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Modifying System Alarm Management XML File and Importing to DeltaV V11.3.1

Hi All,

We are in Midst of Commissioning and Customer gave us Updated Alarm Priorities for the Entire Packaged Process/System Alarms to be Implemented within the Shortest Possible time. One way would be to create Custom ".fmt" file and Use Custom Import/Export. However since in our configuration the Alarms for Packaged equipment are all created in the Landing Modules itself (Obviously to save on Controller Loading) with maximum of 80 Alarms per module. It takes time to configure ".fmt" file for such modules. Starting V13.3 we can Export and Import Alarms using System Alarm management. But here we have v11.3.1.  I was thinking if it is possible to Print System alarm Management to XML file (Use Print to XML option) and then somehow Convert the VML to FHX and Import as Standard DeltaV Format. This would save us a lot of time as we are talking about 15000 + Alarms. Any Suggestions would be of great help, would really appreciate if someone have other ideas to do the job in shortest possible time.

 

Regards,

M. Tariq Habib

Regards,

M. Tariq Habib

EPM AP

5 Replies

  • Your premise sounds like it would work very well. I am in the middle of a project now and can not take time out to investigate this. I would suggest contacting Neil Bywater in the UK or Youssef in PA USA as both have done a lot of xml work in these types of database manipulation. These guys are active on this forum. Sounds like a short term consult may be of help here. Other than that you could use the xml output and the client new specifications to write some vb code for search/replace in the native deltav database fhx export.
  • In reply to Steve Linehan:

    Thanks for the info, I will ask for that.

    Regards,

    M. Tariq Habib

    EPM AP

  • In reply to TariqHabib:

    Hi Experts,
    Any update on this?

    Regards,

    M. Tariq Habib

    EPM AP

  • In reply to TariqHabib:

    What is the input source for the updated priorities? An excel spreadsheet?  

    Unless the updated priorities have been provided as coded database objects, I don't think you'll be able to use the System Alarm management print to xml to pull them out of the source data. 

    If you are still interested in the XML to FHX transformations, lets first understand the format of the input parameter updates. 

    What I have done before in these scenarios is to use a scripted routine in Operate to update the on-line values of the parameters (using a spreadsheet or comma separated text file as input data), then perform a parameter upload controller by controller, selecting all changes.

    This means you should have the controllers in a state where the only things you will be uploading are your alarm changes, to make things easier.

    It is very easy to write a script in Operate that will open a text file, iterate through each line (like module/parameter.field, newvalue) and perform a frswrite for each row.

    It should be done in Operate, rather than in an OPC client, since OPC client writes won't be recognized as user changes and thus won't be flagged for upload.

     

  • In reply to Youssef.El-Bahtimy:

    FYI Youssef, it is possible to turn on events for OPC writes which are then flagged for upload, the only downside is it is a registry change that effects the application station globally. We did it previously for OPC writes to SIS limits from an AOA app.