KB Agent is TiPS’ next generation of products that allows easy import of control system and SCADA alarm configuration into LogMate®’s Alarm KB database (Master Alarm Database). This product is the successor to the AKBIU (Alarm Knowledge Base Import Utility) product and includes feature-rich functionality to customize and enhance the alarm configuration into the LogMate® product suite.
The latest update of KB Agent 4.0.0.3 is now available. Product enhancements include:
Updated AVEVA Wonderware ArchestrA Integration
Supports the latest version of ArchestrA using the GRAccess API. This includes support for all alarm types for analog and discrete tags. Also, a feature is included to not create KB alarms if the priority is not configured.
Added RTP Safety System Integration
Developed native interface to read the RTP 3000 control system. KB Agent reads the RTP ADA SQLite file. When used in conjunction with the OPC Client for KB product, all RTP alarm attributes can be audited, including those attributes located in a PLCnot found in the RTP database.
Superior Enhancements with AVEVA OASyS Integration
The AVEVA OASyS DNA architecture allows for one of the most advanced alarm systems in the SCADA market. With the expert help of AVEVA and their top tier customers, KB Agent was refined to provide a more accurate import of the alarm system configuration.
The following changes were added to support the OASyS DNA 2018 SCADA:
- Added Active Alarm Limit Set Feature.
- Removed uncommanded alarms as a default for all point types.
- Removed states 11 and 12 for Rate, Tank, and Totalflowconfig point types.
- Removed state 12 for the Analog points.
- Create Setpoint Creep alarm (state 11) to be only on output-capable analog points.
- Create Setpoint Timeout alarm on analog points.
- Create Setpoint Fail alarm on analog points.
- Create Uncommanaded alarms only on output-capable status points.
- Create Command Timeout alarm on status points.
- Create Command Fail alarm on status points
- Enable Uncommanded alarm only on Output-capable Multistate Points.
- Create Command Timeout alarm on Multistate Points.
- Create Command Fail alarm on Multistate Points.
- Added “ExcludeNoncoveredAlarms” ini settting to prevent Noncovered alarms from being created.
- Added “ExcludeAlarmStates” ini settting to prevent customer defined alarms from being created.
- Fixed the bug where KB Agent would create blank alarm types for remote points.
- Added the Stateindex field to better distinguish between alarms.
- Fixed bug for certain ‘Hilow.Hilow.*’; attributes were not imported
- Fixed bug for OASyS tank; normal-empty and Normal-Full Alarms were not created.
- Fixed bug for User High and User Low; limits were not populated.
- Fixed bug for NEG ROC; alarm limit was not correct.
Improved Management of Change Performance
A significant upgrade was developed in the Management of Change Process. Alarm KB databases are becoming much larger and in some cases, there can be hundreds of attributes per tag or alarm record in the KB database. The performance increase of importing and auditing will vary due to the number of Alarm KB records and fields. Some installations have seen a 50% reduction in the time to process the KB Agent updates.
The previous versions of the AKBIU and KB Agent could create out of memory errors or import delays on large imports when the alarm and tag count exceeded 1 million.
Exclude New Tags with No Alarm from KB Imports
In many control system configurations, there can be many monitored points that have no associated alarms. Customers now have the option to only present those points in the KB that have associated alarms.
Exclude Non-Enabled Alarms
Depending the use of the Alarm KB database, the customer can now choose to not include those alarms that aren’t enabled in the control system. Each alarm has an Enable attribute that typically denotes an alarm that can be configured in the control system but is not enabled as a working alarm. Enabling this feature will not create new alarms not enabled in the control system. This is different from the Inhibit status of the alarm.
SQL Server Native Client Support
Previous versions of KB Agent supported Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server. Connections to SQL Server databases also now support SQL Native Client to expand its supported integration methods.
Customers requested the SQL Native Client since it supports TLS (Transport Security Layer) 1.2. The OLE DB Provider only supports TLS 1.0 which has known security flaws.
TiPSView Database Integration
Previous KB Agent version 3.0.0.1 included a significant enhancement to enable the MOC (Management of Change) for each alarm attribute imported from the control system. For this current release, the TiPSView database integration will allow the KB Agent configuration to show the user-friendly alias from the TiPSView configuration.
Bug Fixes
- Fixed the bug that prevented a user from stopping KB Agent while it was processing.
- Added minor cosmetic changes to the KB Agent User Interface forms.