RtWebParts User and Administration Class

Introduction
This class prepares the student to install, use, and manage RtWebParts and DataLink for Excel Services. The students will learn how to build and configure web part pages displaying real-time data from their PI System, relational databases and web services. Students will also learn how to publish web-based versions of their PI DataLink Excel reports on their portal using the Excel Services technology.

This class is three days long. Class starts at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 4:30 p.m. Lunch breaks are scheduled at noon each day and last 60 minutes.

Audience
This class is for persons who want to deploy RtWebParts on a SharePoint server and to create/manage web part pages that include RtWebParts.  RtWebParts and PI DataLink for Excel Services are built upon the Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) or Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) architectures and students are expected to be familiar with those topics (described below).

Course time is primarily devoted to gathering and distributing data via RtWebParts and PI DataLink for Excel Services and little time is spent on the SharePoint architecture.

Prerequisites
Working knowledge of the following products is advised:

• Windows Server 2003
• Microsoft Office 2007
• Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS)
• Windows SharePoint Services (WSS)
• Microsoft Office SharePoint Services (MOSS)
• Microsoft SQL Server
• PI ProcessBook
• PI DataLink

• RtWebParts class lecture notes
• RtWebParts User and Administration Guide 

Class Outline

Introduction:

• Discuss the PI System and RtWebParts Architectures and topologies
• present Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) and discuss the differences
• Navigate through a SharePoint environment, distinguishing sites, search,
• Create a new team site, web part pages, and add web parts.

RtWebParts:

• Identify the different RtWebParts web parts and their uses.
• Configure basic RtWebParts (RtGauge, RtTrend, RtXYPlot, RtTimeRange, RtValues, and RtTimeSeries).
• Use effectively the tag search dialog (including advanced search).
• Construct timestamps using absolute time or combined time.
• Explain PI data compression and understand the difference between snapshot values and compressed values.

ProcessBook Displays and Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG):

• Use ProcessBook to build rudimentary displays.
• Convert ProcessBook displays into SVG files.
• Know what SVG file format is and how to download the SVG Viewer.
• Upload ProcessBook display files to a document library.
• Integrate ProcessBook displays into the RtGraphic Web Part.
• Integrate web part page with ProcessBook client to achieve drill down to specific displays.
• Perform basic modification on a SVG file.

Web Part Connections:

• Identify which web parts are provider and which are consumer.
• Configure explicit connections between web parts.
• Explain the difference between implicit and explicit connections. 
• Configure the RtTable web part to browse through your sites and feed parameters to other web parts.

RtBaseline Services:

• Create and edit PI Data Sources.
• Create and edit PI Calculation Datasets.
• Configure RtWebParts web parts to show Dataset data.
• Create and use a UDL file.
• Configure OLEDB data sources in Windows.
• Create and edit Relational Data Sources.
• Create and edit Relational Database Datasets.
• Use placeholders in a Relational Dataset.

More RtWebParts:

• Configure the RtTable Web Part.
• Discuss different context methods, including Module Database.
• Configure and connect the RtTreeView Web Part.
• Discuss the RtMessenger Web Part.

Administration:

• Explain the role of IIS web server.
• Explain web site and application pool configuration.
• List the various methods available to stop and start the web server.
• Explain how to validate installation.

Security:

• Describe where PI data, web part page definitions, and user definitions are stored.
• Explain which security applies to PI Tags, and to web part pages.
• Discuss various security scenarios and the steps needed to make them work

Customization:

• Discuss the various ways to personalize the web part pages and web parts. 
• Create a custom RtTrend format. 

Administration and Troubleshooting:

• Perform a backup of the SharepPoint sites. 
• Examine log files and application pools

RtActiveView web part:

• Describe how ActiveView and RtActiveView connect to the PI server.
• Describe the differences between RtActiveView and RtGraphic.
• Configure and use the RtActiveView web part.

PI DataLink for Excel Services:

• Export Web Part data to Excel.
• Explain the different options to present DataLink reports to SPS/MOSS.
• Know the requirements involved in MOSS installation.
• Install DataLink Server for Excel Services.
• Configure the Excel Web Access Web Part.
• Add Named items cells to an existing DataLink report.
• Publish the report in on MOSS.
• Use filter web parts connections to control the web-based version of the report.
• Publish a snapshot of a report.

Objectives:

• The OSIsoft RtPM architecture 
• RtWebParts Architecture
• Explain what an Enterprise Portal Framework is.
• Explain the difference between WSS and MOSS and how they relate to each other.
• Navigate through a SharePoint environment, distinguishing sites, search,
• Create a new team site in WSS.
• Create web part pages, document libraries and lists.
• Create and navigate to a personal site in a MOSS Environment.
• Apply a pre-defined theme to a SharePoint site.
• Add and configure built-in web parts to a Web Part page.
• Manage documents in SharePoint document libraries.
• Distinguish web parts and web part zones.
• Define RtWebParts/RtBaseline and their roles to the PI architecture.
• Identify the various web part galleries and their uses and know where to find RtWebParts.
• Identify the different RtWebParts web parts and their uses.
• Configure basic RtWebParts (RtGauge, RtTrend, RtXYPlot, RtTimeRange, RtGraphic, and RtValues, RtTimeSeries, RtMessenger).
• Use context-sensitive online help.
• Configure RtWebParts web parts (RtTable) to show relational database data and web service data.
• Use effectively the tag search dialog (including advanced search).
• Construct timestamps using absolute time or combined time.
• Explain PI data compression and understand the difference between snapshot values and compressed values.
• Use ProcessBook to build rudimentary displays.
• Convert ProcessBook displays into SVG files.
• Know what SVG file format is and how to download the SVG Viewer.
• Upload ProcessBook display files to a document library.
• Integrate ProcessBook displays into the RtGraphic Web Part.
• Integrate web part page with ProcessBook client to achieve drill down to specific displays.
• Perform basic modification on a SVG file.
• Create and edit PI Data Sources.
• Use PE Syntax to build PI Expressions.
• Create and edit PI Calculation Datasets.
• Configure RtWebParts web parts to show Dataset data.
• Create and use a UDL file.
• Configure OLEDB data sources in Windows.
• Create and edit Relational Data Sources.
• Create and edit Relational Database Datasets.
• Use placeholders in a Relational Dataset.
• Create and edit Web Service Data sources.
• Create and edit Web Service Datasets.
• Configure advanced RtWebParts advanced configurations (RtTable, RtTrend, RtMessenger).
• Configure and use RtTrend templates.
• Identify which web parts are provider and which are consumer.
• Configure explicit connections between web parts.
• Explain the difference between implicit and explicit connections. 
• Manage modules, alias, properties in the PI module database.
• Configure the RtTreeView (Or RtTable) web part to browse through your sites and feed parameters to other web parts.
• Develop module-relative display using RtWebParts web parts.
• Configure a Web Part Page to receive its default parameters from the URL
• Describe the various SharePoint architectures – single server, small/medium/large server farms.
• Enumerate the hardware and software prerequisites and how to validate them.
• Enumerate the security credentials necessary for the installation.
• List the installation steps.
• Enumerate the different steps involved in the upgrade from RtWebParts 1.x to 2.0
• Explain how to validate installation.
• Check RtBaseline and RtWebParts setup log files.
• Explain the role of IIS web server.
• Explain web site and application pool configuration.
• List the various methods available to stop and start the web server.
• Troubleshoot and monitor the use of RtWebParts.
• Navigate to SharePoint Central Administration Page.
• Explain how to use RtWebParts and RtBaseline performance counters.
• Know where to find SharePoint, IIS, and Event log files.
• Perform a backup of an RtWebParts server.
• Restore an RtWebParts server from the latest backup.
• Describe where PI data, web part page definitions, and user definitions are stored.
• Explain which security applies to PI Tags, and to web part pages.
• Configure Web browsers to work with RtWebParts.
• Use Windows security groups when setting permissions on web part pages.
• Define Windows Group that can modify RtBaseline data sources, data sets, and RtWebParts preferences.
• Use SMT 3.0 to manage PI users, groups and trusts.
• Create trusts on RtBaseline server that enable access to PI data.
• Know that other third party web parts are available.
• Locate more information on how to customize SharePoint sites.
• Locate SharePoint resources (Training, manual etc.)
• Describe how ActiveView and RtActiveView connect to the PI server.
• Describe the differences between RtActiveView and RtGraphic.
• Configure and use the RtActiveView web part.
• Export Web Part data to Excel.
• Explain the different options to present DataLink reports to SPS/MOSS.
• Know the requirements involved in MOSS installation.
• Install DataLink Server for Excel Services.
• Configure the Excel Web Access Web Part.
• Add Named items cells to an existing DataLink report.
• Publish the report in on MOSS.
• Use filter web parts connections to control the web-based version of the report.
• Publish a snapshot of a report.

Do you want to use your own data in class?  You can use your home RtWebParts Server for class.  You will need to have the software installed prior to class, remote desktop access across the internet with administrator rights, and access and a connection string to a relational database (and know the data tables) on your network.  You will need to be able to make mental adjustments to the exercise instructions, substituting your own network paths and sample data for our own.