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Version: v4 (Stable)

Alarm History

To display the alarm history, or consult alarm or intervention statistics, select the "History" command from the "Operation" menu, or simply click on the button .

You can also access the alarm history from the main screen by clicking on the History tab at the bottom of the screen.

This display can show alternately:

  • The alarm history
  • The alarm statistics
  • The intervention statistics

Regardless of the presentation chosen, the history and statistics screen has three parts:

  • The upper part of the screen contains the various selectors that can be used to select the wanted history or statistic.
  • The middle part of the screen contains the list that displays the history or statistics, according to the selection made.
  • The lower part of the screen contains global statistics counters for the selection made.

Selecting information to display​

Selecting the presentation​

Select the desired presentation from the first drop-down list in the header bar:

  • ALARM HISTORY : Selecting the alarm history
  • ALARM STATISTICS: Selecting the alarm statistics
  • INTERVENTION STATISTICS: Selecting the alarm statistics about user interventions

Period​

This control allows you to select the days to display in history. By default, the current day is displayed.

To select another day or a period of several days, click on the arrow to the right of the control. In the displayed window, select the start day ("From:") and the end day ("To:"). Click on "Apply" to display the history for the selected period.

Station​

This drop-down list allows you to select the history of alarms attached to a specific station. The "(all)" choice selects history of alarms from all stations.

Data Server​

This drop-down list allows you to restrict the displayed history to alarms that are attached to the selected data server. The "(all)" choice selects alarm history regardless of the data server.

Group​

This drop-down list allows you to restrict the displayed history to alarms that belong to the selected tag group. The "(all)" choice selects alarm history regardless of the tag group.

On Call​

This drop-down list allows you to restrict the displayed history to alarms that concern the selected call group. The "(all)" choice selects alarm history regardless of the call group.

User​

If a user is selected, only the alarms acknowledged by this user will be taken into account in the history and the statistics of the alarms. For intervention statistics, only the interventions of the user in question will be taken into account. The "(all)" choice selects the alarm history regardless of the user.

All / No null​

When the display of statistics (alarms or interventions) is selected, it is possible to limit the contents of the list to the elements (alarms or users) that have been counted at least once by selecting the "No null" option.

Filter ( )​

This check box allows you to select which alarms to display in the history depending on the content of some columns.

When this box is checked, a button is displayed on the right of the filterable column header.

By clicking on one of these buttons, a check-list of the different values contained in the corresponding column is displayed under the button. By default, all values are checked. Check the values for which you wish to display the alarm in the list, uncheck the values for which you want to remove the alarm from the list. The "(Select All)" checkbox allows you to check/uncheck all values in the list. Once the choice is made, click outside the checklist to update the alarm history according to the selection made.

It is possible to repeat the same operation on other columns to obtain the desired display.

By unchecking the "Filter" button, you return to the original display.

Search ( )​

This control allows you to restrict the alarms to be displayed to those containing the character string entered in the edit field.

To select the columns in which the search is to be performed, click on the arrow to the right to display the check-list of the search columns under the control. By default, all columns are selected.

To perform a search operation, enter the character string to be searched in the edit field, then click on the symbol to the right of the edit field, or confirm the entry by tapping the "Enter" key on the keyboard. The list is updated by displaying only the lines containing that string in the selected search columns.

Note: it is possible to perform a more sophisticated search by using regular expressions (to search for an occurrence of 2 words in a string, for example). To validate this type of search, you must first validate the "UseRegularExpressions" option.

When the list display has been changed according to the character string, the symbol is displayed to the right of the edit field instead of the symbol . Click on this symbol to return to the original list, or delete the edit field and confirm with the "Enter" key on the keyboard.

Statistics​

Check this box to display below the list global statistics on the selection made (see below).

List locked​

This check box is used to lock the list scrolling when a new alarm is activated in order to be able to examine the history or statistics of the alarms without being disturbed. When this box is not checked, each new alarm causes the display to be refreshed on the current day.

Note: Locking the list is automatically caused by the scrolling of the list. It is also automatically caused by selecting a restricted display (filtering or searching) or by selecting a past period (current day not displayed).

Alarm history​

The list shows all the alarms that occurred during the selected period, in the chronological order of their activation, according with the selection made.

Each line represents an alarm on 9 columns:

  • Date: Date and time the alarm was triggered.
  • Station: Name of the station attached to the alarm.
  • Alarm Group: Base tag group of the alarm.
  • Alarm: Formatted alarm message (long message) associated with the event.
  • P: Alarm priority level.
  • Acknowledged: Date and time of acknowledgment ("-" if the alarm is not acknowledged).
  • By: Name of the user who acknowledged the alarm ("-" indicates, when the alarm is acknowledged, an acknowledgment performed automatically or from the monitored application).
  • Fail duration: Time during which the alarm was active (if the alarm is returned to the normal state), in seconds.
  • Reaction: Duration between the alarm activation and its acknowledgment (if the alarm is acknowledged), in seconds.
  • Intervention: Duration between the alarm acknowledgment and its return to normal state, in seconds. If the alarm is reset before its acknowledgment, the intervention time is not taken in account and is displayed as "-".

This list can be customized and sorted (see below). In particular, some columns can be deleted or added:

  • Short message: Short message associated with the alarm.
  • Call Group: Name of call groups attached to the alarm.
  • C: Indicator (*) of comment on the alarm.
  • R: Indicator (*) of report attached to the alarm.
  • Reset: Date and time of the alarm reset.
  • Acknowledged: Date and time of the alarm acknowledgment.
  • Comment: Comment on the alarm.

Selecting columns to display​

The columns to be displayed are configurable.

To show or hide a column, right-click on the header line of the list. In the contextual menu displayed, check or uncheck the name of the columns you wish to display or hide.

To add a new column, right-click on the header line of the list and select the "More..." command from the context menu displayed. In the displayed dialog box, select the column(s) you want to add from the list. The display order of the columns can be modified in this list by using the and buttons.

Layout of displayed columns​

The width of the displayed columns can be adjusted. Move the mouse cursor over the header line of the list to the right border of the column to be adjusted. When the cursor is displayed, press the left mouse button and move the cursor to the right or left by holding down the mouse button to respectively enlarge or shrink the column. Release the mouse button when the desired size is reached.

The position of the columns can also be changed. Left-click on the heading of the column to be moved, then move the column to the right or left, keeping the button pressed to the desired position. Then release the mouse button.

Sorting the list​

The list can be sorted according to the value displayed in a column.

To sort the list depending on the value of a column, left-click on the column header. The list is automatically sorted in descending order of the values in the column. A second click causes the list to be sorted in ascending order of the values in the column. A new click causes the list to return to the original order.

Alarm statistics​

The list shows the statistics for the tag declared as alarm and which correspond to the selection made. In the displayed statistics, only the alarms that have been seen by ALERT returning to the normal state are counted.

Each alarm tag is represented by a row, on 7 columns:

  • Station: Name of the station attached to the alarm.
  • Alarm Group: Base tag group of the alarm.
  • Alarm: Formatted alarm message (long message) associated with the event.
  • P: Alarm priority level.
  • Fail number: Number of times the alarm has occurred over the selected period. Only alarms that have returned to the normal state are taken into account.
  • Total time: Total time during which the tag was in the alarm state, during the selected period, in seconds.
  • Mean time: Average of the time during which the tag was in the alarm state, during the selected period, in seconds.

Like the history, this list can be customized and sorted (see above). In particular, some columns can be deleted or added:

  • Short message: Short message associated with the alarm.
  • Call Group: Name of call groups attached to the alarm.

Intervention statistics​

The list shows all the users concerned by the selection, each row representing a user on 4 columns:

  • User: User name.
  • Interventions: Number of times the user has intervened over the selected period.
  • Mean reaction time: Average of the user reaction time, in seconds. The reaction time is the time measured between the triggering of an alarm and its acknowledgment.
  • Mean intervention time: Average duration of the user intervention time, in seconds. The intervention time is the time measured between the acknowledgment of an alarm and its return to the normal state.

Like the history, this list can be customized and sorted (see above).

Global statistics​

The lower part of the screen displays the global statistics table for the selection made. This table is only displayed if the "Statistics" box in the header bar is checked.

Alarms​

  • Fail Number: The total number of failures (alarms) over the selected period, and for the selection made. On the alarm history screen, all alarms are counted whether the alarm is complete or not. On the Alarm Statistics or Intervention Statistics screen, only alarms that have returned to the normal state are counted.
  • Total failure time: Total of all failure times (time during which a variable remained in the alarm state), over the selected period and for the selection made, in seconds. The calculation only takes into account the alarms which have returned to the normal state.
  • Mean failure time: Average of all failure times (time during which a variable remained in the alarm state), over the selected period and for the selection made, in seconds. The calculation only takes into account the alarms which have returned to the normal state.

Interventions​

  • Intervention Number: Number of interventions performed by the selected users over the selected period and for the alarms corresponding to the selection made.
  • Mean reaction time: Average of reaction time of the selected users, over the selected period and for the alarms corresponding to the selection made, in seconds. The reaction time is the time measured between the triggering of an alarm and its acknowledgment.
  • Mean intervention time: Average duration of the intervention time of the selected users, over the selected period and for the alarms corresponding to the selection made, in seconds. The intervention time is the time measured between the acknowledgment of an alarm and its return to the normal state.

Editing a comment about an alarm​

Note: This feature is only allowed if the "Export database" option is validated by the software license and activated (see General options).

Select the alarm on which you wish to write a comment, click on the right button of the mouse and select the "Comment..." command from the pop-up menu. In the displayed dialog box, enter the text of the desired comment. The same command can also be used to read or edit a comment on an alarm. You can also double-click on an alarm to edit or view its comment.

When a comment is attached to an alarm, it can be viewed in the descriptive record of the selected alarm. The alarm comment can be retrieved later from the alarm history, including if the alarm is no longer present in the alarm table.

The existence of a comment on an alarm is indicated by the display of an asterisk (*) in the column "C" of the alarm table. This column is not visible by default.

The comment can also be directly displayed in the "Comment" column.

Editing a report about an alarm​

Note: This feature is only allowed if the "Export database" option is validated by the software license and activated (see General options).

Select the alarms on which you wish to write a report, click on the right button of the mouse, then select the command "Create a report..." from the displayed pop-up menu. Enter the report text in the report editing dialog box. A topic can be selected or defined. An audio report can be recorded. One or more files can be attached to the report. See Editing a Report.

The reports attached to an alarm can be viewed (and possibly modified) by clicking in the list with the right mouse button on the alarm in question then by selecting the command "Display the report..." (See Editing a report). If multiple reports are attached to the alarm, use the buttons and of the dialog box to browse through the various reports.

Alarm reports can also be retrieved later from the alarm history or from the logbook. In the logbook, the alarm reports are indicated by the indicator "" in the header of the report.

The existence of a report on an alarm is indicated by the display of an asterisk (*) in the "R" column of the corresponding line of the alarm table. This column is not displayed by default.

Printing the alarm history ( )​

Click on this button to print the displayed screen (alarm history, alarm statistics or intervention statistics) according to the selection made and for the selected period.

If this is the first print command on the alarm history, a dialog box is displayed to select the printer to be used and the print settings (Portrait/Landscape, ...). This dialog box will no longer be displayed for subsequent print commands. To request to display again this box (to select another printer for example), hold the "Ctrl" key of the keyboard pressed when clicking on the button .

Export​

The contents of the selected screen (alarm history, alarm statistics or intervention statistics) can be exported to a file or to the clipboard (to be copied and processed in a spreadsheet, for example).

To do this, right-click in the list and select the "Export..." command from the pop-up menu. In the displayed dialog box, choose the columns to be exported, the export format (header, separator) and the destination (file or clipboard).

Note: Depending on the installation option chosen, the alarm history can also be automatically exported in real time to an external database (see "Database export").