PI System Manager I: Essential Skills (CBT)

OSIsoft Training offers a System Manager Computer Based Training (CBT) course for students who want to learn the basics of managing a PI System or who cannot attend the course in person.  In 16 hours of voice and video demonstrations the CBT covers the same topics that are discussed in the public PI System Manager I: Essentials Skills class. (See the objectives listed below and the web site description of the public class for the list of objectives that are taught in this CBT.) The CBT ships with printed copies of the 500 page lecture notes and the 150 page class exercise workbook.

The newest version of OSIsoft computer based training adds student tests that have been developed to help a student audit his progress through the material. The test questions are presented in a randomized order at the end of each section. Test results are presented to the user at the conclusion for printing.


The new testing system allows students to check their understanding as they go.

The new student testing uses state of the art computer based training development tools to provide questions that offer a hint after incorrect tries. Students are presented with explanations of specific wrong answers. Questions include standard multiple choice and matching. A bookmarking feature is also available to students so that they can mark individual sections that they wish to come back to.

The CBT is a self-study course delivered on CD-ROM as a series of screen videos with narration accompanied by a workbook. It is designed to be a one-for-one replacement of the public class. The tutorials use screen video and voice playback to deliver all the software demonstrations, instructor lectures, and class exercises from the public class. There are tests at the end of each chapter to help you gauge your understanding of the material.

The narrator highlights important information using a virtual chalkboard.

The menus walk you through each topic in the same order taught in our public classes.  Users can navigate to any part of the class quickly for those times they want to review a topic of current interest. Each of our courses are designed to have a minimal impact on the student system.  You can run it right from the disc or install it on a network.  The videos are designed with ease of use and consistency in mind, and include all of the required codecs and executables.

Every exercise from the regular public class is demonstrated step-by-step.

OSIsoft CBTs are licensed for individual users, but unlike many of our other applications, we encourage users to remove the tutorials when they are finished to pass on to the next student. Typically a site with dozens of PI users will only need a few licensed copies that are shared as people make time to use them. The tutorials can also be installed to run on a network server (with the appropriate number of user licenses).

• Describe OSIsoft (number of installations, years in business).
• Describe the purpose of the PI system.
• Given a sketch of the PI architecture, describe each component.
• Identify the directory structure of PI.
• Start and stop the PI server.
• Be familiar with the Base attributes of PI tags.
• Be familiar with the Classic attributes of PI tags.
• Understand the different PI point types.
• Know that other point classes exist.
• Build and edit tags with the Point Builder plug-in to PI SMT.
• Build and edit tags with the PI TagConfigurator add-in to Excel.
• Create digital tags.
• Create archive files with the SMT 3.x Archive Manager plug-in.
• Register and unregister archive files.
• Force an archive shift.
• Understand the archive permutation process.
• Configure a daily backup with or without VSS.
• Understand the concept of a permanent backup.
• Restore an archive that has been backed up.
• Understand the steps involved in a system restoration and where to learn more.
• Install an interface.
• Configure an interface using either the .bat file or the Interface Configuration Utility.
• Understand the basic interface parameters: /PS /F /Q /ID /Host /Stopstat /EC.
• Understand scan classes.
• Use scan classes to load balance the scanning of large numbers of tags.
• Configure the PI Ping interface.
• Create PI Ping tags.
• Configure the site specific files such as pisrvsitestart.bat and pisrvsitebackup.bat.
• Configure I/O Rates tags to measure interface performance.
• Configure Performance Points to measure the performance of different scan classes of an interface.
• Understand the meaning of performance summaries.
• Enable PI buffering and configure parameters such as maxfilesize.
• Configure the PI buffering service to start with the proper privileges.
• Know when and how to make an interface dependent on the PI buffering service.
• Troubleshoot buffering problems.
• Configure trust accounts on the PI server.
• Understand the usage of “$” in trusts.
• Locate log files and other troubleshooting tools for SDK based clients.
• Create and manage PI users.
• Create and manage PI user groups.
• Assign users to groups.
• Configure point security.
• Configure database security.
• Be familiar with daily, weekly, and monthly system manager’s tasks.
• Configure the SDK based connection dialog box.
• Search for tags in in SDK-based application.
• Tune the data compression settings of tags such as Excdev and Compdev.
• Understand PI Time format.
• Be familiar with the PI SMT 3.x console.
• Use the SMT 3.x Message Logs plug-in to access and filter messages.
• Install and upgrade PI.
• Use the PI Licensing Plug-In for SMT3 to view license modules.
• Understand the options when installing the PI server.
• Understand the meaning of piartool –as –qs –ss parameters.
• Participate in a troubleshooting workshop.
• Understand data flow through PI system.
• Be able to access and understand the pipc.log file.
• Understand the usage of pidiag –e.
• Test connections with About PI-SDK and apisnap.
• Be familiar with the basic server subsystems.
• Create PI Performance Equation tags.
• Download and configure the PI Server Performance Monitor kit.
• Create PI Performance Monitor tags.
• Be familiar with the OSIsoft support website resources such as the documentation page, bulletin page, downloads and support solution search.
• Locate the PI Security Best Practices white paper on our web site.
• Understand the basics of the PI Module database and the tools for configuring it.
• Know the purpose of the Interface Status Utility and where to find more information.

System Requirements

The tutorials do not require a copy of the PI Server. However, if you have access to a PI Server and PI system management utilities such as PI SMT, you can practice the tutorials by switching between the demonstration and the utilities.  

Hardware Requirements:

• Microsoft Windows 95, 98, Me, NT 4.0, 2000, XP or later version
• DVD-ROM drive 
• 90 MHz processor
• 16 MB of RAM
• Windows-compatible sound card and speakers or headphones

• Camtasia Player (included with software)

• Connection to a PI server. PI System version 3.4.375.38 is used in the examples, but most of the content is applicable to earlier and later versions of the PI server. 
• OPC Interface (optional; other interface can be substituted) 

What is Included

The CBT includes the following:

• the DVD-ROM with 16 hours of voice and video demonstrates hosted in a computer-based training delivery environment that includes testing and bookmarking
• the 500 page class lecture notes, printed and on the DVD-ROM.
• the 150 page class exercises workbook, printed and on the DVD-ROM.

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Order CBTs Now
To order either the full or demonstration version of a class please go to our CBT Order Page, select the CD-ROM course(s) you would like to order, and follow the prompts.