The Import Display utility will create data sources that are referenced by a datalink or animation in an imported display if it does not find a data source with the same name and of the same type on the Proficy Portal system. In some circumstances, this can result in the creation of duplicate data sources with different names.
In the Proficy Portal system there is a data source with the logical name RSL that is looking at an OPC server installed on the Proficy Portal server. The iFIX picture that is imported references an iFIX data server looking at the same source, but in iFIX the source is called LNX. After importing, there will be OPC data sources called RSL and LNX, and the imported displays will have links to LNX. Both data source connections will be fully functional, but ideally, there is only one connector to one data source.
To avoid this, it is recommended that as part of your import planning you synchronize the names of the existing data sources as much as possible. The easiest solution to the previous scenario is to use the Data Server Installer in iFIX to rename LNX to RSL, and then to use the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace's advanced search and replace to fix the references.
Starting with iFIX 3.5, a dataserver available to workspace may be run on another machine using DCOM. The OPC data source for Proficy Portal does not use DCOM to communicate with remote servers. The connector itself is used remotely (see the Configuring a Remote OPC/PI/CIMPLICITY Server topic in the Proficy Portal online help for more information) . Since the importer will be unable to create a remotely configured data source, the data source that will be created will be local. If the OPC server is not installed it will not work, and you will need to edit the data source in the Administration application before it can serve data.
It is recommended that as part of your import planning you pre-create any remote (DCOM) data servers in the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace. The created data sources should have a logical name that matches the data server name in the iFIX system.
For example, in iFIX, a system has a DCOM data server [example name: IDS] looking at OPCSERVER_DS on a remote computer - RE_MACHINE. In order to have pictures that reference the remote server import correctly, and have available data without modifications, the following actions must be performed:
Install the RIF server on the RE_MACHINE. Refer to the Configuring a Remote OPC/PI/CIMPLICITY Server topic in the Proficy Portal online help for more information.
Configure a server for the remote OPC data source in the RIF Configurator. Refer to the RIF Configurator online help for more information.
In Proficy Portal, create a new OPC data source, remote to RE_MACHINE, referencing the information from step 2 named IDS.
After completing these steps, when an import takes place, IDS will be used, and data will be available.
