# Alarm's Associated data "optional" not possible?

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/alarms-associated-data-optional-not-possible/112368>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Tags:** ignition81, ignition83\
**Created:** [November 21, 2025, 8:40pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/alarms-associated-data-optional-not-possible/112368 "2025-11-21T20:40:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mazeyrat](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/mazeyrat/32/10955_2.png) [@mazeyrat](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/mazeyrat)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2025, 8:40pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/alarms-associated-data-optional-not-possible/112368/1 "2025-11-21T20:40:36Z")

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I have some alarms with associated data. The value of associated data depend from udt parameters.  
assDataValue1,assDataValue2,assDataValue3.  
Some parameters are blank or empty and a blank value of the associated data is stored in alarm event data journal table.

Can we avoid to store empty value ? If I put a Null value in the associated data, with something like

```python
if({vue4}="",None,{vue4})

```

the associated value is still stored.

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/6/0/602dd61e6b984d6b553051a89f6ab8793645975d.png)

I think that the only solution is to remove them after with a SQL delete.

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**Author:** ![paul-griffith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/paul-griffith/32/37249_2.png) [@paul-griffith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul-griffith)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2025, 9:07pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/alarms-associated-data-optional-not-possible/112368/2 "2025-11-21T21:07:10Z")

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What are your event data settings on the alarm journal in question?

> **[Alarm Journal | Ignition User Manual](https://www.docs.inductiveautomation.com/docs/8.3/platform/alarming/alarm-journal#event-data)**
>
> By default, current alarm data is only stored in memory, and a finite number of events are retained for each alarm. Fortunately, Ignition can easily be configured to store alarm data into a SQL database with an Alarm Journal Profile. The journal can...

You can combine those with the choice to make associated data dynamic or static to manually configure whether it's logged.

If that's not granular enough, then yes, an after-the-fact manual prune would be the way to go.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mazeyrat](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/mazeyrat/32/10955_2.png) [@mazeyrat](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/mazeyrat)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2025, 9:29pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/alarms-associated-data-optional-not-possible/112368/3 "2025-11-21T21:29:00Z")

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Yes, I have to store "Dynamic Associated Data" for alarm query journal filter, so I will prune unusefull stored values.