Add and Configure a Simulation Collector

Before you begin

  1. Deploy Proficy Historian for AWS.
  2. Install collectors. You can install them on-premises or on a VPC (which can be different from the one on which Proficy Historian for AWS is deployed).
  3. Enable TLS encryption for Collectors Connecting to Cloud Historian.

About this task

The Simulation collector generates random numbers and string patterns for demonstration purposes. For more information, refer to Overview of the Simulation Collector.

This topic describes how to add a collector instance using Configuration Hub. You can also add a collector instance using the RemoteCollectorConfigurator utility, which does not require you to install Web-based Clients.

Procedure

  1. Access Configuration Hub.
  2. In the NAVIGATION section, under the Configuration Hub plugin for Historian, select Collectors.
    A list of collectors in the default system appears.
  3. In the upper-right corner of the main section, select .
    The Add Collector Instance: <system name> window appears, displaying the Collector Selection section. The MACHINE NAME field contains a list of machines on which you have installed collectors.
  4. In the MACHINE NAME field, select the machine in which you want to add a collector instance.
  5. In the COLLECTOR TYPE field, select Simulation Collector, and then select Get Details.
    The INSTALLATION DRIVE and DATA DIRECTORY fields are disabled and populated.
  6. Select Next.
    The Source Configuration section appears. The COLLECTOR MACHINE NAME field is disabled and populated.
  7. Select Next.
    The Destination Configuration section appears. The collector machine name provided by you is selected as the Source Configuration by default.

    Under CHOOSE DESTINATION, the Historian Server option is selected by default. In addition, the DESTINATION HISTORIAN SERVER field is disabled and populated with the collector machine name.

  8. Select the destination to which you want to send data, and then enter the values in the corresponding fields. You can send data to an on-premises Historian server or to a cloud destination.
    1. If you need to send data to a cloud destination, select the cloud destinations as needed.
      • Predix Timeseries- Select this if you need to send data to Predix cloud. For more information, refer to Predix Cloud.
      • Azure IoT Hub- Select this if you need to send data to Azure Cloud in KairosDB format. For more information, refer to Azure IoT Hub (KairosDB format).
      • MQTT- Select this if you need to send data to any of the following cloud destination.
        • Alibaba cloud. For more information, refer to Alibaba Cloud.
        • AWS cloud. For more information, refer to AWS Cloud.
        • Google cloud. For more information, refer to Google Cloud.
    2. If you need to send data to an on-premise/Cloud Historian server, select Historian Server.
      If the entered credentials are valid, a successful connection message appears.
  9. Select Next.
    The Collector Initiation section appears.
  10. If needed, modify the value in the COLLECTOR NAME field.
    The value that you enter:
    • Must be unique.
    • Must not exceed 15 characters.
    • Must not contain a space.
    • Must not contain special characters except a hyphen, period, and an underscore.
  11. In the RUNNING MODE field, select one of the following options.
    • Service - Local System Account: Select this option if you want to run the collector as a Windows service using the credentials of the local user (that is, the currently logged-in user). If you select this option, the USERNAME and PASSWORD fields are disabled.
    • Service Under Specific User Account: Select this option if you want to run the collector as a Windows service using a specific user account. If you select this option, you must enter values in the USERNAME and PASSWORD fields.
      If you have enabled the Enforce Strict Collector Authentication option in Historian Administrator, you must provide the credentials of a user who is added to at least one of the following security groups:
      • iH Security Admins
      • iH Collector Admins
      • iH Tag Admins

    You can also configure the collector to start automatically when you start the computer.

  12. Select Add.
    The collector instance is added. The fields specific to the collector section appear in the DETAILS section.
  13. In the COLLECTOR SPECIFIC CONFIGURATION section, configure values as described in the following table.
    Field Description
    Number of Tags The number of Historian tags that you want the create for the collector.
    Function Period (seconds) The period, in seconds, of the SIN,STEP, and RAMP functions implemented in the collector.
  14. As needed, enter values in the other sections common to all collectors.
  15. In the upper-left corner of the page, select Save.
    The changes to the collector instance are saved.
  16. If needed, restart the collector.

What to do next

Specify the tags whose data you want to collect using the collector. In the CHOOSE CONFIGURATION field,