Visual KPI Administrator's GuideUpdated for Build: 3.8.6.457
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introducing Transpara Visual KPI
___________________________________________ 1 Architecture
.......................................................................................................................
2 Visual KPI Components
....................................................................................................
3 Getting Started with Visual KPI
.........................................................................................
4
Working with the Visual KPI Server Manager
__________________________________ 5 Open the Visual KPI
Server Manager
...............................................................................
5 Navigating in the Visual KPI Server Manager
...................................................................
5
Using the Visual KPI Databases Folder
......................................................................
6 Using the Visual KPI Services Folder
..........................................................................
7 Using the Visual KPI Web Sites Folder
.......................................................................
9 Using the Visual KPI Server Report
..........................................................................
14
Configuring the Error Logging Level
...............................................................................
16 Configuring the Regional Settings
...................................................................................
17
Using Security with Visual KPI
_____________________________________________ 19 Visual KPI
Web Site Components
...................................................................................
19 Visual KPI and Active Directory Security
........................................................................
20 Using Multiple Web Sites to Implement
Security.............................................................
20
ACME Manufacturing Example
.................................................................................
21 Steps for Implementing Active Directory Security
...........................................................
22 Configuring Active Directory Security
..............................................................................
23
Granting Permissions to the Virtual Directories
......................................................... 23
Setting Permissions on the Visual KPI Designer Files
.............................................. 25
Understanding SQL Server Security
...............................................................................
26 SQL Server Login Account
........................................................................................
26 SQL Server Security for Interfaces
............................................................................
26
Troubleshooting Virtual Directory Issues
........................................................................
27 Installing Visual KPI Interfaces
_____________________________________________ 29
Working with the ODBC Interface
...................................................................................
29 Installing the ODBC Interface
....................................................................................
30 Configuring the ODBC Interface
................................................................................
35 Verifying the ODBC Connection
................................................................................
36 Testing the ODBC Interface Connection
...................................................................
37
Working with the PI Interface
..........................................................................................
39 Installing the PI Interface
...........................................................................................
39 Configuring the PI Interface
.......................................................................................
43 Verifying the PI Interface Connection
........................................................................
44 Testing the PI Interface Connection
..........................................................................
44
Working with the SQL Server Interface
...........................................................................
47 Preparing the Stored Procedures for the SQL Server
Interface Installation .............. 47 Inserting the Stored
Procedures for the SQL Server Interface
.................................. 48 Installing the SQL
Server Interface
...........................................................................
48 Configuring the SQL Server Interface
.......................................................................
52 Verifying the SQL Server Interface Connection
........................................................ 53
Testing the SQL Server Interface Connection
...........................................................
54
Using the SmartSignal Interface
.....................................................................................
56 Installing the SmartSignal Interface
...........................................................................
57
Introducing Transpara Visual KPI
Configuring the SmartSignal Interface
......................................................................
61 Verifying the SmartSignal Interface Connection
........................................................ 63
Testing the SmartSignal Interface Connection
..........................................................
64
Using Connect Strings with the Interfaces
......................................................................
66 Troubleshooting Interface Issues
....................................................................................
66
Using the Visual KPI Alert Server
___________________________________________ 69 Configuring
the Visual KPI Alert Server
..........................................................................
69
Visual KPI Alert Server Configuration File
.................................................................
71 Configuring the Visual KPI Alert Server Service
.............................................................
72
Appendix A – Using an SMTP Virtual Server
__________________________________ 75 Installing the SMTP
Service Components
.......................................................................
75 Configuring the Default SMTP Virtual Server
..................................................................
76 Testing the SMTP Virtual Server
.....................................................................................
79
Appendix B – Using the SQL Demo Database
________________________________ 83 Creating the SQL Server
Demo Database
......................................................................
83 Entering New Data in the SampleData Table
.................................................................
84 Quick Start to Using the ODBC Interface Demo
.............................................................
84
Appendix C – Visual KPI and BlackBerry
____________________________________ 87 BlackBerry Server
Configuration FAQ
............................................................................
87 Blackberry Device Configuration FAQ
............................................................................
89
Example BlackBerry Configurations
..........................................................................
90 Index
__________________________________________________________________
138H93
1
Introducing Transpara Visual KPI
Transpara’s Visual KPI is a revolutionary application that provides
you with access to your real-time business key performance
indicators right now, whether you are sitting at your desk or in
the field. With Visual KPI, key operating measures are made
available to stake-holders at every level of the corporation,
delivering a configurable solution for implementing such
initiatives as Balanced Scorecard, Six Sigma and Sarbanes-Oxley
compliance.
Based on Microsoft SQL Server and ASP.NET 2.0, and leveraging such
industry standard technologies as OSIsoft’s proven RtPM platform,
this web-based application intelligently determines the screen size
available to the requesting user and optimizes the interaction with
Graphics, Scorecards, and Trends for the specific device. In
addition, the system can be configured either online or offline
through an intuitive Excel spreadsheet.
Visual KPI allows you to easily create and securely distribute
real-time key performance indicators by simply configuring
scorecards and KPIs in Microsoft Excel, or via the Web Editor. You
can publish them for instant consumption by anyone in your
organization or even on the Internet. By providing ready access to
key performance information when and where needed, more informed
and accurate decisions can be made, improving business performance
and profitability.
Introducing Transpara Visual KPI
e
A R C H I T E C T U R E Transpara’s Visual KPI is based on an
architecture that separates the data capture from the way in which
this data is organized or queried. This allows a company to change
the fundamental way it consumes the data without affecting the data
capture method. In fact, companies can add new analyses, or change
existing analyses and then apply these analyses not only to new
incoming data but all existing data as well.
Transpara’s approach is to keep the underlying source systems
pristine and unaffected. Visual KPI lowers the “marginal cost of
curiosity” by allowing new questions and data schemas to be applied
to existing data without requiring the cube to be re-architected.
The software constantly extracts new data from the online systems
for a continuous stream of data from business operations.
Introducing Transpara Visual KPI
Visual KPI Administrator's Guide 3
V I S U A L K P I C O M P O N E N T S Visual KPI consists of
several components. The following is a brief overview of each of
the Visual KPI components.
♦ Visual KPI Server The Visual KPI Server component consists of web
pages and services that form a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)
used for accessing the KPI data from an external system. The Visual
KPI Server allows you to retrieve real-time data from an external
system through your configured Views, Scorecards and KPIs.
♦ Visual KPI Server Manager The Visual KPI Server Manager allows
you to install the Visual KPI Server, manage your current
installation, and upgrade your current Visual KPI installations.
Using the Visual KPI Server Manager you can easily perform
side-by-side deployments, allowing you to continue to use your live
system while you test your new system.
♦ Visual KPI Website The Visual KPI Website presents varying levels
of detail of your KPI data. The Visual KPI Website uses
certificate-based authorization of inbound devices, ensuring access
by only qualified, known users. Your users can access this data via
the Internet using a standard browser, as well as any number of
mobile devices such as PDAs, Smart Phones, Blackberry Phones,
Tablet PCs, and SharePoint Web Parts.
♦ Visual KPI Database The Visual KPI Database is the storage
location for the View, Scorecard, and KPI definitions. The Visual
KPI Server retrieves the definition data from the Visual KPI
Database, allowing the Visual KPI Server to determine the system
and tag from which KPI data is retrieved.
♦ Visual KPI Alert Server The Visual KPI Alert Server notifies
users via SMTP (e-mail) when certain events occur. When the Visual
KPI Alert Server determines that a limit boundary has been crossed
for a KPI, a message is sent to the e-mail address specified for
the KPI. Alerting can be defined for each KPI; you need to define
the Notification Type and e-mail address in the KPI.
♦ Visual KPI Cache Server The Visual KPI Cache Server caches data,
as it is accessed, resulting in a significant increase in
performance after it has run the first time. The Visual KPI Cache
Server runs as a Windows service.
♦ Visual KPI Interfaces Interfaces allow Visual KPI to communicate
with and gather data from external systems. There are a number of
interfaces for use with Visual KPI – ODBC, SQL Server, SmartSignal
and Excel Services (MOSS 2007 Server as data source), are just a
few of the available interfaces.
♦ Visual KPI Designer The Visual KPI Designer (formerly referred to
as the Visual KPI Excel Editor) is used to define your KPI data.
Because the Visual KPI Designer is in a familiar environment –
Microsoft Excel – you can quickly and easily define your KPI data.
The Visual KPI Designer is a special spreadsheet that allows you to
communicate with your Visual KPI Server, allowing you to retrieve,
review and upload your Visual KPI definitions data.
Introducing Transpara Visual KPI
PI
G E T T I N G S T A R T E D W I T H V I S U A L K P I The following
is a brief overview of the steps required to start using Visual
KPI.
♦ Install Visual KPI Ensure your system meets the minimum
requirements. Once you’ve installed the Visual KPI Server,
configure the error logging requirements on the server’s
components. Refer to the Visual KPI Installation Guide.
♦ Configure Security, if Required Visual KPI supports all forms of
standard security implementations used on an application server.
This document provides instructions for implementing Active
Directory security using multiple Visual KPI web sites.
♦ Install and Configure Visual KPI Interfaces The Visual KPI
Interfaces are used to allow the Visual KPI Server to communicate
with the external system that contains your KPI data. These
interfaces can be easily installed using the Visual KPI Server
Manager. Refer to the Visual KPI Installation Guide.
♦ Configure Visual KPI Alert Server If you want to use alerting,
you will need to configure the Visual KPI Alert Server to work with
your Visual KPI Server.
♦ Define Visual KPI Configuration Data You need to define your
Interfaces to specify the external systems from which your
real-time data will be retrieved. You can configure Trend Ranges,
including the Default Range. You can also specify your own custom
logo and alternate text for the logo in the Logo Properties.
♦ Define your KPI Data The Visual KPI Editors are used to define
your Views, Scorecards and KPIs. Views and Scorecards allow you to
organize your KPI data in a manner that makes sense for your
organization. You can configure multiple Scorecards, each of which
can include one or more KPIs. A KPI references multiple tags or
database values that define the KPI’s target value, range
specifications and status.
♦ View Your Data Using the KPI Website The Visual KPI website is
made up of several web pages that present varying levels of detail
of your KPI data. You can access this data via the Internet, or any
number of mobile devices.
3
Working with the Visual KPI Server Manager
The Visual KPI Server Manager allows you to install the Visual KPI
Server, manage your current installation, and upgrade your current
instances. The Visual KPI Server Manager also allows you to
generate a report on all of your Visual KPI Server instances.
Because the report is in a single HTML file, it can easily be
shared with others.
O P E N T H E V I S U A L K P I S E R V E R M A N A G E R
Double-click the Visual KPI Server Manager shortcut to open the
Transpara Visual KPI Server
Manager.
N A V I G A T I N G I N T H E V I S U A L K P I S E R V E R M A N A
G E R When you open the Visual KPI Server Manager, the left pane
contains a hierarchy of objects: Databases, Services, and Web
Sites. Each of these components allow you to perform functions
specific to Visual KPI.
♦ Open the Transpara Visual KPI Server Manager. You can increase
the size of the Visual KPI Server Manager by dragging the lower
right corner of the window until the window is an appropriate
size.
Working with the Visual KPI Server Manager
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The following sections describe the basic capabilities of the
Visual KPI Server Manager.
Using the Visual KPI Databases Folder The Databases folder in the
Visual KPI Server Manager allows you to review the contents of your
Visual KPI databases.
1. Open the Transpara Visual KPI Server Manager.
2. Right-click the Databases folder and select Connect.
The Connect to Server dialog displays.
3. Enter your Database Server info (example:
SQLServerName\InstanceName).
4. Select the appropriate security authentication method. If your
SQL Server instance is configured to use Integrated Security,
select the “Windows authentication” option. If your SQL Server
instance is configured to use Mixed mode security, select the “SQL
Server authentication using the Login ID and password below”
option, and enter your SQL Server login credentials.
5. Click Connect.
If there are no Visual KPI databases installed in the specified SQL
Server instance, a message displays indicating "No Visual KPI
databases found.” Click OK to close the message dialog and return
to the Visual KPI Server Manager.
Working with the Visual KPI Server Manager
Visual KPI Administrator's Guide 7
N avigating in the Visual K
PI Server M anager
If there is a Visual KPI database in the specified SQL Server
instance, the Connect to Server dialog closes and the Databases
folder expands to show the current Visual KPI databases installed
in the specified SQL Server instance.
NOTE: If you installed to a SQL Server 2005 Express database: You
will need to enable its browsing capabilities (via the Surface Area
Configuration Tool) to see the installed instance names.
6. Select the SQL Server instance. The detail pane displays the
Visual KPI database Name, Visual KPI Version number, and the number
of Views, Scorecards, KPIs, and Interfaces included the
database.
7. If you have multiple database instances into which you have
installed Visual KPI, you can connect to each of them using the
Visual KPI Server Manager. Repeat the previous two steps to connect
to additional SQL Server instances and review their Visual KPI
contents.
8. If changes have been made to the contents of the SQL Server
instances, while the Visual KPI Server Manager is open, right click
the Databases folder, or a specific SQL Server instance folder and
select Refresh. The display updates to include the most recent
changes.
Using the Visual KPI Services Folder The Visual KPI services,
installed on the local machine only, are listed within the Services
folder. You can view information on each listed service, as well as
control the status of the service. If you need to review/modify
Visual KPI services that exist on a different machine, you must run
the Visual KPI Server Manager on that machine.
1. Open the Transpara Visual KPI Server Manager.
Working with the Visual KPI Server Manager
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2. Expand the Services folder. Each of the locally installed
Services are listed in the hierarchy. The detail pane includes the
service’s Name, current Status, Startup Type, Version and Path to
the service’s executable.
3. Select one of the services in the list. The detail pane displays
the Windows Service information, as well as the configuration
information for each service.
Working with the Visual KPI Server Manager
Visual KPI Administrator's Guide 9
N avigating in the Visual K
PI Server M anager
4. You can modify any of the configuration settings that are not
grayed out. Double-click the setting name to select the setting’s
value, or click in the setting’s cell, and enter the new value.
After making changes, click Apply. The configuration information is
saved.
5. You can control the Services by right-clicking and selecting
Start, Stop, Restart or Refresh.
Using the Visual KPI Web Sites Folder The Visual KPI web sites,
installed on the local machine only, are listed within the Web
Sites folder. You can view information on each listed web site, as
well as modify the web site’s configuration information. If you
need to review/modify Visual KPI web sites that exist on a
different machine, you must run the Visual KPI Server Manager on
that machine.
Working with the Visual KPI Server Manager
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1. Select the Web Sites folder. The hierarchy displays a list of
installed web sites, and the detail pane lists details on each of
these web sites. This is the same list of web sites you would see
in the Web Sites folder in the IIS Manager. The detail pane
displays the web site’s Description, Identifier, current State,
Host Header value (if any), assigned IP Address, and Port.
2. Select a specific web site’s folder in the hierarchy. The detail
pane displays the installed virtual directories in the hierarchy,
as well as the virtual directory’s Name, installation Path, and
Version number.
Working with the Visual KPI Server Manager
Visual KPI Administrator's Guide 11
N avigating in the Visual K
PI Server M anager
3. Expand the web site’s folders to display the web site’s
installed components. Select the Visual KPI virtual directory under
the installation web site. The detail pane displays virtual
directory’s configuration information.
4. You can modify any of the configuration settings that are not
grayed out. Double-click the setting name to select the setting’s
value, or click in the setting’s cell, and enter the new value.
After making changes, click Apply. The configuration information is
saved.
Working with the Visual KPI Server Manager
12 Transpara Corporation
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5. Select the Interfaces folder to view the current list of
installed interfaces. The detail pane displays the Interfaces’
Name, installation Path, and Version.
6. Select an interface to review/modify its configuration settings.
You can modify any of the configuration settings that are not
grayed out. Double-click the setting name to select the setting’s
value, or click in the setting’s cell, and enter the new value.
After making changes, click Apply. The configuration information is
saved.
7. You can review general information for the WebEditor and
WebService by selecting them. You cannot make any changes to either
of these.
8. Right-click any of the installed Visual KPI virtual directories
under the installation web site and select Browse. The browser
opens and displays the associated Visual KPI web site.
Working with the Visual KPI Server Manager
Visual KPI Administrator's Guide 13
N avigating in the Visual K
PI Server M anager
If the web site does not display, refer to Troubleshooting Virtual
Directory Issues.
Working with the Visual KPI Server Manager
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Using the Visual KPI Server Report The Visual KPI Server Report
provides information on each of the Visual KPI instances installed
on the machine. You can generate a status report of your current
Visual KPI instances by selecting Generate Report from the Action
menu. An HTML file is created and saved to the local drive, in the
same folder as the Visual KPI Server Manager executable, and opened
in your browser.
The Visual KPI Server Report includes statistics that specify the
number of Visual KPI Instances installed on the machine, the total
number of Views, Scorecards, and KPIs, combined from all of the
locally installed instances. Additionally, the Statistics indicate
the total number Interfaces installed on the machine, by interface
type.
When the Visual KPI Server Report file is opened in a browser,
click a plus sign (+) to expand a specific installed instance.
Alternatively, click the “[expand all]” link, to expand everything
within the Web Site section.
1. From the Action menu, select Generate Report. The browser opens
and displays the HTML file that contains the Visual KPI Server
Report.
The Web Site section’s initial view includes basic information
regarding the Visual KPI web sites installed, as well as the
Default web site.
2. Click the plus sign (+) for a specific installed instance of the
Visual KPI Server to review more details for that instance.
Working with the Visual KPI Server Manager
Visual KPI Administrator's Guide 15
N avigating in the Visual K
PI Server M anager
Blue text that is underlined is a hyperlink. Click the link to open
the associated web site.
NOTE: If the additional info isn’t displayed, you may need to
respond to an Internet Explorer prompt at the top of the HTML page.
In order to review all of the data in the HTML file, from within
your browser, you will need to allow the Blocked Content.
3. Continue by clicking the plus signs (+) for each section of
information you want to review.
The more sections expanded, the more detail that is
displayed.
4. The Visual KPI Server Report is a single file, and can be easily
shared with others, by sending a copy of the HTML file to anyone
who needs to review the data.
Working with the Visual KPI Server Manager
16 Transpara Corporation
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C O N F I G U R I N G T H E E R R O R L O G G I N G L E V E L The
Visual KPI Server logs events to the Transpara event log in the
Windows Event Journal. The level of detail included in the event
log is dependent upon the LogLevel setting for the Visual KPI
Server and its components. The following describes the LogLevel
options:
ErrorsOnly: Only errors are logged
Moderate: Logging ON with some logging (only public
functions)
Full: Logging ON with complete logging (public and private
functions)
During the Visual KPI Server installation, a “Transpara” log in the
Windows Event Journal is created. The server components each have a
unique “Source”, making it easier to sort through the Transpara
event log. The following is a list of the different Sources that
can be found in the Transpara event log.
♦ Visual KPI Server 1001-2000 ♦ Visual KPI PI Interface 2001-3000 ♦
Visual KPI SQL Server Interface 3001-4000 ♦ Visual KPI Alert Server
4001-5000 ♦ Visual KPI ODBC Interface 5001-6000 ♦ Visual KPI Cache
Server 8001-9000
You can change the level of detail included in the Event Journal by
editing the individual Visual KPI Server components in the Visual
KPI Server Manager.
It is important to note that the LogLevel setting flows downward.
This means that if you change the setting on the VisualKPI virtual
directory, all sub-virtual directories settings also change. The
exception being that if a sub-virtual directory has already been
modified from its default setting, then it will not be updated by
the change. For example, say the LogLevel setting on the VisualKPI
virtual directory has been set to Moderate. Then, say the LogLevel
setting for the WebEditor virtual directory is set to ErrorsOnly.
Finally, the LogLevel setting on the VisualKPI virtual directory is
changed to Full. The LogLevel setting on the WebEditor virtual
directory will stay set to ErrorsOnly.
1. Open the Visual KPI Server Manager.
2. Select the component on which you want to change the LogLevel
setting.
Working with the Visual KPI Server Manager
Visual KPI Administrator's Guide 17
C onfiguring the R
egional Settings
3. In the LogLevel setting, click the drop-down arrow and select
the LogLevel appropriate for your implementation.
4. Repeat the previous two steps for each component that requires a
change to the LogLevel setting.
C O N F I G U R I N G T H E R E G I O N A L S E T T I N G S The
Visual KPI Server’s Regional Setting specifies how the Visual KPI
Server will communicate with other machines. When you specify a
Regional Setting, the Text, Numbers, Dates and Times used within
the Visual KPI Server’s communications will adhere to the formats
specified within Visual KPI Server’s Regional Options
settings.
1. Within the Visual KPI Server Manager, select a web site.
2. In the Visual KPI Site Settings section, select the appropriate
Regional Setting.
3. Click Apply.
4. Repeat these steps for each web site on which you want to change
the Regional Settings.
5. On the Visual KPI Server, from within the Control Panel, select
Regional and Language Options.
6. In the Regional and Language Options dialog, select the Advanced
tab.
7. In the Default user account settings area, select the Apply all
settings to the current user account and to the default user
profile check box.
8. Click OK to close the Regional and Language Options
dialog.
The Visual KPI Server is configured for using Regional
Settings.
Working with the Visual KPI Server Manager
18 Transpara Corporation
Visual KPI Administrator's Guide 19
Using Security with Visual KPI
The Visual KPI Server runs under the context of a web site in IIS.
When you install the Visual KPI Server, it automatically creates
the main Transpara web site that includes the Visual KPI web site
and Visual KPI’s virtual directories. You then install any Visual
KPI Interfaces that you want to run, either on the Visual KPI
Server or another machine. If you need to limit access to the web
site or Editors — limit who can view your KPI data, limit who can
modify your KPI configurations — then you will want to implement
some form of security.
This section provides information on how to implement a specific
security scheme, one that includes multiple Visual KPI web sites
and uses Active Directory (AD) security. There are other security
implementations, as Visual KPI supports all forms of standard
security implementations used on an application server.
V I S U A L K P I W E B S I T E C O M P O N E N T S This section
describes the structure of the Transpara web site and its
associated virtual directories, using default names. With the
exception of the WebEditor and WebService virtual directories, the
names shown in this section can be changed during the installation
of the Visual KPI Server. By default, Transpara is the main web
site under which a Visual KPI Instance is installed. However, you
can install a new Visual KPI instance into any existing web
site.
A new Visual KPI Server installation consists of three virtual
directories under the main Transpara web site: VisualKPI, WebEditor
and WebService. An additional virtual directory is created for each
Visual KPI Interface installed to the same instance. The Transpara
web site and its associated virtual directories are each mapped to
a folder within the Visual KPI installation folder. Visual KPI
Server’s default installation folder is C:\Program
Files\Transpara\Visual KPI, under which is a sub-folder for each
instance of Visual KPI installed on the machine.
The following table shows the relationships between the Visual KPI
components, the related IIS components and application folders
(using the default names).
Visual KPI Component IIS Component Application Folder
Main web site Transpara web site …\Visual KPI\Root
Visual KPI web site VisualKPI virtual directory …\Visual KPI\
Visual KPI Designer WebService virtual directory …\Visual
KPI\WebService
PI Interface PIServer virtual directory …\Visual
KPI\Interfaces\PIServer
ODBC Interface ODBC virtual directory …\Visual
KPI\Interfaces\ODBC
SQL Interface SQLServer virtual directory …\Visual
KPI\Interfaces\SQLServer
SmartSignal Interface SmartSignal virtual directory …\Visual
KPI\Interfaces\SmartSignal
Using Security with Visual KPI
20 Transpara Corporation
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PI a
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Se cu
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V I S U A L K P I A N D A C T I V E D I R E C T O R Y S E C U R I T
Y Active Directory can be used to secure the Visual KPI Web Site,
as well as the Visual KPI Editors. Using AD, you can decide who can
see and/or change your Visual KPI data. The following is an
overview of the processes involved in implementing AD Security on a
single Visual KPI Web Site.
1. Enable Security by:
a. Turning OFF anonymous access on the Web Site, and any Virtual
Directory that you wish to secure.
b. Removing the user “Everyone” from the Permissions on the Web
Site and Virtual Directories.
c. Adding AD Users and/or User Groups with Read & Execute
permissions to the Web Site.
2. There are three types of users of any given instance of Visual
KPI:
a. Read-only users of the Web Site
b. Read/write users of the Web Editor
c. Read/write users of the Visual KPI Designer
3. Grant Permissions to AD Groups for the Web Site and Virtual
Directories.
a. Web Site: User/User Group must have Read & Execute
permissions on the Web Site.
b. Web Editor: User/User Group must have Read & Execute
permissions on the Virtual Directory called WebEditor.
c. Visual KPI Designer: User/User Group must have Read &
Execute permissions on the Virtual Directory called WebService,
plus Read & Execute and Write on the ExcelEditor folder on the
client machine.
4. Errors are presented to any user without appropriate permissions
to the Web Site or Virtual Directories.
a. Web Site: A simple 403 error page is shown.
b. Web Editor: A simple error page is shown.
c. Visual KPI Designer: A modal dialog box is shown telling the
user they are forbidden to access the necessary web services.
U S I N G M U L T I P L E W E B S I T E S T O I M P L E M E N T S E
C U R I T Y If you have only a single set of users who all need the
same access to all of your KPI data, then implementing AD security
on your web site is easy enough. But, what if you have multiple
user groups, each of which needs access to different sets of KPI
data, and/or different levels of access (read only, edit)? How can
you assign different levels of access to each of the different user
groups? Well, you can’t if you only have a single Visual KPI Web
Site. Visual KPI supports the use of multiple Visual KPI Web Sites,
allowing you to have a finer level of control over who will have
what type of access to your various KPI data.
Using Security with Visual KPI
Visual KPI Administrator's Guide 21
U sing M
plem ent Security
The following is an example implementation of AD security with
multiple Visual KPI web sites.
ACME Manufacturing Example Let’s look at an example where multiple
Visual KPI web sites would be required to implement AD security.
ACME Manufacturing has two plants, each of which has it’s own set
of KPIs. ACME wants to have multiple levels of access to the KPI
data, based on an employee’s job title. Some users will only need
to view the KPI data on the Web Site, while others will need to use
one of the Editors to edit the KPI configuration data.
Additionally, ACME wants to limit KPI visibility based on an
employee’s location.
The following table shows the different groups of ACME users,
across the top row. In the first column is the list of required
access levels, broken down by location. VKPI
Admins Corp Execs
Plant 1 Mgr
Plant 1 Supv
Plant 1 Tech
Plant 2 Mgr
Plant 2 Supv
Plant 2 Tech
Adam Bill Charlie Dave Ed Frank George Harry Plant 1 Web Site
Y Y Y Y Y
Plant 1 Web Editor
Plant 2 Web Editor
ACME will need six AD User Groups:
One for each Web Site (Plant 1 Web Site, Plant 2 Web Site) One for
each plant for editing the KPI Configuration data (Plant 1 VKPI
Edit, Plant 2 VKPI Edit) One for the VKPI Admins One for the
Corporate Executives
ACME’s AD User Group membership would look like this:
AD Group name User Name
VKPI Admins Adam
Corp Execs Bill
Plant 1 VKPI Edit Dave
Plant 2 Web Site Frank, George, Harry
Plant 2 VKPI Edit George
Using Security with Visual KPI
22 Transpara Corporation
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The Read & Execute permissions would be assigned to the Virtual
Directories as follows:
Virtual Directory Name AD Group Name
Plant1WebSite Plant 1 Web Site, VKPI Admins, Corp Execs
Plant1WebEditor Plant 1 VKPI Edit, VKPI Admins
Plant1WebService Plant 1 VKPI Edit, VKPI Admins
Plant2WebSite Plant 2 Web Site, VKPI Admins, Corp Execs
Plant2WebEditor Plant 2 VKPI Edit, VKPI Admins
Plant2WebService Plant 2 VKPI Edit, VKPI Admins
ACME will need to create a separate Visual KPI database for each of
the Visual KPI Web Sites. By organizing its data to reflect its Web
Sites and Users, ACME will have a secure Visual KPI system running
on multiple Web Sites. Only those users who have been given
explicit permissions can access ACME’s Visual KPI data.
S T E P S F O R I M P L E M E N T I N G A C T I V E D I R E C T O R
Y S E C U R I T Y Now that you have a better understanding of how
multiple Visual KPI web sites used in conjunction with AD can
provide you with a secure environment, you can begin the
implementation process. The following outlines the steps required
to implement the Active Directory Web Site security scheme
described in the previous section.
♦ Review your KPI data and determine which users need what type of
access.
♦ Create a table that includes your User Groups and the Type of
Access needed.
♦ Install a new instance of the Visual KPI Server for each web site
you need. When you install the Visual KPI Server using the Visual
KPI Server Manager, both the web site and database are created. For
instruction on installing the Visual KPI Server using the Visual
KPI Server Manager, refer to Visual KPI Installation Guide.
♦ Configure the Visual KPI Alert Server for each web site on which
you want to use the Alert Server. (See the Using the Visual KPI
Alert Server section for more information.)
♦ Install and configure the Visual KPI Interfaces that you need to
use on each web site. (See the Visual KPI Installation Guide for
more information.)
♦ For each web site, assign the appropriate permissions to each AD
User Group for each of the Virtual Directories.
♦ Configure each of your web sites, using one of the Editors. (See
the Visual KPI User’s Guide for more information.)
♦ Using either of the Visual KPI Editors, create your Visual KPI
data: Views, Scorecards, KPIs. (See the Visual KPI User’s Guide for
more information.)
♦ Start using Visual KPI to track your real-time key performance
indicators, from your desk or from out in the field. (See the
Visual KPI User’s Guide for more information.)
Using Security with Visual KPI
Visual KPI Administrator's Guide 23
C onfiguring A
ctive D irectory Security
C O N F I G U R I N G A C T I V E D I R E C T O R Y S E C U R I T Y
Once you have created your Visual KPI database and web site, and
installed the interfaces, you are ready to configure the security
settings. You will configure the permissions on the web site and
the Editors’ virtual directories to allow access to a specific set
of AD accounts. You can limit who will have access to each of
these, by assigning different permissions.
Granting Permissions to the Virtual Directories Before you begin,
prepare your list of AD Groups and/or AD Users who need access to
the Visual KPI web site, Visual KPI Designer and Web Editor. For
each Visual KPI web site you have created, perform the following
steps on the Visual KPI web site, WebEditor, and WebService virtual
directories.
1. In the IIS Manager window, right-click the virtual directory and
select Properties. The Properties dialog displays.
2. In the Directory Security tab, click the Authentication and
access control Edit button. The Authentication Methods dialog
displays.
3. Ensure that Enable anonymous access is NOT selected and that
Integrated Windows authentication IS selected. Click OK to return
to the Properties dialog.
4. Click OK to return to the IIS Manager window.
5. Right-click the virtual directory and select Permissions. The
virtual directory’s Security dialog displays.
Using Security with Visual KPI
24 Transpara Corporation
y
6. Click the Advanced button. The Advanced Security Settings dialog
displays.
7. Select the first check box (“Allow inheritable permissions from
the parent to propagate to this object and child objects. Include
these with entries explicitly defined here.”) to remove the check
mark. The Security dialog displays.
8. Click Copy. All groups and users that were assigned by
inheritance remain in the Permission entries list.
9. Click the Add button. The Select Users, Computers, or Groups
dialog displays.
10. In the Enter the object names to select: area, enter the names
of the User Groups and/or Users that require access to the virtual
directory, along with “Network Service” and “Administrators”. Click
the Check Names button.
Using Security with Visual KPI
Visual KPI Administrator's Guide 25
C onfiguring A
ctive D irectory Security
Remember, for users and user groups who require access to
the:
♦ VisualKPI web site, assign Read & Execute permissions on the
Web Site.
♦ Web Editor, assign Read & Execute permissions on the virtual
directory called WebEditor.
♦ Visual KPI Designer, assign Read & Execute permissions on the
virtual directory called WebService.
You may be prompted to provide your credentials for accessing AD
information from the domain. Additionally, you may have to change
the location for the Administrators group; you are adding the local
Administrators group.
11. Click the OK button to return to the Security dialog.
12. Remove all remaining users and user groups, unless they require
access to the virtual directory.
13. Assign Full Control to the user or user group that will be in
charge of administering the IIS components (Administrators is the
default). At least one user or user group requires full control to
administer the components in IIS.
14. For the remaining users/user groups that you added, select the
user/user group and ensure it has the Read & Execute
permission. When the Read & Execute permission is selected, the
List Folders Contents and Read permissions are automatically
selected.
15. Click OK to return to the IIS Manager window.
16. Repeat the above steps for each of the virtual directories
under the Transpara web site.
The Visual KPI Web Site is now complete.
Setting Permissions on the Visual KPI Designer Files For each
client machine on which the Visual KPI Client application was
installed (the Visual KPI Designer), you need to ensure that the
appropriate users and/or user groups have the required access to
the Visual KPI Designer folder.
1. Log onto the client machine as a user with local administrator
privileges.
2. Open Windows Explorer and navigate to the ExcelEditor folder
(default location is C:\Program Files\Transpara\Visual KPI\Visual
KPI Designer).
3. Right-click the \Visual KPI Designer folder and select
Properties. The Properties dialog displays.
4. Select the Security tab. Add the users and/or user groups who
will need to access the Visual KPI Designer.
Using Security with Visual KPI
26 Transpara Corporation
ity
5. For each user and/or user group that was added in the previous
step, assign the Read & Execute and the Write permissions. The
permissions are also assigned to each of the files within the
folder.
6. Click OK to return to Windows Explorer. Close Windows
Explorer.
U N D E R S T A N D I N G S Q L S E R V E R S E C U R I T Y The
Visual KPI web service manages the communications with the Visual
KPI database. During the installation, the Visual KPI web service
and the Visual KPI database are configured to allow for this
communication to occur in a secure manner. The web service is
assigned to one of the application pools also created during the
installation. The application pool’s Identity is set to Predefined
and uses the NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE account. In the Visual
KPI database, a SQL Server Login and VisualKPI database User are
created for the NETWORK SERVICE account.
NOTE: If you choose to use an application pool Identity other than
a built-in account, the account must be added to the IIS_WPG local
users group. If not, you may see the “server not available” message
when attempting to access the database. Additionally, if the user
account password has a timeout defined, the interface will become
unavailable after the password’s timeout period.
SQL Server Login Account A different account can be used for the
Application Pool’s Identity, but it must adhere to the following
requirements.
The account must be mapped to a SQL Login account, with permission
to connect to the VisualKPI database.
The Login account should be a member of the database role:
db_VisualKPIRole. The db_owner database role will also work, but is
not necessary.
The db_VisualKPIRole has permission to run all of the Visual KPI
stored procedures, but it will not have permissions on any other
SQL Server object such as a table or a view.
If the Login account is not mapped to the db_VisualKPIRole, it must
be granted the Execute permission on all of the non-system stored
procedures in the Visual KPI database.
SQL Server Security for Interfaces SQL Server can be configured to
support one of two types of Authentication modes: Windows or SQL
Server and Windows. Windows authentication requires a Windows
domain account to connect to the SQL Server. SQL Server and Windows
authentication allows either a Windows domain account or a SQL
Server account to connect to SQL Server. You need to know which
authentication method your SQL Server is configured to use.
Using Windows Authentication If your SQL Server and/or SmartSignal
interface is connecting to a remote SQL Server that uses Windows
authentication, you need to ensure that the domain account used in
the Application Pool has the proper access to the remote SQL
Server. Verify the following are set correctly:
The interface’s Application Pool has its Identity set to a Windows
domain account.
Using Security with Visual KPI
Visual KPI Administrator's Guide 27
Troubleshooting Virtual D irectory Issues
The interface’s connect string uses Integrated Security. Example:
"Server=<servername>[\<instancename>];Database=<databasename>;
Trusted_Connection=yes;"
A SQL Server Login account exists that maps to the domain user used
as the application pool’s Identity, or to a domain group that
includes this domain user. And, this SQL Server Login account has:
permission to connect to the database. been granted access to the
appropriate access to the Stored Procedures and/or Tables.
Using SQL Server and Windows Authentication If your SQL Server
and/or SmartSignal interface is connecting to a remote SQL Server
that uses SQL Server and Windows authentication, you need to ensure
that the SQL account specified in the Connect String has the proper
access to the remote SQL Server. Verify the following are set
correctly:
The connect string specifies a SQL Server Login account
The interface’s connect string does not use Integrated Security.
Example:
"Server=<servername>[\<instancename>];Database=<databasename>;Trusted_C
onnection=no;UID=<userid>;PWD=<password>;"
The SQL Server Login account has: permission to connect to the
database. been granted access to the appropriate access to the
Stored Procedures and/or Tables.
T R O U B L E S H O O T I N G V I R T U A L D I R E C T O R Y I S S
U E S If you receive an error page when trying to verify the
connection, verify the following issues have been addressed.
Verify virtual directory properties are set properly.
In the IIS Manager window, right-click the virtual directory, and
select Properties. Verify the following:
♦ In the Virtual Directory tab, verify the Local path is directed
at the correct folder (example: C:\Program
Files\Transpara\VisualKPI\VisualKPI3.1\Interfaces\ODBC).
♦ In the Virtual Directory tab, verify the Application pool is set
to one of the following application pool names: Application Pool ID
Components Assigned
TAP[VisualKPIInstanceName] Visual KPI web site, Visual KPI Web
Editor TAP[VisualKPIInstanceName]Int Visual KPI interfaces
TAP[VisualKPIInstanceName]WS Visual KPI Web Service
♦ In the Directory Security tab, click the Authentication and
access control Edit button. The Authentication Methods dialog
displays. Ensure that Enable anonymous access is NOT selected and
that Integrated Windows authentication IS selected. Click OK to
return to the Properties dialog.
♦ In the ASP.NET tab, click the Edit Configuration button. In the
ASP.NET Configuration Settings General tab, ensure that you have
the correct Connection Parameters and Application Settings
parameters.
Using Security with Visual KPI
28 Transpara Corporation
Verify ASP.NET 2.0 is set to Allowed.
In the IIS Manager window, select the Web Service Extensions
folder. The Web Service Extensions list displays in the right-hand
side pane of the IIS window. Right-click the ASP.NET v2.0.x Web
Service Extension, if it does NOT have a Status of Allowed, and
select Allow. The ASP.NET v2.0.x Web Service Extension must be
allowed.
Set Logging to 100 and check contents of the Transpara Event
log.
Change the Error Logging Level for the virtual directory. Refer to
Configuring the Error Logging Level on page 16 for details. Attempt
to open the web page for the virtual directory again. If the there
is an error on the page, open the Administrative Tools window, and
double-click the Event Viewer icon. In the Event Viewer window,
select the Transpara event log. Review the Transpara event log for
errors that have a source of Visual KPI Server.
If you are still receiving an error, contact Transpara
Support.
4
Installing Visual KPI Interfaces
Visual KPI Interfaces allow the Visual KPI Server to communicate
with and retrieve data from non-Visual KPI systems, such as a PI
Server, a SQL database, or a SmartSignal system. In order to access
these systems, you must install an appropriate interface and define
the system using one of the Visual KPI Editors.
Visual KPI supports the following interfaces:
♦ ECHO ♦ Proficy Historian OLEDB
♦ PI ♦ Wonderware Historian ODBC Interface
A Visual KPI Interface defines how to retrieve the required data
from the non-Visual KPI system. The system definition defines how
to access the non-Visual KPI system, and is specified in the
Interfaces configuration (Refer to the Visual KPI User’s Guide). If
the system is external to the Visual KPI Server, credentials may be
required to access the system. You can specify the credentials when
defining the Interfaces.
W O R K I N G W I T H T H E O D B C I N T E R F A C E The ODBC
interface is made up of a web service and two SQL scripts
(GetCurrentData.sql and GetTrendData.sql). The SQL scripts each use
four fields, two of which are used in your KPIs: LookUp (this is
the tag name) and Value (this is the value associated with the tag
name). The other two fields, SampleData (the table name) and lupd
(the date/time the row was last updated) are used to find the
correct value. These are generic field names.
When displaying KPI values, the VisualKPI ODBC interface reads the
tag name associated with a specific KPI column (such as Value,
Target, Low, etc.) and then searches the SampleData table for a row
that has the same name in the LookUp column. When the interface
finds the correct row, it retrieves the Value in the same row and
returns that value to Visual KPI.
When displaying a KPI’s trend, the VisualKPI ODBC interface reads
the tag name associated with a specific KPI column (such as Value,
Target, Low, etc.) and then searches the SampleData table for each
row that has the same name in the LookUp column and where the lupd
(timestamp) falls within the correct time range. Time range is
based on the current Trend Range in Visual KPI. When the interface
has completed its search, it retrieves the Value and lupd
(timestamp) in the same row and returns these to Visual KPI, which
in turn, draws the trend graph.
In order to use the Visual KPI ODBC interface, you need to specify
the connection parameters for your database and modify the SQL
Scripts to reference the actual field names for SampleData, LookUp,
Value, and lupd. The ODBC Interface installation using the Visual
KPI Server Manager allows you to make these changes as part of the
installation. Should you need to modify the
Installing Visual KPI Interfaces
e
connection parameters after the interface has been installed, you
can use the Visual KPI Server Manager to make the changes; refer to
Configuring the ODBC Interface.
If you want to test the ODBC interface before you connect it to
your live database, you can create and work with the SQL Demo
database.
Installing the ODBC Interface The ODBC Interface should be
installed and configured using the Visual KPI Server Manager. The
ODBC Interface can be installed on the Visual KPI Server, or on any
machine that is available to the Visual KPI Server via HTTP. If the
interface is being installed on a machine other than the Visual KPI
Server, you need to first install the Visual KPI Server
Manager.
During the interface install, use the Back button to move to a
previous page in the installation wizard, or use the Cancel button
to cancel the installation process.
1. Open the Visual KPI Server Manager. Expand the Web Sites folder.
If you have multiple web sites defined on your system, they are
displayed here. Expand the web site in which you want to install
the interface. Continue expanding the web site’s hierarchy until
Interfaces is selected.
2. Right-click Interfaces and select Install New Visual KPI
Interface | ODBC Interface. The Interface Setup Wizard opens.
3. Click Next to continue. The License Agreement page
displays.
Installing Visual KPI Interfaces
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Interface
4. Select the I accept the terms of the license agreement option
and click Next to continue. The ODBC Interface Name page
displays.
5. Accept the Visual KPI ODBC Interface Name, or change it to meet
your requirements. The Visual KPI ODBC Interface Name is used to
set the defaults for the Installation Path and Virtual Directory
Name during this installation. Click Next to continue. The
Installation Path page displays.
6. Accept the default installation path, or change it to meet your
requirements. Click Next to continue. The Virtual Directory
Properties page displays.
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7. Accept the default Virtual Directory Name, or change it to meet
your requirements. The ODBC Virtual Directory Name is the same name
that will be used when the interface is defined in the Visual KPI
Editor. Click Next to continue. The Connection String page
displays.
8. Update the Connect String to meet your requirements. You can use
the drop-down list to select sample connect strings, which you can
then modify. Refer to Using Connect Strings with the Interfaces for
example connect strings. Click Next to continue. The Get Current
Data page displays.
Installing Visual KPI Interfaces
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Interface
9. Update the Get Current Data Query to reflect the actual field
names for your system. Refer to Working with the ODBC Interface for
detailed information on the fields used. Click Next to continue.
The Get Trend Data page displays.
10. Update the Get Trend Data Query to reflect the actual field
names for your system. Refer to Working with the ODBC Interface for
detailed information on the fields used. Click Next to continue.
The Ready to Install page displays.
11. Click Next to install the interface. The Finish page
displays.
Installing Visual KPI Interfaces
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12. Click Finish to close the Setup Wizard. The newly installed
interface displays in the Interfaces folder.
13. Select the newly installed interface in the left pane. The
detail pane displays the interface’s configuration information that
was entered during the installation.
The installation of the ODBC interface is now complete.
Installing Visual KPI Interfaces
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Interface
Configuring the ODBC Interface If you need to change the
configuration settings for your ODBC Interface after it has already
been installed, you can use the Visual KPI Server Manager.
1. Open the Visual KPI Server Manager. Expand the Web Sites folder.
If you have multiple web sites defined on your system, they are
displayed here. Expand the web site that includes the interface to
be configured.
2. Under the Interfaces folder, select the ODBC interface to be
configured. The detail pane displays the interface’s current
configuration.
Mousing over a setting displays a tooltip with the current
configuration for that setting, if the value is not already
displayed in its entirety.
You can modify any of the configuration settings that are not
grayed out.
To make changes to LogName and ConnectString, double-click the
setting name to select the setting’s value, or click in the
setting’s cell, and enter the new value. Refer to Using Connect
Strings with the Interfaces for example connect strings.
Installing Visual KPI Interfaces
e
To make changes to GetCurrentDataQuery or GetTrendDataQuery, click
in the cell and enter the new query, or click the down arrow to
open a larger text entry field. Press the Enter key to start a new
line. Press Ctrl + Enter to close the field and accept the text you
have entered.
Refer to Working with the ODBC Interface for detailed information
on the fields used in these queries.
To make changes to the LogLevel, select an appropriate level from
the list. You can select ErrorsOnly, Moderate or Full. Refer to
Configuring the Error Logging Level for details on logging
levels.
3. After making any required changes, click Apply. The
configuration information is saved. Refer to Verifying the ODBC
Connection to verify the connection is working correctly.
Verifying the ODBC Connection Once you have installed and
configured the ODBC interface, you should verify the interface is
able to connect to the database. You can use the Visual KPI Server
Manager to verify the connection.
1. Open the Visual KPI Server Manager. Expand the Web Sites folder.
If you have multiple web sites defined on your system, they will be
displayed here. Expand the web site that includes the interface to
be verified.
2. Right-click the ODBC interface and select Verify Connection. A
message displays indicating the connection was successful, or if
the connection failed, a message displays indicating the
failure:
Installing Visual KPI Interfaces
W orking w
3. Click OK in the message.
4. If there were any errors, make the required changes to the
Connect String and/or Queries and repeat the verification.
Otherwise, refer to the Using Connect Strings with the Interfaces
section for tips on correcting the configuration.
NOTE: It is important to note that verifying the connection does
not ensure proper security has been implemented. To ensure you can
access the data within the database, you should test the ODBC
connection.
Testing the ODBC Interface Connection Once you have verified the
ODBC interface connection, you should test the connection to ensure
you can access the data within the database. You can use the Visual
KPI Server Manager to test the connection.
1. Open the Visual KPI Server Manager. Expand the Web Sites folder.
If you have multiple web sites defined on your system, they will be
displayed here. Expand the web site that includes the interface to
be tested.
2. Right-click the ODBC interface and select Browse. Your browser
opens and displays the ODBC Interface’s Web Service page.
Installing Visual KPI Interfaces
3. Click the Test link.
4. In the sLookupValue field, enter a valid lookup name and click
the Invoke button. A new instance of your browser opens.
Installing Visual KPI Interfaces
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ith the PI Interface
5. Look for the “<NewDataSet xmlns="">” entry. Within this
entry are the results of the test. If the connection and security
settings are valid, a value is returned. Otherwise, an error is
displayed as the value.
6. If there are any errors, make the required changes to the
Connect String and/or Queries and repeat the test. Otherwise, refer
to the Using Connect Strings with the Interfaces section for tips
on correcting the configuration.
W O R K I N G W I T H T H E P I I N T E R F A C E The VisualKPI PI
interface is a web service that communicates with OSIsoft’s PI-SDK
to get data from a PI Server. The PI interface must be installed on
a machine that includes OSIsoft’s PI-SDK.
Installing the PI Interface The PI Interface can be installed and
configured, using the Visual KPI Server Manager, on the Visual KPI
Server, or on any machine that is available to the Visual KPI
Server via HTTP. If the interface is being installed on a machine
other than the Visual KPI Server, you need to first install the
Visual KPI Server Manager.
Installing Visual KPI Interfaces
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During the interface install, use the Back button to move to a
previous page in the installation wizard, or use the Cancel button
to cancel the installation process.
1. Open the Visual KPI Server Manager. Expand the Web Sites folder.
If you have multiple web sites defined on your system, they are
displayed here. Expand the web site in which you want to install
interfaces. Continue expanding the web site’s hierarchy until
Interfaces is selected.
2. Right-click Interfaces and select Install New Visual KPI
Interface | PI Interface. The Interface Setup Wizard opens.
3. Click Next to continue. The License Agreement page
displays.
Installing Visual KPI Interfaces
W orking w
ith the PI Interface
4. Select the I accept the terms of the license agreement option
and click Next to continue. The PI Interface Name page
displays.
5. Accept the Visual KPI PI Interface Name, or change it to meet
your requirements. The Visual KPI PI Interface Name is used to set
the defaults for the Installation Path and Virtual Directory Name
during this installation. Click Next to continue. The Installation
Path page displays.
6. Accept the default installation path, or change it to meet your
requirements. Click Next to continue. The Virtual Directory
Properties page displays.
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7. Accept the default Virtual Directory Name, or change it to meet
your requirements. The Virtual Directory Name is the same name that
will be used when the interface is defined in the Visual KPI
Editor. Click Next to continue. The PI Server Settings page
displays.
8. Enter the PI Server Name. In the Security area, select the
Verify connection before proceeding
check box if you want the security credentials to be verified
before moving on in the install. Select the appropriate security
option: PI Trust; PI Login; or Windows Security. If PI Login is
selected, then enter the PI User Name, and the PI user’s Password.
Click Next to continue. The Ready to Install page displays.
9. Click Next to install the interface. The Finish page
displays.
Installing Visual KPI Interfaces
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ith the PI Interface
10. Click Finish to close the Setup Wizard. The newly installed
interface displays in the Interfaces folder.
11. Select the newly installed interface in the left pane. The
detail pane displays the interface’s configuration information that
was entered during the installation.
The installation of the PI interface is now complete.
Configuring the PI Interface If you need to change the
configuration settings for your PI Interface after it has already
been installed, you can use the Visual KPI Server Manager.
1. Open the Visual KPI Server Manager. Expand the Web Sites folder.
If you have multiple web sites defined on your system, they will be
displayed here. Expand the web site that includes the interface to
be configured.
2. Under the Interfaces folder, select the PI interface. The detail
pane displays the interface’s current configuration. You can modify
any of the configuration settings that are not grayed out.
Installing Visual KPI Interfaces
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To make changes to LogName, PIPassword, PIServer, or PIUser,
double-click the setting name to select the setting’s value, or
click in the setting’s cell, and enter the new value.
To make changes to the LogLevel, select an appropriate level from
the list. You can select ErrorsOnly, Moderate or Full. Refer to
Configuring the Error Logging Level for details on logging
levels.
3. After making changes, click Apply. The configuration information
is saved. Refer to Verifying the PI Interface Connection to verify
the connection is working correctly.
Verifying the PI Interface Connection Once you have installed and
configured the PI Interface, you should verify the connection is
working properly. You can use the Visual KPI Server Manager to
verify the connection.
1. Open the Visual KPI Server Manager. Expand the Web Sites folder.
If you have multiple web sites defined on your system, they will be
displayed here. Expand the web site that includes the interface to
be verified.
2. Right-click the PI interface and select Verify Connection. A
message displays indicating the connection was successful, or if
the connection failed, a message displays indicating the
failure:
3. Click OK in the message.
4. If there were any errors, make the required changes to the
configuration settings and repeat the verification.
Testing the PI Interface Connection Once you have verified the PI
interface connection, you should test the connection to ensure you
can access the data within the database. You can use the Visual KPI
Server Manager to test the connection.
Installing Visual KPI Interfaces
W orking w
ith the PI Interface
1. Open the Visual KPI Server Manager. Expand the Web Sites folder.
If you have multiple web sites defined on your system, they will be
displayed here. Expand the web site that includes the interface to
be tested.
2. Right-click the PI interface and select Browse. Your browser
opens and displays the PI Interface’s Web Service page.
3. Click the Test link.
Installing Visual KPI Interfaces
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4. In the sLookupValue field, enter a valid lookup name (example:
sinusoid) and click the Invoke button. A new instance of your
browser opens.
5. Look for the “<NewDataSet xmlns="">” entry. Within this
entry are the results of the test. If the connection and security
settings are valid, a value is returned. Otherwise, an error is
displayed as the value.
6. If there are any errors, make the required changes to the PI
Settings and repeat the test.
Installing Visual KPI Interfaces
W orking w
ith the SQ L Server Interface
W O R K I N G W I T H T H E S Q L S E R V E R I N T E R F A C E The
VisualKPI SQL Server interface is a web service that communicates
with a SQL Server database. The SQL Server interface works much the
same as the ODBC interface. However, the SQL Server interface
requires two new stored procedures to be inserted into the target
database: usp_VisualKPI_GetCurrentData and
usp_VisualKPI_GetTrendData.
The stored procedures use four fields, two of which are used in
your KPIs: LookUp (this is the tag name) and Value (this is the
value associated with the tag name). The other two fields,
SampleData (the table name) and lupd (the date/time the row was
last updated) are used to find the correct value. These are generic
field names.
When displaying KPI values, the Visual KPI SQL Server interface
reads the tag name associated with a specific KPI column (such as
Value, Target, Low, etc.) and then searches the SampleData table
for a row that has the same name in the LookUp column. When the
interface finds the correct row, it retrieves the Value in the same
row and returns that value to Visual KPI.
When displaying a KPI’s trend, the Visual KPI SQL Server interface
reads the tag name associated with a specific KPI column (such as
Value, Target, Low, etc.) and then searches the SampleData table
for each row that has the same name in the LookUp column and where
the lupd (timestamp) falls within the correct time range. Time
range is based on the current Trend Range in Visual KPI. When the
interface has completed its search, it retrieves the Value and lupd
(timestamp) in the same row and returns these to Visual KPI, which
in turn, draws the trend graph.
In order to use the Visual KPI SQL Server interface, you need to
specify the connection parameters for your database and modify the
StoredProcedures.sql SQL Script to use the actual field names for
SampleData, LookUp, Value, and lupd. You can specify the connection
string as part of the interface’s installation, when using the
Visual KPI Server Manager. However, prior to installing the SQL
Server Interface, you need to update the field names, in the
StoredProcedures.sql SQL Script, to reference the actual field
names in your database and execute the StoredProcedures.sql SQL
script in the target database.
Should you need to modify the connection parameters after the
interface has been installed, you can use the Visual KPI Server
Manager to make the changes; refer to Configuring the SQL Server
Interface.
If you want to test the SQL Server interface before you connect it
to your live database, you can create and work with the SQL Demo
database, then reference the SQL Demo database during the SQL
Server interface installation.
Preparing the Stored Procedures for the SQL Server Interface
Installation 1. Open Windows Explorer and navigate to the folder
containing the extracted files for the SQL
Server Interface. Example: C:\Visual KPI 3.1.7.46 - Server\Visual
KPI\Server\Interfaces\SQL Server\bin\SQL Scripts
2. Open for edit the StoredProcedures.sql file using Notepad.
3. Locate each instance of SampleData and replace it with the name
of the table that contains the data you want to access using the
SQL Server interface.
4. Locate each instance of LookUp and replace with the name of the
column that contains the name of the KPI.
5. Locate each instance of Value and replace with the name of the
column that contains value associated with the KPI.
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6. Locate each instance of LUPD and replace it with the name of the
column that contains the date and time that a record was last
updated.
7. Save and close the SQL script file. The updated SQL Script will
be used during the SQL Server Interface installation, when
installing using the Visual KPI Server Manager.
Inserting the Stored Procedures for the SQL Server Interface 1.
Update the StoredProcedures.sql SQL Script, as described in
Preparing the Stored Procedures
for the SQL Server Interface Installation.
2. Open the SQL script, StoredProcedures.sql, in the instance of
SQL Server in which the target database resides.
3. In the Available Databases list, select the database in which
you want to create the stored procedures.
4. Click the ! Execute button.
5. Two new stored procedures are created in the selected database:
usp_VisualKPI_GetCurrentData and usp_VisualKPI_GetTrendData.
Installing the SQL Server Interface The SQL Server Interface should
be installed and configured using the Visual KPI Server Manager.
The SQL Server Interface can be installed on the Visual KPI Server,
or on any machine that is available to the Visual KPI Server via
HTTP. If the interface is being installed on a machine other than
the Visual KPI Server, you need to first install the Visual KPI
Server Manager.
NOTE: Prior to installing the SQL Server Interface, you need to
update the field names in the StoredProcedures.sql SQL Script to
reference the actual field names in your database, then run
StoredProcedures.sql in the target database.
Installing Visual KPI Interfaces
W orking w
ith the SQ L Server Interface
During the interface install, use the Back button to move to a
previous page in the installation wizard, or use the Cancel button
to cancel the installation process.
1. Open the Visual KPI Server Manager. Expand the Web Sites folder.
If you have multiple web sites defined on your system, they will be
displayed here. Expand the web site in which you want to install
interfaces. Continue expanding the web site’s hierarchy until
Interfaces is selected.
2. Right-click Interfaces and select Install New Visual KPI
Interface | SQL Server Interface. The Interface Setup Wizard
opens.
3. Click Next to continue. The License Agreement page
displays.
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4. Select the I accept the terms of the license agreement option
and click Next to continue. The SQL Server Interface Name page
displays.
5. Accept the Visual KPI SQL Server Interface Name, or change it to
meet your requirements. The Visual KPI SQL Server Interface Name is
used to set the defaults for the Installation Path and Virtual
Directory Name during this installation. Click Next to continue.
The Installation Path page displays.
6. Accept the default installation path, or change it to meet your
requirements. Click Next to continue. The Virtual Directory
Properties page displays.
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7. Accept the default Virtual Directory Name, or change it to meet
your requirements. The SQL Server Virtual Directory Name is the
same name that will be used when the interface is defined in the
Visual KPI Editor. Click Next to continue. The Connection String
page displays.
8. Update the default Connect String to meet your requirements. You
can use the drop-down list to select sample connect strings, which
you can then modify. Refer to Using Connect Strings with the
Interfaces for example connect strings. Click Next to continue. The
Ready to Install page displays.
9. Click Next to install the interface. The Finish page
displays.
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10. Click Finish to close the Setup Wizard. The newly installed
interface displays as part of the Interfaces folder.
11. Select the newly installed interface in the left pane. The
detail pane displays the interface’s configuration information that
was entered during the installation.
The installation of the SQL Server interface is now complete.
Configuring the SQL Server Interface If you need to change the
configuration settings for your SQL Server Interface after it has
already been installed, you can use the Visual KPI Server
Manager.
Installing Visual KPI Interfaces
W orking w
ith the SQ L Server Interface
1. Open the Visual KPI Server Manager. Expand the Web Sites folder.
If you have multiple web sites defined on your system, they are
displayed here. Expand the web site that includes the interface to
be configured.
2. Under the Interfaces folder, select the SQL Server interface to
be configured. The detail pane displays the interface’s current
configuration.
Mousing over a setting displays a tooltip with the current
configuration for that setting, if the value is not already
displayed in its entirety.
You can modify any of the configuration settings that are not
grayed out.
To make changes to LogName, ConnectString,
GetCurrentDataStoredProcedure, GetTrendDataStoredProcedure, or
ServerName, double-click the setting name to select the setting’s
value, or click in the setting’s cell, and enter the new value.
Refer to Using Connect Strings with the Interfaces for example
connect strings.
To make changes to the LogLevel, select an appropriate level from
the list. You can select ErrorsOnly, Moderate or Full. Refer to
Configuring the Error Logging Level for details on logging
levels.
3. After making changes, click Apply. The configuration information
is saved. Refer to Verifying the SQL Server Interface Connection to
verify the connection is working correctly.
Verifying the SQL Server Interface Connection Once you have
installed and configured the SQL Server interface, you should
verify the interface is able to connect to the database. You can
use the Visual KPI Server Manager to verify the connection.
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1. Open the Visual KPI Server Manager. Expand the Web Sites folder.
If you have multiple web sites defined on your system, they will be
displayed here. Expand the web site that includes the interface to
be verified.
2. Right-click the SQL Server interface and select Verify
Connection. A message displays indicating the connection was
successful, or if the connection failed, a message displays
indicating the failure:
3. Click OK in the message.
4. If there were any errors, make the required changes to the
Connect String and/or Queries and repeat the verification.
Otherwise, refer to the Using Connect Strings with the Interfaces
section for tips on correcting the configuration.
NOTE: It is important to note that verifying the connection does
not ensure proper security has been implemented. To ensure you can
access the data within the database, you should test the SQL Server
connection.
Testing the SQL Server Interface Connection Once you have verified
the SQL Server interface connection, you should test the connection
to ensure you can access the data within the database. You can use
the Visual KPI Server Manager to test the connection.
Installing Visual KPI Interfaces
W orking w
ith the SQ L Server Interface
1. Open the Visual KPI Server Manager. Expand the Web Sites folder.
If you have multiple web sites defined on your system, they will be
displayed here. Expand the web site that includes the interface to
be tested.
2. Right-click the SQL Server interface and select Browse. Your
browser opens and displays the SQL Server Interface’s Web Service
page.
3. Click the Test link.
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4. In the lookup field, enter a valid lookup name and click the
Invoke button. A new instance of your browser opens.
5. Look for the “<NewDataSet xmlns="">” entry. Within this
entry are the results of the test. If the connection and security
settings are valid, a value is returned. Otherwise, an error is
displayed as the value.
6. If there are any errors, make the required changes to the
Connect String and/or Queries and repeat the test. Otherwise, refer
to the Using Connect Strings with the Interfaces section for tips
on correcting the configuration.
U S I N G T H E S M A R T S I G N A L I N T E R F A C E The
VisualKPI SmartSignal interface is a web service that communicates
with SmartSignal’s eCM product to access data in a watch list
table. The SmartSignal interface uses a query to retrieve data from
the WatchList table in the SmartSignal database.
Installing Visual KPI Interfaces
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artSignal Interface
Installing the SmartSignal Interface The SmartSignal Interface can
be installed and configured using the Visual KPI Server Manager.
The SmartSignal Interface can be installed on the Visual KPI
Server, or on any machine that is available to the Visual KPI
Server via HTTP. If the interface is being installed on a machine
other than the Visual KPI Server, you need to first install the
Visual KPI Server Manager.
During the interface install, use the Back button to move to a
previous page in the installation wizard, or use the Cancel button
to cancel the installation process.
1. Open the Visual KPI Server Manager. Expand the Web Sites folder.
If you have multiple web sites defined on your system, they will be
displayed here. Expand the web site in which you want to install
interfaces. Continue expanding the web site’s hierarchy until
Interfaces is selected.
2. Right-click Interfaces and select Install New Visual KPI
Interface | SmartSignal Interface. The Interface Setup Wizard
opens.
3. Click Next to continue. The License Agreement page
displays.
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4. Select the I accept the terms of the license agreement option
and click Next to continue. The SmartSignal Interface Name page
displays.
5. Accept the Visual KPI SmartSignal Interface Name, or change it
to meet your requirements. The SmartSignal Interface Name is used
to set the defaults for the Installation Path and Virtual Directory
Name during this installation. Click Next to continue. The
Installation Path page displays.
6. Accept the default installation path, or change it to meet your
requirements. Click Next to continue. The Virtual Directory
Properties page displays.
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7. Accept the default Virtual Directory Name, or change it to meet
your requirements. The SmartSignal Virtual Directory Name is the
same name that will be used when the interface is defined in the
Visual KPI Editor. Click Next to continue. The Database Server page
displays.
8. In the Database Server list, enter or select the database server
and instance that contains the SmartSignal database.
9. Enter the SmartSignal database name in the Database Name
field.
10. Specify the SQL Server authentication credentials required to
connect to the SmartSignal database. Click Next to continue. The
Ready to Install page displays.
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11. Click Next to install the interface. The Finish page
displays.
12. Click Finish to close the Setup Wizard. The newly installed
interface displays as part of the Interfaces virtual
directory.
13. Select the newly installed interface in the left pane. The
detail pane displays the interface’s configuration
information.
Installing Visual KPI Interfaces
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The installation of the SmartSignal interface is now
complete.
Configuring the SmartSignal Interface If you need to change the
configuration settings for your SmartSignal interface after it has
already been installed, you can use the Visual KPI Server
Manager.
1. Open the Visual KPI Server Manager. Expand the Web Sites folder.
If you have multiple web sites defined on your system, they will be
displayed here. Expand the web site that includes the interface to
be configured.
2. Under the Interfaces folder, select the SmartSignal interface.
The detail pane displays the interface’s current
configuration.
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Mousing over a setting displays a tooltip with the current
configuration for that setting, if the value is not already
displayed in its entirety.
You can modify any of the configuration settings that are not
grayed out.
To make changes to LogName, ConnectString, or SmartSignalServer,
double-click the setting name to select the setting’s value, or
click in the setting’s cell, and enter the new value. Refer to
Using Connect Strings with the Interfaces for example connect
strings.
To make changes to Query, click in the cell and enter the new
query, or click the down arrow to open a larger text entry field.
Press the Enter key to start a new line. Press Ctrl + Enter to
close the field and accept the text you have entered.
To make changes to the LogLevel, select an appropriate level from
the list. You can select ErrorsOnly, Moderate or Full. Refer to
Configuring the Error Logging Level for details on logging
levels.
3. After making any required changes, click Apply. The
configuration information is saved. To verify the connection is
working correctly, refer to Verifying the SmartSignal Interface
Connection.
Installing Visual KPI Interfaces
U sing the Sm
artSignal Interface
Verifying the SmartSignal Interface Connection Once you have
installed and configured the SmartSignal interface, you should
verify the interface is able to connect to the database. You can
use the Visual KPI Server Manager to verify the connection.
1. Open the Visual KPI Server Manager. Expand the Web Sites folder.
If you have multiple web sites defined on the local machine system,
they will be displayed here. Expand the web site that includes the
interface to be verified.
2. Right-click the SmartSignal interface and select Verify
Connection. A message displays indicating the connection was
successful, or if the connection failed, a message displays
indicating the failure:
3. Click OK in the message.
4. If there were any errors, make the required changes to the
Connect String and/or Query and repeat the verification. Otherwise,
refer to the Using Connect Strings with the Interfaces section for
tips on correcting the configuration.
NOTE: It is important to note that verifying the connection does
not ensure proper security has been implemented. To ensure you can
access the data within the database, you should test the
SmartSignal connection.
Installing Visual KPI Interfaces
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Testing the SmartSignal Interface Connection Once you have verified
the SmartSignal interface connection, you should test the
connection to ensure you can access the data within the database.
You can use the Visual KPI Server Manager to test the
connection.
1. Open the Visual KPI Server Manager. Expand the Web Sites folder.
If you have multiple web sites defined on your system, they will be
displayed here. Expand the web site that includes the interface to
be tested.
2. Right-click the SmartSignal interface and select Browse. Your
browser opens and displays the SmartSignal Interface’s Web Service
page.
3. Click the Test link.
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4. In the sLookupValue field, enter a valid lookup name and click
the Invoke button. A new instance of your browser opens.
5. Look for the “<NewDataSet xmlns="">” entry. Within this
entry are the results of the test. If the connection and security
settings are valid, a value is returned. Otherwise, an error is
displayed as the value.
6. If there are any errors, make the required changes to the
Connect String and/or Query and repeat the test. Otherwise, refer
to the Using Connect Strings with the Interfaces section for tips
on correcting the configuration.
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U S I N G C O N N E C T S T R I N G S W I T H T H E I N T E R F A C
E S The format for connect strings varies, depending on the target
database. You