Asset dashboard - Alarms module

The Alarms module displays the five most recent alarms generated by this asset, published to the Platform, and not yet closed. It also provides links to view all current alarms or ALL alarms (Historical link), to change the state of individual current alarms or of all current alarms, and to change the initial processing of future alarms (Manage link).

The top part of the Alarms module provides the following tools for managing alarms for an asset:

o Current / Historical - These links take you to pages where you can view (and manage) all current alarms (Current link) or manage ALL alarms (Historical link). The Alarms module shows up to five of the most recent alarms for an asset. Once a sixth new alarm is posted, the oldest alarm appears only in the Current Alarms and Historical Alarms pages. Its state remains the same; only the location where you can see its information changes. If a duplicate instance of a current alarm arrives, the Platform assigns the state, "Duplicate," to the new instance and sends it directly to the Historical Alarms. The current alarm does not change at all. Any differences in the information sent with the duplicate alarm (a different severity, a different data item, or a different value for a data item) are stored with the duplicate instance of the alarm.

o Acknowledge All link - You can click this link to change the alarm state for all current alarms (not just the alarms listed in the module) to Acknowledged. This is a "quick" action, meaning that you are not prompted to confirm the action, nor are you prompted to add notes about the action.

o Close All link - You can click this link to change the alarm state for all current alarms (not just the alarms listed in the module) to Closed. This is a quick action, meaning that you are not prompted to confirm the action, nor are you prompted to add notes about the action.

o Manage link - This link takes you to the Alarm Definitions page for the asset, where you can change the initial disposition of individual alarms for the asset.

The initial disposition of an alarm refers to how the Platform handles an instance of the alarm when it is detected. By default, the initial disposition is Enabled (and Unsuppressed); the Platform sets the state of the alarm to Started and makes the alarm instance available for evaluation by business rules. It also displays the alarm instance in the Alarms module, the Current Alarms page, and the Historical Alarms page.

For example, if you will be servicing a printer and you do not want to see the alarms that service activities might cause (Paper Tray empty, Add Toner), you likely do not want the alarms to be processed normally. You can disable alarms so that the Platform discards them immediately upon receipt; disabled alarms are not stored in the Platform nor are they available for evaluation by business rules configured in the Platform.

Alternatively, you can suppress alarms. By suppressing them, you are asking the Platform to set the states of FUTURE instances of the selected alarms to Closed when they arrive and show them only in Historical Alarms. When alarms are suppressed, they do not appear in the Asset dashboard, the page for current alarms, or the Assets with Alarms page. They appear only in the Historical Alarms page. When you have completed servicing the asset, you can re-enable or unsuppress the alarms.

Note: The Enable, Disable, Suppress, and Unsuppress actions have NO effect on the current alarms shown in this module or in the Current Alarms page.

For each alarm, this module shows the following information (from left to right):

o Current state (icon) - The color of the icon indicates the current state, and when you move the cursor over the icon, the tool tip shows the name of the current state. The possible states for a current alarm are:

$image\icon_alarm_started_state.gif$ Started

$image\icon_alarm_acknowledged_state.gif$ Acknowledged

$image\icon_alarm_escalated_state.gif$ Escalated

Note: Any alarm for which the state is changed to Closed appears only in the Historical Alarms page. Any alarm sent in with its isActive flag initially set to false is inactive and only its name is saved. If an alarm that previously came in with its isActive flag set to true subsequently arrives with the flag set to false, the InactiveAlarm message is generated. An expression rule can be used to change that alarm's state to Closed.

o Date/time - By default, this is the date and time that the alarm was first detected by the Axeda Platform (if the date/time was previously defined through AWP, then that date/time appears here instead). To see a history of changes to the alarm state, click the name of the alarm. The Alarm Details page opens in a separate browser window. The history of changes to the state of the alarm is displayed in a table.

o Alarm name - The alarm name is a link that, when clicked, displays the Alarm Details page (in a separate browser window). From this page, you can change the severity of an alarm or the state of the alarm. You can enter general notes or notes specific to a state change. You can also view previously entered notes.

o $image\file_alarm_assoc_single.gif$ - This icon indicates that one file was uploaded with the alarm. If you want to view the file, click the icon, and in the File dialog box for your Platform, specify whether you want to download the file or open it directly.

OR

$image\file_alarm_assoc_multiple.gif$ - This icon indicates that multiple files were uploaded with the alarm. Click the icon to display the Uploaded Files page. The names of the files that were uploaded with alarms display the $image\icon_alarm.gif$ icon. Click this icon to display the Alarm Details page for the alarm.

o Actions - The actions that you can take quickly on this alarm instance: Acknowledge | Close | Escalate. When you click an action link for an individual alarm, the Platform carries out the action immediately. It does NOT prompt you to confirm it. (If the current state of an alarm is Escalated, then the Escalate action is not available. Similarly, if the current state is Acknowledged, then the Acknowledge action is not available.)

Procedures from this module

To perform any of the activities described here, you must have the appropriate privileges. If you cannot perform an action that you believe you should be able to perform, consult your Platform administrator.

o Quickly acknowledge, escalate, or close all current alarms for this asset. When you click the link for these actions, you are NOT prompted to confirm it; the Platform carries out the action.

o Display the Alarm Definitions page for the asset. From that page you can enable, disable, suppress, or unsuppress one or more alarms for the asset. Keep in mind that these actions affect how the Platform will handle FUTURE instances of the alarms; these actions do NOT affect current alarms.

o Acknowledge, Close, and Escalate individual alarms listed in the module. When you click the link for the action, you are NOT prompted to confirm it; the Platform carries out the action.

Notes: When you change the state of alarms using the links, the state changes are recorded in the Platform and will appear in the state transition history for each alarm (in the Alarm Details page). However, the state changes will NOT appear in the Audit Log.

When you change the initial disposition of alarms, those changes ARE recorded in the Audit Log.

To acknowledge or close all current alarms

Important! You must have the appropriate privileges to modify alarm states. In addition, once you click the link, you cannot undo the action. If you acknowledge all current alarms, you can change the state again. However, if you close all current alarms, you cannot change the state again.

In the top bar of the Alarms module, click the link for the action you want to take: Acknowledge All or Close All. The Platform performs the selected action on ALL current alarms immediately. If you acknowledge all current alarms, the icons in the left column of the module change to reflect the state change. If you close all current alarms, the alarms are removed from the module and are visible only in the Historical Alarms page. In that page, the state field shows "Closed" to reflect the change.

To acknowledge, escalate, or close a single alarm

Important! You must have the appropriate privileges to modify alarm states.

In the list of alarms, click the appropriate link for the action you want to take: Acknowledge, Escalate, or Close. The Platform takes the action immediately. If you acknowledge or escalate the alarm, the state icon in the left column of the module changes to reflect the action. In addition, the Escalate action is not available after you escalate an alarm; after escalating an alarm, only the Acknowledge and Close actions are available. Similarly, after you acknowledge an alarm from this module, only the Escalate and Close actions are available. If you close the alarm, it is removed from the module and is visible only in the Historical Alarms page.

Tip: The state change from Acknowledge to Acknowledge is a valid change, even though it is not available here. To make this change, click the name of the alarm and make the change in the Alarm Details window.

To change the initial disposition of alarms for this asset

Important! You must have the appropriate privileges to change the initial disposition of alarms.

1. In the top bar of the Alarms module, click the Manage link.

2. In the Alarm Definitions page for this asset, locate the names of the alarms for which you want to change the initial disposition.

3. In the Actions column of the Alarm Definitions page, select the appropriate action (Disable, Suppress, Enable, Unsuppress). The action is carried out without any confirmation request.