Configuration

With the release of PI Vision 2021, PI Vision introduced new capabilities that allow PI Vision displays to be imported or exported using the PI Vision API. It is an alternative to using PI Vision Display Utility offline display files (PDIX)
The PI Vision (PV) Driver utilizes this new PI Vision API to retrieve PI Vision displays and perform Live-Rendering through IOTA Vue.

Note

Although the primary purpose of the PV-Driver to visualize PI Vision displays, it provides full functionality of IOTA AF-Driver.

Authenticate to PI Vision API

Most PI Vision API endpoints require authentication with the request. The authenticated user must be authorized as a Utility User or as an Administrator in PI Vision.
PI Vision (PV) Driver uses Windows authentication to communicate with PI Vision API endpoint. By default, PV-Driver authenticates with current signed-on Windows user in interactive mode and when executed as a service - it uses assigned service user account. If required - the PV-Driver allows to authenticate using explicit Username and Password.
For more information on PI Vision security refer to AVEVA PI Vision API Reference documentation.

Authenticate to PI and AF

The PI Vision driver reaches the PI Data Archive and PI Asset Framework the same way the AF-Driver does, so that configuration is documented once on the AF-Driver pages rather than repeated here.

Note

• Driver-level authentication — configuring the driver service account and the PI and AF mappings: see AF-Driver Configuration.
• Per-user permissions and write-back — the permissions the driver identity needs, the supported identity designs, groupMappings, and worked examples: see User Permissions and Write-Back.
• Verifying the groups claim in your IdP — see Verifying the Groups Claim.

IOTA Vue Data Source Configuration

IOTA Vue drivers are architected to support the often multiple and distributed PI System and PI Data Archives (PI Servers). The IOTA PV-Driver is deployed on a network with access to the required PI Systems and PI Data Archives.

You can install multiple PV-Drivers to accommodate deployment of PI Systems on different subnets. IOTA Vue uses distributed "mesh-like" data source topology to support any deployment topology of your PI Systems. The hierarchical topology is as follows:

There are no limits to the number of Regions, Sites, and instances. IOTA Software recommends naming the topologies to reflect the PI Server deployment topology; however, there are no restrictions on the names. Here is a simple example:

Name	Example	Description
Region	us-east-1	geographical territory, similar to availability regions
Site	siteB	specific plant or a building. It can also be a proxy to another PV-Driver instance serving the same PI Data Archives

To simplify the installation process, the IOTA Software provides an automated driver installer generation.
The user is only required to select/create a region and site. Then for selected driver type, download the installer.
The installer will contain all necessary PV-Driver configuration with public and private keys for secure communication with
the company's IOTA Vue NATs message bus.

To access the Data Sources menu, click at the top right corner on "hamburger" icon, then select "Data Sources".

afdriver download

Add Region

Click on the "Add" icon to add a new region, then in popup dialog enter the region name.

Note, there are 2 input fields:

• Region name
• Channel name (optional)

Where region name is a user-friendly name and channel name can contain abbreviations.
If the channel name is not provided, it is automatically assigned to the region name on "Apply" button click.

datasource region

Add Site

Click on the "Add" icon to add a new site, then in the popup dialog enter the site name.
Make sure the AVEVA PIVision checkbox is checked. Each site can contain multiple driver types.
For each checked driver type the instance pane will contain selected driver tabs to which connection instances can be added.

Note, there are 2 input fields:

• Site name
• Channel name (optional)

Where site name is a user-friendly name and channel name can contain abbreviations.
If channel name is not provided, it is automatically assigned to the site name on "Apply" button click.

datasource site

Add AVEVA PI Vision Connection

In order for PV-Driver to connect to AVEVA PI Vision API endpoint and/or to be used in Tag/Asset/TimeFrame searches - specific connection instance(s) must be configured from within IOTA Vue UI.

Warning

PV-Driver for specific region and site must be downloaded and installed on MS Windows OS node prior to creating a new connection instance.

To add a new connection instance, navigate to data sources menu, then:

1. Select region of interest
2. Select site of interest
3. Select IOTA PI Vision Driver tab named as AVEVA PIVision within selected site.
4. At the top of AVEVA PIVision tab left corner - click on the Add icon.

pivision add connection instance

The PV-Driver's connection instance dialog will appear.

pivision connection instance dialog

1. Provide a name for PI Vision Connection. All search results will be prefixed with this name
2. Required Specify PI Vision API endpoint URL.
3. If explicit login is required for PI Vision API endpoint, uncheck Use Trust and specify Username and Password
4. If PV-Driver is required to access PI Data Archive, specify PI Host name or IP address. Note, the name or IP must be known server list on the PV-Driver node
5. If explicit login is required for PI Data Archive, uncheck Use Trust and specify Username and Password
6. If PV-Driver is required to access PI System, specify AF Host name or IP address.
7. If explicit login is required for PI System, uncheck Use Trust and specify Username and Password
8. For PI System data access - it is possible to provide Default Database. In order to set default database, the newly defined connection instance must be finalized first by clicking on Apply button then reopen via gear icon and then Default Database can be selected from the dropdown.
9. For Seeq integration - please refer to AF-Driver Seeq Integration documentation.
10. Please check Use in Quick Search checkbox if PI Vision Connection should be used in quick search side bar. If not checked,
    the configured connection will be available in Advanced search only.
11. Click on Apply button to save changes.

Tips

If PI Vision Connection has Use in Quick Search checkbox checked, then it becomes available in side bar quick search.

Seeq Integration

Note

For Seeq integration - please refer to AF-Driver Seeq Integration documentation