Hi there - still new to Ignition and just implemented my first project. I need some clarifications/assistance on remote history - if that's even what I want. Consider the following:
This is how my system is currently running - it's not how it was proposed but stuff happens along the way and this is how we ended up (essentially the process network does not connect from one building to the other and IT wanted to keep it that way).
So my main gateway is the one with the History Module and the Perspective Module. I have a remote tag provider set up through the gateway network to the remote gateway where I have my tags built for the PLCs over there. My perspective screens have components that point to the remote tag provider to grab the values. All that works swell - we're only talking about maybe a dozen tags per screen max.
Some of my screens use the power chart to view history. I had originally thought with this setup I could set up a remote history provider (me misunderstanding how this works) so that the main gateway was storing the history of the remote tags. Not so. So what I did was create a bunch of reference tags on the main gateway that point to the remote tags so that I can store history. My power chart then points to those. (I am also using alarm journals and I set up my alarms on the reference points as well though I'm not sure why I did it that way)
I feel like this is kinda klugy and I'm sure there's a better way though I'm not entirely sure how to articulate it.
One thought is to just purchase the history module for the remote gateway license. If I do that I can do away with the reference tags and then I'm not maintaining two sets of tags for the same info I'm thinking. Then I could just configure history on the remote tags in the remote tag gateway. But then what? Should I point to the database on the main gateway for storage or do I just install a database on the remote gateway too and store my history there? In either case what does the remote history provider do for me? Where would I point my power chart? If I store my history from the remote gateway on that gateway, is there any benefit to forwarding it to the main gateway? (other than backup) - and how does all this affect performance?
I know there's a correct and/or elegant solution in there somewhere - any thoughts would be appreciated!
Are the two process networks running separate subnet ranges? If so, I would bring building B's process network to the main gateway on another network interface. Don't permit routing in that gateway, but let the gateway itself talk directly to both subnets.
They are the same subnet range but the problem is there is no physical (or wireless) connection from building A to building B except the plant network and IT does not want to implement any sort of virtual LAN. Currently both main gateway and remote gateway have 2 NICs - one for plant network and one for process network.
Consider establishing a separate database cluster on the plant network that would be reachable from either Ignition gateway, and adding the historian to the Building B gateway. Both gateways could then log to a robust database.
{ Running your DB on the same hardware as the gateway isn't recommended in most production situations. }
That's actually the way I proposed it lol. Last minute they decided they didn't want to give us access to their SQL server and we ended up running Postgresql on the main server
I may push for just another PC and move Postgresql there and do it like that. Seems cleanest
pturmel - I may have convinced end user to go to database on another PC. So each gateway will have it's own history module, and then point to the database PC. In this scenario, does each gateway point to a different DB? So like I'll make one called MainGatewayDB and one called RemoteGatewayDB or do I point to the same DB from both? Same with alarm journal.
