9.3.7   Action Log

The Action Log monitors local actions on the SCADA node including: Changes to the Value of Tags by users, Login, Logout, Recipe Downloads, connections to ODBC databases.  The Action Log monitors runtime actions by users in VIEW. Combined with the Alarm Log and the System Log, it allows you to monitor user actions on your control system.

Figure 9.18 Action Log

Each time a change is made to the Value of a Tag, an entry is made in the Action Log showing Tagname, Old Value, New Value with time stamp.  Three entries are made for Text-type Tags (Tagname on 1st line, old value on 2nd line and new value on 3rd line).

The Action Log Display can be viewed from the Toolbar  or Ctrl+F9 function key or a pushbutton with the <GOTO>ACTIONLOG keymacro. The Right-Click Menu can also call up the Action Log (Right Click -> Goto -> Action Log).

Only Power Users and the admin account can view the Action Log through a Web Browser. (General Users and Restricted users cannot view the Action Log through a Web Browser). All users can view the Action Log locally on the SCADA node using ViewDAQ.

Optionally, you can also print the Action Log to Printer continuously.  As each Action occurs, a line is printed on the printer. (Three lines are printed for a Text Type tag in Action). Acknowledgement by the operator or user is also recorded.  See Action Logging To Printer for more information.

The last 10,000 Actions are shown on the Action Log Display.  The last 5000 are written to the Text file on the hard drive of the SCADA node. When the 5001 Action occurs, the oldest Action entry is overwritten in the text file.   Similarly, when the 10,001th Action occurs, the oldest Action in the Action Log Display is over-written.  Restarting the SCADA node or a Client empties the Action Log, which is then refreshed with the last 5000 Actions logged to the Hard Drive.

If you need more than the last 10,000 Actions recorded to hard drive, optionally, you can record the Action Log to an ODBC Database.  As part of software installation, WebAccess creates an Access Database on the Project Node. All Actions can be recorded to the Database from all SCADA nodes in your system to provide a centralized Action Log. See Action Logging To ODBC Database  for more information.

The Action Log is a pre-built template display supplied with Web Access. It can be customized by engineers and technicians using DRAW.  How your Action Log appears (colors, Fonts, etc.) and  behaves may vary based on how (or if) the Actlog.Bxx (and Actlog.dxx) on your system is modified. 

Recording to the Action Log can be stopped using %DALOGSTATUS for all tags. Tags must have Write Action Log enabled in Tag Properties.