FAQs on HAB Collector

How to change the name or ID of a collection definition after data collection begins?

Suppose you have provided the following information in the configuration file:
<Name>ANALOG_HIST</Name>
<id>1</id>
<Key>SUBSTN.KIRKLAND.*.*.*.*</Key>
Suppose you want to change the name and ID as follows:
<Name>ANALOG_HIST_NEW</Name>
<id>3</id>
<Key>SUBSTN.KIRKLAND.*.*.*.*</Key>
To make these changes:
  1. Stop the collector instance:
    1. Access Windows services.
    2. Right-click the HAB collector instance that you want to stop, and then select Stop.
  2. Update the configuration file.
  3. Search and select all the tags related to the collection definition, and remove them.
    Important: Do not delete them permanently; just remove them so that the tags and their data will still be available.
  4. Start the collector instance.
    1. Access Windows services.
    2. Right-click the HAB collector instance that you want to start, and then select Start.
Tags will be created based on the new collection definition details. You can also retrieve data for the older tags.

How to split collection definition into two?

Suppose you have provided the following information in the configuration file:
<Name>ANALOG_HIST</Name>
<id>1</id>
<Key>SUBSTN.KIRKLAND.*.*.*.*</Key>
Suppose you want to split the collection definition into two as follows:
<Name>ANALOG_HIST</Name>
<id>1</id>
<Key>SUBSTN.KIRKLAND.BUS.*.*.*</Key>
<Name>ANALOG_HIST_HIST2</Name>
<id>2</id>
<Key>SUBSTN.KIRKLAND.LN.*.*.*</Key>
To make these changes:
  1. Stop the collector instance:
    1. Access Windows services.
    2. Right-click the HAB collector instance that you want to stop, and then select Stop.
  2. Update the configuration file.
  3. Search and select all the tags related to the collection definition, and remove them.
    Important: Do not delete them permanently; just remove them so that the tags and their data will still be available.
  4. Start the collector instance.
    1. Access Windows services.
    2. Right-click the HAB collector instance that you want to start, and then select Start.
Tags will be created based on the new collection definition details. You can also retrieve data for the older tags.

Can I add an alarm filter in a collection definition after data collection begins?

Yes.

Suppose you have the following collection definition:
<Name>ALARM</Name>
<id>1</id>
<Site>Site1</Site>
<Valid>TRUE</Valid>
<Status>ENABLED</Status>
<Family>EMS</Family>
<Application>ALARM</Application>
<Database>ALARMLST</Database>
<RecordType>CIRCLG</RecordType>
<CollectionType>Unsolicited</CollectionType>
<Key>*</Key>
<TagNameFields>LOC_CIRCLG</TagNameFields>
<TagPrefix>ALARM.</TagPrefix>
<AlarmFilter>
    <Enabled>TRUE</Enabled>
    <Location>*</Location>
    <Area>*</Area>
    <Category>*</Category>
    <Priority>*</Priority>
    <Exception>*</Exception>
</AlarmFilter>
...
Since you have not specified any location, area, etc. in the alarmfilter parameter, tags will be created for all the locations, areas, etc. (that is, no filter is applied).

Suppose you want to filter out the tags for the location Kirkland.

To do so, include the location as follows:
<Name>ALARM</Name>
<id>1</id>
<Site>Site1</Site>
<Valid>TRUE</Valid>
<Status>ENABLED</Status>
<Family>EMS</Family>
<Application>ALARM</Application>
<Database>ALARMLST</Database>
<RecordType>CIRCLG</RecordType>
<CollectionType>Unsolicited</CollectionType>
<Key>*</Key>
<TagNameFields>LOC_CIRCLG</TagNameFields>
<TagPrefix>ALARM.</TagPrefix>
<AlarmFilter>
    <Enabled>TRUE</Enabled>
    <Location>KIRKLAND</Location>
    <Area>*</Area>
    <Category>*</Category>
    <Priority>*</Priority>
    <Exception>*</Exception>
</AlarmFilter>
<TagTemplate>
    <Value>TEXT_CIRCLG,TIME_CIRCLG,PRIOR_CIRCLG,LOC_CIRCLG</Value>
...
After you restart the collector, data collection will occur only for one tag: ALARM.KIRKLAND even though other tags were created. You can choose to delete these additional tags.

Note that you must also include LOC_CIRCLG in the <Value> parameter as highlighted.

If a tag is renamed and deleted in Habitat, and then if the tag is recreated with the original name in Habitat, will it be created in Historian?

Yes, but only after you perform a few steps.

Suppose a tag named has been renamed in Habitat as follows:
  • Original name: A
  • New name: B
If automatic tag sync is enabled, the tag in Historian will be renamed automatically. Otherwise, the tag will be renamed only after you approve the changes.

Now, suppose tag B is deleted in Habitat. Depending on the value you have set for the TagDeletionType parameter, tag B will be disabled or deleted in Historian.

Now, suppose a new tag named A is created in Habitat. Accordingly, tag A will be created in Historian only if you perform the following steps:
  1. Stop the collector instance:
    1. Access Windows services.
    2. Right-click the HAB collector instance that you want to stop, and then select Stop.
  2. Remove tag B.
    Important: Do not delete the tag permanently; just remove it so that the tag and its data will still be available.
  3. Start the collector instance.
    1. Access Windows services.
    2. Right-click the HAB collector instance that you want to start, and then select Start.