Manager

possible to to add a zone by right clicking the zone and selecting

4 To specify access control for your view, click the view to

select it then select

Add Zone.

Options | Add from the access

control panel on the right.

5 The access control window appears. Select an access

control type, user name, and type of permission you wish to give.

6 Click Save. The new permission appears in the Access

Control List (ACL) When selected, access to the view is provided with ‘Full Permission’ by default.

7 To share the view, click to select the view. It appears in

the Views Access Control panel. To assign ACLs to the view, right click the permission in this panel and select

Edit. Select the type, name and permission and click Save

to assign the permission to the view.

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide 23

Chapter 2: Management

About Dashboard Manager

Dashboards provide the ability to upload a custom image for any zone or view and place locations on this image. They give the user a visual display of the current readings at

various locations.

For example, a floor plan or map of a building can be uploaded as the dashboard image, and the locations can be dragged and dropped to their corresponding real life locations on the map. These locations will display the most current readings and can be easily selected to display the Popup Trend View. See “Opening Large Popup Trend Views” on page 75.

Creating a New Dashboard in Dashboard Manager

1 Click Options | System Configuration | Dashboard

Manager

2 Navigate to a Location from the Locations tree and click

to select it.

3 On the right panel, Click Options | Upload Image.

4 Use the Browse... button to navigate to the image you

wish to use.

5 Double click to select the image. It will become the new

desktop image for your dashboard. The button turns red to indicate that the current dashboard is

Options Menu

About Dashboard Manager

being edited and the current tree folder is highlighted to indicate that the dashboard is in edit mode.

6 If it is necessary to resize the image, select Options |

Resize

Image. A grey border will appear around the

image allowing you to adjust the size in a window.

7 Navigate the locations tree to find a location or zone you

would like to add to your dashboard. Drag and drop from the locations tree to the dashboard on the right.

Note: It is only possible to place locations on the dash-

board that 1) are a part of the zone being edited and 2) are not in the current dashboard yet.

The location or zone will now appear in the image on the right. A Zone will display a folder icon that can be double clicked to open. A location with data associated to it will automatically display and refresh this data on your dashboard. To reposition items on the dashboard simply drag and drop them around the dashboard.

Double click the location to display the popup trend view. Alternatively, you can right click on the location and select

Popup T rend. To view the location properties, right click and select Properties.

Deleting a Dashboard Item

1 To delete an item from the dashboard, start by clicking on

the desired item to select it.

2 From the Options menu choose Delete Selected Item. 3 Alternatively, you can right click the desired item to

delete and select

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide 25

Delete.

Chapter 2: Management

Erasing the Dashboard

1 To erase the current dashboard, select Options | Erase

Dashboard Note: The erase operation cannot be undone.

A confirmation message box appears. Click Yes. The current dashboard image and all items on the dashboard are erased.

About Device Manager

The Device Manager is used to add, configure and provide/ manage user access to Devices, Hosts, and Locations. It also provides the device discovery functionality which allows for the automatic detection and configuration of supported Vaisala Devices. The Device Manager consists of 3 panels:

• Device Browser displays the tree of hosts, devices, and channels

• Access Control grants specific permissions for the device selected from the device browser

• Device Details displays detailed device information

For information on discovering and adding devices from the device manager, See “Discovering Devices” on page 40.

For information on setting up a new Access Control permission for a device you have added, See “Creating a New View in Views Manager” on page 22 of this chapter and follow steps 4 through 6.

About Locations Manager

The Locations Manager is new to viewLinc 4.1 and is the central location for organizing locations into relevant zones for use throughout the application. The Locations Manager contains 3 panels: Locations, Device Browser, and Location Properties.

The Locations panel allows you to customize the application by organizing data into zones, sub-zones and locations.

• A Location is a single data point connected to a channel, which is placed into a zones or sub-zone. The Locations

About Locations Manager

you create will appear throughout the application. This panel also allows you to work with individual channels by linking and unlinking them to different locations and deactivating Locations as needed.

• The Device Browser allows you to view and work with the devices currently attached to the system and the channels associated with these devices. It also allows you to swap devices when required.

• The Locations Properties panel contains 4 tabs:

• The Properties tab provides extended information regarding the selected zone or location. It allows you to sort and group locations by their various attributes which is useful for larger zones.

• The Devices tab lists the device channels connected to the selected zones/locations. It can also list the device channel history of each location.

• The Access Control tab allows you to view and add permissions to a specific zone or location. This functionality compliments the user and groups permissions allowing for greater customization and flexibility.

• The thresholds tab allows you to view and add thresholds (less than or greater than values for associated measurements) to the selected locations.

Where are My Locations?

If you don’t see any Locations listed in the tree views when clicking on the lower left

Locations, you will need to start by adding and configuring

new Zones. This is done by clicking

Configuration | Locations | Locations Manager.

panel, right click on the System folder and click Zones can also be created by:

• manually adding a zone using the menu command

• dragging a device/devices across to the tree and accepting the option to create zones based on the device names

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide 27

Options button and selecting

Options | System

From the left

Add Zone.

Chapter 2: Management

Give it a name which describes the zone. Once a zone is created, you can then add a location to it by right clicking and selecting

Add Location. If no devices are displayed in the

device browser, your device may not be connected properly.

• If you use Vaisala Veriteq devices, try discovering devices

- see “Discovering Devices” on page 40.

Organizing Locations into Zones

To organize your viewLinc screen and keep a closer eye on the locations that matter to you, you can organize your locations into relevant zones using the Locations Manager.

By default, there is one zone created: System. If you wish to see recently deactivated locations, click the left Options

dropdown and select the Show Deactivated checkbox.

Creating Zones

To create a new zone:

Select Options | System Configuration | Locations

Manager

right click on the System folder and select

. Navigate the locations tree on the left or simply

Add Zone.

2 A ‘New Zone’ folder will appear. Enter a name for the

zone and press

To Add a location to a zone:

To add a location to a new or existing zone, browse the

[Enter].

locations tree to find the location you’re looking for and

Organizing Locations into Zones

drag/drop the location into the folder you wish to move it to.

2 If there are no zones or locations (other than the default

‘System’ zone), you will need to add a new Location. Navigate the Device Browser tree to find a device or channel and drag and drop to a zone in the Locations tree.

3 If you have dragged a device with multiple channels to a

zone, a prompt will appear asking if you wish to automatically create sub-zones based on device names or simply paste all of the contained channels. Select the option you prefer.

4 It is also possible to cut and paste locations from one

zone to another. To do this, right click on the Location

you’d like to move and select

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide 29

Cut Location, then right

Chapter 2: Management

click on the zone you’d like to move to and select

and dropping as detailed in step 1.

Renaming Zones

To rename a zone:

From the Locations tree in Locations Manager, highlight

the zone you want to rename.

2 Right click the zone and select Rename.

Paste. This performs the same function as dragging

3 In the Zone name dialog box, make your changes. 4 Press Enter or click outside the dialog box to complete

the name change.

Note: Renaming zones edits the zone name only; it

does not change the locations assigned within it. To link or unlink Locations to a zone, see “Creating Zones” on page 28.

Searching for Zones and Locations

Searching the database is done using the toolbar search field which appears beside the options dropdown at the top of a panel. The search is executed by entering a string with wildcards, which in turn filters the visible tree with the

information entered when the magnifying glass icon is clicked.

The search syntax accepts zones and data locations using the following format: ‘Room*/Temp*’ will rebuild the tree

Organizing Locations into Zones

displaying all Zones that start with ‘Room’ and all Locations that start with ‘Temp’.

Click the magnifying glass icon to activate the filter. An ‘x’ icon will appear next to this icon, which indicates the filter is active. Click the ‘x’ icon to deactivate the filter. While the filter is active, only the zones and locations that match the search criteria will display. Hosts cannot be filtered with the search box in Device Manager.

Ordering Columns

To re-sort the display order in a Locations tab:

From any of the tabs in the Locations area, right click on

any column heading.

2 From the dropdown menu that appears, click to select

Sort Ascending or Sort Descending, or, click on any

column header to sort all the rows using that column. Click again on the column header to sort the list in the opposite order.

Linking and Unlinking Channels

In order for a channel to be used as a data source for a location, it needs to be linked to a zone. If you want to link a channel to a location, or if you no longer want a channel associated with a particular location, you can unlink it using the Locations Manager. It is also possible to view the history of all channels linked to a specific Location by clicking the Options dropdown in the Devices tab of Location properties and selecting “Include Link History.”

To link a channel:

Note: Before you can link channels to a zone and cre-

ate a new Location, the channel must be set up by your viewLinc administrator. Refer to the specific User Guide to learn more about enabling and disabling device channels on your Vaisala Veriteq device or 300 Series Transmitter.

Note: Channels cannot be dropped on a location that is

already linked to another channel. It is only possible to have 1 channel per location.

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide 31

Chapter 2: Management

1 From Options | System Configuration | Locations Manager ,

ensure you have created the zone for the location that you want linked to a channel. You must have at least one zone created (in addition to System which is created by default) in order to link locations.

2 Navigate the Device Browser in Locations Manager and

expand the device with the channel you’d like to link. If you do not see any devices listed, check the Options filter to ensure all devices and channels are visible. If you still don’t see any devices, contact your system administrator.

3 Drag the channel (represented by the Channel icon)

from the Device Browser and drop it into a Location that is not already linked to a channel in the Locations tree.

4 The channel is now linked with the Location you dragged

it to.

To unlink a channel: 1

Navigate the Locations tree in Locations Manager to find the location with the channel you would like to unlink.

Organizing Locations into Zones

Right click and select Unlink Channel.

3 A prompt will appear confirming that you want to modify

the location. Click

Yes. The channel is now available to

link with another location. See “Linking and Unlinking Channels” on page 31.

You can also unlink all channels within a zone. This is useful when you wish to delete a zone, because all child locations must be unlinked in order to delete the zone. Once unlinked, the freed channels become available in the Device Browser tree.

To unlink all child locations in a zone:

Navigate the Locations tree in Locations Manager to find

the zone with the locations you would like to unlink.

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide 33

Chapter 2: Management

Right click on the zone and select Unlink child

locations.

A prompt will appear. Click Yes to confirm the modification.

Deleting Zones

To delete a zone, you must first deactivate all child locations. When you delete a zone, the channels revert to the default zone and can be re-assigned to a different zone from the device browser. To move channels between zones, see

“Creating Zones” on page 28.

To deactivate child locations:

From the Locations tree in Locations Manager, expand

the zone you want to delete.

2 Right click and select Deactivate child locations. 3

A prompt will appear confirming that you want to modify the location. Click

4 The zone will remain in the list until the Locations tree is

saved. Click the left Options dropdown and select

Save.

5 You can now proceed to delete the zone if necessary.

Yes.

Organizing Locations into Zones

Note: When a location is deactivated, it still remains

part of the zone, but is not active. If you wish to remove it from the zone entirely, the channel

must be unlinked using the Unlink channel

command. The ‘permanently delete location’ option in the right click menu then becomes available.

To delete a zone:

From the Locations tree in Locations Manager, select the

zone you want to delete.

Note: You cannot delete the System zone.

2 Right click and select Permanently Delete Zone. 3 The zone will remain in the list until the locations tree is

saved. Click the left

Save.

Options dropdown and select

Editing Location Properties

To edit location properties:

From the Locations tree in Locations Manager, select the

location you’d like to edit.

2 Right-click and select Edit. 3 The edit location screen appears. Enter the name,

description, units and decimal places as you’d like them to appear in viewLinc.

Note: The name, description, units and decimal places

control the way your location appears throughout viewLinc. If you enter a smaller number of decimal places than your device reads, viewLinc will automatically round the data it receives from the device to the nearest decimal point.

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide 35

Chapter 2: Management

Hiding and Showing Location Columns

To hide columns in Lo cations:

From the Table View tab in Locations, let your mouse

hover over any column heading, then click the black down arrow that appears.

2 Select Columns, then select the columns you want to

display or deselect columns you want to hide. For example, to show a column with colored icons representing alarm status, select

Icon.

3 Click outside the list, or press [Esc] to hide the options

list.

Creating and Editing Location Thresholds

Thresholds (less than or greater than values for associated measurements) can be assigned to selected locations from the thresholds tab in locations manager. It’s also possible to deactivate/reactivate and edit an existing threshold from this

tab.

To create a threshold: 1 From the Locations tree in Locations Manager, select the

location you want to create a threshold for, then click the Thresholds tab in the Location Properties panel.

Organizing Locations into Zones

Click the Options dropdown and select Create X threshold (where X is the unit of measure).

3 The edit threshold window appears, populated with

default values. Set the desired thresholds.

4 Click Save.

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide 37

Chapter 3: System Settings

There are several important settings screens in viewLinc, all located under the System Configuration tab. This section covers administrative tasks such as:

• Discovering devices

• Adding devices and hosts

• Auto-swapping devices

• Removing devices

• Editing device and location properties

• Configuring email settings

• Editing alarm email templates

• Creating, editing, or deactivating user accounts and passwords

• Granting user permissions for alarm editing capabilities

• Granting user permissions to see certain locations

• Choosing device and location description display length (aliases)

• Choosing temperature measurement unit preferences

• Setting session expiry time

• Creating preconfigured comments

For information on the event log and generating reports, see

Chapter 7: Events, and Chapter 8: Reports. For information on setting threshold alarms, see Chapter 5: Alarms. For more information on administration and management, see Chapter 2: Management.

Let’s begin working with Devices and Locations within System Configuration.

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide 39

Chapter 3: System Settings

Discovering Devices

To discover recently attached Vaisala Veriteq devices which may not show up in the Device Browser automatically:

 Select

Select the host machine you wish to scan, then right click

and select

hand panel:

Options | System Configuration | Device Manager.

Discover Devices from the device browser in the left

Discover Devices, or select Options | Host |

Note: This process may take several minutes, depend-

Note: 300 Series Transmitters are not recognized by

Adding Devices

You may want to add a device to your system if:

• discovering devices is taking too long

• you are adding a 300 Series Transmitter device

• you want to add a variety of device types at one time

Note: To add multiple Vaisala Veriteq devices at one

ing on the number of Vaisala Veriteq devices

and/or components in your network.

viewLinc using the Discover devices procedure; use your Digi Discovery software if required.

time, see “Discovering Devices” on page 40.

Adding Devices

To add a Vaisala Veriteq device:

From the Device Browser in Device Manager, select a

host, then select

2 In the Add Device screen, select Veriteq Logger from the

Options | Host | Add Device.

Device Class dropdown list.

3 Enter the COM port number. 4 To add a combination of Vaisala Veriteq devices and 300

Series Transmitter devices, select

Upload Definition s File

then enter or browse to the correct file. To add several Vaisala Veriteq Devices, see “Discovering Devices” on page 40. To create a Definitions File, see the FAQ on page 145.

To add a 300 Series Transmitter device:

Note: First ensure no other users are logged on to the

transmitter you want to add.

1 From the Device Browser in Device Manager, select

Options | Host | Add Device as above.

2 In the Add Device screen, select 300 Series Transmitter

from the Device Class dropdown list.

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide 41

Chapter 3: System Settings

3 Enter the following:

a Disconnect After Scan: To maintain a persistent con-

nection to the device, choose False.

b Connection Type: If the transmitter has a LAN or

WLAN module, select Network. If you use an external Digi device, choose COM Port.

c IP Address: See your administrator or check the De-

vice box.

d Sample Rate: Choose 90 (recommended, but you can

modify the rate if you need more or less recorded data).

e Connection Timeout: To ensure continuous monitor-

ing, do not change. Contact your network administrator if required.

4 To add several 300 Series Transmitters, HMT140 Series

Transmitters or a combination of Vaisala Veriteq devices and 300 Series Transmitter devices, select Upload Definitions File then enter or browse to the correct file. To create a Definitions File, see the FAQ on page 145.

Swapping Devices

If you need to send a device for maintenance (such as recalibration), you will need to swap it for another device to ensure continuous monitoring and alarming.

Note: If a device is removed without being swapped,

this will trigger a communication alarm.

When a device is swapped, the change is noted on the Location History report (the report shows the device serial number for a reporting period). If, during the reporting period, the device was swapped, this event is listed in the report summary.

To swap a device: 1

Ensure the new device has the same settings as the device to be swapped (see

Configuration | Locations Manager

Vaisala product User Guide).

Options | System

, or refer to your

Swapping Devices

Note: Each Vaisala Veriteq device must be reviewed

separately using vLog, and the COM port to which they are connected must be selected.

• COM port/IP address. Device is on the same COM port

(attached to the same cable). If you are swapping a 300 Series Transmitter connected as a network device, ensure the new transmitter has the same IP address.

Name. Device is not retired or deactivated.

•

Status. Device is not in active alarm mode.

•

Sample Interval. Devices have the same sample

interval.

Channels. Devices have the same channels enabled

• and be using the same units of measure for each matching channel.

Audit Trail. Vaisala Veriteq devices are not linked to a

• vLog Audit Trail.

2 From Options | Locations, navigate the system tree to

find the device you want to swap. Right click and select

Pause Device Alarming.

3 In the Pause Device Alarming screen, you can add a

comment about why you are swapping devices and specify the expected duration for the pause. This will ensure no communication or threshold alarms are triggered when disconnecting the device.

Note: When a device is paused any active alarms at

the time of the pause are turned off. Any event logs and emails sent out will not indicate they were turned off due to a pause.

Click OK.

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide 43

Chapter 3: System Settings

5 Disconnect the device you want to swap, and connect

the new device. If you are swapping a 300 Series Transmitter, unplug the power source and plug it in again.

6 Click Options | Refresh to update the device list (you may

have to wait a few minutes for the device to appear). If the new device has been previously swapped it will be found in the list of deactivated devices (to view, click Show Deactivated Items from the Options dropdown).

7 From the Device Browser panel in Options | Locations

Manager

8 Right click and select Swap this device with...

9 Verify that the correct device is identified in the With field,

then click

10 If you want the new device to resume alarming, navigate

the system tree from device you want to resume. Right click and select

Resume Device Alarming.

, select the device you have removed.

OK. viewLinc will reassign the device.

Options | Locations to find the

Removing Devices

Because viewLinc’s communication alarms are set up to notice if any device is not communicating with the system, you need to use the Deactivate device feature to remove a device from the system.

To deactivate a device:

Select Options | System Configuration | Locations

Manager

2 From the Device Browser panel, select the Host and then

the device you want to deactivate.

Editing Device Properties and Aliases

From the Options | Device menu, click Deactivate

Device.

A message appears, asking that you confirm you want to remove this device. Click

Yes.

You can now remove the device from the network.

Editing Device Properties and Aliases

viewLinc allows you to edit a Vaisala Veriteq device description (maximum 16 alpha-numeric characters stored within the device), as well as its alias (maximum 64 alphanumeric characters, not stored within the device). You can edit a 300 Series Transmitter alias in viewLinc.

Editing device properties allows you to specify a description or alias that viewLinc will use for that device. You can set which identification (device description and/or alias) viewLinc

uses in

Description

Options | System Configuration | Preferences | Channel

(see “About Preferences” on page 59).

To modify additional device properties, refer to your Vaisala product User Guide.

Note: If your device is linked to the vLog audit trail, you

first need to either disable the link to the audit trail or edit the device properties in vLog.

To edit device properties:

From Options | System Configuration | Device Manager,

select the Host and then the device whose properties you want to edit.

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide 45

Chapter 3: System Settings

2 On the Device menu (or the right-click context menu)

select

3 In the Edit Device Properties screen, in the Description

text box, enter the new information (maximum 16 characters for Vaisala Veriteq devices only). In the Alias text box, enter a more descriptive Alias (maximum 64 characters), if you want. This Alias is used if you specify

Options | System Configuration | Preferences | Channel

Description

descriptions stored in the devices.

Edit Device.

that viewLinc displays aliases instead of the

4 Click OK to save.

Viewing Device Details

Additional properties are available for HMT140 Series Transmitters:

•

Timeout: Number of Seconds to wait for a beacon

before failing the ‘Add’ operation.

UDP Port: The UDP port viewLinc uses to listen for

• devices.

Max Blocks per Beacon: The maximum size of the

• backfill. It is limited to conserve battery life.

Note: Do not change the ‘Max blocks per beacon’

property for HTM140 devices without first consulting your technical support department as this setting will adversely affect battery life.

• Retry Count: Number of times a beacon is transmitted by the device if it fails to receive an ACK (acknowledge response).

Transmit Period: The frequency of beacon

• transmissions

Sample Rate: The frequency that samples are taken in

• the device

Viewing Device Details

viewLinc provides extended device information in the device details column of the device manager. To see this

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide 47

Chapter 3: System Settings

information, click Options | System Configuration | Device

Manager

details appear in the device details panel on the right. explanation of the various device details columns available in

the device details panel of the device browser, see below:

Hostname The name of the host of the selected

Host IP Address Host’s IP Address Host ID System ID for the host Host Alarming Indicates whether alarming is active/inac-

Device Description The description that was entered for the

Device System description of device

and select a device from the device browser. Device

For an

Column Displays

device/channel

tive on host

device at the time of configuration

Device Alias Shows the alias entered for the device, if

any Device ID System ID for the device Serial Number The serial number associated with the

device Probe Serial Number The serial number associated with the

Probe Sample Interval The interval between samples taken from

device Device Address Address of device with protocol type Device IP Address IP address of device MAC Address MAC Address of device Security Status Indicates if device is secure or not Next Calibration Date Next Due Date for Calibration of device

Viewing Device Details

Column Displays

Channels Number of Channels associated with

device

Device Alarming Indicates whether alarming is active/inac-

tive on device Hardware Model Model of Device Hardware Revision Revision of device hardware Firmware Version Revision of device firmware Transmit Period The frequency of beacon transmissions Battery Status The estimated battery level or if no bat-

tery, power method. Please note that any

battery level readings are estimated read-

ings and may not be precisely accurate. Realtime Only Indicates if Device supports Real time data

only (no Historical data) Channel Description Description entered for Channel Channel Device Type of channel (temperature, humidity

etc.) Channel Alias Shows the alias entered for the channel, if

any Channel ID System ID for the channel Channel Index The index of the channel on the device Units Units measured (RH, C, mA, mV, etc.) Channel Alarming Channel Alarming active or inactive Editable Indicates if channel properties can be

changed or not

viewLinc 4.1 Administrator Guide 49

Chapter 3: System Settings

Editing Channel Properties and Aliases

viewLinc allows you to edit a channel’s description, alias, and preferred temperature units, if applicable. This is useful when you want to easily identify a specific channel onscreen.

Note: Depending on the device you use, not all device

channels can have their descriptions modified.

To edit channel properties:

From Options | System Configuration | Device Manager,

select the Host and then the device whose channel’s properties you want to edit.

2 Select the channel you want to edit. 3 On the Options | Channel menu select Edit Channel or

right-click and select

Edit Channel.

4 In the Edit Channel Properties dialog box, in the Alias

text box, enter a more descriptive Alias (maximum 64 characters), if you want. This Alias will be used if you specify in

Channel Description

Options | System Configuration | Preferences |

that viewLinc displays aliases

instead of the descriptions stored in the devices.

5 In the Description text box, enter a description (maximum

12 alpha-numeric characters).

Editing Channel Properties and Aliases

Click OK to save.

If you do not want to use the system default temperature

units (set on the

Options | System Configuration | Preferences

tab), you can modify the temperature units used for a specific location. To clear existing unit preferences and accept the system default, you will need to edit the location from the

Locations manager and select the option

To edit calibration properties: 1 From Options | System Configuration | Device Manager,

Use System Default.

select the Host and then the device whose channel’s properties you want to edit.

2 Select the channel you want to edit. 3 On the Options | Channel menu select Edit Channel or

right-click and select

4 In the Edit Channel Properties dialog box, make sure a

Edit Channel.

device which supports calibration properties is selected (i.e. the HMT 140 Series Transmitter). Calibration properties can only be edited once the initial values have been downloaded from the device.

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5 Double click a Calibration property to edit it. When the

calibration property is changed, you will be asked to confirm the change and adjust the calibration dates if necessary.

Additional channel properties are available for HMT140 Devices/HMP110 Series Transmitters:

Decimal Places: The number of decimal places to

• display.

Presentation Scale/Offset: The final scaling (x = Scale*

• V + Offset)

Engineering Scale/Offset: The intermediate scaling (x =

• Scale* V + Offset)

Calibration Scale/Offset: The primary calibration scaling

• (x = Scale* V + Offset)

High Alarm Time/Value: High range alarm values that

• cause a Beacon to be transmitted. The time components are the number of seconds the probe is in alarm before transmitting a beacon. 255 = disabled.

Low Alarm Time/Value: Low range alarm values that

• cause a Beacon to be transmitted. The time

components are the number of seconds the probe is in alarm before transmitting a beacon. 255 = disabled.

Adding Hosts

viewLinc 4.1 provides the option of adding multiple host machines so devices residing on these host machines can be added and monitored as locations.

To add a host machine:

From the Device Browser in Device Manager, select

Options | Add host.

Adding Hosts

2 The Add Host window appears. Enter the hostname or IP

address of the host you’d like to add.

3 Click OK. The viewLinc system will discover the host and

all devices residing on it. Device discovery on the new host may take a few seconds to several minutes to complete. You can continue with other activities during the discovery process. You will be notified when the process is complete. Click

Yes when prompted to refresh.

Configuring Email Settings

Alarm notifications are sent via email, therefore administrators must set Email Settings to properly send email messages from your mail server. If you aren’t sure which usernames and passwords to use or which check boxes to enable, contact your IT Administrator.

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To configure Email Settings:

In viewLinc, choose Options | System Configuration | Templates |

Email Templates

the email templates in use for various viewLinc messages.

4 Choose Options | System Configuration | Email Settings.

The Email Settings screen appears:

. The Email Settings screen appears, showing

5 Enter the Administrator’s Email address. This address is

used to receive all system notifications.

6 Enter a valid “From” address. Email notifications from

viewLinc will be “from” this address, so the email address must exist. Contact your IT administrator to create a “From” address if needed. For example:

viewlinc_system@yourcompany.com or controlroom47@yourcompany.com

7 In the Outgoing Server area, enter:

• an outgoing SMTP mail server name (e.g., mail.yourserver.com)

• an outgoing mail server port (a number between 1-

65535. Your IT Administrator will have this information)

• an appropriate server timeout interval

8 If your outgoing mail server requires authentication,

select the SMTP Authentication check box and enter the username and password to send mail on that server.

Editing Alarm Email Templates

Note: viewLinc automatically uses secure SMTP if it is

supported by the SMTP server.

If your outgoing mail server requires confirmation

through a POP3 connection before sending mail, configure the following settings:

a Select POP3 connectio n is required. b Enter the incoming POP3 mail server name. c Enter the incoming mail server port. d Select POP3 Authentication, then enter a username

and password for a valid POP3 account for the viewLinc system to use.

10 Click Test Email to test your settings. If they are OK,

continue. If not, adjust the administrator e-mail address and verify the settings as indicated in these steps until the test email is sent successfully. The ‘administrator email address’ field should not be left blank.

11 Click Save to save the e-mail settings, which will be used

for email notifications throughout viewLinc.

Editing Alarm Email Templates

You can edit the information that is sent about alarms in the various alarm notification emails: for example, the email notifying you about a Communication or Threshold Alarm, a repeated Alarm, an Acknowledged Alarm, or a Device Transfer. You may want to edit emails to modify contents if sending emails to a pager or cellular phone, or for a specific purpose within your company.

You can edit email templates to include or not include many different items, for example:

• Device description

•Event Type

• Details of Alarm

•Date

•Time

• Channel

• Comments (custom or preconfigured comments)

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T o edit email templates:

From Options | System Configuration | Templates | Email

Templates

you want to edit and click double-click the row to edit. The appears.

2 In the Email Template screen, edit the email template

message. Items in [brackets] are macro variables that viewLinc will insert in the email. To choose different variables, click the location where you want to add a macro, then click to use from the drop-down list.

, select the row containing the email template

Edit Email Template. Or,

Email Template screen

Macros and select the variable you want

3 When you are finished, click Save.

Working with Users

viewLinc 4.1 provides several security options including the concept of users. Each user has a set of permissions which are enabled when the user logs in, governing what tasks they can perform and what parts of viewLinc they can access.

When you install viewLinc, a default “admin” account (user account with Full Control) is created. The username and password are both “admin”.

For security purposes, it is important to change the admin password as soon as possible (see “Editing Users and Passwords” on page 59).

You also need to create accounts for other users, specifying their login name, their email address and schedule (times they should receive alarm notification), their security level, the channels they can see, and their authentication method (if they will use a viewLinc login or use the same login as their Windows login).

About Contact Schedules

viewLinc allows you to set times when a particular user receives alarm notifications. Users can be set to receive notifications “always”, “never”, or on a schedule of times and rotating dates (for example 07:00-19:00 on a 4 day on, 5 day off rotation, or 08:30-17:30 on a 5 day on, 2 day off rotation).

Contact schedules are applied to user accounts, so schedule patterns (days, hours) must be set before any can be applied to a particular user.

To create contact schedu les:

From Option s | System Configuration | Cont act Schedules,

click area becomes active.

Add Contact Schedule. The Contact Schedules

About Contact Schedules

From the State drop-down, choose Enabled. This allows

you to set start date, repeat days pattern, and the time periods.

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3 Choose a start date by typing in the text box or choosing

from the calendar.

4 Specify Repeat Days. To repeat the contact schedule

every 7 days, enter 7. For 9 days, enter 9. The maximum value is 99 days.

5 In the Time Period rows, enter the time period in 24-hour

time in the following format: xx:xx-yy:yy where xx:xx is the start time and yy:yy is the end time. For intermittent schedules, separate time periods by a comma. For example, 08:00-12:00, 13:00-16:00). For contact all day, enter 00:00-00:00. For no contact in a day, leave the day blank.

6 Click Save. Your schedule will be named “New

Schedule”. To rename it, double-click the row or select

Options | Rename. Note: To temporarily disable the scheduling capability

(for example, to have notifications sent “always” or “never”, choose “Always” or “Never” from the State drop down box). You can then choose or edit the schedules you’ve set at later time and re-select “Enabled” when necessary.

Editing Users and Passwords

T o edit user accounts and passwords:

In viewLinc, go to Options | System Configuration | Users.

1 2 Select the user to edit and choose Edit User from the

Options dropdown menu. Or, double-click the row containing the user you want to edit. The User Properties screen appears.

3 From the User Properties screen, edit settings as

needed.

4 Select Save from the Options dropdown menu.

Note: You can only edit passwords in viewLinc if you

are not using Windows authentication.

T o create a new user account:

Creating a new user is covered in Permissions. See “Creating a New User” on page 106.

Deactivating Users

To deactivate a user:

From Options | System Configuration | Users, select the

User you want to deactivate.

2 Click Deactiva te User from the Options dropdown

Click Yes to confirm the change.

Reactivating Users

To reactivate a user:

From Options | System Configuration | Users, click

Options | Show Deactivated Users. All deactivated users

appear in grey text.

2 Select the user you want to reactivate 3 Click Reactivate User from the Options dropdown

About Preferences

The preferences section of viewLinc contains several system preferences that affect the behaviour and display of the application throughout. This section controls the following options in viewLinc:

• Choosing whether the Channel and Device descriptions displayed in viewLinc come from the system or from a user-defined alias.

• “Preferred Temperature Units” can be set as C (Celsius) or F (Fahrenheit). This procedure does not alter how the logger measures temperature - it only alters the units in which temperature is displayed.

• Choosing session expiry time after which a user or administrator must reconfirm their identity by reentering their password. This prevents non-authorized users from

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making changes to viewLinc. This setting is applied universally to all viewLinc users and administrators.

• Choosing if comments are required or optional.

• Choosing the default value for MKT Activation Energy. This is used in reports and trends.

• Technical support log allows the administrator to turn support tracing on/off. It sets the amount of information to be logged in case of any support issues.

• The security key is displayed here. This is the license key purchased from Vaisala for this system.

Choosing Device and Channel Description Lengths (Aliases)

Vaisala Veriteq devices have descriptions stored inside them that have a maximum length of 16 characters (300 Series Transmitters do not store descriptions). Channel descriptions have a maximum length of 12 characters. Some administrators may prefer to display a longer, more informative description. To accommodate this, viewLinc allows you to set an alias for a device or channel, up to maximum of 64 characters.

To choose whether viewLinc should display the description stored in the device or its alias, set the Channel Description and/or Device Description preference in

Configuration | Preferences To set the Channel or Device Description preference:

In viewLinc, go to Options | System Configuration |

Preferences

Options | System

About Preferences

In the Channel Description row, click to choose “Use Channel Description from Device” or “Use Channel Alias” from the Value column.

3 Repeat your preference choice for Device Description.

Events, Alarms, Reports, and Email will all use the designated descriptions of Channel and Device.

Choosing Temperature Measurement Unit Preferences

When viewLinc is installed, temperature is set to display in degrees Celsius. You can configure viewLinc to show temperatures in either Celsius or Fahrenheit.

To choose temperature measurement units:

In viewLinc, go to Options | System Configuration |

Preferences

2 In the Name column, select Preferred Temperature Units

and in the Value column, choose either

Fahrenheit (F).

Celsius (C) or

Note: This procedure does not alter how the device

measures temperature - it alters the units in which temperature is displayed (except for channels which already have preferred unit settings assigned).

Setting Session Expiry Time

viewLinc allows you to set a session expiry time after which a user or administrator must reconfirm their identity by reentering their password. This prevents non-authorized users from making changes to viewLinc.

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You can choose to set this expiry time as “never”, “always” (that is, requiring password confirmation before making any change to the system), or intervals of 1, 5, 10, 15, 30 and 60 minutes after logging in or reconfirming their password.

This setting is applied identically to all viewLinc users and administrators.

To set the session expiry:

From viewLinc, choose Options | System Configuration |

Preferences

2 In the Name column, select Users must confirm their

identity

, then choose an expiry time in the Value column.

Creating Preconfigured Comments for Email Messages

Administrators can preconfigure standard comments to be sent as part of email notifications for alarms and transfers, as well as have them included in the Event Log.

To use these comments in email notifications, the [Comments] parameter must be present in the specific Email Template. For example, if you set a Communication Alarm to email someone when it is triggered, the preconfigured comment you select for that alarm will be included in the email if the [Comments] parameter is included in the email template for Communication Alarms.

You can use preconfigured comments in alarm templates, or when setting up a custom alarm.

Creating Preconfigured Comments for Email Messages

To create preconfigured comments:

From Options | System Configuration | Comments click

Add.

2 In the box that contains the text, New comment, enter the

comment and press

To use preconfigured comments (in a custom Communication Alarm, for example):

From Options | System Configuration | Templates | Alarm

Templates

, highlight a template, then click the Comments

[Enter].

tab.

2 On the Comments tab, select a comment from the

Preconfigured Comments drop-down list. Your

preconfigured comments will appear in the Comments box, allowing you to make additional changes to the text, if required.

3 Choose the email template to edit. 4 In the Alarm Message field, ensure the [Comments]

variable is present. The preconfigured comment you selected in Communication Alarm settings will be inserted in the email message when it is sent.

5 Click Save. To delete preconfigured comments:

From Options | System Configuration | Comments, highlight the comment to delete.

2 Click Options | Delete.

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To choose if comments are required or optional:

From Options | System Configuration | Preferences, click

the dropdown beside “comments are required on changes.”

2 You can choose between 4 options:

• “Comments are not required”

• “Comments are optional”

• “Comments are mandatory”

• “Pre-configured only comments are mandatory”

Let’s move on to looking at Locations in viewLinc.

Chapter 4: Locations

This section is for administrators and general users.

In this section, you’ll learn about:

• Locations, Trends, and Zones

• Selecting Channels and Zones to display as Locations

• Opening Large Popup Trend Views

• Viewing and Working with Real-time Graphs in a Large Popup Trend View

• Displaying or hiding Location information

Let’s get started learning what locations are in viewLinc.

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About Locations

What is a Location?

The Locations feature is new to viewLinc 4.1, giving the user improved customization with more information available more readily from the Location tree view. A Location is a ‘data point’ which can be linked to any single channel and can be located in a hierarchical tree of zones. It removes the hardware definition of host/device/channel from the Location tree, allowing any channel to become a Location. Depending on the type of Vaisala devices you have installed, a device may have up to five active channels and up to 27 definable channels available to measure readings such as temperature, relative humidity, voltage, pressure, current, etc. (one channel is used for each type of measurement).

Note: 300 Series Transmitters Output Quantities are

Using viewLinc, you can monitor any device that is connected to the network using Locations.

When you first log in to viewLinc, you can load the Locations function by clicking on the main screen selecting

• zones and locations available for monitoring in an expandable tree view

• locations available for each selected zone

• table view which allows you to view and monitor data from zones and/or locations

• trend view which allows you to combine, contrast and compare location history in visual graphs with real-time data

• context-sensitive help

Locations. This window includes:

displayed as Channels. (currently 27 possible types)

Options button and

About Locations

Understanding the Locations Screen

The Locations screen in viewLinc contains many important features:

Item Details

1 - Tabs Contains main viewLinc tabs: Table View, Dash-

board, Location Alarms, Trend.

2 - Options dropdown

Contain buttons like Refresh, Popup Trend, Pause Alarming, etc. These menus are context-sensitive

- they change depending on which tab is open and which item is selected within the tab.

3 - Zones area Where configuration of locations and zones takes

place. Use the locations tree to organize the locations that are connected to viewLinc into zones. Zones are represented by folders with Locations located below them in the tree. Locations are found below the zones. The table view on the right will display information about the zone or location that you have selected.

4 - Search You can search for locations here by entering a

search term in the text box and clicking the magnifying glass icon.

Table 2: Important features of the Locations screen

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Item Details

5 - Location Details

In Table View mode, includes details on channel configurations, paths, current data readings, latest timestamp and threshold information.

Table 2: Important features of the Locations screen

The Locations screen displays general information about the corresponding data source. When a location has no data source associated with it, it will be displayed with a blue exclamation mark icon. The Locations screen can also display views by clicking anywhere in the dark grey bar labelled “Views.” Views have the same functionality as locations, but are customized versions of the locations tree.

Each View can also have a Trend associated with it that is displayed in the Trend panel whenever a View is selected. A Trend is a historical view of Location data.

Most columns in the 4 tabs (Table View, Dashboard, Location Alarms, Trend) are easy to understand; however, here are their definitions to help you get familiar with viewLinc. To see all options, see “Hiding and Showing Location Columns” on page 27:

Column Displays

Icon The color coded icon associated with the

location.

Location ID Device description (can be edited from the

System tab). Device ID The number associated with the device. Location Path The subfolders currently linked with the

location. The top folder in the path will

always be the default ‘System’. Location Description The description for the location that was

entered at the time of creation.

Table 3: Columns of information in Locations

About Locations

Column Displays

Device Serial Number The serial number associated with the

device.

Device Description The description that was entered for the

device at the time of configuration.

Channel ID The system defined number associated

with the channel.

Channel Number Number representing the channel for that

device (each device has 1 or more channels, and labels them 1, 2, and so on).

Channel Description Description of channel (editable from the

System tab).

Battery Status The estimated battery level or if no bat-

tery, power method. Please note that any battery level readings are estimated readings and may not be precisely accurate.

Value Reading of that channel, for example the

temperature in Celsius. Timestamp Time that the last reading was taken. Device Status The current status of the device. Displays

errors if the device is inactive. Threshold Status “OK” appears if there are no currently

active alarms. Changes to indicate if a

threshold alarm condition has been

detected. Threshold Summary Summary of threshold status, if active.

Table 3: Columns of information in Locations

Understanding the Options Dropdown Menu in Locations

The Options dropdown menu in the left panel of Locations allows you to select commonly used commands. Some of

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these commands will be available or greyed out depending on the location/zone you have selected, if any. The following options are available:

Refresh: Reloads the selected tree.

•

Expand/Collapse All Zones: Expands/collapses all zones

and sub-zones of the tree in the left locations panel.

Pause Threshold Alarming: Pauses the threshold alarms

• for the zone or location selected in the tree. If a zone is selected and there are child locations, this command will pause alarming on all child locations within the selected zone.

Resume Threshold Alarming: Resumes threshold alarms in

• all data locations selected in the right panel. If a zone is selected and there are child locations, this command will resume alarming on all child locations within the selected zone.

Understanding The Tabs in Locations

The right panel in locations is a tabbed panel consisting of four tabs that are updated as the Locations tree is navigated. The four tabs are as follows:

Table View Tab: Displays the location, device, threshold

• and status information for the currently selected location. Only locations that have channels assigned to them will be displayed.

Dashboard Tab: Displays the dashboard for the current

• selected location or zone and sub-zones. These dashboards are managed in

Configuration | Dashboard Manager.

displayed on the dashboard with their current reading. Zones are displayed as a folder icon and can be opened by double clicking this icon. Hovering over a zone or location will cause the mouse pointer to change and will display a tooltip with extra information.

Location Alarms Tab: All active alarms for the current

• location or zone and sub-zones are shown under this tab. If acknowledgement is required on an Alarm, the alarm will be present in this window whether it is on or off. If acknowledgement is not required on an alarm, the alarm

Options | System

Locations are

About Locations

will be present in this window only if it is currently on. A user can acknowledge threshold alarms if they have ‘Acknowledge Alarms’ permission on that location. The device alarms can be acknowledged if ‘Acknowledge Alarms’ is available on at least one location referencing that device. For further information on acknowledging alarms seeSee “Viewing Active Alarms” on page 98.

Trend Tab: When browsing the Locations tree, the trend

• tab enables you to build and display location trends quickly and save them as Views as follows.

Building a Trend with the Trend Tab

To create a custom trend using the trend tab:

Navigate the Locations tree to find a location you would

like to graph in a trend.

2 Drag and drop one or several locations from the

Locations tree onto the graph panel on the right.

3 Save the trend as a View by clicking the Options

dropdown and selecting

Save as View. The view will then

become available in the views section and can be accessed any time. You can continue to build upon and modify your trend at any time by simply dragging more channels onto the graph and saving again.

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4 Check and uncheck the ‘Selected’ column in the grid

5 Plot threshold lines on a location by checking the

6 Click on the Group Statistics tab to see the totals and

7 Click on the Scale tab to adjust the values for the scale of

8 Click Options | Save As Report and specify a name for

located in the Locations tab just below the graph. Click

live button or click Options | Refresh to refresh the

the graph and it will graph only the data you have selected with these checkboxes.

‘Threshold Lines’ column and refreshing again. The panel displays statistics information for each graph line.

max/min ranges for all locations together.

the graph. The default low/high range is set to auto. Clicking on this ‘auto’ text enables you to enter new values for the graph which will be applied when the graph

is refreshed or the

Live button is selected. There is a

maximum of 16 locations (lines) per trend.

your report. The report will be available with the name you specified in the Reports section.

9 The trend tab also contains navigation controls which

allow you to navigate historical data trends and refresh the view as necessary:

• Pressing on the

forward and back arrows will

adjust the start time accordingly, while pressing on the

About Locations

double forward and back arrows will adjust the start time by a greater distance.

• Pressing the data using the ‘duration’ combo box value to adjust the start date of the graph.

• The top right check box labelled ‘Auto Refresh On’ will toggle the auto refresh option. Uncheck it to stop periodic updates, or check it to have the same effect as

pressing the

• Navigating or zooming within the trend will automatically uncheck the “Auto Refresh On” option, because when you navigate within you are then viewing historical data. See “Real-Time Graphs” on page 75.

live button will fetch the most recent

live button.

Understanding the Dropdown Menus and Buttons in the Locations Tabs

The four tabs in the Locations panel contain various options and control buttons to help you customize, manage and display data.

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Table View Tab Options

• Refresh: Reloads grid data with latest information.

•

Popup Trend: Pops up the trend graph display of the

selected row.

Properties: Displays the properties window for the selected

• row.

Pause Threshold Alarming: Pauses threshold alarming of

• the selected row.

Resume Threshold Alarming: Resumes threshold alarming

• of the selected row.

Pause Host Alarming: Pauses host device alarming for the

• selected host.

Resume Host Alarming: Resumes host device alarming for

• the selected host.

Pause Device Alarming: Pauses alarming on the selected

• device.

Resume Device Alarming: Resumes alarming on the

• selected device.

Dashboard Tab Options

Contains only the Refresh option, which reloads data from the server when clicked.

Location Alarms Tab Options

• Refresh: Reloads data from server.

•

Print: Prints the Active Alarms information. The Active

alarm information will print, including all the details about the alarms by clicking this button.

Export the Active Alarms information to Excel: All active

• alarm information can be exported to excel with the details about the alarms present under the Active Alarms tab. Clicking on the Export to Excel button asks the user to open or save the TSV file as shown. See “Viewing Active Alarms” on page 98.

Note: TSV format is used because it is not affected by

regional settings, unlike the CSV format.

About Locations

Trend Tab Options

• Refresh: Reloads data from server.

•

Clear: Clears all channels from the trend. This option is

visible when building trends from the ‘System view’ tree.

Save as View…: Displays a window to save the current

• trend as a View. This option is visible when building trends from the ‘Locations’ tree. It requires ‘Manage Views’ rights.

Save as Report…: Displays a window to save the current

• trend as a single page ‘History Report’. This option requires ‘Manage Reports’ rights.

Save: Saves the current trend. This option is visible when

• browsing trends from the View tree. It requires ‘Manage Views’ rights.

Popup in New Window: Pops up the trend in a new browser

• window. This option is visible when browsing trends from the View tree. See “Opening Large Popup Trend Views” on page 75.

Include Realtime Samples: When checked, this option will

• draw real time samples along with the logged data.

Show Data Markers: When checked, this option will draw

• small markers on the trend, indicating exactly where the readings took place.

Opening Large Popup Trend Views

The Large Popup Trend window contains the most current data reading for the location, any related threshold settings, a graphical representation of recent historical data readings, and an area to indicate an active alarm.

Note: You can view a particular location’s data reading

in a single window, or you can open multiple location windows. If you use Internet Explorer, ensure your browser is set up to open new links in a new window or tab. Go to Tools | Internet Options, then, on the General tab in the Tabs section, click Settings and choose to open links from other programs in A new tab in the current window.

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To open a large popup trend view: 1

2 Right click Popup Trend or double click the selected

From the Options | Locations window, browse the locations tree and left click to select a location you want to view.

location line. A new resizeable window containing information about the selected location appears.

3 Repeat steps 1 and 2 to view multiple large popup trend

views. Many users choose to have multiple monitors displaying multiple trends by dragging each windows to various monitors as desired.

To close a large popup trend view, click the close box (x) in the top right corner of the window.

To acknowledge an alarm, see “This option is also available using the right click context menu while a template is highlighted.Acknowledging Alarms” on page 84.

Real-Time Graphs

With viewLinc, you can view live data in graphical form at any time using the Trend tab in Locations.

To view live data as a graph:

From Options | Locations, click the Trend tab.

1 2 Expand the Locations tree on the left to find a Location

you wish to graph. Drag locations as you wish from left to right (with a limit of 16 channels). The comparative data of all the Locations you selected will be displayed in the Trend tab.

3 Right click on a location and click Popup Trend. This

opens the large trend view with both a graph and current value (for a single location only).

In this screen you can view the most recent historical trends, and hover over specific data points for more detailed readings.

Reading Graphs in Popup Trend View

When you open a location, you can see both a numerical and graphical representation of the device reading. Here is a description of the key elements in the graphing area:

Real-Time Graphs

Item Description

Title bar Displays the name of the Zone and type of

location data reading (humidity, temperature, voltage or current).

Header bar Indicates the date and time of latest read-

ing; the time zone is based on the time zone setting of the PC running the browser. The graph header bar also displays the number of data points being measured.

Table 4: Large Popup Trend view elements

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Numerical display area Displays most current data value in units

Graph area A graphical representation of data history

Left-side Y-axis Shows the scale for the data displayed in

X-Axis time scale Shows the reporting time frame ( if you

Graph Line Indicated by a line to show historical mea-

Item Description

being measured, as defined by the user(see page “Choosing Temperature Measurement Unit Preferences” on page 61 to change).

is displayed here.

the graph.

use Internet Explorer, you can only view the last 300 data points; all other browsers will show the last 1000 points).

surement readings based on a specific date or time frame. Move your mouse and hover over a specific point to show the specific X- and Y-axis values.

Threshold Line Indicated by a color-coded line (based on

threshold setting) to show historical threshold values. Move your mouse and hover over a specific point to show the specific X- and Y-axis values.

Active Alarms area Displays active alarm details: Threshold

value and amount exceeded; alarm date and time; whether the alarm was acknowledged, and by whom. Permits user to acknowledge an alarm. If you don’t see the active alarm area, there may be no alarms to display. It can still be shown using the double arrows on the right hand side of the popup trend.

Table 4: Large Popup Trend view elements

Real-Time Graphs

Item Description

Status bar Indicates channel monitoring status (OK or

Alarm/Alarm condition type).

Table 4: Large Popup Trend view elements

Viewing Graph Detail in Large Popup Trend View

With a Large Popup Trend View open, you can also zoom in on a specific time period.

Simply click anywhere on the graph and drag your cursor to the right to highlight the time period you want to magnify, then release. The magnified area displays until the next live update. To return to full view immediately, double-click anywhere on the graph (or to zoom out, select an area, drag cursor to the left, then release).

Acknowledging Alarms from Large Popup Trend View

From a Large Popup Trend View window, you can acknowledge alarms.

To acknowledge an alarm from a large popup trend view:

From the large popup trend view “Active Alarms” panel,

click

2 In the Acknowledge Alarm dialog box that appears, enter

information to describe what was done to correct the alarm situation, or a general comment. You can also select from the dropdown of preconfigured comments if you prefer.

3 Click Acknowledge.

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Acknowledge.

Chapter 5: Alarms

Alarms and Alarm Acknowledgement are the keys to success with the Vaisala Veriteq Continuous Monitoring system.

In this chapter, you’ll learn to:

• Understand Types of Alarms in viewLinc

• Create Alarm Templates

• Set threshold and Device Alarms

• Deactivate and Reactivate Alarms

• Acknowledge Alarms

•Pause Alarms

To learn about how to generate Alarm reports, see Chapter

8: Reports.

Let’s get started looking at alarms.

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About Alarms

There are several types of alarms in viewLinc: threshold alarms, communication alarms, event log validation alarms, and device sampling alarms. If you are using validatable devices, you may also receive device validation alarms and calibration alarms.

Users with the appropriate ACL permissions can set threshold alarm limits and when conditions exceed these limits, alarms are triggered which notify key staff of the condition. Staff with Acknowledge Alarms permissions or higher then acknowledge the alarms in viewLinc.

All transactions are recorded in the Event Log and the Historical database.

Using viewLinc, you can customize the alarm information that is issued for threshold, communication and device alarms by configuring them from

Manager Options | System Configuration | Templates | Alarm Templates.

Threshold Alarms

Threshold Alarms notify users when conditions (such as temperature and relative humidity) are outside acceptable limits.

Threshold alarms are not enabled by default. To trigger threshold alarms when certain thresholds are exceeded, users with assigned permissions must configure them.

Options | System Configuration | Device

or by modifying alarm/threshold templates from

Communication Alarms

Communication Alarms notify users when communication between a host (Device Host or viewLinc Server) and its devices is down. This may be because viewLinc Server can not communicate with the device, or the device connection to a host has been severed. Communication alarms serve as a system health test, alerting you if there is a problem that might disrupt viewLinc monitoring and alarming.

About Alarms

Event Log Validation Alarms

An Event Log Validation Alarm indicates when changes have been made to the event log from outside the viewLinc system. Each entry in the event log has its own CRC which is verified - if any changes have been made, an alarm is automatically created, rendering data non-validatable. It checks the CRC of event files, checks the CRC of event records in the files, checks for missing records, and checks for missing files. If any are discovered, an alarm is raised and must be acknowledged.

Device Configuration Alarms

If you receive a Configuration Alarm, this indicates that your device has stopped recording data history or was configured incorrectly. This could be the result of being set to stop when full, a delayed start, or the device could have an internal error. This alarm can also be triggered if a channel has been disabled in the device using vLog. To correct this issue, you can verify or modify the Vaisala Veriteq device settings using vLog. If the problem persists, contact your Vaisala technical support representative. The default delay for configuration alarms is 60 seconds. However this delay is bypassed for certain alarm types such as Missing Channel alarms, Configuration changes and Probe changes.

Device Validation Alarms

If you use a VL-type data logger, you’ll receive a Validation alarm if the validation memory in the device is corrupted or has been modified. Contact your Vaisala technical support representative.

Device Calibration Alarms

If you use a VL-type device, Calibration Alarms send you intermittent notification when your device is due for calibration. You receive notifications at the following intervals: 3 months and 1 month before the calibration due date, then again on the data logger’s scheduled recal date. This alarm will remain active until the logger has been recalibrated.

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Chapter 5: Alarms

What Happens When an Alarm is Triggered?

When an alarm is triggered, several things can happen:

• A pop-up can appear showing a description of the

• An email can be sent. If configured, emails are

• An application can be launched or an external device

• All of the above. You can also set up a tree alarm

Alarms should be dealt with as soon as possible by acknowledging them in viewLinc. All transactions are recorded in the Event Log and Historical database and can be viewed in an Event Log or Alarm report.

condition, and an alarm message. If pop-ups are blocked in your browser, an error message appears, prompting you to enable pop-ups for viewLinc.

automatically sent to the address, addresses, or user specified when threshold limits are exceeded, communications are interrupted, or an event log or device alarm condition is present. Alarm emails can be sent repeatedly based on how alarm properties have been set.

turned on. If configured, an external device (such as a light or buzzer) or a computer application (such as batch file which can page or phone a particular number) can be triggered when an alarm condition occurs.

hierarchy, a method of notifying different individuals of an alarm if the first notification is not acknowledged within a specified time frame.

Creating Alarm Templates

viewLinc provides you with six default alarm templates, one each for threshold alarms, communication alarms, event tampering alarms, and three types of device alarms (calibration, validation, and configuration). You can modify the parameters of these templates as you need, or create your own.

Templates are a great way to save time when you want to define similar alarm settings for multiple device channels (applies to the general parameters - color code, alarm message, delay, acknowledgement, as well as notifications and comments).

Creating Alarm Templates

You can also create a reusable threshold condition and assign it to a specific alarm template.

To create an alarm template:

From Options | System Configuration | Templates |

Alarm Templates

select

2 By default, the alarm template name is New Alarm

Add Alarm Template .

, click the Options dropdown, then

Template. Click in the title to enter a more specific title.

3 On the General Parameters tab, define the following:

a Color Code. Choose the alarm color code - either blue,

yellow, orange, or red. This color is used as the color indicator for alarms on the Alarms tab, and as the background color for a row in locations, if activated. It is also used as the color for a threshold line in a realtime graph. Use the color codes to indicate severity, starting with blue for less serious alarm conditions, escalating to red for the most serious alarm conditions.

b Alarm Message. If you want to set up an alarm email

notification (set up on the Notifications tab), enter the message you want to appear in the alarm notification.

c Delay Before Activating Alarm (HH:MM). If desired,

specify a delay period, in hours and/or minutes, from when a condition exists and you want the alarm triggered.

d Acknowledgement Required. Select this option if you

require an individual to acknowledge an alarm. If you select this option, the alarm will remain on the Alarms tab until it has been acknowledged.

4 If you want the alarm to open in a pop-up window:

a Select the Notifications tab. b Click Add, and then select Add Pop-up Notification.

In the Delay before pop up field, indicate a delay, in hours and/or minutes (HH:MM), before you want the

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Chapter 5: Alarms

pop-up to display. This delay starts after the delay on the General tab finishes.

Note: We recommend that you use this feature spar-

ingly. If many pop-ups are triggered at the same time, it can disrupt your browser operation and may require that you restart your browser to correct.

To send an email notification when the alarm triggers:

a Select the Notifications tab. b Click Add, and then select Add Email Notification.

c In the Delay before sending first notification field, indi-

cate a delay, in hours and/or minutes (HH:MM), before you want the first email sent.

Note: If you have set the Delay Before Activating Alarm

option, ensure the combined time delay does not interrupt your alarm notification requirements.

d To enter a specific email or multiple email addresses

to receive notification (ones that are not pre-configured in System Configuration | Users), enter the email addresses in the

Send email to text box. Separate mul-

tiple email addresses with commas.

Note: Email addresses specified in Send email to are

not checked against email addresses for specific

users. If you put an email address in Send email

to, and that same email address is specified in System Configuration | Users with a specific

Creating Alarm Templates

contact schedule, viewLinc will ignore the schedule and send the notification.

Click the User List text box to view a list of users au-

thorized to receive notifications. Only the users with an email address specified in

tion | Users

are visible (see “Editing Users and Pass-

Options | System Configura-

words” on page 59). Drag users to notify to the Selected Users column. Reorganize the list order if necessary using the arrow buttons. Click

f In the Repeat email notification drop-down, choose an

OK.

appropriate interval for the frequency emails are resent while the condition still exists. You may also want to use the

Maximum Number of Repeats field to specify

a maximum number of repeat emails that should be sent (enter zero, 0, if you do not want to specify a limit. This will allow infinite repetition).

g To also have an email sent when an alarm is acknowl-

edged, or when the condition no longer exists, select the appropriate check box.

h If you want to issue alarm notifications to different re-

cipients for different alarm conditions, create multiple email notifications with different delay periods. For example, you could create a notification for the first recipient with a short delay period, perhaps 1 minute. Create another email notification for someone else with a different delay period, for example 20 minutes. If the first notification is not acknowledged within 20 minutes, the second notification is automatically sent.

Note: There is additional information that can be sent

in the alarm email. For more, see “Editing Alarm Email Templates” on page 55.

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6 You can also run commands on the viewLinc Server

machine (which in turn can trigger external devices) when a condition exists. To configure commands:

a Select the Notifications tab. b Click Add, then select Add Command Notification. c To specify a delay before the command runs, enter a

delay period in hours and/or minutes (HH:MM).

Note: If you have set the Delay Before Activating Alarm

option, ensure the combined time delay does not interrupt your alarm notification requirements.

In the Run command text fields, enter DOS commands

in the appropriate boxes. You can run different commands when an alarm is triggered, a notification is repeated, an alarm is acknowledged, or an alarm condition is no longer true.

For example:

C:\Program Files\Veriteq Instruments\viewLinc\python\python” -m viewLinc.scripts.SwitchBbRelay <number of com port where relay device is attached>

Option as specified in script documentation in Appendix: FAQs & Troubleshooting.

The example above shows a python script specific to a Digital Relay I/O device. Different parameters apply to different commands or scripts.

7 To insert comments in an alarm email, you can select

from a list of preconfigured comments (see “Editing Alarm Email Templates” on page 55), or enter a new

Creating Alarm Templates

comment. How comments appear in an email is defined in the email template.

a Select the Comments tab. b Select a preconfigured comment that is appropriate for

the purpose of the notification or manually enter a new comment you want displayed in the notification.

8 You can also list all locations and devices that are

currently using the selected template by clicking

| Devices and Locations using Template

. This shows all

Options

devices using the selected template and displays their zone/location and permissions information.When alarm

settings are complete, select

Options | Save.

You can now apply this alarm template to one or more devices or locations (see “Setting Threshold Alarms” on page 90 or “Setting Communication Alarms” on page 94). If you want to make minor changes to the template while applying to devices, see “Editing Threshold Alarms” on page 92, “Editing Communication Alarms” on page 96, or “Editing Device Alarms” on page 98.

To create a threshold condition template:

From Options | System Configuration | Locations Manager

| Threshold Templates, click the Options dropdown,

then select

Add Threshold Template.

2 By default, the template is named Default Threshold

Template. Double-click anywhere in the title to change it.

3 Set the threshold condition.

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Chapter 5: Alarms

If you want to apply an existing alarm template (which defines how the alarm displays and who is notified when a threshold is reached), select

“Creating Alarm Templates” on page 84).

4 If you want to define custom settings for this template,

complete the fields in the General Parameters, Notifications, and Comments tabs.This option is also available using the right click context menu while a template is highlighted.

5 When you are finished creating your threshold template,

click

Save.

Threshold Alarms

Users with the correct permissions set device channel thresholds that trigger alarms. For example:

• Greater than 23.00 C for more than 1 minute

• Less than 37.76 RH for more than 15 minutes

You can set a threshold alarm using a template (if previously configured), or set a custom alarm.

Use Alarm Template (see

Setting Threshold Alarms

You can configure several threshold alarms, for example, one for yellow alarms (mild concern), another for red alarms (extreme concern). For example, you could set a yellow alarm to trigger first (at one minute out of threshold), and send an email to someone who needs to know. For a red alarm, you could set the alarm condition to a longer time (15 minutes out of threshold) and send the email to a lab manager, or a distribution list of people who need to be notified to take action.

Vaisala M211518 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual