Micromod Micro-PWC: 53PW6000 MicroPWC Configuration Guide - Manual (Page 309)

Micro-PWC CONFIGURATION GUIDE
Utilities 289
9.13 Console Groups Synchronization
9.13.1 Console Group Synchronization Overview
A console node is assigned to a console group when the Micro-PWC software is installed.
Advantages to using console groups include:
• Dividing nodes into console groups reduces the load on large systems when synchronization
occurs.
• Separate configurations can be maintained on the console nodes in each group.
Console nodes in all console groups can perform all functions with all controllers.
Node Up and Node Down messages continue to be distributed network-wide.
Node names must be unique on the Ethernet network; that is, there cannot be two nodes named PWC1 on
the same network, even if assigned to different console groups.
Historical Database tagnames must be unique; console nodes in all console groups can access historical
data from all nodes. For example, a console node in Console Group 2 can trend historical data that is col-
lected and stored on a console node in Console Group 1. However, the historical DB configuration (i.e., the
definition of what tag.atom to collect, what rate to collect it at, how long to retain the information, and so on)
is synchronized only between nodes in the same console group.
Synchronization of configuration data within a console group is performed automatically each time a node
is introduced (or re-introduced) on the Ethernet network. It is also performed automatically each time a
configuration change is made. The Console Group Synchronization utility provides the ability to obtain one
or more types of configuration information from another system in a different console group and copy that
data onto the local system (at which you are working). This operation is similar to the Backup/Restore util-
ity (described in the Micro-PWC Operator's Manual), but requires no tapes, diskettes, or other physical
media.
A graphical overview of the console groups on the Ethernet network is available from the System Status
Display (discussed in
Section 8.0 of this Guide). To view it, go to the System Status Display and , from the
window’s menu bar, select Utilities > Console Groups . The Console Groups Display window ( Figure 9-17 )
appears. Use this display to determine to which other console group the local node belongs, and to deter-
mine what other console groups are available, what their numbers are, and what console nodes belong to
them.