The Alarm Knowledge Base Import Utility (AKBIU) was originally developed to reduce the complexity of continually updating a control system’s alarm configuration database. Over time, the need to provide this functionality to a growing number of control systems commonly used in the process control industries and the need to integrate more with the TiPSView interface became overwhelmingly apparent. As the practicality of the AKBIU was realized, TiPS understood that more than just a utility was needed to support multiple control systems.
The first release of KB Agent in 2016 supported AVEVA OASyS DNA 7.6, and in 2019 TiPS implemented additional support for AVEVA Wonderware ArchestrA and RTP. KB Agent 5.0 is now released and available to existing LogMate customers with earlier versions of KB Agent and an active ESS contract. Here’s what’s new:
Expanded List of Supported Control Systems
- ABB Bailey Composer EBP
- ABB Bailey Composer Export
- ABB Bailey Conductor NT
- ABB Bailey Symphony OPC
- ABB Bailey WinCad Export
- ABB Process Portal A
- ABB Process Portal B
- AVEVA OASyS
- AVEVA Wonderware ArchestrA
- AVEVA Wonderware InTouch
- Emerson (Westinghouse) Ovation
- Emerson DeltaV
- FMC (CSI) UCOS
- GE Mark VI
- GE Proficy iFIX
- Honeywell Experion
- Honeywell Experion QDB
- Honeywell Experion TPS
- Iconics Genesis
- Johnson Controls Metasys
- Kongsberg Maritime AIM 2000
- NovaTech (GSE) D/3
- Rockwell FactoryTalk RSView
- RTP NetSuite
- Schneider Electric EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert (ClearSCADA)
- Schneider Electric (Invensys) Foxboro I/A
- Siemens (Moore) APACS
- Siemens SPPA-T3000
- Weatherford (CSE) Cygnet SCADA
Features
Age Watchdog Points for OASyS 2018
In later versions of OASyS 2018, the Age Watchdog Application was added. It is an independent application that monitors telemetered points to verify that they are updated to SCADA. If the point update seems to have stopped, then the point’s remote will generate a Stale alarm. KB Agent can now process those attributes and alarm types associated with Age Watchdog points.
Source Duplicate Record Handling
In order to ensure data integrity, KB Agent has two features to prevent duplication of both Tags and Alarms. First, KB Agent will determine if the existing KB has Duplicated Tags and/or Alarms and then notify the user to correct the issue. Second, KB Agent will filter out duplicated records from the import source and report the duplicated records in the audit table.
Known Limitations
32-bit and 64-bit OS Compatibility
Some control systems that KB Agent 5.0 is now compatible with have been in service for a number of years. TiPS ensures that KB Agent 5.0 is compatible with 32-bit as well as 64-bit Microsoft Windows Server operating systems introduced in 2009. Specific control system architectures do still require running on a 32-bit operating system:
- Honeywell Experion QDB
- ABB Bailey Composer EBP
- Siemens (Moore) APACS
Run as a Windows Service Application
KB Agent can be configured to run as a Windows Service Application, formerly known as NT applications, to autopopulate the Alarm KB for a control system. Customers are now able to utilize this function for a majority of supported control systems, except on:
- ABB Bailey Symphony OPC
- Honeywell Experion
- Honeywell Experion QDB
- Siemens (Moore) APACS
Configurable SQL Server Batch Size
This feature determines the number of tags that are read in from the control system before writing out to the Alarm KB. The control systems added in this release do not yet have access to the “Tags per Batch” feature.
Bug Fixes
OASyS Status Base Message Bug
Due to similar base message attributes for OASyS DNA systems, KB Agent was corrected to properly identify the correct bmsg attribute for status points.
Get the latest version of KB Agent
The LogMate product suite was designed to transform the way you manage alarms. With features like a central repository of alarm data, customizable visualization solutions, KPI generators and more, you can improve visibility over alarm data and build safer processes.
KB Agent is a must-have tool for audits and alarm rationalization. Get this new release to take advantage of the added features and to import alarm configuration data for a wider range of control systems. Contact us to learn more.