PI System Manager I: Essential Skills 

Introduction
The PI System Manager I: Essential Skills class is the first in the OSIsoft Server Management series of classes.  The purpose of this class is to provide a working knowledge of the tasks required to maintain a PI System and support the technical needs of its users. It covers the utilities provided with the PI System as well as tag and system configuration..

In this class we prepare the student to plan, support, and maintain their Windows-based PI Server. The class is four days long. Class starts at 8:30 a.m. and ends at approximately 4:30 p.m. Lunch breaks are at noon each day and last 60 minutes.  This class provides 26 classroom hours of instruction.

All of the exercises are performed using Windows computers. References are made to UNIX systems and syntax where appropriate.  

The second course, PI System Manager II: Advanced Topics, is designed for system managers who want to learn more advanced topics.  Please refer to that course description for additional information.

Audience
Most of the time we have a wide variety of different people, professions, and industries attend this course.

Many students have a very limited exposure to the Window Server platform. These students are interested in learning the routine PI system management tasks. They may not know precisely what their first tasks will be when they return to their own PI application. Because of this they want to be advised which tasks are the most critical to PI performance and they want to practice these tasks during class

Some students are experienced control engineers who have at some time configured process control or data archiving software.Sometimes they have worked with software applications similar to the PI Server. In many cases they are already familiar with Windows Servers.

We also have many students who are expert Windows Server System Administrators, and managing the PI Server is simply another server they have to maintain. They already understand the tasks involved in managing servers, and want to learn how the PI Server fits in with these already familiar functions should be aware that they will be in a class with beginners. The class is paced so that beginners do not find the material too challenging.

The class is also well suited for information systems managers who will be making on-going implementation decisions and who will be setting priorities.

The pace of the class is set for the person who has many other tasks besides managing a PI Server and who does not consider themself a server expert or systems administrator.

• Basic Windows and Network security (why you log in, what is a domain, etc)
• Basic directory navigation and management (using Windows Explorer, creating and finding files)
• Using DOS commands
• Creating a file with a text editor
• Be familiar with your real time data sources (control systems, PLCs, OPC)

• PI Server Manual Set 
• PI System Manager I Lecture Notes (Class Presentation) Book
• PI System Manager I Exercise Book (with applicable example files)

• PI Architecture
• Install a typical PI Server (archive sizing)
• Starting a PI server
• Data Flow Discussion (Archive, Snapshot, Cache)
• PI Client Tools Review

• Attributes and Considerations
• Types
• Building
• Configurations
• Digital State Sets

• PI System Management Tools 3
• Archive Manager
• Security Editors
• Interface Configuration Utility (ICU)

• Users and Groups
• Tag Security
• Trusts
• Using Windows Usernames to Connect to PI
• Firewall
• Database Security

• What are they (API vs. SDK)
• The PING interface
• The OPC Interface
• Buffering
• I/O Rate Tags and Performance Points
• Set Up a Working Interface
• Interface Nodes Running on Unix
• Interface Nodes Running on VMS/OpenVMS

• Building and Managing Archives
• PI Server Backup
• Detailed discussion of PI subsystems
• System Manager Task Lists

Using the PI Server Performance Monitoring Kit

Using the Module Database

PI Performance Equations

Troubleshooting Tips

Objectives
Here is more information on the class. This is a list of tasks the successful student is expected to be able to do after completing the class.

• 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.

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