FactoryTalk Historian SE, SQL Server and Application Type

Hi All,

i start reading about Historian and i've some questions.

1. Is there a way to avoid Windows Server requirement for installation of Historian Server?
I try prepeare PC to play Historian and learn his possibilities but i try to install something and only thing i could was "Management Tools.


2. There is a way described in manual how i can display trend from Historian base (see atachement).
This is the only way or there are others? Is there other trend object different than standard trend from FT?

3. During installation of FacoryTalk Studio i also installed Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2, of course.
There is no "Management Studio" with this installation pack. I try to update it but with no luck (i download Management Studio from Microsoft website but every installation attempt fail).
Anyone know how could add it?

4. I'm still not sure about the difference between "Network" and "Network Distributed" Application.

Can i choose Network for that situation:

In the network will be 3 PC.
1 PC: Server for Historian
2 PC: FactoryTalk View Studio, HMI Server, Data Server (RSlinxEnterprise),
Alarm Server, HMI client (Runtime).
For instance this will be main PC to operate by the operators
3 PC: HMI Client (Runtime).
PC to operate from different place on the plant

Could i add to above configutation HMI?

1) Site edition requires a server platform. The platform should not be used for any user level applications at all. Historian ME (machine edition) can run on Windows XP or Windows 7, as well as on Server 2003/2008.

- Note: Running any user level application on a server results in extremely poor performance. Server OS's are simply not designed to be interactive, they are designed to manage data without pumping it to a monitor (to put it simply). Even running the FTView SE client on a server OS results in it being about 25% as responsive as running the client on a hardware wise identical XP box.

2) The method you show, is the typical way of using the standard trend client with the FT Historian data. The trend client can use several data sources, either live, FTView archived historical data, or Historian managed data. You can use any ActiveX component though that can link to Historian.

3) Can't help with your fail of installing management studio, without knowing what the failure is, and what version you are trying to install. I use Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio for SQLServer 2008 on Windows XP 32 bit, and Windows 7 64 bit with no issues.

4) Yah, that one is confusing, and new I think to Version 8.
"Network Distributed" is what used to be the only network version available. You deploy it with one FTView SE Server package, and use only clients on all of the actual HMI computers (a client can also run on the FTView SE Server computer). Typically for this, the data servers live on the same computer as the SE Server package, but they can live on different machines as well.
"Network Station" require that you install a Server package and a client package on each machine. The "Network" part is that they can read data sources from any machine on the network with a data server.
To be complete, a "Local Station" requires everything to be on one computer. The only data sources that "Local Station" can read remotely are OPC servers.

So, No, you can't use "Network Station" for your application, you need to use "Network Distributed", as you only have one copy of server.

1. You do need a Server Class OS because of the Historian SE required services which are not available on PC Class operating systems
2. The FTVSE method is a viable way of presenting the Historian SE recorded data; a more common method is the FactoryTalk VantagePoint (Historian SE "front end")reporting using the native applet or the MS Excel embedded client; each FTH SE license includes one FTVP Server license and a FTVP "One Named User" client license.
3.The MS SQL Server install required by FTV SE/ME or by the FTHSE/FTVP is a "locked" database intended to be used only by the RA Servers; the SQL Management Tool will not be able to access the RA software created databases.
4.The intended topology of your network does indeed require a Network Distributed FTV SE installation.

Thanks for all responses.

Ad1.
rdast i only want to test and play with Historian.
So, the answer is that i must prepeare PC with server operating system and
install on it whole Historian Package [tools and server].


Ad2.
Is there a way to configure tags from FT Client (Runtime)?
For example i want to create Historical Trend display and option to choose tags
to be log in Historian?
I want to avoid tags definition in Historian software.
dmargineau i must check FactoryTalk VantagePoint. I don't know it. If it is separate software and it hasn't have display possibility from FactoryTalk Studio, It will not be a option.

Ad3. dmargineau that was the main reason why i wanted Management Tool.
To access and see Rockwell database, for instance alarm history database.

Ad4.
Thank you for explaining.
I must take a deep breathe and read it a few times.

So....if i have that topology [Network]:

1. PLC Controllogix #1
2. PLC Controllogix #2
3. PC #1 with HMI SERVER, and HMI CLIENT (RUNTIME)
4. PC #2 with HMI SERVER, and HMI CLIENT (RUNTIME)
5. PC #3 HISTORIAN SERVER
6. PC #4 DATA SERVER

So in PC #4 i install only RSLinx Enterprise and create two topics, for example
PLC1 and PLC2 and i will have access to PLC 1 and PLC 2 data from
PC #1 (and also from PC #2)?

Suseh said:

Ad4.
Thank you for explaining.
I must take a deep breathe and read it a few times.

So....if i have that topology [Network]:

1. PLC Controllogix #1
2. PLC Controllogix #2
3. PC #1 with HMI SERVER, and HMI CLIENT (RUNTIME)
4. PC #2 with HMI SERVER, and HMI CLIENT (RUNTIME)
5. PC #3 HISTORIAN SERVER
6. PC #4 DATA SERVER

So in PC #4 i install only RSLinx Enterprise and create two topics, for example
PLC1 and PLC2 and i will have access to PLC 1 and PLC 2 data from
PC #1 (and also from PC #2)?

Click to expand...

I re-think above information.
If i have separate PC (PC#4) with Data Server so i should not install rslinx enterprise on pc#1 and pc#2.
So, how can i make connection to access PLC 1 and PLC 2 data from
PC #1 (and also from PC #2)?

Suseh said:

I re-think above information.
If i have separate PC (PC#4) with Data Server so i should not install rslinx enterprise on pc#1 and pc#2.
So, how can i make connection to access PLC 1 and PLC 2 data from
PC #1 (and also from PC #2)?

Click to expand...

You didn't say which computer is your Factory Talk Directory Server, but that one should have information about all of the other assets in it. All FT applications look to the directory server to find resources. In your case, PC1 will get its data from the data server for its HMI, and PC2 will get its own data from the data server for its HMI. For that matter, so will PC3.