Vaisala Veriteq viewLinc 3.6 Administrator's Manual

ADMINISTRATOR GUIDE

viewLinc 3.6

Vaisala Veriteq viewLinc Software

M211342EN-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, Vaisala Veriteq viewLinc, and Vaisala Veriteq Spectrum 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 16.

Email: veriteqsupport@vaisala.com

Document part number: M211342EN-A

Release date: March 2011

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide i

About this Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

Who this Manual is for . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

How this Manual is Organized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

Conventions Used in this Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vi

Related Documentation and Software Products . . . . . . . . . .vi

Support Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi

Chapter 1: Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Installing viewLinc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Connecting Loggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Installing Spectrum or vLog Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Installing viewLinc Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Logging In to viewLinc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Administrator’s Road Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Chapter 2: Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

About Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

What is a Channel? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Where are my Channels? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Understanding the Channels Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Opening Large Channel Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Real-Time Graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Reading Graphs in Large Channel View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Viewing Graph Detail in Large Channel View . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Acknowledging Alarms from Large Channel View . . . . . . . 26

Organizing Channels into Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Creating Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Editing Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Assigning Channels to Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Deactivating Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Contents

Ordering Channel Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Hiding and Showing Channel Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Chapter 3: Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

About Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

What Happens When an Alarm is Triggered? . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Creating Alarm Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Threshold Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Setting Threshold Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Editing Threshold Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Disabling Threshold Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Deactivating and Reactivating Threshold Alarms . . . . . . . . 44

Communication Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Setting Communication Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Editing Communication Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Disabling Communication Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Logger Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Setting Logger Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Editing Logger Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Disabling Logger Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Acknowledging Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Pausing Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Chapter 4: System Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Discovering Loggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Adding Loggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Swapping Loggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Removing Loggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Editing Logger Properties and Aliases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Editing Channel Properties and Aliases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

Configuring Email Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

Editing Alarm Email Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Working with Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide iii

Creating Contact Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Creating User Accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Editing Users and Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Deactivating Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Reactivating Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Choosing Logger and Channel Description Lengths . . . . . 69

Choosing Temperature Measurement Unit Preferences . . 70

Setting Session Expiry Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Creating Preconfigured Comments for Email Messages . . 71

Chapter 5: Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Viewing Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Adding Comments to Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Printing Event Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Exporting Event Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Chapter 6: Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

About Historical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Generating Historical Data Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Generating Alarm History Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Generating Channel History Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Creating New Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Deleting Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Chapter 7: Transfers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Transfers and Transfer Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Creating Transfer Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Performing an Immediate Data Transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Editing Transfer Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Deactivating a Transfer Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Temporarily Disabling Transfer Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Appendix: FAQs & Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Contents

About this Manual

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide v

About this Manual

The viewLinc 3.6 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 data logger readings across a network. This manual covers several topics, including how administrators set threshold alarms, configure email alarm notification, organize channels, define reports, and set logger data transfer schedules.

How this Manual is Organized

The viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide is organized into

chapters as follows:

Chapter 1: Getting Started. Contains viewLinc overview,

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

Chapter 2: Channels. Covers what a channel is, using “My

Channels”, opening large channel views, and organizing channels into zones. This chapter covers topics of interest to both a general viewLinc user and the administrator.

Chapter 3: Alarms. Contains information on creating,

editing, deactivating, and pausing alarms informing those monitoring the system of threshold-exceeding conditions or if data communication between the logger and the system is down. Includes how to acknowledge alarms.

Chapter 4: System Settings. Includes information

specifically for administrators, including creating user accounts, configuring email server settings for alarms,

About this Manual

choosing temperature units to display, and changing how and which loggers are shown in My Channels.

Chapter 5: Events. Includes filtering and printing event logs,

including details on transfers, alarms, and acknowledgements.

Chapter 6: Reports. Includes a definition of historical data,

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

Chapter 7: Transfers. Includes information about how to

transfer Vaisala Veriteq logger data to a PC for analysis using vLog or Spectrum.

Appendix: FAQs & Troubleshooting. Answers common

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

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 System | Loggers”

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

buttons are shown in bold.

Related Documentation and Software Products

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

Use Vaisala Veriteq Spectrum or vLog software and their associated Quick Start Guides for setting up Vaisala Veriteq data loggers and viewing and printing logger historical data as graphs or text files.

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

Support Information

In North America, technical support is available between 8am-4pm PST Monday - Friday, 1-866-861-3388 (or 604-

About this Manual

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide vii

273-6850). You can also email veriteqsupport@vaisala.com, or visit www.vaisala.com/veriteq.

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 16.

About this Manual

viii

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 1

Chapter 1: Getting Started

This section includes:

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

• hardware and software requirements

• installing viewLinc

• logging in to viewLinc from an Internet browser to monitor conditions

• Administrator’s Road Map

Chapter 1: Getting Started

Overview

Welcome to viewLinc 3.6, a key element in the Vaisala Veriteq Continuous Monitoring System (CMS). Using viewLinc you can easily monitor data logger readings locally on a PC or across a network using a supported version of

Microsoft

® Internet Explorer® or Mozilla® Firefox® Internet

browser.

With viewLinc 3.6, you can:

• monitor remote conditions from multiple data loggers from a local or remote PC desktop

• view real-time data in a 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 logger events, such as when alarms are triggered, acknowledged or there are logger communication problems

• schedule transfers of Vaisala Veriteq logger data (also referred to as ‘historical data’) to be viewed and graphed with Vaisala Veriteq Spectrum or vLog software

• easily identify loggers and the zones in which they operate

• swap a logger for calibration or replacement purposes without breaking the data audit trail

• create preconfigured comments for alarm notifications

• create reusable alarm templates

When installed, the Vaisala Veriteq CMS is comprised of software components (including viewLinc), and hardware components (including data loggers, a PC with a supported Internet browser, and, depending on how you connect the loggers to your PC, various cables, Vaisala Veriteq vNet or Digi networking devices).

How you connect your loggers to your PC is a very important administrative decision. There are four methods and each requires certain hardware connections. The most convenient

Overview

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 3

methods of attaching loggers to PCs are using vNet or Digi devices. These options are described in Table 1.

Method

How

Connected

Detail

vNet devices Ethernet • Allows data loggers to be

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

• Requires installation of vNet drivers (provided)

• Requires use of vNet device

Digi device Ethernet • Allows data loggers to be

connected to the PC across an Ethernet network, allowing the PC and loggers 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 data loggers to connect directly or over an Ethernet network (when logger 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 loggers to PCs

Chapter 1: Getting Started

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

The outlined System Requirements apply to all installation

options.

System Requirements

To install viewLinc, you need:

• Vaisala Veriteq data loggers or Vaisala 300 Series Transmitters (both are referred to as ‘loggers’ 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 loggers to Digi devices and attaching loggers to USB or Serial ports on a viewLinc Server)

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

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

Serial port Vaisala Veriteq

serial port cable

• Allows data loggers to connect directly or over an Ethernet network (when logger host is installed) to the viewLinc server

• Requires a Serial port on a PC

• Requires a Serial to Logger cable

Method

How

Connected

Detail

Table 1: Methods of attaching loggers to PCs

System Requirements

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 5

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

® Windows XP

•Microsoft

® Windows 7 or Windows Server 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

® Internet Explorer® 6.0 or later;

Mozilla

® Firefox® 3.5 or later are recommended).

• The Historical database requires 200KB/channel/day. The default location of the database is the application folder, and the location of the application folder can be specified during installation.

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

Large size installation (300-1000 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 (20-299 channels)

• machine may be shared with other applications

• 1.6 GHz Dual Core

•4 GB RAM

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

Chapter 1: Getting Started

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

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 or later; Mozilla Firefox 3.5 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 loggers can be connected to the system. The four methods are:

• using a vNet device to connect loggers to the network

• using a Digi device to connect loggers to the network

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

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

If you are connecting 300 Series Transmitter loggers, 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

Installing viewLinc

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 7

USB/Serial ports. For copies of Quick Start Guides, see www.vaisala.com/veriteq or speak to your sales representative.

Connecting Loggers

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

Method 1: Using vNet Devices

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

Attaching Main Hardware

1 Remove protective label on the bottom of the data

logger.

2 Connect the data logger 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

Figure 1: Overview of viewLinc system using vNet devices

Chapter 1: Getting Started

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.

Installing Vaisala Veriteq Drivers

This section covers installing the drivers for vNet devices to connect Vaisala Veriteq loggers 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/veriteq 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

Next.

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

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

Next two

times.

2 In the Configure RealPort Settings screen, select Install

RealPort on this computer, then click

Next.

Click Next again. The settings are saved.

4 Click Finish.

Repeat Installing Vaisala Veriteq Drivers for each vNet

device.

Installing viewLinc

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 9

Method 2: Using Digi Devices

The following procedure shows how to use Digi devices to connect your data loggers to the network.

Attaching Main Hardware

1 Connect your data logger 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/veriteq.

Installing Digi Drivers

This section covers installing the drivers for Digi devices to connect Vaisala Veriteq loggers 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/veriteq for instructions.

Figure 2: Overview of viewLinc system using Digi devices

Chapter 1: Getting Started

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

Click

Next.

4 Select the device that matches the MAC address from

the bottom of your Digi device. Click

Next.

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

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

Configuring RealPort and Installing Drivers

1 In the Configure Network Settings screen, enter an IP

address (provided by your IT department). Click

Next two

times.

2 In the Configure RealPort Settings screen, select “Install

Digi RealPort on this computer”. Click

Next.

Click Next again. The settings are saved.

4 Click Finish.

Repeat Installing Digi Drivers for each Digi device.

Method 3: Using USB Port

You can also connect data loggers directly to PCs using a USB Port, as shown in Figure 3.

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

Installing viewLinc

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 11

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 loggers to.

Connecting Hardware

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

Logger 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 loggers are connected.

Method 4: Using Serial Port

You can also connect data loggers 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 data logger to a Vaisala Veriteq Serial port

cable.

2 Connect the Serial port cable to your viewLinc Server or

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

Repeat these steps for all data loggers.

Installing Spectrum or vLog Software

Once your data loggers are installed, you are ready to install either Spectrum or vLog software.

Note: If you use 300 SeriesTransmitters, you are not

required to install Spectrum or vLog Software.

Installing Spectrum (for non-validatable environments), or vLog (for validatable environments) allows you to:

• set sample intervals

• enable or disable channels

• specify logger and channel descriptions

• store historical data for backup purposes

Chapter 1: Getting Started

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

Refer to the Spectrum or vLog User Guides for installation instructions.

Installing viewLinc Software

Now you are ready to install viewLinc which will be used to make data logger 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 Loggers connected to it available to the viewLinc server.

To install viewLinc on the viewLinc Server: 1

On your viewLinc Server, insert the viewLinc CD and run setup.exe.

2 Select the installation language. 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 and database, then click

Next. 6 Select Enterprise Server, and click Next. 7 If you are upgrading from an earlier version of viewLinc

and you want to retain the settings used in your older version of viewLinc, select

Import Settings.

8 viewLinc Server requires an open TCP port for

communication. The installer defaults to port 80; if port 80 is taken, the installer offers a new port number. Make a note of this port number - you’ll need it when logging in to viewLinc. Click

Next. 9 Click Install. 10 Click Finish.

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

Logging In to viewLinc

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 13

To install viewLinc on an offsite host PC: 1

Insert viewLinc CD and run setup.exe.

2 Select the installation language. 3 Start the Setup Wizard by clicking Next. 4

Review and accept the License Agreement, then click

Next.

5 Choose a destination location for the viewLinc program

files, then click

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

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 loggers and in the viewLinc historical database

• receive alarms if conditions are outside limits you set or if

there is a communications problem

• receive other system-related alarms

When you are ready to start using viewLinc, such as setting alarms, configuring email settings, and scheduling logger data transfers, log in to viewLinc from a supported Internet browser. Supported Internet browsers include Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, or Mozilla Firefox 3.5 or later.

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 68).

To log in to viewLinc: 1

Double-click the desktop icon .

Chapter 1: Getting Started

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 (if no port number is specified, 80 is used by default).

3 In the login screen, enter your username and password.

Click

Note: The default administrator username and pass-

word are both “admin”.

4 The main viewLinc screen appears, showing available

channels or (the first time you log in) an empty “My Channels” screen.

If you don’t see any channel data, go to the Channels tab. In the Zones area, select a channel from the list, and

click Refresh. The selected channel’s data will

appear.

If no channels display, your data logger may not be connected properly, you may not have Channels assigned to you, or there could be a problem with viewLinc itself. If you use Vaisala Veriteq data loggers, try discovering loggers - see “Discovering Loggers” on page 54.

Note: The administrator may have set up the system to

prompt you for your password periodically to

Administrator’s Road Map

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 15

ensure system security. When prompted, reenter your password. To change or set the session expiry, see “Setting Session Expiry Time” on page 71.

For more on channels, see Chapter 2: Channels.

Administrator’s Road Map

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

1 Edit Vaisala Veriteq logger properties using vLog or

Spectrum (such as sample timing and data logger channels).

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

specific users will be notified of alarms, set Contact Schedules (see “Creating Contact Schedules” on page 65).

3 Create User Accounts (see “Creating User Accounts” on

page 67.)

4 Choose temperature measurement unit preferences (see

“Choosing Temperature Measurement Unit Preferences” on page 70.)

5 Configure email settings (see“Configuring Email

Settings” on page 61).

6 Edit alarm email templates (see “Editing Alarm Email

Templates” on page 63).

7 Create alarm and threshold templates (see “Creating

Alarm Templates” on page 36).

8 Add loggers (see “Adding Loggers” on page 54). 9 Set and configure alarm thresholds (see “Threshold

Alarms” on page 42).

10 Configure alarms (see the sections on setting threshold,

communication and logger alarms in Chapter 3: Alarms).

11 Create zones, assign channels to zones and edit channel

properties (see “Organizing Channels into Zones” on page 27).

Chapter 1: Getting Started

Once these set up activities are complete, you are ready to start monitoring logger readings, viewing events and printing reports. You can also set up transfer schedules to view and analyze Vaisala Veriteq logger data in vLog or Spectrum software (see “Transfers and Transfer Schedules” on page 88).

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/ veriteq.

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

Outside of North America:

helpdesk@vaisala.com

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

Getting Help

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 17

Phone: +81 3 3266 9611

Fax: +81 3 3266 9610

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 1: Getting Started

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 19

Chapter 2: Channels

This section is for administrators and general users.

In this section, you’ll learn about:

• channels and zones

• selecting channels and zones to display in My Channels

• opening large channel views

• viewing and working with real-time graphs in a large

channel view

• creating zones

• organizing channels into zones

• editing zones

• deactivating zones

• displaying or hiding channel information

Let’s get started learning what a channel is in viewLinc.

Chapter 2: Channels

About Channels

What is a Channel?

Depending on the type of Vaisala data loggers you have installed, a logger may have up to five channels available to measure temperature, relative humidity, voltage and/or current (one channel is used for each type of measurement).

Note: 300 Series Transmitters Output Quantities are

displayed as Channels.

Each channel displays the type of data being measured. Using viewLinc, you can monitor any data logger channel that is connected to the network.

When you first log in to viewLinc, the Channels window displays. This window includes:

• zones available for monitoring

• data logger channels available for the selected zone

• active monitoring channels and actual channel data

• threshold indicators

• context-sensitive Help

Where are my Channels?

If you don’t see any channels in the My Channels area, it could be that:

• There are no zones or channels selected. In the Zones area, ensure at least one channel or zone has the check

box next to it selected, then click

Refresh in the My

Channels area.

• Your logger may not be connected properly.

• If you use Vaisala Veriteq loggers, try discovering loggers see “Discovering Loggers” on page 54.

About Channels

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 21

Understanding the Channels Screen

The Channels screen in viewLinc contains many important features:

My Channels displays general information about your logger and channels. Most columns are easy to understand; however, here are a few definitions to help you get familiar

Zone channels available

Zones button

My Channels button bar

Zones area

Tabs

bar

button bar

Zone channels

My Channels area

Help window

Item Details

Tabs Contains main viewLinc tabs: Channels, Trans-

fers, Events, System, Alarms, Reports.

Zones button bar

Contains buttons like Refresh, Pause Alarming, etc.

Zones area Where configuration of zones takes place. Use

zones to organize the many channels that may be connected to viewLinc.

Zones channels available

List of data logger channels available for a selected zone.

My Channels area

Includes details on channel configurations, current data readings, latest timestamp and threshold alarm setting information.

Table 2: Important parts of the Channels screen

Chapter 2: Channels

with viewLinc. To see all options, see “Hiding and Showing Channel Columns” on page 31:

Opening Large Channel Views

This window contains the most current data reading for the channel, 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 channel reading in a

single window, or you can open multiple channel

Column Displays

Zone Zone the channel is in.

Logger Description Logger description (editable from the Sys-

tem tab).

Channel Number Number representing the channel for that

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

Channel Description Description of channel (editable from the

System tab).

Value Value of that channel, for example, tem-

perature in Celsius.

Timestamp Time that the last channel reading was

taken.

Status “OK” appears if there are no currently

active alarms. Changes to indicate if a threshold alarm condition or any other alarm has been detected.

Threshold Summary Summary of threshold status, if active.

Alarming Indicates whether the channel or logger is

currently alarming (having reached an alarm threshold).

Table 3: Columns of information in My Channels

Real-Time Graphs

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 23

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 t ab in the current win-

dow.

To open a large channel view: 1

From the Channels tab in the My Channels area, select a channel you want to view.

2 Click View or double-click the selected channel line.

A new resizeable window containing information about the selected channel appears.

3 Repeat steps 1 and 2 to view multiple large channel

views.

To close a large channel view, click the close box in the top right corner of the window.

To acknowledge an alarm, see “Acknowledging Alarms” on page 49.

Real-Time Graphs

With viewLinc, you can view live data in graphical form at any time. Each graph displays the last 300 or 1000 data points (based on the sample interval set for the logger and the

Chapter 2: Channels

Internet browser you use), and threshold values for the corresponding time period.

To view live data as a graph: 1

From the Channels tab, in the My Channels area, select a channel you to want to view.

2 Click View (or double-click the selected channel line)

This opens the large channel view.

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

Reading Graphs in Large Channel View

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

Item Description

Title bar Displays the name of the active logger and

type of 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.

Numerical display area Displays most current data value in units

being measured, as defined by the user(see page “Choosing Temperature Measurement Unit Preferences” on page 70 to change).

Graph area A graphical representation of data history

is displayed here.

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

the graph.

Table 4: Large channel view elements

Real-Time Graphs

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 25

Viewing Graph Detail in Large Channel View

With a large channel 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).

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

use Internet Explorer 6.0, you can only view the last 300 data points; all other browsers will show the last 1000 points).

Channel Line Indicated by a line to show historical mea-

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.

Status bar Indicates channel monitoring status (OK or

Alarm condition type).

Item Description

Table 4: Large channel view elements

Chapter 2: Channels

Acknowledging Alarms from Large Channel View

From a large channel view window, you can acknowledge alarms.

To acknowledg e an alarm from a large channel view: 1

From the large channel view Active Alarm panel, click

Acknowledge.

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.

Use your mouse to click and select a time period.

Release the mouse to view the details.

Organizing Channels into Zones

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 27

Click Acknowledge.

Organizing Channels into Zones

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

By default, there is one zone created, Unassigned. All available channels and recently disconnected channels are contained in this zone until otherwise configured.

Creating Zones

To create a new zone: 1

From the Channels tab in the Zones area, click New.

2 In the Zone Name dialog box, enter a name for the zone.

Chapter 2: Channels

3 Click OK. The new zone appears in the Zones area

under Unassigned.

Editing Zones

To edit a zone (the zone name only): 1

From the Channels tab in the Zones area, highlight the zone you want to edit.

2 Click Edit. 3 In the Zone name dialog box, make your changes. 4 Click OK.

Editing zones edits the zone name only; it does not change the channels assigned within it. To move channels in and out

of zones, see Assigning Channels to Zones.

Assigning Channels to Zones

To assign a channel to a zone: 1

Before you can move channels into a zone, channels must be set up by your viewLinc administrator. Refer to the specific User Guide to learn more about enabling and disabling logger channels on your Vaisala Veriteq logger or 300 Series Transmitter.

2 From the Channels tab in the Zones area, ensure you

have created the zone you want to assign a channel to. You must have at least one zone created (in addition to Unassigned which is created by default) in order to assign channels.

Organizing Channels into Zones

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 29

In the Zones area, highlight the zone (in this case, the Unassigned zone) that contains the channel you want to reassign.

4 In the Zone Unassigned Channels area (below Zones),

highlight the channel you want to reassign.

Note: To select multiple channels at one time, press

the Ctrl key while you select channels. To select a group of channels in a list, press the Shift key

and select the first and last channels.

Click Cut.

6 In the Zones area, highlight the name of the zone you

want to reassign the channel to (in this case, Lab 1).

7 In the Zone Unassigned Channels area, click Paste.

The channel appears in the zone you pasted it into. You

Chapter 2: Channels

may need to select your channel destination zone or click

Refresh to view the result.

Deactivating Zones

When you deactivate a zone, the channels revert to the default Zone, Unassigned, if they are not included in other zones.

To deactivate a zone: 1

From the Channels tab in the Zones area, select the zone you want to deactivate. Note that you cannot deactivate the Unassigned zone.

2 Click Deactivate Selected Zone. The Deactivate Zone

dialog box appears.

3 Click Yes. The zone is deactivated and its channel(s)

reappear in the Unassigned

zone.

To move channels between zones, see “Assigning Channels to Zones” on page 28.

Ordering Channel Columns

To re-sort the display order in My Channels: 1

From the Channels tab in the My Channels area, let your mouse hover over any column heading until the black option button appears.

2 Click the button and select Sort Ascending or Sort

Descending

, or, click on any column header to sort all the rows using that column. Click again to resort the list in the opposite order.

Organizing Channels into Zones

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 31

Hiding and Showing Channel Columns

To hide columns in My Channels: 1

From the Channels tab in the My Channels area, let your mouse hover over any column heading, then click the black option button.

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.

You’ve now looked at how channels work - let’s move on to learn how to configure, trigger and acknowledge alarms.

Chapter 2: Channels

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 33

Chapter 3: Alarms

Alarms and alarm acknowledgement are one of 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 communication alarms

• deactivate and reactivate alarms

• acknowledge alarms

• pause alarms

To learn about how to generate Alarm reports, see

Chapter 6: Reports.

Let’s get started looking at alarms.

Chapter 3: Alarms

About Alarms

Users with Full Control, Configure Alarms, and Configure Custom Threshold permissions can set 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 alarms in viewLinc.

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

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

Using viewLinc, you can customize the alarm information that is issued for threshold, communication and logger alarms by configuring them from the System | Loggers tab.

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.

Communication Alarms

Communication alarms notify users when communication between a host (Logger Host or viewLinc Server) and its data loggers is down. This may be because viewLinc Server can not communicate with the logger, or the data logger 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

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 35

Event Log Validation Alarms

An Event Log Validation alarm indicates that the viewLinc event log historical data has been modified or tampered with and is therefore no longer validatable.

Logger Configuration Alarms

If you receive a Configuration Alarm, this indicates that your data logger 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 logger could have an internal error. This alarm can also be triggered if a channel has been disabled in the logger using Spectrum or vLog. To correct this issue, you can verify or modify the Vaisala Veriteq data logger settings using vLog. If the problem persists, contact your Vaisala technical support representative.

Logger Validation Alarms

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

Logger Calibration Alarms

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

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 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.

• An email can be sent. If configured, emails are automatically sent to the address (or addresses) specified when threshold limits are exceeded, communications are interrupted, or an event log or logger alarm condition is

Chapter 3: Alarms

present. Alarm emails can be sent repeatedly based on how alarm properties have been set.

• An application can be launched or an external device 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.

• All of the above. You can also set up a tree alarm hierarchy, a method of notifying different individuals of an alarm if the first notification is not acknowledged within a specified time frame.

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

Creating Alarm Templates

viewLinc provides you with five default alarm templates, one each for threshold alarms, communication alarms, and three types of logger 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 logger channels (applies to the general parameters - color code, alarm message, delay, acknowledgement, as well as notifications and comments).

You can also create a reusable threshold condition and assign it to a specific alarm template (see “To create a threshold condition template:” on page 41).

To create an alarm template: 1

From Alarms | Alarm Templates, click Add Alarm

Template

Creating Alarm Templates

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 37

By default, the alarm template name is New Alarm 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 My Channels, if activated. It is also used as the color for a threshold line in a real-time 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 D elay 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.

c In the Delay before pop up field, indicate a delay, in

hours and/or minutes (HH:MM), before you want the 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.

Chapter 3: Alarms

5 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.

To enter a specific email or multiple email addresses to receive notification (ones that are not pre-configured in System | Users), enter the email addresses in the

Send email to text box. Separate multiple email ad-

dresses 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 | Users with a specific contact schedule, viewLinc will ignore the schedule and send the notification.

Click the User List text box to view a list of users authorized to receive notifications. Only users for whom you have specified an email address in System | Users are visible (see “Creating User Accounts” on page 67). Drag users to notify to the Selected Users column. Re-

Creating Alarm Templates

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 39

organize the list order if necessary using the arrow buttons. Click

OK.

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

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).

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 63.

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).

Chapter 3: Alarms

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 63), or enter a new

Creating Alarm Templates

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 41

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 enter a new comment you want displayed in the notification.

8 When alarm settings are complete, click Save.

You can now apply this alarm template to one or more loggers or channels (see “Setting Threshold Alarms” on page 42 or “Setting Communication Alarms” on page 45). If you want to make minor changes to the template while applying to loggers, see “Editing Threshold Alarms” on page 44, “Editing Communication Alarms” on page 46, or “Editing Logger Alarms” on page 48.

To create a threshold condition template: 1

From Alarms | Threshold Templates, click Add

Threshold Template

2 By default, the template is named New Threshold

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

3 Set the threshold condition. 4 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

Use Alarm Template (see

“Creating Alarm Templates” on page 36).

Chapter 3: Alarms

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

complete the fields in the General Parameters, Notifications, and Comments tabs.

6 When you are finished creating your threshold template,

click

Save.

Threshold Alarms

Users with the correct permissions set logger 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.

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.

To set a threshold alarm: 1

From System | Loggers, in the Channels on Logger column, select the channel or channels you want to set the threshold alarm for.

Note: To select multiple channels at one time, press

the Ctrl key while you select channels. To select a group of channels in a list, press the Shift key and select the first and last channels.

Threshold Alarms

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 43

Select Threshold, and click Create X Thresho ld (where X represents the unit reading measured by the channel, such as C or RH or mA).

The Edit Threshold screen appears.

3 To set a threshold alarm using an existing threshold

template (recommended), select

Use Threshold

Template

, then select the template from the drop-down

list.

4 To set a custom threshold, select Use Custom Threshold

Settings

and define the threshold condition. For example, a temperature alarm that is triggered when the temperature goes above 21C.

5 To use an existing alarm template, select Use Alarm

Template

, then select the template from the drop-down

list.

6 To set up custom alarm settings, select Use Custom

Alarm Settings

7 Set your alarm settings on the General Parameters,

Notifications, and Comments tabs following steps 3 to 8 in “Creating Alarm Templates” on page 36.

Chapter 3: Alarms

Editing Threshold Alarms

To edit a threshold alarm: 1

In System | Loggers, select the channel you want to edit thresholds for, and then select the threshold to edit.

2 On the Threshold menu, click Edit Threshold. The Edit

Threshold screen displays.

3 Edit threshold settings as desired. 4 Click Save.

Disabling Threshold Alarms

You can temporarily disable alarms without deleting all the setting information (for example, when you want to move a logger from one location to another).

To temporarily disable a threshold alarm: 1

In System | Loggers, highlight the row of the channel you want to disable thresholds for.

2 On the Threshold menu, select Edit Threshold. 3 In the Edit Threshold screen, deselect Enable Threshold

Alarm.

4 Click Save.

Note: You can also pause alarms - for more informa-

tion, see “Pausing Alarms” on page 50.

Deactivating and Reactivating Threshold Alarms

You may want to deactivate a logger’s channel threshold alarm because it is no longer required. A deactivated threshold “disappears”, but can be reactivated.

To deactiv ate a threshold alarm: 1

In System | Loggers, highlight the row of the channel you want to disable thresholds for.

2 On the Threshold menu, select Deactivate Threshold. To reactivate a deactivated alarm:

Click Show Deactivated Items.

2 From the list of thresholds that appear, highlight one and select

Reactivate Threshold.

Communication Alarms

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 45

Note: You can also pause alarms - for more informa-

tion, see “Pausing Alarms” on page 50.

Communication Alarms

Communication between loggers and the viewLinc Server is essential for real-time monitoring of conditions. Because of this, viewLinc includes communication alarms to notify users if communications are down at any point. By default there is one communication alarm preconfigured for each host and each logger. You can either edit the default alarms, or set up additional communication alarms.

Setting Communication Alarms

To set a communica tion alarm: 1

From System | Loggers, select the host or logger you want to set the communication alarm for.

2 To set a Logger Host communication alarm, on the Host

menu select,

Host Communication Alarm Settings.

Chapter 3: Alarms

3 To set a Logger communication alarm, on the Logger

menu select

Logger Alarm Settings, then Logger

Communication Alarm Settings

The Communications Alarm Settings screen appears.

4 Select Enable Alarm (an alarm is not ‘live’ until it is

enabled).

5 To set a communication alarm using an existing alarm

template, select

Use Alarm Template, then select the

template from the drop-down list.

6 To set custom alarm settings, select Use Custom Alarm

Settings

7 Set your alarm settings on the General Parameters,

Notifications, and Comments tabs following steps 3 to 8 in “Creating Alarm Templates” on page 36.

Editing Communication Alarms

By default, there is one communication alarm preconfigured for each host and logger. These alarms cannot be deleted; however, they can be edited.

Communication Alarms

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 47

To edit communication alarms: 1

From System | Loggers, highlight the name of the host or logger whose communication alarm you want to edit.

2 To edit a Logger Host communication alarm, on the Host

menu select,

Host Communication Alarm Settings.

3 To edit a Logger communication alarm, on the Logger

menu select

Logger Alarm Settings, then Logger

Communication Alarm Settings

. The Communication

Alarm Settings screen appears.

4 Edit alarm settings as desired. 5 Click Save.

Disabling Communication Alarms

You can temporarily disable communication alarms without deleting all the setting information.

To temporarily disable alarms: 1

From System | Loggers, highlight the name of the host or logger whose communication alarm you want to disable.

2 On the Host or Logger menu, select Communication

Alarm Settings.

The Communications Alarm Settings

screen appears.

3 Deselect the Enable Alarm check box. 4 Click Save.

Note: You can also pause alarms - for more informa-

tion, see “Pausing Alarms” on page 50.

Chapter 3: Alarms

Logger Alarms

Ensuring the continuous functionality of your logger is required for accurate real-time monitoring. Because of this, viewLinc includes logger calibration, validation and configuration alarms to notify users if logger functionality is compromised at any point. By default, there are three logger alarms (in addition to the Logger Communication alarm) preconfigured for each logger. These alarms cannot be deleted; however, they can be edited.

Setting Logger Alarms

To set a logger alarm: 1

From System | Loggers, select the logger you want to set the logger alarm for.

2 On the Logger menu select Logger Alarm Settings, then

select the logger alarm type you want to set. The Alarm Settings screen appears.

3 Select Enable Alarm (an alarm is not ‘live’ until it is

enabled).

4 To set a logger alarm using an existing alarm template,

select Use Alarm Template, then select the template

from the drop-down list.

5 To set custom alarm settings, select Use Custom Alarm

Settings and use the General Parameters, Notifications, and Comments tabs to define custom settings (see steps 3 through 8 in “Creating Alarm Templates” on page 36).

Editing Logger Alarms

To edit a logger alarm: 1

From System | Loggers, select the logger you want to edit the logger alarm for.

2 On the Logger menu select Logger Alarm Settings, then

select the logger alarm type you want to edit.

3 Edit alarm settings as desired. 4 Click Save.

Acknowledging Alarms

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 49

Disabling Logger Alarms

To dis able a logger alarm: 1

From System | Loggers, select the logger whose alarm you want to disable.

2 On the Logger menu select Logger Alarm Setting s, then

select the logger alarm type you want to disable.

3 Deselect the Enable Alarm check box. 4 Click Save.

Note: You can also pause alarms - for more informa-

tion, see “Pausing Alarms” on page 50.

Acknowledging Alarms

All users can receive alarms, but only users with the correct permission can acknowledge alarms.

If an alarm is set to require alarm acknowledgement, alarms must be acknowledged. You must be logged in to viewLinc to acknowledge alarms.

Acknowledgement information, such as the action taken and any comments, is tracked in the Event Log and Historical

database. For more information, see Chapter 5: Events and Chapter 6: Reports.

Alarms can also be configured so they do not require acknowledgement. See “Setting Threshold Alarms” on page 42, “Setting Communication Alarms” on page 45, and “Setting Logger Alarms” on page 48 for more.

When an alarm is triggered, a new row appears in the Alarms tab.

This section covers acknowledging alarms using the Active Alarms tab. You can also acknowledge alarms from a large channel view (see “Acknowledging Alarms from Large Channel View” on page 26).

To acknowledge alarms from the alarms tab: 1

From Alarms | Active Alarms, select the active alarm,

then click

Acknowledge.

Chapter 3: Alarms

2 The Acknowledge Alarm dialog box appears, prompting

you to enter actions taken and comments.

3 Click Acknowledge. Your comments and actions are

added to the Event log and the Acknowledge Alarm box closes. My Channels is updated with this change in status.

Pausing Alarms

You may want to pause alarms if you need to move loggers, or if a certain known situation may result in conditions exceeding set thresholds. Pausing alarms is faster than disabling alarms for a temporary period. You can pause an alarm for up to 24 hours.

To pause all alarms in a zone:

 From Channels | My Channels, select the zone to pause

and click

Pause Alarming. You can also select specific

loggers or channels to pause.

To pause an alarm: 1

From System | Loggers, select the logger or channel to pause alarms for.

2 To pause all logger alarms or an individual channel

alarm, select

Logger or Channel, then Pause Alarming.

3 In the Pause Alarming dialog box, enter a reason for the

pause and select the amount of time to pause alarms for. Click

OK.

Pausing Alarms

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 51

In the My Channels area, the alarming status column changes to show how long alarms are paused for.

To resume alarming for one or more channels in a zone:

 From Channels | My Channels, select one or more zones

to restore, loggers or channels and click

Resume

Alarming.

To resum e an alarm: 1

From System | Loggers, select the logger or channel to resume alarms for.

2 To resume all logger alarms or an individual channel

alarm, select

Logger or Channel, then Resume

Alarming.

Chapter 3: Alarms

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 53

Chapter 4: System Settings

There are several important administration screens in viewLinc, all hosted under the System tab. This section covers the administration tasks you need to know about, including:

• discovering loggers

• adding loggers

• swapping loggers

• removing loggers

• editing logger and channel 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 channels

• choosing logger and channel 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 5: Events, and Chapter 6: Reports. For information on setting threshold alarms, see Chapter 3: Alarms.

Let’s begin working with Loggers and Channels within System.

Chapter 4: System Settings

Discovering Loggers

To disco ver recently-attached Vaisala Veriteq loggers which may not show up in My Channels automatically:

Note: 300 Series Transmitters are not recognized by

viewLinc using the Discover Loggers procedure; viewLinc recognizes them automatically (or you can use your Digi Discovery software if required).

 From System | Loggers click Logger, then select Discover

Loggers.

Note: This process may take several minutes, depend-

ing on the number of Vaisala Veriteq loggers and/or components in your network.

Adding Loggers

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

• discovering loggers will take too long

• you are adding a 300 Series Transmitter logger

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

Note: To add multiple Vaisala Veriteq loggers at one

time, see “Discovering Loggers” on page 54.

Adding Loggers

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 55

To add a Vaisala Veriteq logger: 1

From System | Loggers click the Logger menu, then select

Add Logger.

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

Device Class dropdown list.

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

Series Transmitter loggers, select Upload Definitions File then enter or browse to the correct file. To add several Vaisala Veriteq Loggers, see “Discovering Loggers” on page 54. To create a Definitions File, see page 95.

To add a 300 Series Transmitter Logger:

Note: Ensure no other users are logged on to the

transmitter you want to add.

From System | Loggers click the Logger menu, then select

Add Logger.

Chapter 4: System Settings

2 In the Add Logger screen, select 300 Series Transmitter

from the Device Class dropdown list.

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 TCP Port: Default is 23 (can’t be changed) d IP Address: See your administrator or check the log-

ger box.

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

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

f Connection Timeout: To ensure continuous monitor-

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

4 To add several 300 Series Transmitters or a combination

of Vaisala Veriteq loggers and 300 Series Transmitter loggers, select Upload Definitions File then enter or browse to the correct file. To create a Definitions File, see see page 95.

Swapping Loggers

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

Note: If a logger is removed without being swapped,

this will trigger a communication alarm.

When a logger is swapped, the change is noted on the channel history report (the report shows logger serial number for a reporting period). If, during the reporting period, the logger was swapped, this event is listed in the report summary). The new logger inherits the logger ID, logger and channel descriptions (Vaisala Veriteq loggers only), alarm settings and transfer schedule.

Swapping Loggers

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 57

To swap a logger: 1

Ensure the new logger has the same settings as the logger to be swapped (see System | Loggers, or refer to the vLog, Spectrum or your Vaisala product User Guide):

Note: Each Vaisala Veriteq logger must be reviewed

separately using vLog or Spectrum, and the COM port to which they are connected must be selected from Tools | Options.

• COM port/IP address. Logger 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. Logger is not retired or deactivated.

•

Status. Logger is not in active alarm mode.

•

Sample Interval. Loggers have the same sample

interval.

•

Channels. Loggers have the same channels enabled

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

•

Audit Trail. Vaisala Veriteq loggers are not linked to a

vLog Audit Trail.

2 From System | Loggers, select the Host and then the

logger you want to swap (remove).

3 On the Logger menu, select Pause Alarming. 4 In the Pause Alarming screen, you can add a comment

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

5 Click OK. 6 Disconnect the logger you want to swap, and connect the

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

7 Click Refresh to update the logger list (you may have to

wait a few minutes for the logger to appear). If the new logger has been previously swapped it will be found in the list of deactivated loggers (to view, click Show Deactivated Items on the System | Loggers page).

Chapter 4: System Settings

8 From System | Loggers, select the logger you have

removed.

9 On the Logger menu, select Swap Logger.

10 Verify the correct logger is identified in the With field, then

click

OK. viewLinc will reassign the logger.

11 If you want the new logger to resume alarming, on the

Loggers menu, select

Resume Alarming.

Removing Loggers

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

To deactivate a logger: 1

From System | Loggers, select the Host and then the logger you want to deactivate.

2 On the Logger menu click Deactivate Logger.

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

Yes.

You can now remove the logger from the network.

Editing Logger Properties and Aliases

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 59

Editing Logger Properties and Aliases

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

Editing logger properties allows you to specify a description or alias that viewLinc will use for that logger. You can set which identification (logger description and/or alias) viewLinc uses in System | Preferences | Logger Description (see “Choosing Logger and Channel Description Lengths (Aliases)” on page 69).

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

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

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

To edit logger properties: 1

From System | Loggers, select the Host and then the logger whose properties you want to edit.

2 On the Logger menu select Edit Logger. Or, double-

click the logger row.

3 In the Edit Logger Properties screen, in the Description

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

Chapter 4: System Settings

in System | Preferences that viewLinc displays aliases instead of the descriptions stored in the loggers.

4 Click OK to save.

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 logger you use, not all logger

channels can have their descriptions modified.

To edit channel properties: 1

From System | Loggers, select the Host and then the logger whose channel’s properties you want to edit.

2 Select the channel you want to edit. 3 On the Channel menu select Edit Channel. Or, double-

click the channel row.

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 System | Preferences that viewLinc displays aliases instead of the descriptions stored in the loggers.

Configuring Email Settings

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 61

In the Description text box, enter a description (maximum 16 alpha-numeric characters).

6 If you do not want to use the system default temperature

units (set on the System | Preferences tab), you can modify the temperature units used for a specific channel. To clear existing unit preferences and accept the system default, click in the Preferred Units field to select the option,

Use System Default.

Click OK to save.

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.

To configure Email Settings: 1

In viewLinc, choose System | Email. The Email screen appears, showing the email templates in use for various viewLinc messages.

Chapter 4: System Settings

Click Email Settings. The Mail Settings screen appears.

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

used to receive all system notifications.

4 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

5 In the Outgoing Server area, enter:

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

• an outgoing mail server port (your IT Administrator will have this information)

• an appropriate server timeout interval

6 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

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 63

If your outgoing mail server requires confirmation through a POP3 connection before sending mail, configure the following settings:

a Select POP3 connection 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.

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

continue. If not, adjust settings as indicated in these steps until the test email is sent successfully.

9 Click Save.

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 Logger 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:

• Logger description

•Event Type

• Details of Alarm

•Date

•Time

• Channel

• Comments (custom or preconfigured comments)

To edit email templates: 1

From System | Email, select the row containing the email template you want to edit and click

Edit Email

Template

. Or, double-click the row to edit. The Email

Template

screen appears.

Chapter 4: System Settings

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

Macros and select the variable you

want to use from the drop-down list.

3 When you are finished, click Save.

Working with Users

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

It is important to change the admin password as soon as possible (see “Editing Users and Passwords” on page 68).

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).

Working with Users

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 65

viewLinc offers several user security levels, as outlined in the following table:

Creating 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).

Security Level Privileges

Full Control • full privileges

• in viewLinc 3.4 and previous, this was an “Administrator” account

• sees all channels (cannot assign or limit channels)

Configure Alarms • same as Configure Custom

Thresholds and can configure alarms

• sees all channels (cannot assign or limit channels)

Configure Custom Thresholds

• same as Acknowledge Alarms and can configure alarm thresholds

Acknowledge Alarms • same as View and can

acknowledge alarms

View • show and hide zones

• view, edit, print and sort event logs

• generate alarm and historical data reports

• can be assigned a limited set of channels to view

Table 5: Privileges associated with each viewLinc User Security Level

Chapter 4: System Settings

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 schedules: 1

From System | Contact Schedules, click Add Contact

Schedule.

The Contact Schedule area becomes active.

From the State drop-down, choose Enabled. This allows you to set start date, repeat days pattern, and the time periods.

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.

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”.

Working with Users

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 67

Creating User Accounts

To create user accounts: 1

From System | Users, click Add User.

In the User Properties screen, enter a login name for the

user.

3 Enter an email for the user. 4 viewLinc allows you to specify when a user is working so

they can be notified of alarms at their email address only when they are working. From the Schedule drop-down, choose a Schedule for the user: Always (they are always notified of alarms), Never (they are never notified), or another schedule listed.

Note: To specify Schedules, see “Creating Contact

Schedules” on page 65.

5 From the Security area, select the channels the user can

see. Either select “View All Channels”, or click the Channels button to specify certain ones.

Chapter 4: System Settings

6 Select the user’s security level:

•

View = User can view data only (channels and alarm

status, generate reports).

•

Acknowledge Alarms = User has View rights, and can

acknowledge alarms.

•

Configure Custom Thresholds = User has View and

Acknowledge rights, and can configure alarm thresholds.

•

Configure Alarms = User has View and Acknowledge

rights, can configure alarm thresholds, communication alarms and logger alarms.

•

Full Control = User has all permissions: add/deactivate

loggers, edit logger and channel descriptions, manage users, set system preferences, create, view and assign reports.

7 If using Windows authentication, select the Windows

authentication check box. viewLinc will rely on Windows to verify the user's password at login time. Use this option to let users log on to viewLinc with their regular Windows user name and password.

8 Enter and confirm a password (this field is available only

if using viewLinc authentication).

9 Click Save.

Note: viewLinc offers the ability to have users re-con-

firm their identity by re-entering their user name and password either whenever a change is made, or after a set number of minutes. To set this preference, see “Setting Session Expiry Time” on page 71.

Editing Users and Passwords

To edit user accounts and passwords: 1

In viewLinc, go to System | Users.

2 Select the user to edit and choose Edit User. Or,

double-click the row containing the use you want to edit. The User Properties screen appears.

3 From the User Properties screen, edit settings as

needed.

4 Click Save.

Choosing Logger and Channel Description Lengths (Aliases)

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 69

Note: You can only edit passwords in viewLinc if you

are not using Windows authentication.

Deactivating Users

To deactivate a user: 1

From System | Users, select the User you want to deactivate.

2 Click Deactivate User. 3

Click Yes to confirm the change.

Reactivating Users

To reactivate a u ser: 1 From System | Users, click Show Deactivated Users.

All deactivated users appear in grey text.

2 Select the user you want to reactivate and click

Reactivate User.

Choosing Logger and Channel Description Lengths (Aliases)

Vaisala Veriteq loggers 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 logger or channel, up to maximum of 64 characters.

To choose whether viewLinc should display the description stored in the logger or its alias, set the Channel Description and/or Logger Description preference in System | Preferences.

Chapter 4: System Settings

To set the Ch annel or Logger Description preference: 1

In viewLinc, go to System | Preferences.

2 In the Channel Description row, choose “Use Channel

Description from Logger” or “Use Channel Alias” from the Value drop-down.

3 Repeat your preference choice for Logger Description.

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: 1

In viewLinc, go to System | Preferences.

2 In the Name column, select Preferred Temperature Units

and in the Value column, choose either

Celsius (C) or

Fahrenheit (F).

Note: This procedure does not alter how the logger

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 3.6 Administrator Guide 71

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.

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 sess ion expiry: 1

From viewLinc, choose System | 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.

Chapter 4: System Settings

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

To create preconfigured comments: 1

From System | Comments click Add.

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

comment and press

[Enter].

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

From System | Loggers, highlight a logger to set a comment for, then click

Logger, then Logger Alarm

Settings

and then select Logger Communication Alarm

Settings.

2 Select Use Custom Alarm Settings. 3

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.

4 Click Save. 5 From System | Email, choose the email template to edit.

For this example, Logger Communication Alarm.

6 From the Email Template dialog, ensure the [Comments]

variable is present, or select it (insert cursor where you want it to appear, then choose

Macros | Comments). The

Creating Preconfigured Comments for Email Messages

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 73

preconfigured comment you selected in Communication Alarm settings will be inserted in the email message.

7 Click Save. To delete preconfigured comments:

From System | Comments, highlight the comment to delete.

2 Click Delete.

Chapter 4: System Settings

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 75

Chapter 5: Events

All events - such as alarms, transfers of data from the data logger, alarm acknowledgements, system configuration changes and general system notifications - are tracked in viewLinc’s Event Log, under the Events tab.

The data tracked in Events is different from the data tracked in a data logger. Where the viewLinc Event Log tracks events occurring within the viewLinc system (such as notification of successful transfer of data from a logger to a stored local directory), the data logger itself tracks the changes in temperature, relative humidity or voltage.

To ensure viewLinc continuously monitors and stores event history, event log validation alarms notify you when the viewLinc event log has been modified. For more about event

log validation alarms, see Chapter 3: Alarms.

Use the Events tab to analyze events to determine when and where particular problems occurred, or to diagnose a situation that needs troubleshooting.

In this section, you’ll learn to:

•view events

• add comments to events

• print event logs

• export and save event log data into .xls format

Chapter 5: Events

Viewing Events

Events are viewed on an Event Log, a text-based listing of all system events occurring with the data loggers on your system.

To view Events: 1

From viewLinc, click Events. The Event Log appears, displaying a list of events, and, if available, comments on the event in the Event Details area to the right of the event listing.

2 Using the date and time selectors, choose the period for

which you want to see events. Enter a date (using format MM/DD/YYYY HH:MM) or use the calendar button to specify a date range.

3 Using the buttons to the right of the date and time

selectors, select or deselect buttons to see specific types of event details. After selecting an event type button to

filter your results, click

Refresh to refresh the list. The

more buttons you deselect, the shorter the list will be. You can choose to view:

•

Alarm Events. A list of alarms that were triggered during

the specified time period.

•

Admin Events. A list of administrator actions taken,

such as logging in to viewLinc and new alarm threshold settings.

•

Transfer Events. List of logger data transfers performed

during the specified time period.

•

System Events. List of changes to configuration options

or any failed attempts to communicate between viewLinc Servers and data loggers.

Adding Comments to Events

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 77

Adding Comments to Events

You may want to add comments to the Event Log, perhaps to outline why an event occurred or what was done in response to an event or problem.

To add a co mment to the Event Log: 1

From viewLinc, click Events.

2 Highlight the row (event) to add the comment to, and

click

Add Comment. The Add Custom Comments to

Event screen appears.

3 Enter your comment, then click Save. 4 To view a comment for a particular event, highlight the

row containing that event and look for the comment in the Event Details

area.

Printing Event Logs

To print the event log: 1

From viewLinc, click Events.

2 Choose the date and time range you are interested in

printing. In the date/time box, enter a date and/or time in 24-hour notation, or click the calendar icons to make your selection.

3 Using the buttons to the right of the date and time

selector, choose to either include or not include Alarm Events, Admin Events, Transfer Events and/or System Events.

4 Click Refresh. 5 Click Print.

Chapter 5: Events

6 In a new browser window, a printer-friendly Event Log

report opens.

7 The Print dialog box displays automatically allowing you

to set your print parameters and print the Event Log.

Exporting Event Logs

With viewLinc you can export event log data into a saved .xls file for analysis at a later date.

To export event logs: 1

In viewLinc, click Events and choose the date range you are interested in exporting. In the date/time box, enter a date and/or time in 24-hour notation, or click the calendar icons to make your selection.

2 Using the buttons to the right of the date and time

selector, choose to either include or not include

Alarm

Events, Admin Events, Transfer Events

and/or System

Events. 3 Click Refresh. 4 Click Export. A file download dialog opens, prompting

you to open or save the events .xls file.

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 79

Chapter 6: Reports

Using viewLinc, you can create graphs and reports to analyze changes in data over time based on the historical data collected by Vaisala loggers.

In this section, you’ll learn what historical data is and how to:

• analyze historical data

• generate historical data reports in graphical and tabular formats

• create new reports and report templates

• delete reports

Chapter 6: Reports

About Historical Data

Vaisala data loggers have the ability to store large amounts of data inside them. Data is logged in frequencies from once every 10 seconds to once every 24 hours. To set this

frequency -- known as the sample interval -- for Vaisala

Veriteq loggers, refer to the Spectrum or vLog User Guide. To set the sample interval for 300 Series Transmitters “Editing Logger Properties and Aliases” on page 59.

With viewLinc you can monitor real-time conditions for loggers over the network, analyze or graph changes in conditions over time, or compare conditions recorded by different loggers. This analysis is performed using the Reports tab.

Historical data from a Vaisala Veriteq logger can also be transferred to a local directory on a set schedule - be it daily or weekly - using viewLinc’s Transfers tab. Once transferred, data can be retrieved for exporting (into .xls) and printing,

depending on your reporting needs. See Chapter 7: Transfers for more.

Generating Historical Data Reports

viewLinc provides you with a set of graphical reports which can help you easily view trends in data readings or alarm monitoring statistics (such as alarm trigger frequency).

•

Alarm reports provide an overview of alarm events

over a period of time (events related to every alarm are grouped together and presented in a readable form).

•

Channel History reports provide a detailed history of

channel values (presented in both graphical and tabular form).

Generating Historical Data Reports

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 81

Generating Alarm History Reports

To generate an Ala rm history report: 1

On the Reports tab in the Alarm Reports list, select the report you want to generate.

The report parameters appear on the right side of your screen (users can only view report parameters for the reports they generate, or reports to which they have been granted owner access).

2 On the General tab you can specify the period you want

the report to include using the default option,

Most Recent

Events

, or a specific date range. If you choose a fixed

date range, use the calendars to indicate from/to dates.

Note: If you have Admin access, you can select a

Report Owner, the user you want to have access to modify or generate this report (to set up a list of users see, “Creating User Accounts” on page 67).

In the Scheduled Generation area of the General tab,

you can choose the format for your report (PDF or tabseparate, for Excel), to automatically generate and save the report to a specific file location, or send the report to an email address or a list of addresses (use a comma to separate email addresses). You can also schedule when you want the report to generate, and how frequently you want it generated.

Note: For large report data sets, we recommend that

you schedule report generation at a time when few users are using the system, such as after business hours.

On the Report Content tab determine whether you want a brief report (with one line for each alarm) or a detailed

Chapter 6: Reports

report (showing details about all alarm activities: activation, notifications, acknowledgement, etc.).

5 On the Report Source Data tab define the report scope.

To include alarm report details from all channels, select

All Channels. You can also select specific channels and

zones:

a Select the option, Selected Channels and Zones. b To select one or more channels in a zone, select the

zone name (checkbox).

c To select a specific channel in a zone, select the chan-

nel description (checkbox).

d Repeat these steps for each channel you want to in-

clude on the report. All selected channels appear in the Selected region.

6 On the Page Layout tab define your report display

options:

a Page Header and/or Page Footer options: choose the

pages you on which you want a header or footer displayed. To define the header or footer, enter text in the Left, Center or Right fields.

b You can also choose the type of paper you want to

print on, and the orientation.

7 Click Save. 8 To manually generate the report, from Generate Report

choose either

Export to Excel or Generate PDF Report,

Generating Channel History Reports

To generate a Channel History report:

Note: viewLinc does not provide a default Channel His-

tory report. Instead, the first time you generate a Channel History report, the report is automatically saved.

On the Reports tab, in the Channel History Reports list, select the report you want to generate. The report details appear on the right side of the screen.

Generating Historical Data Reports

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 83

On the General tab specify the user you want to have access to this report (if not already granted Full Control), and the range type data based on a specific date range, or the most recent data.

3 In the Scheduled Generation area, you can choose the

format for your report (PDF or tab-separate, for Excel), to automatically generate and save the report to a specific file location, or send the report to an email address or a list of addresses (use a comma to separate email addresses). You can also schedule when you want the report to generate, and how frequently you want it generated.

Note: For large report data sets, we recommend that

you schedule report generation at a time when few users are using the system, such as after business hours.

4 On the Report Content tab identify the types of data you

want included in the report, including Logger Samples (data points retrieved from the data logger’s internal memory), Logger Sample Statistics (this allows you to change Statistic Settings in the Statistic Settings tab), Real-time Samples, and/or Thresholds.

5 If you include Logger Sample Statistics, use the Statistics

Settings tab to define how information will display on your report, and any statistical information you want to include:

a From Statistics Settings, select a statistics interval if

you want to intermittently generate statistics within the time frame of a report. For example, if your report generates data based on a seven day (weekly) interval, you may want to view statistics daily.

b In the Include area, select the types of statistical data

you want to add to the report, including maximum value, average value, minimum value, standard deviation and mean kinetic temperature (MKT):

• If you want to specify the activation energy, check Mean kinetic temperature and specify the activation energy as KJ/mol.

6 On the Report Source Data tab, define the report scope

and color spectrum. To report on all channels, select

All

Chapter 6: Reports

Channels. You can also select specific channels and

zones:

a Select the option, Selected Chan nels and Zones. b

To select one or more channels in a zone, select the zone name.

c To select a specific channel in a zone, select the chan-

nel description checkbox.

d To add an index to the graph, select Show Markers. e To specify a color to highlight a specific channel’s da-

ta, select the channel, then select an option from the color dropdown. If you select Auto, viewLinc chooses a color according to the default color spectrum:

f When the channel line colors are set to ‘Auto’ viewLinc

assigns the next free color from a built-in palette of colors (see page 102 for the color spectrum sequence). Repeat for each channel you want to include on the report. All selected channels appear in the Selected region.

7 Use the Page Layout tab to define the headers, footers,

paper size and orientation:

a For Header or Footer options, choose to display on all

pages, on the first page only, on the last page only, or on the first and last page.

b To define the content of your header or footer, enter

text in the Left, Center or Right fields.

c You can also choose the paper size you want to print

on, and the orientation.

8 Click Save. 9 To manually generate the report, click Generate

Report

Creating New Reports

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 85

Creating New Reports

viewLinc provides you with a set of default report templates which you can modify according to default criteria. You can also save your modifications as a new report template for others to use.

If you want to make extensive modifications to the standard report template, use the New Channel History report or New Alarm report functions. If you want to define a new report which is similar to an existing report template, use the Clone Report feature.

To create a new Alarm History or Channel History report: 1

In the Reports toolbar, select the button for the type of report you want to create:

New Alarm Report,

New Channel History Report,

or Clone Report.

2 Complete the report parameters as you want them to

appear.

3 To assign a new name for the report (by default it

generates a name based on selected parameters), click on the title to make the text editable, and enter a name.

4 Click Save.

Your new report is saved and appears alphabetically in the report list.

Deleting Reports

To delete a report that you no longer use: 1

On the Reports tab, select the report you want to delete.

2 Click Delete. 3 At the confirmation message, click OK.

Chapter 6: Reports

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 87

Chapter 7: Transfers

This section describes how to:

• transfer historical data from Vaisala Veriteq loggers

• create, edit, deactivate and temporarily disable scheduled data transfers

Chapter 7: Transfers

Transfers and Transfer Schedules

In addition to being able to view your data logger history in viewLinc, you can transfer your Vaisala Veriteq logger data for viewing and analyzing in a spreadsheet or other data analysis tool.

You can transfer Vaisala Veriteq logger data according to a set schedule. Since transfers can be scheduled in advance, you don’t need to be there when the transfer takes place. Regardless of how frequently you schedule data transfers, data in the logger remains intact and is recorded indefinitely (or until the logger reaches its memory capacity).

It is recommended that you transfer your Vaisala Veriteq logger data on a regular basis for backup purposes, and to ensure no data is overwritten (refer to the vLog User guide for more information on logger data storage capacity). Each transfer from each logger creates one data file per logger.

Note: All Vaisala Veriteq loggers are assigned a default

transfer schedule when the logger is discovered. The transfer is enabled and scheduled for a seven-day period. If your logger will reach its storage capacity before this period is over, you can adjust the period to ensure no data is lost.

Creating Transfer Schedules

To create a transfer schedule for a Vaisala Veriteq logger: 1

From viewLinc, click Transfers.

2 Click New Transfer. 3

From the Logger Transfer Properties window, in the

General area, click

Enable this transfer. New transfers

are disabled by default.

Transfers and Transfer Schedules

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 89

From the Logger drop-down, choose the logger for which you want to set the transfer.

5 Enter the email address to receive notification should the

transfer fail. You can choose an email address, a list of email addresses separated by commas, or a distribution list created on your mail server by the IT administrator.

6 Ensure correct mail server settings have been set in

“Configuring Email Settings” on page 61.

7 In the Schedule area, choose a transfer schedule interval

and start date and time. The Start time is a drop-down list of 15-minute intervals. For example, you could set up a data transfer every 7 days, beginning 2011-11-14 at 11:15 PM.

8 In the Destination area, choose the destination directory

for the saved .spl file (do not use a mapped drive path). Sample directory paths could include: c:\logger_files or \\<machinename>\<desination_dir>. We recommend you use a directory on the viewLinc Host Server (for example, c:\<destination_dir>).

Note: During a data transfer, you may be prompted to

enter a valid username and password for saving to the target directory or shared directory. You also need to ensure that the account which installed viewLinc (that is, which runs the viewLinc Enterprise Server service) has sufficient permissions to write to the directory where you want the transferred data to go. For more on Services with viewLinc, see “Appendix: FAQs & Troubleshooting” on page 93.

Chapter 7: Transfers

9 Choose the filename for your transferred file by

specifying the order for the identifying fields which will make up the filename. Filenames for .spl files are created from combinations of the logger's description, its serial number, and the date and time the file was saved. For example, Logger ID-08094523-2011-04-22 16-30-

01.spl.

10 At the bottom of the screen, enter either a preconfigured

comment, or any specific comments you want to associate with this transfer, such as its purpose, to whom email notifications should go, and so on.

11 To test that the transfer will complete as defined, click

Transfer Now. The data should be transferred to the

location specified.

12 Click Save to save these settings for a scheduled

transfer. A row containing information on the scheduled transfer for each logger you’ve set up appears in Transfers.

Performing an Immediate Data Transfer

To transfer data now: 1

Follow steps 1 through 10 in “Creating Transfer Schedules” on page 88 (or edit an existing transfer) and then click

Transfer Now . The data should be transferred to

the location specified.

2 Click Save to save the scheduled transfer or Cancel to

close.

Editing Transfer Schedules

To edit scheduled transfers: 1

From viewLinc, click Transfers.

2 Select the row containing the scheduled transfer(s) to

edit.

3 Click Edit Transfer. 4

The Logger Transfer Properties screen appears. Edit the transfer details as required.

5 Click Save.

Vaisala Veriteq viewLinc 3.6 Administrator's Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual