FactoryTalk

Alarms and Events

System Configuration Guide
Version 6.31.00

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

Supersedes Publication FTAE-RM001N-EN-E - March 2022

Technical Publications Original Instructions

FactoryTalk Alarms and Events System Configuration Guide

Important User Information

Read this document and the documents listed in the additional resources section about installation, configuration, and
operation of this equipment before you install, configure, operate, or maintain this product. Users are required to familiarize
themselves with installation and wiring instructions in addition to requirements of all applicable codes, laws, and standards.
Activities including installation, adjustments, putting into service, use, assembly, disassembly, and maintenance are required to
be carried out by suitably trained personnel in accordance with applicable code of practice.
If this equipment is used in a manner not specified by the manufacturer, the protection provided by the equipment may be
impaired.
In no event will Rockwell Automation, Inc. be responsible or liable for indirect or consequential damages resulting from the use
or application of this equipment.
The examples and diagrams in this manual are included solely for illustrative purposes. Because of the many variables and
requirements associated with any particular installation, Rockwell Automation, Inc. cannot assume responsibility or liability for
actual use based on the examples and diagrams.
No patent liability is assumed by Rockwell Automation, Inc. with respect to use of information, circuits, equipment, or software
described in this manual.
Reproduction of the contents of this manual, in whole or in part, without written permission of Rockwell Automation, Inc., is
prohibited.
Throughout this manual, when necessary, we use notes to make you aware of safety considerations.
WARNING: Identifies information about practices or circumstances that can cause an explosion in a hazardous environment, which may lead to personal injury
or death, property damage, or economic loss.

ATTENTION: Identifies information about practices or circumstances that can lead to personal injury or death, property damage, or economic loss. Attentions
help you identify a hazard, avoid a hazard, and recognize the consequence.

IMPORTANT Identifies information that is critical for successful application and understanding of the product.

Labels may also be on or inside the equipment to provide specific precautions.

SHOCK HAZARD: Labels may be on or inside the equipment, for example, a drive or motor, to alert people that dangerous voltage may be present.

BURN HAZARD: Labels may be on or inside the equipment, for example, a drive or motor, to alert people that surfaces may reach dangerous temperatures.

ARC FLASH HAZARD: Labels may be on or inside the equipment, for example, a motor control center, to alert people to potential Arc Flash. Arc Flash will cause
severe injury or death. Wear proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Follow ALL Regulatory requirements for safe work practices and for Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE).
Rockwell Automation recognizes that some of the terms that are currently used in our industry and in this publication are not in
alignment with the movement toward inclusive language in technology. We are proactively collaborating with industry peers to
find alternatives to such terms and making changes to our products and content. Please excuse the use of such terms in our
content while we implement these changes.

2 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Table of Contents

Chapter 1
What you need to get started Required software........................................................................................ 9
Recommended hardware and supported operating systems .................. 9
Studio 5000 controllers ........................................................................ 9
Compatible firmware........................................................................... 11
Other controllers .................................................................................. 11
How to get the information you need....................................................... 12

Chapter 2
Overview of FactoryTalk Alarms Migrating HMI tag alarms ........................................................................ 15
and Events services Where to start ............................................................................................ 16
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events components .......................................... 16
About monitoring for alarm conditions .................................................. 20
About device-based alarm monitoring .............................................. 20
Device-based alarm monitoring workflow ................................. 20
About server tag-based alarm monitoring ......................................... 21
Server tag-based alarm monitoring workflow ........................... 22
About OPC UA alarm monitoring .......................................................23
OPC UA alarm monitoring workflow ...........................................23
Choose a suitable type of alarm monitoring ........................................... 24
Graphic objects in FactoryTalk Alarms and Events ................................ 24

Chapter 3
Plan your system Decide what type of application you are building ................................... 25
Decide what type of alarm monitoring you need .................................... 26
Follow these steps ...................................................................................... 26
What you need ........................................................................................... 26
Install and activate FactoryTalk software................................................ 27
Typical stand-alone system ................................................................ 27
Install FactoryTalk software ............................................................... 27
Install Microsoft SQL Server .............................................................. 28

Chapter 4
Define device-based alarms in Alarm buffering during loss of connection to the controller ................. 29
Studio 5000 controllers Before you begin ........................................................................................ 30
What you need ........................................................................................... 30
Follow these steps ...................................................................................... 30
Define a Logix tag-based alarm................................................................. 31
Create an alarm definition .................................................................. 31
Download the program to controller and test the alarm ..................32
Define an instruction-based alarm: digital ..............................................32
Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 3
Table of Contents

Configure the digital alarm and download to the controller ............32

Define an instruction-based alarm: analog..............................................36
Configure the analog alarm and download it to the controller ........36

Chapter 5
Add a device server for Studio Before you begin ........................................................................................ 39
5000, PLC-5, or SLC 500 What you need ........................................................................................... 39
controllers Follow these steps ...................................................................................... 39
Add a device server .................................................................................... 39

Chapter 6
Add an OPC data server for Before you begin ........................................................................................ 47
third-party controllers What you need ........................................................................................... 47
Follow these steps ...................................................................................... 47
Add an OPC data server to an application ................................................47

Chapter 7
Add a tag-based alarm server Before you begin ........................................................................................ 51
for Studio 5000, PLC-5, SLC 500, What you need ........................................................................................... 51
or third-party controllers Follow these steps ...................................................................................... 51
Create an application................................................................................. 51
Add a data server ....................................................................................... 52
Add a Tag Alarm and Event Server ........................................................... 55
Define alarm conditions ............................................................................ 55
Next steps.................................................................................................... 57

Chapter 8
Add FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Before you begin ........................................................................................ 59
Connector for third-party OPC What you need ........................................................................................... 59
UA servers Follow these steps ...................................................................................... 59
Add FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector ............................................... 59

Chapter 9
Set up graphic displays Before you begin ........................................................................................ 63
What you need ........................................................................................... 63
Follow these steps .......................................................................................63
Create a graphic display ............................................................................ 64
Create an Alarm and Event Summary ......................................................65
Create an Alarm and Event Banner display ............................................ 68
Create a startup macro for the Banner display ........................................ 73
Create an Automatic Diagnostic Event Summary ...................................74
Use color animation to indicate alarm state changes ............................ 78

4 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Table of Contents

Next steps................................................................................................... 85

Chapter 10
Monitor and interact with alarms Before you begin ........................................................................................ 87
at runtime What you need ........................................................................................... 87
Follow these steps ...................................................................................... 87
Create and then run a FactoryTalk View Client configuration.............. 87
Monitor alarms and events ........................................................................ 91
Security for alarms and events............................................................ 91
Acknowledge an alarm........................................................................ 92
Acknowledge the selected alarm .................................................. 92
Acknowledge the selected alarm and enter a comment .............93
Acknowledge all of the alarms displayed on the page .................93
Acknowledge all of the alarms in the event list........................... 94
Disable or enable an alarm ................................................................. 94
Disable selected alarms .................................................................95
Enable selected alarms ................................................................. 96
Suppress or unsuppress an alarm.......................................................97
Suppress an alarm .........................................................................97
Unsuppress an alarm .................................................................... 98
Shelve or unshelve an alarm ............................................................. 100
Shelve an alarm ........................................................................... 100
Unshelve an alarm ....................................................................... 101

Chapter 11
Set up historical alarm and Before you begin ...................................................................................... 105
event logging What you need ......................................................................................... 106
Follow these steps .................................................................................... 106
Confirm that the SQL Server software is installed ................................ 106
Add a database definition to your FactoryTalk system ......................... 106
Associate a database definition with an alarm server ........................... 109
Create an Alarm and Event Log Viewer display ..................................... 112
Create a button to open the Alarm and Event Log Viewer display. 115
Create a startup macro for the Menu Bar display .................................. 119
View historical alarm data in a FactoryTalk View SE Client .................120
Run the application ............................................................................ 121
Start the FactoryTalk View SE Client from within FactoryTalk
View Studio .................................................................................. 121

Chapter 12
Configure redundancy for FactoryTalk server redundancy ...............................................................123
alarms and events Develop and test your application without redundancy .......................123

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 5

Table of Contents

Before you begin ....................................................................................... 123

What you need .......................................................................................... 124
Follow these steps ..................................................................................... 125
Upgrade an existing device-based alarm server .................................... 125
Upgrade an existing tag-based alarm server.......................................... 127
Check the status of an alarm server ........................................................ 128

Appendix A
Get started with language Before you begin ....................................................................................... 131
switching What you need ..........................................................................................132
Follow these steps .....................................................................................132
Create device-based alarm messages...................................................... 132
Translate alarm messages using import and export ....................... 133
Translate alarm messages in RSLogix 5000 version 16 or earlier
....................................................................................................... 133
Translate alarm messages using RSLogix 5000 version 17 or later
....................................................................................................... 136
Create tag-based alarm messages ........................................................... 138
Enter text strings in FactoryTalk View Studio................................. 138
Add languages to the application ............................................................ 142
Add buttons to a graphic display to switch languages at runtime ....... 143
Enter alarm messages in other languages.............................................. 147
Create a Display Client configuration file to test alarm messages....... 156
Test alarm messages at runtime ............................................................. 158
Summary and tips for setting up language switching .......................... 161
Text that supports language switching ............................................ 161
Text that does not support language switching .............................. 162
Alarm and Event Summary and Alarm and Event Banner ............. 162
Alarm and Event Log Viewer ............................................................. 162

Appendix B
System performance and limits Controller specifications .......................................................................... 163
Controllers with revision 31 and later ................................................ 163
Controllers with revision 24 and later .............................................. 164
Controllers with revision 20 or earlier ............................................. 164
System sizing recommendations ............................................................ 165

Appendix C
Install FactoryTalk Alarms and Summary of steps .....................................................................................167
Events manually Confirm that FactoryTalk Services Platform is installed .......................167
Install FactoryTalk Alarms and Events................................................... 168

6 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Table of Contents

Appendix D
Install Microsoft SQL Server Summary of steps .................................................................................... 169
Step 1. Open the Redist folder ................................................................. 169
Step 2. Install the .NET Framework ........................................................ 170
Step 3. Run the SQL Server Install batch file (not the .exe) ................... 170
Step 4. Configure the Windows firewall ................................................. 170

Appendix E
Use an existing SQL Server Supported SQL Server databases ............................................................ 173
database Remote connections to the SQL Server database ................................... 173
Summary of steps ..................................................................................... 173
Step 1. Install SQL Server Management Studio ............................... 173
Step 2. Specify Mixed Mode authentication for the SQL Server
database .............................................................................................. 174
Step 3. Configure TCP/IP protocol for the database ....................... 174
Step 4. Enable the SQL Server Browser service ............................... 174
Step 5. Configure the Windows Firewall .......................................... 174

Appendix F
Alarm time stamping Overview of time keeping......................................................................... 177
Coordinated System Time (CST) ....................................................... 177
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) .................................................. 177
Local Time (Wall Clock Time) ........................................................... 178
ALMD and ALMA alarm blocks................................................................ 179
Insert time stamps manually ............................................................ 181
Example..................................................................................................... 181

Appendix G
Time synchronization Coordinate multiple controller wall clocks .............................................183
Install the Logix5000 Clock Update Tool ............................................... 184
Start Clock Update Tool ........................................................................... 184
Start the Update Tool automatically ................................................. 184
Use the Logix5000 Clock Update Tool .................................................... 184
Synchronize devices on a schedule ......................................................... 185
Create a synchronization schedule ................................................... 186
Create a synchronization schedule............................................. 186
Remove a synchronization schedule .......................................... 186
Modify a synchronization schedule............................................ 186
Enable or disable a synchronization schedule ........................... 187
Add devices ............................................................................................... 187
Add a device ........................................................................................ 187
Remove a device ................................................................................. 188

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 7

Table of Contents

View details about a device ................................................................ 188

Assign devices to synchronization schedules ........................................ 188
Synchronize devices manually ................................................................ 189
View the log file ........................................................................................ 189
Change the location of the log file .................................................... 190
Time stamps with tag-based alarms ....................................................... 190
Supported devices .................................................................................... 191

Appendix H
Reference for building a When installing FactoryTalk Alarms & Events ....................................... 193
distributed system Typical distributed system on a network ................................................ 193

Appendix I
Language identifiers Language identifiers .................................................................................195

Appendix J
Glossary A - C ........................................................................................................... 199
D ............................................................................................................... 200
E - P ............................................................................................................201
R - T ........................................................................................................... 203
Legal Notices Legal Notices ............................................................................................ 207
Index

8 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 1

What you need to get started

The FactoryTalk® System Configuration Guide describes the tasks that are
required to install, configure, and use FactoryTalk Alarms and Events services
as part of a FactoryTalk-enabled automation system. This guide also includes
references to additional documentation that provides more detail.
IMPORTANT This guide describes how to set up a local station application. However, the procedure for
setting up a network station application or network distributed application is similar. This
guide provides information about the latter two applications where it is necessary. See the
Help included with the individual software products used to configure and use Alarms and
Events services.

Required software The following software is required to configure and operate FactoryTalk
Alarms and Events services:
Software Version
FactoryTalk Services Platform 2.10 or later
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events 2.10 or later (included in FactoryTalk View SE and FactoryTalk Services)
FactoryTalk® Linx 5.00 or later
RSLogix 5000® 16.05 or later (or the Studio 5000 Logix Designer® version 24.02 or later)
Studio 5000 Logix Designer 24.02 or later (or RSLogix 5000 version 16.05 or later)
RSLogix 500® Version that supports FactoryTalk Services Platform version 2.10 or later
RSLogix™ 5 Version that supports FactoryTalk Services Platform version 2.10 or later
FactoryTalk View SE 5.00 or later
FactoryTalk View Studio 5.00 or later
RSLinx® Classic (used for Logix programming) 2.50.20 or later
ControlFLASH™ 4.00.09 (used to download firmware)
ControlFLASH Plus® 1.00 or later (used to download firmware)
SoftLogix™ 16.03 or later
Microsoft® SQL Server® Version that supports FactoryTalk Alarms and Events historical logging. For more information, see Supported SQL
Server databases on page 173.

Recommended hardware The hardware and supported operating systems that are recommended to run
and supported operating FactoryTalk Alarms and Events are the same as those recommended to run
FactoryTalk View Site Edition. For details, see the FactoryTalk View Site Edition
systems Installation Guide. To access the guide, on the FactoryTalk View Studio toolbar,
click Help > Online Books > Installation Guide.

Studio 5000 controllers The Studio 5000 controllers listed in the following table support FactoryTalk
Alarms and Events services. When you use built-in alarm instructions in
Studio 5000 controllers, these controllers require a firmware update to
revision 16.20 or later (excluding 21 to 23). If you do not want to update the
firmware in your controllers, use a Tag Alarm and Event Server for

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 9

Chapter 1 What you need to get started
software-based alarms and events. See Decide what type of alarm monitoring
you need on page 26.
Catalog number Name
1756-L61 ControlLogix Processor
1756-L62 ControlLogix Processor
1756-L63 ControlLogix Processor
1756-L64 ControlLogix Processor
1756-5555 5555 ControlLogix Processor
1768-L43 CompactLogix L43 Controller
1769-L31 CompactLogix L31 Controller
1769-L32C CompactLogix L32C Controller
1769-L32E CompactLogix L32E Controller
1769-L35CR CompactLogix L35CR Controller
1769-L35E CompactLogix L35E Controller
1794-L34 FlexLogix L34 Controller
1756-L61S ControlLogix Safety Processor
1756-L62S ControlLogix Safety Processor
PowerFlex 700S 2 DriveLogix5370
1789-L60 SoftLogix5800
EMULATE RSLogix Emulate 5000

The following controllers with firmware revision 24 and later support

FactoryTalk Alarms and Events services:
Catalog number Name
ControlLogix 1756-L71 Series B ControlLogix Processor
ControlLogix 1756-L71S Series B ControlLogix Safety Processor
ControlLogix 1756-L72 Series A ControlLogix Processor
ControlLogix 1756-L72 Series B ControlLogix Processor
GuardLogix 1756-L72S Series B ControlLogix Safety Processor
ControlLogix 1756-L73 Series A ControlLogix Processor
ControlLogix 1756-L73 Series B ControlLogix Processor
ControlLogix 1756-L73XT Series B ControlLogix Processor
GuardLogix 1756-L73S Series B ControlLogix Safety Processor
GuardLogix 1756-L73SXT Series B ControlLogix Safety Processor
ControlLogix 1756-L74 Series A ControlLogix Processor
ControlLogix 1756-L74 Series B ControlLogix Processor
ControlLogix 1756-L75 Series A ControlLogix Processor
ControlLogix 1756-L75 Series B ControlLogix Processor
CompactLogix 1769-L16ER-BB1B CompactLogix L16ER-BB1B Controller
CompactLogix 1769-L18ER-BB1B CompactLogix L18ER-BB1B Controller
CompactLogix 1769-L18ERM-BB1B CompactLogix L18ERM-BB1B Controller
CompactLogix 1769-L24ER-QB1B CompactLogix L24ER-QB1B Controller
CompactLogix 1769-L24ER-QBFC1B CompactLogix L24ER-QBFC1B Controller
CompactLogix 1769-L27ERM-QBFC1B CompactLogix L27ERM-QBFC1B Controller
CompactLogix 1769-L30ER CompactLogix L30ER Controller
CompactLogix 1769-L30ER-NSE CompactLogix L30ER-NSE Controller
CompactLogix 1769-L30ERM CompactLogix L30ERM Controller
CompactLogix 1769-L33ER CompactLogix L33ER Controller
CompactLogix 1769-L33ERM CompactLogix L33ERM Controller
CompactLogix 1769-L36ERM CompactLogix L36ERM Controller
SoftLogix 1789-L60 SoftLogix5800

10 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 1 What you need to get started
Tip: Firmware revisions 21 to 23 do not support the new alarms functionality.

The following controllers with firmware revision 29 introduce support for

FactoryTalk Alarms and Events services:
Catalog number Name
ControlLogix 1756-L81E ControlLogix Processor
ControlLogix 1756-L82E ControlLogix Processor
ControlLogix 1756-L83E ControlLogix Processor
ControlLogix 1756-L84E ControlLogix Processor
ControlLogix 1756-L85E ControlLogix Processor
CompactLogix 5069-L306ER CompactLogix L306ER Controller
CompactLogix 5069-L306ERM CompactLogix L306ERM Controller
CompactLogix 5069-L310ER CompactLogix L310ER Controller
CompactLogix 5069-L310ERM CompactLogix L310ERM Controller
CompactLogix 5069-L310ER-NSE CompactLogix L306ER-NSE Controller
CompactLogix 5069-L320ER CompactLogix L320ER Controller
CompactLogix 5069-L320ERM CompactLogix L320ERM Controller
CompactLogix 5069-L330ER CompactLogix L330ER Controller
CompactLogix 5069-L330ERM CompactLogix L330ERM Controller
CompactLogix 5069-L340ER CompactLogix L340ER Controller
CompactLogix 5069-L340ERM CompactLogix L340ERM Controller

The following controllers with firmware revision 30 introduce support for

FactoryTalk Alarms and Events services:
Catalog number Name
CompactLogix 5069-L380ERM CompactLogix L380ERM Controller
CompactLogix 5069-L3100ERM CompactLogix L3100ERM Controller
CompactLogix 1769-L37ERMO CompactLogix L37ERMO Controller
GuardLogix 1769-L37ERMOS CompactLogix Safety Processor

The following controllers with firmware revision 32 introduce support for

FactoryTalk Alarms and Events services:
Catalog number Name
CompactLogix 5069-L46ERMW CompactLogix 5480 Controller
Automatic Diagnostics is supported only on Compact GuardLogix 5380, CompactLogix 5380, CompactLogix 5480,
ControlLogix 5580, and GuardLogix 5580 controllers, and the firmware revision must be 33 or later.
Compatible firmware The controller firmware revisions listed in the following table are compatible
with FactoryTalk Alarms and Events services:
Controller Firmware revision
ControlLogix
CompactLogix L3x and L4x 16.20 or higher (excluding 21 to 23)
DriveLogix
ControlLogix Redundant Systems 16.60 or higher (excluding 21 to 23)
SoftLogix 16.03 or higher (excluding 21 to 23)

Other controllers These controllers also support FactoryTalk Alarms and Events services:
• Studio 5000 controllers that communicate with FactoryTalk Linx,
using Tag Alarm and Event Servers.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 11

Chapter 1 What you need to get started
• PLC-5® and SLC™ 500 controllers that communicate with FactoryTalk
Linx (or RSLinx Classic to bridge from Ethernet to DH+™ or DH-485
networks), using Tag Alarm and Event Servers.
• Third-party PLCs that communicate with OPC® data servers such as
KEPWare using Tag Alarm and Event Servers.
How to get the information For more information about the products and components discussed in this
you need guide, the following manuals and Help files are available:
• FactoryTalk Services Platform Help
• Studio 5000 Logix Designer Help (for help with developing a controller
project)
• Studio 5000 Logix Designer Online Books
• FactoryTalk View Site Edition Installation Guide
• FactoryTalk View Site Edition User Guide
• RSLinx Classic Help (for help with configuring drivers and creating
topics)
• RSLinx Classic Quick Start Guide
• FactoryTalk Linx Getting Results Guide
• FactoryTalk Linx Help

12 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 2

Overview of FactoryTalk Alarms and Events

services

FactoryTalk Alarms and Events was introduced with FactoryTalk Services

Platform 2.0 (CPR 9) and FactoryTalk View Site Edition 5.0 (CPR 9) to provide
a common, consistent view of alarms and events throughout a FactoryTalk
system.
Starting from FactoryTalk Alarms and Events 2.30 (CPR 9 SR 3), device-based
and tag-based servers support redundant server configuration. Starting from
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events 6.30 (CPR 9 SR 13), OPC UA alarm monitoring
is supported.
IMPORTANT FactoryTalk View version 10.00 is the last release to support the legacy HMI tag alarms. We
highly recommend that you update your alarming strategy to use FactoryTalk Alarms and
Events.

FactoryTalk Alarms and Events supports the following alarm monitoring:

• Device-based alarms, including:
• Logix instruction-based alarms
Alarm instructions are programmed and then downloaded into
Studio 5000 controllers. The controller detects alarm conditions and
publishes the alarm information, which is routed to FactoryTalk
Alarms and Events.
• Logix tag-based alarms
Logix tag-based alarms associate alarm conditions with tags for
Studio 5000 controllers. Logix tag-based alarms monitor tag values
to determine the alarm condition, but they are not part of the logic
program and do not increase the scan time for a project. Logix
tag-based alarms are supported only on Compact GuardLogix 5380,
CompactLogix 5380, CompactLogix 5480, ControlLogix 5580, and
GuardLogix 5580 controllers.
• Server tag-based alarms
Alarm conditions are defined and managed with software that
monitors programmable controllers through tags. Tag-based alarm
monitoring is supported by Rockwell Automation controllers
communicating through Rockwell Automation device servers
(FactoryTalk Linx), third-party controllers communicating through
OPC data servers, and HMI tags. Use server tag-based alarm
monitoring if you do not want to use the pre-built instructions in
Studio 5000 Logix Designer, or do not have Studio 5000 controllers.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 13

Chapter 2 Overview of FactoryTalk Alarms and Events services
• OPC UA alarms
Alarm conditions are provided by third-party OPC UA servers. The
alarm data is then routed to FactoryTalk Alarms and Events through
FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector.
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events:
• Provides a single, integrated set of alarm information.
All participating FactoryTalk products work together to provide a
consistent way to define, manage, log, and view alarm and event
information across a FactoryTalk application.
• Streamlines alarm programming and eliminates polling with
device-based alarm monitoring.
If your automation system includes Studio 5000 controllers, you can
use pre-built alarms or alarm instructions, available in the Logix
Designer application (RSLogix 5000 software version 16 or later), to
simplify coding, and then download them to the controller.
Device-based alarm monitoring eliminates the need for duplicating
alarm tags in an HMI server and requires fewer controller
communication resources by eliminating polling.
• Supports other controllers in the integrated system with server
tag-based alarm monitoring.
If your automation system includes other Rockwell Automation
controllers, such as PLC-5s or SLC 500s, or if you prefer not to use the
alarms or alarm instructions with Studio 5000 controllers,
software-based tag servers monitor controllers for alarm conditions
and publish event information.
• Monitors alarms and events from third-party controllers.
Server tag-based alarm monitoring also makes it possible to monitor
alarm conditions from third-party controllers, which communicate
through OPC data servers.
• Provides accurate time stamps on alarm conditions that are generated
from Studio 5000 controllers using device-based alarm monitoring.
When you use device-based alarm monitoring, timestamps are applied
immediately in the controller and are not delayed until alarms reach an
HMI server. To make sure that the timestamps on device-based alarms
are accurate, synchronize the clocks of all controllers that produce
alarms. The event time is propagated throughout the FactoryTalk
Alarms and Events system, so inaccurate timestamps can affect where
alarms are displayed in the Alarm and Event Summary or the Alarm
and Event Banner as well as reports about the alarm and event history.
For more information about synchronizing controller clocks, see Time
synchronization on page 183.)

14 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 2 Overview of FactoryTalk Alarms and Events services
• Subscribes to and displays diagnostic events enabled by the Automatic
Diagnostics feature of Studio 5000 Logix Designer. Automatic
Diagnostics is supported only on Compact GuardLogix 5380,
CompactLogix 5380, CompactLogix 5480, ControlLogix 5580, and
GuardLogix 5580 controllers, and the firmware revision must be 33 or
later.
• Sends process data with events and messages.
You can associate up to four tags with each alarm to include process
data with event information and alarm messages.
• Secures access to alarm and event operations through integration with
FactoryTalk Security.
• Generates messages for logging.
Log messages include audit messages that track operator actions,
system-related diagnostic messages, and historical alarm and event
messages.
• Shows alarm messages and status information at runtime, in
FactoryTalk View graphic displays.
Migrating HMI tag alarms FactoryTalk View version 10.00 is the last release to support the legacy HMI
tag alarms. We highly recommend that you update your alarming strategy to
use FactoryTalk Alarms and Events.
Use the FactoryTalk View Alarm Migration tool to migrate HMI tag alarms to
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events.
Migrate to FactoryTalk Alarms and Events if you want to:
• Use device-based alarm monitoring. You can use a Studio 5000
controller not only to detect alarms, but also to monitor alarms. This
keeps all alarm and event processing in the controller. To use
device-based alarm monitoring, add the built-in alarm instructions,
available in the Logix Designer application (or RSLogix 5000 software
version 16 or later), to a logic project and then download the project to
a Studio 5000 controller. The controller detects alarm conditions and
publishes event information, which can be displayed and logged.
• Use language-switching with alarm messages. For Logix
instruction-based and Logix tag-based alarms, you only need to
translate once in Studio 5000 Logix Designer without having to
translate within HMI servers.
• Take advantage of the richer feature set offered by FactoryTalk Alarms
and Events, including:
• Redundant software-based Tag Alarm and Event servers that
monitor controllers for alarm conditions through data servers and
publish event information that can be displayed and logged.
• Configurable Alarm and Event Summary that includes the ability to
suppress alarms directly from the summary, without the use of
separate commands.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 15

Chapter 2 Overview of FactoryTalk Alarms and Events services
• Alarm and Event Banner, Alarm and Event Log Viewer, Alarm
Status Explorer, and Automatic Diagnostic Event Summary objects
that are hosted on graphic displays. You can use the Alarm Status
Explorer to enable or disable alarms, suppress or unsuppress
alarms, shelve or unshelve alarms, and view operator comments.
• System-wide views in the Alarm and Event Banner, rather than just
the alarms in a single HMI server.
Where to start Here is an overview of the sections covered in this guide:
1. Overview of FactoryTalk Alarms and Events services on page 13
2. Plan your system on page 25
• Set up device-based alarm monitoring
a. Define device-based alarms in Studio 5000 controllers on page 29
b. Add a device server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, or SLC 500 controllers
on page 39
• Set up tag-based alarm monitoring
a. Add an OPC data server for third-party controllers on page 47
b. Add a tag-based alarm server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, SLC 500, or
third-party controllers on page 51
• Set up OPC UA alarm monitoring
a. Define and configure alarms in the third-party OPC UA server on
page 59
b. Add FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector and enable alarms on
page 59
3. Set up graphic displays on page 63
4. Monitor and interact with alarms at runtime on page 87
5. Set up historical alarm and event logging on page 105
6. Configure redundancy for alarms and events on page 123
FactoryTalk Alarms and
Events components

16 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 2 Overview of FactoryTalk Alarms and Events services
The following diagram shows a high-level view of the components of the
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events system. For more detailed information, see
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events Help.

Device-based alarm monitoring

With device-based alarm monitoring that are available with the Studio 5000
Logix Designer application, pre-built alarms or alarm instructions are
configured and then downloaded into a Studio 5000 controller. The controller
detects alarm conditions and notifies alarms and events services of alarm
states. Software components publish this information to a device server. From
the device server, the information can be logged to a database and monitored
from FactoryTalk View graphic displays.
Use device-based alarm monitoring with Studio 5000 controllers,
programmed with the Logix Designer application, communicating through
Rockwell Automation Device Servers (FactoryTalk Linx).

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 17

Chapter 2 Overview of FactoryTalk Alarms and Events services

Server tag-based alarm monitoring

If you are not using Studio 5000 controllers, or if you do not want to use the
pre-built alarming available with the Logix Designer application, use server
tag-based alarm monitoring. The server tag-based Alarm and Event servers
monitor controllers for alarm conditions through data servers and publish
event information for display and logging. These data servers serve tags, or
data items, contained in OPC DA (Data Access) servers. Clients that need
access to data items, such as FactoryTalk View Studio and FactoryTalk
Transaction Manager, use data server application elements referenced from
the FactoryTalk Directory to locate the computers that are hosting OPC DA 2.0
compliant data servers.
Use the server tag-based alarm monitoring for Studio 5000 controllers, PLC-5
devices, and SLC 500 devices communicating through Rockwell Automation
Device Servers (FactoryTalk Linx), or for third-party controllers
communicating through OPC DA data servers.

OPC UA alarm monitoring

OPC UA alarm monitoring captures alarm information originated from
third-party OPC UA servers. FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector routes the
alarm information to FactoryTalk Alarms and Events for display and logging.

FactoryTalk Alarms and Events services

Device-based alarms, tag-based alarms and events, and OPC UA alarms are
published to FactoryTalk Alarms and Events services, which then routes the
information to FactoryTalk Alarms and Events objects hosted in FactoryTalk
View, the alarm and event history log, and to diagnostic logs and audit logs.

Alarm and Event Historian

The Alarm and Event Historian is a logging component that installs silently as
part of the FactoryTalk Alarms and Events software. It manages connections
between alarm servers and databases and logs data from each alarm server to
an alarm history database. An Alarm and Event Log Viewer allows viewing and
printing data from alarm history databases. Third-party database tools can
also retrieve, view, analyze, and print alarm history information.
To use alarm and event logging, install SQL Server separately, or use an
existing SQL Server database. See the release notes for FactoryTalk Alarms
and Events for the latest qualified versions of SQL Server.

18 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 2 Overview of FactoryTalk Alarms and Events services

Diagnostic and audit logs

FactoryTalk Diagnostics routes messages generated by FactoryTalk Alarms
and Events to Local logs on the computers hosting FactoryTalk components,
and optionally to a centralized database log. Audit messages are routed to the
Local log as well and to the FactoryTalk Audit Log if FactoryTalk AssetCentre is
installed.

Alarm and event setup and monitoring

These components define alarm conditions, set up alarm servers, view and
interact with alarm conditions, and view and run reports on historical alarm
information:
• Alarm and Event Banner
Use the Alarm and Event Banner object, embedded in a FactoryTalk
View graphic display, to monitor and respond to the most serious
alarms requiring immediate attention.
• Alarm and Event Log Viewer
Use the Alarm and Event Log Viewer object, embedded in a
FactoryTalk View graphic display, to view, filter, and print historical
alarm information stored in SQL Server databases.
• Alarm and Event Summary
Use the Alarm and Event Summary object, embedded in a FactoryTalk
View graphic display, to acknowledge, disable, suppress, filter, and sort
alarms during runtime.
• Alarm Status Explorer
Use the Alarm Status Explorer object, embedded in a FactoryTalk View
graphic display, to enable or disable alarms, suppress or unsuppress
alarms, shelve or unshelve alarms, and view operator comments.
• Automatic Diagnostic Event Summary
Use the Automatic Diagnostic Event Summary object, embedded in a
FactoryTalk View graphic display, to suppress, unsuppress, filter, and
sort diagnostic events during runtime.
• Alarm Server Setup
Use either FactoryTalk View Studio or FactoryTalk Administration
Console to add Rockwell Automation Device Servers (as part of
configuring FactoryTalk Linx data servers) and Tag Alarm and Event
Servers to a FactoryTalk application.
• Database definitions
Use database definitions to define logging options from an alarm
server to a SQL Server database.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 19

Chapter 2 Overview of FactoryTalk Alarms and Events services
• Diagnostics Viewer
Use the Diagnostics Viewer to view, filter, and export
system-generated diagnostic messages. Run the Diagnostics Viewer
from either FactoryTalk View Studio or FactoryTalk Administration
Console.
• FactoryTalk Audit Log
Use the FactoryTalk Audit Log to view and manage audit messages
routed by FactoryTalk Diagnostics. To access the Audit Log, use
FactoryTalk AssetCentre software.
About monitoring for alarm You can monitor for alarm conditions using:
conditions • Device-based alarm monitoring
• Server tag-based alarm monitoring
• OPC UA alarm monitoring
About device-based alarm Built-in alarms or alarm instructions, that are available in the Logix Designer
monitoring application (RSLogix 5000 software version 16 or later), are programmed in a
logic project and then downloaded to a Studio 5000 controller. With
device-based alarm monitoring, detection and monitoring for alarm
conditions are both done in the controller. The controller detects alarm
conditions and publishes event information, which can be displayed and
logged.
This is in contrast to server tag-based alarm monitoring, where alarm
detection occurs in the controller, but alarm monitoring is performed by
software-based servers.

Device-based alarm
monitoring workflow

Alarm instructions or alarms are programmed and then downloaded

into a Studio 5000 controller.

The controller detects alarm conditions and notifies its device server,
FactoryTalk Linx, of alarm states.

20 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 2 Overview of FactoryTalk Alarms and Events services

The device server extracts alarms and publishes the information to

FactoryTalk Alarms and Events services.

FactoryTalk Alarms and Events services routes the alarm information to

logs and to Alarm and Event objects embedded in graphic displays in
FactoryTalk View.

Using FactoryTalk View SE Clients, operators interact with alarms

through objects embedded in graphic displays, such as Alarm and Event
Summary, Alarm and Event Banner, and Alarm Status Explorer.
This approach offers a number of benefits over generic methods of alarm
detection:
• Alarm instructions are programmed only once, and then downloaded
to the controller, reducing programming effort and errors.
• Alarm conditions are detected more quickly.
• Real-time alarming is performed in the controller.
• HMI tags or alarms in a Tag Alarm and Event Server are not required,
reducing overhead and potential tag-mapping errors.
• Alarm states are managed, processed, and preserved by controllers,
even if a server goes down.
• Data polling is eliminated; alarm status is communicated only when
state changes, reducing network overhead and controller processing,
and improving overall system performance.
• Time stamps on alarm conditions are more accurate, because they are
applied in the controller, and not delayed until they reach the HMI
software or Tag Alarm and Event Server. Because device-based alarms
are stamped with the controller’s time, all controllers producing
alarms must have their clocks synchronized. The event time is
propagated throughout the FactoryTalk Alarms and Events system, so
inaccurate time stamps can affect where alarms are displayed in the
Alarm and Event Summary or the Alarm and Event Banner as well as
reports based on the alarm and event history. For more information
about synchronizing controller clocks, see Time synchronization on
page 183.
About server tag-based Tag-based alarm monitoring offered by FactoryTalk Alarms and Events is an
alarm monitoring example of software-based alarm monitoring. With software-based alarm
monitoring, alarm detection occurs in the controller, but alarm monitoring is
performed by software-based servers.
Software-based alarm monitoring is a generic way of monitoring controllers
for alarm conditions through data servers and publish event information,
which can be displayed and logged. Tag-based alarm monitoring is supported
for Studio 5000, PLC-5, and SLC 500 devices communicating through
Rockwell Automation device servers (FactoryTalk Linx), or for third-party
controllers that communicate through OPC data servers. Choose server

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 21

Chapter 2 Overview of FactoryTalk Alarms and Events services
tag-based alarm monitoring if you do not want to change the logic in your
programmable controllers, or if you do not want to update the firmware in
Studio 5000 controllers.

Server tag-based alarm

monitoring workflow

Logic in a controller is programmed to detect problems and latch alarm

conditions in tags.

A Tag Alarm and Event Server polls controller tags and notifies clients,
including FactoryTalk Alarms and Events, of alarm conditions.

FactoryTalk Alarms and Events services routes the alarm information to

logs and to Alarm and Event objects embedded in graphic displays in
FactoryTalk View.

Using FactoryTalk View SE Clients, operators interact with alarms

through objects embedded in graphic displays, such as Alarm and Event
Summary, Alarm and Event Banner, and Alarm Status Explorer.
With the server tag-based monitoring:
• Programming is required in both the controller and in the HMI
software or Tag Alarm and Event Server.
• Tags must be duplicated in the HMI server and mapped to the
controller. For Tag Alarm and Event Servers, controller tags must be
mapped to alarms—care must be exercised to avoid errors.
• Alarms are detected and processed twice, first in the controller logic
and then again in the HMI software or Tag Alarm and Event Server.
• Polling between the HMI server or Tag Alarm and Event Server and
controller tags results in increased network overhead.
• Alarm time stamps are delayed because they are applied by the HMI
server or Tag Alarm and Event Server after polling and processing,
rather than immediately when they occur. Time stamps are not
synchronized among multiple alarm servers.

22 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 2 Overview of FactoryTalk Alarms and Events services
• Alarm acknowledge and enable states are held in the computer, and
not in the controller. If redundant servers are not used, alarm state
information can be lost.
About OPC UA alarm OPC UA alarm monitoring captures alarm information originated from
monitoring third-party OPC UA servers. FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector routes the
alarm information to FactoryTalk Alarms and Events for display and logging.
Unlike server tag-based or device-based alarm monitoring, OPC UA alarm
monitoring does not require a Tag Alarm and Event Server or FactoryTalk
Linx.
FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector is needed as a proxy between the OPC
UA servers and a FactoryTalk application, and aggregates the alarm data and
delivers the alarm information to FactoryTalk Alarms and Events.

OPC UA alarm monitoring

workflow

Alarm instructions or alarms are routed from third-party devices via an

OPC UA server.

FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector communicates with the OPC UA

server for the alarms and publishes the information to FactoryTalk Alarms
and Events services.

FactoryTalk Alarms and Events services routes the alarm information to

logs and to Alarm and Event objects embedded in graphic displays in
FactoryTalk View.

Using FactoryTalk View SE Clients, operators interact with alarms

through objects embedded in graphic displays, such as Alarm and Event
Summary, Alarm and Event Banner, and Alarm Status Explorer.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 23

Chapter 2 Overview of FactoryTalk Alarms and Events services
With the OPC UA alarm monitoring:
• Alarm conditions are provided by third-party OPC UA servers.
• FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector is required to route alarm data
from the third-party OPC UA server.
• Alarm statuses are managed in third-party OPC UA servers.
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events allows you to monitor the alarms once
the alarm status changes.
Choose a suitable type of Use device-based alarm monitoring with:
alarm monitoring • Studio 5000 controllers, using downloaded alarms or alarm
instructions programmed with the Logix Designer application (or
RSLogix 5000 software version 16 or later)
Use server tag-based alarm monitoring with:
• Studio 5000 controllers
• PLC-5, SLC 500 devices
• Third-party controllers that communicate through OPC data servers
Use OPC UA alarm monitoring with:
• Third-party OPC UA servers that communicate with third-party
devices
Graphic objects in FactoryTalk Alarms and Events graphic objects are on the Objects menu in the
FactoryTalk Alarms and graphics editor in FactoryTalk View Site Edition.

Events
With FactoryTalk Alarms and Events, you
To do this do it this way
Acknowledge, disable, suppress, Alarm and Event Summary
shelve, unshelve, filter, and sort
alarms during runtime

Enable or disable alarms, Alarm and Event Summary (suppress only; to

suppress or unsuppress alarms, unsuppress alarms, use the Alarm Status
shelve or unshelve alarms, and Explorer)
view operator comments
Alarm Status Explorer

Monitor and respond to the most Alarm and Event Banner

serious alarms that require
immediate attention

View, filter, and print historical Alarm and Event Log Viewer
alarm information Historical alarm information is stored in
Microsoft SQL Server databases.

24 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 3

Plan your system

Before you build and deploy FactoryTalk Alarms and Events as part of a local
or network application, consider which computer hardware and operating
systems you plan to use, and where to install the various hardware and
software components. The information in this chapter offers some guidelines
as you begin planning. See also Required software on page 9 and
Recommended hardware and supported operating systems on page 9.

Decide what type of You must decide whether you are building a local station application or
network station application on a stand-alone computer, or a network
application you are building distributed application distributed across multiple computers. This system
configuration guide primarily discusses how to install, configure, and use
software on a stand-alone system.
IMPORTANT FactoryTalk Alarms and Events is not supported for use with FactoryTalk View Machine
Edition.

• Network distributed applications are held in a FactoryTalk Network

Directory. Participating software products can be located on multiple
computers, distributed across a network. All of the computers
participating in a particular network distributed application share a
common Network Directory Server located on a network computer.
See Typical distributed system on a network on page 193 for a graphical
overview.
The application you create in the Network Directory can be divided
into any number of areas. Each area can contain one or more sub-areas
and one or more data servers. Each area or sub-area can contain only
one HMI server. A network distributed application supports
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events redundancy.
• Network station applications are held in a FactoryTalk Network
Directory. All participating software products (except for data servers)
must be installed on the same computer. Network station applications
can connect to data servers that are located on different machines. All
of the computers participating in a particular network station
application share a common Network Directory Server located on a
network computer. See Typical stand-alone system on page 27 for a
graphical overview.
The application you create in the Network Directory can be divided
into any number of areas. Each area can contain one or more sub-areas
and one or more data servers. A network station application consists of
only one HMI server. You can add the HMI server in the root area or

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 25

Chapter 3 Plan your system
within the areas you have created. A network station application
supports FactoryTalk Alarms and Events redundancy.
• Local station applications are suitable for self-contained, stand-alone
processes that do not interact with other processes or systems. Local
station applications are held in a FactoryTalk Local Directory and are
accessible only from the local computer where they reside. Even if the
computer is connected to a network and even if a network application
resides on the same computer, the applications you create in the
FactoryTalk Local Directory remain self-contained and do not share
data or project elements.
Local station applications do not support areas, and all application
components and participating software products are located on a
single computer. See Typical stand-alone system on page 27 for a
graphical overview.
IMPORTANT To use FactoryTalk Alarms and Events with a local station application, install all
software on the same computer.
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events redundancy is only supported in network station
applications and network distributed applications.

Decide what type of alarm FactoryTalk Alarms and Events supports the following alarm monitoring:

monitoring you need • Device-based alarm monitoring on page 20

• Server tag-based alarm monitoring on page 21
• OPC UA alarm monitoring on page 23
Follow these steps Follow these steps to plan your system:
• Determine network configuration
• Install and activate FactoryTalk View software
Tip: FactoryTalk Services Platform, FactoryTalk Alarms and Events, FactoryTalk Linx, and
FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector are installed along with FactoryTalk View.
• Install RSLinx Classic software
• Install and activate RSLogix software
• Update Studio 5000 firmware to V16 or later (optional if using Tag
Alarm and Event Servers)
• (optional) Install Microsoft SQL Server
What you need • Decide what type of application you are building.
• Decide what type of alarm monitoring you need.
• Install and activate FactoryTalk software.
• Update Studio 5000 firmware to revision 16.20 or later (excluding 21 to
23), if you plan to use device-based alarm monitoring and alarm
instructions that are built into Studio 5000 controllers. If you do not
plan to use device-based alarm instructions, you can skip this step and
use tag-based alarm monitoring with a Tag Alarm and Event Server
instead.

26 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 3 Plan your system

Install and activate Follow these procedures to install and activate the software products required
for FactoryTalk Alarms and Events.
FactoryTalk software
IMPORTANT This guide describes how to set up a local station application. The procedure to set up a
network station application or network distributed application is similar. This guide provides
additional information about the two applications where it is necessary. See also Reference
for building a distributed system on page 193.

For more information about each software product, see its respective product
Help.

Typical stand-alone system To use FactoryTalk Alarms and Events with a local station application or a
network station application as part of a stand-alone FactoryTalk system,
install all software on the same computer. Use this diagram only as a starting
point--your own system will vary.

Install FactoryTalk software For specific installation instructions, refer to the installation guide for each
product.
• To develop or run local station applications, install all the necessary
software components on one computer.
• To develop or run network station applications, install all the necessary
software components (except for data servers) on one computer.
Network station applications can connect to data servers that are
located on different machines.
• To develop or run network distributed applications, install different
combinations of software on each computer, depending on your
needs. For more information, see FactoryTalk Services Platform Help.
Click Start > All Programs > Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk Help.
IMPORTANT This guide provides additional information about network distributed applications or
network station applications where it is necessary.

To set up a FactoryTalk system, install the following software:

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 27
Chapter 3 Plan your system
• FactoryTalk Services Platform
• FactoryTalk Activation
• FactoryTalk View Site Edition
• FactoryTalk Linx
• RSLinx Classic
• The Studio 5000 Logix Designer application (known previously as
RSLogix 5000 software)
• Update Studio 5000 firmware to revision 16.20 or later (excluding 21 to
23).
Tip: To take advantage of the new alarms functionality in the v24 firmware, we recommend you
install FactoryTalk Services Platform v2.71 or later and update your controller firmware to revision
24 or later.

Install Microsoft SQL Server If you plan to log historical alarm and event messages to a database, you must
install Microsoft SQL Server software on the computer you want to use for
logging. If you do not have Microsoft SQL Server software installed, see Install
Microsoft SQL Server on page 169.
Tip: If you already have Microsoft SQL Server installed, you may need to change the configuration options to
log alarm and event messages. For configuration instructions, see Use an existing Microsoft SQL Server
database on page 173.

28 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 4

Define device-based alarms in Studio 5000

controllers

To set up device-based alarm monitoring, you program alarms or alarm

instructions that are available with the Logix Designer application (RSLogix
5000 software version 16 or later), and download them to a Studio 5000
controller. The controller detects alarm conditions and notifies alarms and
events services of alarm states. Software components publish this information
to a device server, where it can be logged to a database, and interacted from
FactoryTalk View graphic displays.
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events can handle many different types of alarms.
The controller limits the alarms to Logix tag-based alarms and
instruction-based alarms. The instruction-based alarms include digital and
analog alarms. An analog alarm instruction monitors two types of alarm
conditions: Level and Rate of Change. A server tag-based alarm supports three
alarm types: Digital, Level, and Deviation.
Logix tag-based alarms associate alarm conditions with tags for Studio 5000
controllers. Logix tag-based alarms monitor tag values to determine the alarm
condition, but they are not part of the logic program and do not increase the
scan time for a project.
Tip: Logix tag-based alarms are supported only on Compact GuardLogix 5380, CompactLogix 5380,
CompactLogix 5480, ControlLogix 5580, and GuardLogix 5580 controllers.

A digital alarm instruction is based on the input rung state (in ladder logic) or
on the alarm input (for function block). The trigger condition compares the
value of the tag to either zero or one.
An analog alarm defines a condition that evaluates a single analog tag against
up to four limit values (high-high to low-low) and up to two rate of change
limits (positive and negative).
Tip: If your FactoryTalk application does not include Studio 5000 controllers, or if your controllers are not
programmed with the alarm instructions included in the Logix Designer application (RSLogix 5000 software
version 16 or later), see Add an OPC Data Server for third-party controllers on page 47 and Add a tag-based
alarm server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, SLC 500, or third-party controllers on page 51.

Alarm buffering during loss To receive device-based alarms, the alarm server (FactoryTalk Linx)
of connection to the establishes a subscription to the alarms in the Logix controller. The controller
maintains a connection to each subscriber and monitors the status of that
controller connection.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 29

Chapter 4 Define device-based alarms in Studio 5000 controllers
As alarm state changes occur, the controller caches information such as
timestamps, alarm state and associated tag values, and transmits the
information to all of the subscribers.
If any subscriber fails to confirm the receipt of the alarm information, or if the
connection to a subscriber is not good, the controller stores the undelivered
alarm information in a 100 KB buffer. Each subscriber has its own buffer and
communication problems with one subscriber do not interfere with alarm
delivery to other subscribers. When the buffer is full, newer alarm
information is discarded and a FactoryTalk Diagnostics message is logged.
The buffer is created when the subscriber establishes its initial connection,
and is maintained for a length of time after a subscriber loses its connection.
The length of time is specified in the Buffer Timeout setting on each
FactoryTalk Linx device shortcut. See "Create a new shortcut to the controller"
in Add a device server on page 39.
IMPORTANT Firmware revision 21 to revision 23 do not support the new alarms functionality. The buffer
timeout setting is not available to controllers with firmware revision 24 or later. For
controllers with version 20 or earlier, we recommend that you do not change the default
buffering time unless instructed by Technical Support.

Before you begin • Review Plan your system on page 25.

• Verify that you have installed and activated the software listed in the
next section under What you need on page 30.
• Verify that the Studio 5000 firmware has been updated to revision 16
or later (excluding revisions 21 to 23).
Tip: To take advantage of the new alarms functionality in the revision 24 firmware, we recommend
you install FactoryTalk Services Platform software version 2.71 or later, and update your controller
firmware to revision 24 or later.

What you need • Logix Designer application (RSLogix 5000 software)

• ControlFLASH
• RSLinx Classic
Follow these steps Follow these steps to define a digital or analog alarm:
• Plan your system
• Run Studio 5000 Logix Designer software
• Create a project
• For a digital alarm, define a boolean tag or a rung state on which to
alarm
For an analog alarm, define a analog tag on which to alarm
• Add a digital or analog alarm instruction
• Configure the digital or analog alarm properties
• Downland the project to the controller
• Test the alarm instruction
• Add a device server
• Add a data server

30 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 4 Define device-based alarms in Studio 5000 controllers

Define a Logix tag-based Use Logix tag-based alarms to send alerts about specific events or conditions.
Logix tag-based alarms are similar to instruction-based alarms that are
alarm created using alarm instructions (ALMA and ALMD), but Logix tag-based
alarms do not affect the scan time of the project.
Tip: Logix tag-based alarms are supported only on Compact GuardLogix 5380, CompactLogix 5380,
CompactLogix 5480, ControlLogix 5580, and GuardLogix 5580 controllers.

To define a Logix tag-based alarm:

1. On the Controller Organizer, expand the Alarm Manager folder,
right-click Alarms, and select New Alarm.
To create an alarm in Tag Editor or in the Ladder, Sequential Function
Chart, Function Block, or Structured Text editors, right-click a tag and
select Add Alarm for [tag].
2. In the Name box, enter a name for the alarm.
3. In the Input box, add the input tag for the alarm. If you launch the
New Alarm dialog box from a logic editor, the Input box is populated
with the tag that you right-clicked.
4. To enable the alarm, select the Use and evaluate alarm check box. All
new alarms are disabled by default.
5. Adjust other alarm settings as necessary.
Create an alarm definition An alarm definition is associated with an Add-On Instruction (AOI) or a
defined data type. When a tag is created using a data type or an AOI that has
alarm definitions, alarms are created automatically based on the alarm
definitions.
You can create an alarm definition for the following components:
• Any scalar tag or parameter of an AOI.
• Any scalar member of a user-defined data type (UDT).
• Any scalar member of a system-defined data type (SDT).
• Any scalar member of a module-defined data type (MOT).
When a tag uses a data type that has alarm definitions associated with it,
alarm conditions are automatically added for the tag based on its alarm
definitions.
When an AOI is based on an AOI definition, alarm conditions are
automatically added for the AOI instance based on the alarm definitions
associated with the AOI definition.

To create an alarm definition:

1. On the Controller Organizer, expand the Alarm Manager folder,
right-click Alarm Definitions, and select New Alarm Definition.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 31

Chapter 4 Define device-based alarms in Studio 5000 controllers
You can also right-click a scalar tag or parameter of an AOI or a scalar
member of a data type and select Add Alarm Definition.
2. In the Name box, enter a name for the alarm definition.
3. When creating an alarm definition for a UDT or AOI, in the Input box,
add an input tag. When creating an alarm definition for a data type,
add a data type member in the Input box.
4. To enable all instances of the alarm, select the Required to be used and
evaluated for all alarm instances check box. All new alarms definitions
are disabled by default.
5. Adjust other settings as necessary.
Download the program to You can download the program containing the Logix tag-based alarm to the
controller and test the alarm controller and then use FactoryTalk View to test the alarm.
1. If it is not already running, start RSLinx Classic to establish
communications between the controller and the Logix Designer
application (RSLogix 5000 software version 16 or later).
2. On the Logix Designer application menu, click Communications >
Who Active.
3. Select the controller to which you want to download the project.
4. Click Download. At the prompt, click Download again. The controller
is placed in Program mode.
5. To switch the controller to run mode, click Communications > Run
Mode.
6. To test the alarm, in FactoryTalk View Studio, create a FactoryTalk
Alarms and Events graphic object (for example, Alarm and Event
Summary) to read Logix tag-based alarms with the fully qualified
name.
Define an instruction-based Digital tags are either on or off. They have states instead of limits. The alarm
alarm: digital trigger condition compares the value of the tag to the configured alarm state.
An alarm can be triggered if the digital alarm is in one of these two states:
• The rung evaluation or input tag is equal to zero
• The rung evaluation or input tag is not equal to zero
Tip: If your FactoryTalk application does not include Studio 5000 controllers, or if your controllers
are not programmed with the alarm instructions included in the Logix Designer application
(RSLogix 5000 software version 16 or later), see Add an OPC Data Server for third-party controllers
on page 47 and Add a tag-based alarm server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, SLC 500, or third-party
controllers on page 51.

Configure the digital alarm This example uses the ladder logic editor that comes with the Logix Designer
and download to the application (RSLogix 5000 software) to define a digital alarm. You can also
configure digital alarms in function blocks or structured text.
controller

Step 1. Create a rung of logic that will trigger the alarm

1. Create a new project with default settings. In this example, we use
West_Plant_Controller.

32 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 4 Define device-based alarms in Studio 5000 controllers
2. In the left pane, expand the folders Tasks > MainTask > MainProgram,
and then double-click MainRoutine.
3. On the Language Element toolbar, click the Examine-on instruction
button to add it to a rung on the ladder project.
4. At the top of the Examine-on instruction, click the question mark to
select it. On the File menu, click New Component, and then click Tag.
5. In the New Tag dialog box, type a name for the tag, choose BOOL as
the data type, and then click Create.
In our example, we name the tag alarm_active.

Step 2. Add a digital alarm instruction to the rung

1. On the Language Element toolbar, click the Alarms tab, and then click
the ALMD button . The instruction block is placed in the ladder
logic.
2. Inside the alarm instruction, beside ALMD, select the question mark.
3. On the File menu, click New Component, and then click Tag.
4. In the dialog box that opens, type a name for the digital alarm tag, and
then click Create.
In our example, we named the tag DigitalAlarm1.

Step 3. Specify a tag for each of the digital alarm's operands,

or just enter 0
1. Inside the alarm instruction, select the ProgAck operand.
2. On the File menu, click New Component, and then click Tag.
3. In the New Tag dialog box, type a name for the tag, select BOOL as the
data type, and then click Create.
In our example, we named the tag DigitalAlarm1_Ack. For details
about using the New Tag dialog box, click Help.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 33

Chapter 4 Define device-based alarms in Studio 5000 controllers
4. Create tags for the ProgReset, ProgDisable, and ProgEnable operands.
When you are finished, the alarm instruction should resemble the one
shown here:

Step 4. Configure the properties of the new digital alarm tag

1. Inside the alarm instruction, click the Browse button (...).
2. In the ALMD Properties dialog box, specify configuration settings, and
then click OK. For help with specifying configuration settings, click
Help.
Tip: To create a text message with embedded variables for each alarm, click the Message box
Browse button (...). At runtime, these messages appear in Alarm and Event graphic objects, such as
the Alarm and Event Summary. The maximum length of an alarm message is 255 characters. When
importing alarm messages, the Logix Designer application (or RSLogix 5000 software) will verify
the message length and display a warning if the alarm message exceeds the character limit.

Step 5. Download the program containing the ladder logic to the

controller
1. If it is not already running, start RSLinx Classic to establish
communications between the controller and the Logix Designer
application (RSLogix 5000 software version 16 or later).
2. On the Logix Designer application menu, click Communications >
Who Active.
3. Select the controller to which you want to download the project.
4. Click Download. At the prompt, click Download again. The controller
is placed in Program mode.

34 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 4 Define device-based alarms in Studio 5000 controllers

Step 6. Test the alarm instruction by switching to run mode and

triggering the alarm
1. On the Logix Designer application menu, click Communications > Run
Mode. Click Yes to switch the controller to run mode.

2. To trigger the alarm, right-click the contact on the rung (the one
named alarm_active), and then click Toggle Bit. The contact should
change from a blue highlight to a green highlight.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 35

Chapter 4 Define device-based alarms in Studio 5000 controllers

Step 7. Finish creating alarms, and next steps

• Define additional digital alarms or analog alarms, using either ladder
logic, function blocks, or structured text, and download the logic to the
controller.
• When you finish defining alarms, create a device-based alarm server,
and then configure it to subscribe to events detected by the Studio
5000 controller. See Add a device server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, or SLC
500 controllers on page 39 for instructions.
Define an instruction-based An analog alarm defines a condition that evaluates a single analog tag against
alarm: analog up to four limit values (high-high, hi, low, and low-low) and up to two rate of
change limits (positive and negative).
Tip: If your FactoryTalk application does not include Studio 5000 controllers, or if your controllers are not
programmed with the alarm instructions included in the Logix Designer application (RSLogix 5000 software
version 16 or later), see Add an OPC Data Server for third-party controllers on page 47 and Add a tag-based
alarm server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, SLC 500, or third-party controllers on page 51.

Configure the analog alarm This example uses the Function Block editor that comes with the Logix
and download it to the Designer application (RSLogix 5000 software). You can also configure analog
alarms in ladder logic or structured text.
controller

Step 1. Define a new routine

1. Create a new project with default settings. In this example, we use
East_Plant_Controller.
2. Expand the Tasks folder in the left pane, right-click MainProgram,
click Add, and then click New Routine.
3. In the New Routine dialog box, type a name for the routine. We use
alarm_active.
4. In the Type list, click Function Block Diagram.
5. Select the Open Routine check box, and then click OK. The new routine
appears in the Tasks folder under MainRoutine and the routine opens
on the right side of the Logix Designer window.

Step 2. Build the function block logic

1. To add an alarm block, go to the tabs in the center right area (Favorites,
Add-On, and so on) as shown in the following illustration. Scroll to the
right, and then click the Alarms tab.
2. On the toolbar, click the ALMA button to add an Analog Alarm
block.
3. Using the same Alarm objects on the Language Element toolbar, click
the Input Reference icon .
4. Right-click the single question mark inside the symbol and then click
New Tag.

36 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 4 Define device-based alarms in Studio 5000 controllers
5. In the New Tag dialog box, type a name for the tag and then click
Create.
In this example, we use AnalogAlarm1. The screen should resemble the
one shown in the following illustration:

6. Connect the input reference block to the Input of the ALMA block by
dragging the block's contact point to the contact point on the ALMA
block.

Step 3. Configure the properties of the alarm block

1. Click the Browse button (...) on the alarm block.
2. In the ALMA Properties dialog box, set the Input Levels as shown in
the following illustration and then click OK. To require that an
operator acknowledge the alarm at runtime, make sure the
Acknowledgement Required check box is selected.
Tip: To enter alarm messages and add variables for analog alarms, select the Messages tab. To
create a text message with embedded variables, click the Browse button (...) beside the Level field,
or beside the Rate of Change field. At runtime, alarm messages are displayed in Alarm and Event
graphic objects such as the Alarm and Event Summary.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 37

Chapter 4 Define device-based alarms in Studio 5000 controllers

Step 4. Add a JSR instruction to the MainRoutine to run the function

block
1. Double-click MainRoutine to open it.
2. Right-click the first rung and then click Add Ladder Element.
3. In the Add Ladder Element dialog box, scroll down to the Program
Control folder and then double-click the folder to expand the list of
controls.
4. Select JSR and then click OK.
5. In the JSR instruction, double-click Routine Name and then click
alarm_active.
6. On the toolbar, click the Save button to save the configuration.

Step 5. Download the program to the controller

1. If it is not already running, start RSLinx Classic to establish
communications between the controller and the Logix Designer
application (RSLogix 5000 software version 16 or later).
2. On the Logix Designer application menu, click Communications >
Who Active.
3. Select the controller to which you want to download the project.
4. Click Download. At the prompt, click Download again. The controller
is placed in Program mode.
5. To switch the controller to run mode, click Communications > Run
Mode.

Step 6. Finish creating alarms, and next steps

• Define additional digital alarms or analog alarms using either ladder
logic, function block, or structured text, and download the logic to the
controller.
• When you finish defining alarms, create a device-based alarm server,
and then configure it to subscribe to events detected by the Studio
5000 controller. See Add a device server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, or SLC
500 controllers on page 39.

38 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 5

Add a device server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, or

SLC 500 controllers

Add a device server to your application to use:

• Device-based alarms in Studio 5000 controllers.
• Tag-based alarms in PLC-5, SLC 500, or Studio 5000 controllers.
Before you begin • If you are using device-based alarms, define your alarms, as described
in Define device-based alarms in Studio 5000 controllers on page 29.
• If you are using tag-based alarms, you create a controller program to
detect alarm conditions, and then associate those conditions with tags
that are monitored by the FactoryTalk Tag Alarm and Event Server.
What you need • FactoryTalk Linx
• FactoryTalk View Studio or FactoryTalk Administration Console
Tip: This guide uses FactoryTalk View Studio to define a device server. You can also use
FactoryTalk Administration Console. For more information, in the FactoryTalk Administration
Console menu bar, select Help > Contents.

Follow these steps Follow these steps to add a device server:

• Define alarms
• Start FactoryTalk View Studio and open a Site Edition local application
• Add a new device server
• Configure the device server properties
• Open the Communication Setup editor
• Create a new shortcut to the Studio 5000 controller and configure
settings
• Set up graphic displays
• Set up historical alarm and event logging
Add a device server In this section, you will create a Rockwell Automation device server
(FactoryTalk Linx) and then configure it to subscribe to alarms that will be
detected by a Studio 5000 controller.
IMPORTANT If you are using third-party controllers, you do not need a device-based alarm server.
Instead, go to Add an OPC Data Server for third-party controllers on page 47.
If you want to monitor OPC UA alarms, you need to add an OPC UA server. For details, go to
Add FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector on page 59.

Step 1. Create an application in FactoryTalk View Studio

This example shows how to create a local station application.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 39

Chapter 5 Add a device server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, or SLC 500 controllers
1. To start FactoryTalk View Studio, click Start > All Programs > Rockwell
Software > FactoryTalk View > FactoryTalk View Studio.
2. In the Application Type Selection window, select View Site Edition
(Local Station) and then click Continue.
IMPORTANT FactoryTalk Alarms and Events is not supported for use with FactoryTalk View
Machine Edition.

3. In the New/Open Site Edition (Local Station) Application dialog box,

click the New tab.

4. In the Application name field, type a name for the new local station
application. In this example, we name the application My Local Site.
5. Leave the Description field blank, or type a description for the
application. For example, you can use this field to record revisions to
the application, or contact information for technical support.
6. If it is not already selected, select the default language for the
application. This is the language in which you are creating the
application.
7. Click Create.

Step 2. Configure the device server

1. In the Explorer window, right-click the new application My Local Site,
point to Add New Server, and then click Rockwell Automation Device
Server (FactoryTalk Linx).

40 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 5 Add a device server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, or SLC 500 controllers
2. In the FactoryTalk Linx Server Properties dialog box, click the General
tab, type a name for the new server, and then click Apply. In this
example, we name the server FTAE Server. Leave this dialog box open
for the moment.

3. Do one of the following:

• If you plan to use tag-based alarms, you can skip the rest of the steps
in this section, and go on to the next major step: "Step 3. Create a
new shortcut to the controller." Click OK to close the FactoryTalk
Linx Server Properties dialog box.
• If you are using built-in alarm instructions in Studio 5000
controllers, continue with the steps in this section.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 41

Chapter 5 Add a device server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, or SLC 500 controllers
4. On the Alarms and Events tab, select the Enable alarm and event
support check box.

5. Clear the Enable history check box and then click OK. For information
about historical logging, see Set up historical alarm and event logging
on page 105.
The new server is added to the My Local Site application:

42 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 5 Add a device server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, or SLC 500 controllers

Step 3. Create a new shortcut to the controller

1. In the Explorer window, double-click the new FactoryTalk Linx server
and then double-click Communication Setup.

2. In the Communication Setup dialog box, click the Add button, and
then type a name for the new shortcut. We use FTAE_Controller.

Some options in this dialog box might be different if you are using
PLC-5 or SLC 500 controllers.
The warning icon beside the OK button indicates that changing values
in this dialog box at runtime can cause unexpected results. For details,
click Help.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 43

Chapter 5 Add a device server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, or SLC 500 controllers
3. Skip this step if you do not plan to use Studio 5000 controllers with
built-in alarm instructions. In the Subscribe to list, click All Alarms &
Events Notification Messages or Only Alarms Notification Messages
to enable Alarms and Events.
If you do not see the Subscribe to list, then Enable alarm and event
support was not selected in the previous step 4.
Tip: Set Buffer Timeout (min.) for the length of time (zero to 120) you want to cache alarm
information if the connection to the controller is lost. To disable alarm buffering, set the value to
zero. See Alarm Buffering during loss of connection on page 29.

4. On the Primary tab, expand the list of networks and devices until the
controller you plan to use is visible, and then click the controller.

5. To set the path to the primary controller, click the Apply button.
6. To save the shortcut configuration and close the Communication
Setup dialog box, click OK.
IMPORTANT FactoryTalk Alarms and Events server redundancy is only supported in network
station applications and network distributed applications.

Step 4. Finish creating data servers, and next steps

1. If your FactoryTalk application includes third-party OPC-DA
controllers, add an OPC Data Server, create a tag-based alarm server,
and then define alarms. See Add an OPC Data Server for third-party
controllers on page 47 and Add a tag-based alarm server for Studio
5000, PLC-5, SLC 500, or third-party controllers on page 51.
2. If your FactoryTalk application is communicating with PLC-5 or SLC
500 controllers, or Studio 5000 controllers that are not using built-in
alarm instructions, you must add a device server (FactoryTalk Linx) to
your application and then create a tag-based alarm server and define

44 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 5 Add a device server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, or SLC 500 controllers
alarms. See Add a tag-based alarm server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, SLC
500, or third-party controllers on page 51.
3. If you want to monitor OPC UA alarms that originate from third-party
OPC UA servers, you must add FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector to
enable the OPC UA alarm monitoring. OPC UA alarm monitoring does
not require a Tag Alarm and Event Server or FactoryTalk Linx. See Add
FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector on page 59.
4. After you create data servers and alarms, add FactoryTalk Alarms and
Events objects to graphic displays. See Set up graphic displays on page
63.
5. If your FactoryTalk network distributed application or network station
application plan calls for data redundancy, you will want to configure
your device-based alarm server for redundancy. We recommend
leaving this step until after the FactoryTalk application is fully
configured and all HMI features have been tested using
non-redundant servers. Adding data server redundancy does not affect
the configuration of the graphic displays in the HMI application. See
Configure redundancy for alarms and events for more information. on
page 123
IMPORTANT FactoryTalk data server redundancy is only supported in network station
applications and network distributed applications.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 45

 Chapter 6

Add an OPC data server for third-party

controllers

To monitor alarms in a third-party controller, create a controller program to

detect alarm conditions and communicate them through tags. Use an OPC
Data Server (for example, KEPWare server) to obtain tag values from the
controller, and use a Tag Alarm and Event Server to monitor those tags for
alarm conditions.
This chapter shows an example using RSLinx Classic as an OPC Data Server.
In most situations FactoryTalk Linx is used to communicate with a PLC-5 or
SLC 500 controller. However, at times RSLinx Classic is used to communicate
with a controller that is bridged over Ethernet to a DH+ or DH-485 network.

Before you begin • Review Plan your system on page 25.

• Verify that you have installed and activated the software listed under
What you need on page 47.
What you need • PLC-5, SLC 500 or third-party OPC-DA programmable controller
• RSLogix 5 or RSLogix 500 software
• RSLinx Classic software
• FactoryTalk Linx software
• FactoryTalk View Studio or FactoryTalk Administration Console
Follow these steps Follow these steps to add a data server:
• Plan your system
• Run RSLinx Classic and configure a device driver
• Run RSLogix software and configure system
• Develop a ladder file and assign symbols to tags
• Create OPC topics
• Run FactoryTalk View Studio
• Add a link between controller tags and FactoryTalk Directory
• Add a tag-based alarm server for PLC, SLC, or third-party OPC-DA
controllers and Studio 5000* controllers
* Studio 5000 controllers that have not been programmed with alarm
instructions in RSLogix 5000 V16 or later
Add an OPC data server to When you add a data server to an application or area, tags published by the
an application data server can be accessed by any client--in this case, the Tag Alarm and
Event Server.
IMPORTANT This guide uses FactoryTalk View Studio to add a data server. You can also use FactoryTalk
Administration Console. For more information, select Help > Contents from the FactoryTalk
Administration Console window.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 47

Chapter 6 Add an OPC data server for third-party controllers

Step 1. Open an existing application in FactoryTalk View Studio

1. To run FactoryTalk View Studio, click Start > All Programs > Rockwell
Software > FactoryTalk View > FactoryTalk View Studio.
2. In the Application Type Selection window, select View Site Edition
(Local Station) and then click Continue.
3. In the New/Open Site Edition (Local Station) Application dialog box,
click the Existing tab and select the application you created in Add a
device server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, or SLC 500 controllers on page 39
(we use My Local Site).

Step 2. Add a data server

1. In the Explorer window, right-click the application, point to Add New
Server, and then click OPC DA Server.
2. In the OPC Data Server Properties dialog box, type a name for the
server. We use My OPC Server.
3. Beside the OPC Server name (ProgID) field, click the Browse button.
4. In the Available OPC Data Servers dialog box, select RSLinx OPC
Server, and then click OK.
Tip: When creating a network station application or network distributed application, select RSLinx
Remote OPC Server.
5. Click OK to close the OPC Data Server Properties dialog box.
6. Next, add a Tag Alarm and Event Server and define alarm conditions.
See Add a tag-based alarm server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, SLC 500, or
third-party controllers on page 51.
7. If your FactoryTalk network station application or network distributed
application plan calls for data redundancy, you will want to configure
your tag-based alarm server for redundancy. We recommend
completing this step after the FactoryTalk application is fully
configured and all HMI features have been tested using
non-redundant servers. Adding data server redundancy does not affect
the configuration of the graphic displays in the HMI application.

48 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 6 Add an OPC data server for third-party controllers
IMPORTANT FactoryTalk Alarms and Events server redundancy and data server redundancy are
only supported in network station applications and network distributed applications.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 49

 Chapter 7

Add a tag-based alarm server for Studio 5000,

PLC-5, SLC 500, or third-party controllers

FactoryTalk Tag Alarm and Event Servers provide software-based alarms and
events. Use tag alarm and event servers to monitor alarm conditions in Studio
5000 controllers, PLC-5, SLC 500, or third-party OPC-DA programmable
controllers.
Tip: If your FactoryTalk system does not include PLC, SLC, or third-party controllers, you can skip this
chapter.

A FactoryTalk Tag Alarm and Event Server provides a link between a hardware
device that contains data and the FactoryTalk Directory. This includes
third-party controllers. All that is required is a data server (such as KEPWare)
to communicate with the controller.
FactoryTalk Tag Alarm and Event Servers can be used to provide an
alternative to device-based alarms--alarms provided by devices such as Studio
5000 controllers or sensors using built-in alarm instructions.

Before you begin • If you are using third-party controllers, you do not need a device-based
alarm server. Instead, go to Add an OPC Data Server for third-party
controllers on page 47.
What you need • Studio 5000 controllers, PLC-5, or SLC 500 devices communicating
through Rockwell Automation device servers (FactoryTalk Linx)
• RSLogix 5 or RSLogix 500 software
• FactoryTalk Linx, RSLinx Classic (or RSLinx Classic for bridging from
Ethernet to DH+ or DH-485 networks)
• FactoryTalk View Studio or FactoryTalk Administration Console
Follow these steps Follow these steps to add a tag-based alarm server:
• Add a data server for PLC, SLC, third-party, or Studio 5000 controllers
Tip: To user tag-based alarms in PLC-5, SLC 500, or Studio 5000 controllers, you must add a
device server (FactoryTalk Linx) to your application.
• Run FactoryTalk View Studio
• Add a new device server (FactoryTalk Linx)
• Add a new tag alarm and event server
• Configure the server properties
• Set up conditions for triggering alarms in your FactoryTalk system
• Add Alarm and Event objects to graphic displays
• Set up graphic displays
Create an application In this section, you will create a Rockwell Automation device server
(FactoryTalk Linx) and then configure it to subscribe to alarms that will be

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 51

Chapter 7 Add a tag-based alarm server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, SLC 500, or third-party controllers
detected by a Studio 5000 controller. In this example, the Rockwell
Automation device server (FactoryTalk Linx) is used as a data server for tag
values, not as an alarm server.

Create an application in FactoryTalk View Studio

Tip: If you created a local station application previously, you can skip the steps in this section. Open the
application you created and go on to the next section Add a data server.

This example shows how to create a local station application.

1. To start FactoryTalk View Studio, in Windows, click Start > All
Programs > Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk View > FactoryTalk
View Studio.
2. In the Application Type Selection window, select View Site Edition
(Local Station) and then click Continue.
IMPORTANT FactoryTalk Alarms and Events is not supported for use with FactoryTalk View
Machine Edition.

3. In the New/Open Site Edition (Local Station) Application dialog box

click the New tab.

4. In the Application name field, type a name for the new application. In
this example, we name the application My Local Site.
5. Leave the Description field blank, or type a description for the
application. For example, you can use this field to record revisions to
the application, or contact information for technical support.
6. If it is not already selected, select the default language for the
application. This is the language in which you are creating the
application.
7. Click Create.
Add a data server

52 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 7 Add a tag-based alarm server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, SLC 500, or third-party controllers

Step 1. Configure the device server (FactoryTalk Linx)

When you add a data server to an application or area, tags published by
the data server can be accessed by any client--in this case, the Tag
Alarm and Event Server.
IMPORTANT This guide uses FactoryTalk View Studio to add a data server. You can also use
FactoryTalk Administration Console. For more information, select Help > Contents
from the FactoryTalk Administration Console window.

In this example a device server (FactoryTalk Linx) is added to the

application to act as a data server.
1. In the Explorer window, right-click the application (My Local Site),
point to Add New Server, and then click Rockwell Automation Device
Server (FactoryTalk Linx).
2. In the FactoryTalk Linx Server Properties dialog box, click the General
tab, type a name for the server, and then click Apply. In this example,
we name the server FTAE Server.
The new server is added to the My Local Site application:

Step 2. Create a new shortcut to the controller

Tip: If you already created a shortcut to the controller in a previous chapter, you can skip this step.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 53

Chapter 7 Add a tag-based alarm server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, SLC 500, or third-party controllers
1. In the Explorer window, double-click the new FactoryTalk Linx server
and then double-click Communication Setup.

2. In the Communication Setup dialog box, click the Add button and
then type a name for the new shortcut. We use FTAE_Controller.

Some options in this dialog box might be different if you are using
PLC-5 or SLC 500 controllers.
The warning icon beside the OK button indicates that changing values
in this dialog box at runtime can cause unexpected results. For details,
click Help.
3. On the Primary tab, expand the list of networks and devices until the
controller is visible, and then click the controller. To set the path to the
primary controller, click the Apply button.

54 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 7 Add a tag-based alarm server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, SLC 500, or third-party controllers
4. To save the shortcut configuration and close the Communication
Setup dialog box, click OK.
Add a Tag Alarm and Event To create a server and define alarm conditions that monitor tags for PLC-5,
Server SLC 500 controllers, or Studio 5000 controllers, complete the following steps.
These instructions apply to FactoryTalk View Studio. For help with
FactoryTalk Administration Console, click Start > All Programs > Rockwell
Software > FactoryTalk Tools > FactoryTalk Help.

Add a Tag Alarm and Event Server

1. In the Explorer window, right-click the application. Point to Add New
Server, and then click Tag Alarm and Event Server.
2. In the Tag Alarm and Event Server Properties dialog box, click the
General tab.
3. Type a name for the server, and then click OK. In this example, we use
TagAE.

4. On the Priorities and History tab, clear the Enable history check box.
The Priorities and History tab is used to configure alarm and event
logging. Set up historical alarm and event logging on page 105
describes how to set up alarm logging for a Tag Alarm and Event
Server.
5. To create the Tag Alarm and Event Server and close the dialog box,
click OK.
Define alarm conditions After creating a Tag Alarm and Event Server, define the conditions that will
trigger alarms at runtime.
This example shows how to create a digital alarm in a Tag Alarm and Event
Server.
1. In the Explorer window, expand the TagAE server, and then
double-click Alarm and Event Setup.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 55

Chapter 7 Add a tag-based alarm server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, SLC 500, or third-party controllers

2. In the Alarm and Event Setup dialog box, click the New button on
the toolbar, and then click Digital.

3. In the Digital Alarm Properties dialog box, type a name for the alarm.
In this example we use Valve1FTO.
4. To select an Input Tag for the alarm, click the Browse button (...), and
then expand the folder tree until you can select the online tag you plan
to monitor.

5. Select the tag you plan to monitor and then click OK. In this example
we used Valve1FTO_alm.
6. In the Digital Alarm Properties dialog box, type a message. In this
example, in the Message field we type The valve failed to open.
You can also embed variables within the message. For details, click
Help on any tab in the Alarm Setup dialog box.

7. To close the Digital Alarm Properties dialog box, click OK.

56 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 7 Add a tag-based alarm server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, SLC 500, or third-party controllers
8. To save the alarm and start monitoring for the alarm condition, click
Save.
Next steps Do the following:
1. Define additional alarms and (optionally) define alarm groups.
2. After you define alarms and groups, you can add FactoryTalk Alarms
and Events objects to graphic displays. See Set up graphic displays on
page 63.
3. If your FactoryTalk network station application or network distributed
application plan calls for data redundancy, you will want to configure
your tag-based alarm server and tag data servers for redundancy. We
recommend completing this step after the FactoryTalk application is
fully configured and all HMI features have been tested using
non-redundant servers. Adding data and alarm server redundancy
does not affect the configuration of the graphic displays in the HMI
application. See Configure redundancy for alarms and events on page
123 for more information.
IMPORTANT FactoryTalk Alarms and Events redundancy and data server redundancy are only
supported in network station applications and network distributed applications.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 57

 Chapter 8

Add FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector for

third-party OPC UA servers

OPC UA alarm monitoring captures alarm information originated from

third-party OPC UA servers. To monitor OPC UA alarms, define and configure
alarms in the third-party OPC UA server. Use FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA
Connector as the proxy to route the alarm information to FactoryTalk Alarms
and Events for display and logging.
Unlike tag-based or device-based alarm monitoring, OPC UA alarm
monitoring does not require a Tag Alarm and Event Server or FactoryTalk
Linx.
This chapter shows an example in FactoryTalk View Studio, where you add
and enable FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector for alarm and event.

Before you begin • Review Plan your system on page 25.

• Verify that you have installed and activated the software listed under
What you need on page 47.
What you need • Third-party OPC UA servers
• FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector (installed as part of FactoryTalk
Services Platform)
• FactoryTalk View Studio or FactoryTalk Administration Console
Follow these steps • Define and configure alarms in the third-party OPC UA server
For more information on how to define and configure alarms, see the
user document of your OPC UA server.
• Run FactoryTalk View Studio
• Add FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector and enable alarms
• Add Alarm and Event objects to graphic displays
• Set up graphic displays
Add FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA In this section, you will create FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector in
Connector FactoryTalk View Studio, and then configure it to subscribe to alarms that
originate from third-party OPC UA servers.

Step 1. Add FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector

1. In the Explorer window, right-click the application (My Local Site),
point to Add New Server, and then click OPC UA Server.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 59

Chapter 8 Add FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector for third-party OPC UA servers
2. In FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector, enter the connector name.
This example uses the default name Connector1.

3. In the left pane, click OPC UA Servers.

4. Under General, enter the OPC UA server name. This example uses the
default name UAServer 01.
5. Under Endpoint URL, enter the network path to the OPC UA server.

6. Click Apply to verify the connection to the OPC UA server.

60 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 8 Add FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector for third-party OPC UA servers

Step 2. Enable alarm and event

1. Go to Alarm Settings, and then select Enable alarm and event support.

2. Click Apply to verify the connection to the OPC UA server.

3. Click OK.
The new server is added to the My Local Site application:

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 61

 Chapter 9

Set up graphic displays

Create graphic displays in FactoryTalk View Studio. These are containers for
objects, such as the FactoryTalk Alarm and Event Summary object. Add
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events objects to graphic displays so that an operator
can monitor and interact with device-based, tag-based, OPC UA alarms, and
diagnostic events at runtime.
Other graphic objects (for example, objects representing equipment) can be
animated (for example, to change color) using FactoryTalk View Site Edition
expression functions that monitor the state of alarms. See Use color
animation to indicate alarm state changes on page 78. Also see FactoryTalk
View Site Edition Help.
This section describes how to create graphic displays, and then create and
configure the FactoryTalk Alarms and Events graphic objects and macros that
determine how the graphic displays open in the FactoryTalk View Site Edition
Client. This section is one example of how you might create your graphic
displays.

Before you begin • Define the alarms you plan to use, as described in Define device-based
alarms in Studio 5000 controllers on page 29.
• Add the required server, as described in Add a device server for Studio
5000, PLC-5, or SLC 500 controllers on page 39, Add a tag-based alarm
server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, SLC 500, or third-party controllers on
page 51, Add an OPC data server for third-party controllers on page 47,
or Add FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector for third-party OPC UA
servers on page 59.
What you need • FactoryTalk Linx software
• FactoryTalk View Studio software
Follow these steps Follow these steps to set up graphic displays:
• Add a device server, a tag-based alarm server, an OPC data server, or
FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector
• Run FactoryTalk View Studio and open an application
• Create a graphic display
• Add an Alarm and Event Summary object
• Configure the object's properties
• Create a graphic display
• Add an Alarm and Event Banner object
• Configure the object's properties
• Create a startup macro

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 63

Chapter 9 Set up graphic displays
• Create a graphic display
• Add an Automatic Diagnostic Event Summary object
• Configure the object's properties
• Animate a display with expressions
• Monitor and interact with alarms during runtime
• Set up historical alarm and event logging
Create a graphic display Create a graphic display to host FactoryTalk Alarms and Events objects, such
as the Alarm and Event Summary.

Step 1. Open an existing application in FactoryTalk View Studio

1. To run FactoryTalk View Studio, click Start > All Programs > Rockwell
Software > FactoryTalk View > FactoryTalk View Studio.
2. In the Application Type Selection window, select View Site Edition
(Local Station) and then click Continue.
3. In the New/Open Site Edition (Local Station) Application dialog box,
click the Existing tab, and select the application you created in Add a
device server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, or SLC 500 controllers on page 39
(we used My Local Site).

64 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 9 Set up graphic displays

Step 2. Create a graphic display to host FactoryTalk Alarms and

Events objects
1. In the Explorer window, expand the Graphics folder, right-click
Displays, and then click New.

A blank display appears in the workspace. Next, add Factory Talk

Alarm and Event objects to the graphic display.

Create an Alarm and Event Use the Alarm and Event Summary object to view and interact with a
Summary summary of all the current alarms and events in an application. You can
acknowledge, suppress, disable, shelve, or unshelve alarms.
Tip: You cannot use the Alarm and Event Summary to enable or turn alarm suppression off. To enable or
turn alarm suppression off, use the Alarm Status Explorer. See Monitor alarms and events on page 91. To
silence an alarm, use the Alarm and Event Banner.

You can use FactoryTalk Security to control which users can acknowledge,
enable, disable, reset, suppress, shelve, or unshelve alarms at runtime in an
application (or in an area). To do this, right-click the application (or area) and
then click Security. For details, see the FactoryTalk Security System Configuration
Guide.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 65

Chapter 9 Set up graphic displays

Step 1. Add an Alarm Summary to a graphic display

1. On the Objects menu, point to Alarm and Event, click Summary (or in
the toolbox, select Alarm and Event Summary), and then place the
cursor approximately where the object is to be on the display.
2. Hold the left mouse button down and drag it to create a rectangle the
size that the Alarm and Event Summary object should be.
3. When the object is the desired size, release the left mouse button. The
Alarm and Event Summary object is drawn on the display.

Step 2. Change the settings of the Alarm and Event Summary display
1. On the menu bar, click Edit > Display Settings.

66 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 9 Set up graphic displays
Tip: In any application, do not include more than two graphic displays that have Cache After
Displaying and Always Updating set because these options can consume large numbers of
processor cycles.
2. In the Display Settings dialog box, on the Properties tab, make the
following changes and then click OK.
• Under Cache After Displaying, click Yes and then select the Always
Updating check box.
When you set Cache After Displaying to Yes, the display stays in
memory cache when you close it. This shortens the time required to
open the graphic display the next time.
When you select the Always Updating check box, the display
continues to be updated with changes in alarm states when it is
cached. This shortens the time necessary to update the Alarm and
Event Summary with current alarms when you open it again.
If Cache After Displaying is set to No, and the Always Updating
check box is cleared, every time you close the graphic display, all
alarms are removed from the Alarm and Event Summary. When you
re-open the graphic display, the Alarm and Event Summary is blank,
and then begins to receive the most recent alarms when they occur.
• Clear the Title Bar check box.
• Select the Size to Main Window at Runtime check box.
• Select the Allow Display to be Resized check box.
• Under When Resized, select the Scale check box is if it is not already
selected.

Step 3. Save the display

1. On the File menu, click Save.

2. In the Save dialog box, type a name for the new display and then click
OK.
We use Alarm and Event Summary in this example.

3. Close the graphic object.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 67

Chapter 9 Set up graphic displays

Create an Alarm and Event This section describes how to add an Alarm and Event Banner object to a
graphic display, and then create a startup macro that docks the Banner to the
Banner display bottom of the FactoryTalk View Site Edition Client window.

Step 1. Create a new graphic display

1. In the Explorer window, expand the Graphics folder.
2. Right-click Displays, and then click New.

Step 2. Add an Alarm and Event Banner object to the display

1. On the Objects menu, point to Alarm and Event, click Banner (or, in
the toolbox, select Alarm and Event Banner), and then place the
cursor approximately where the object is to be on the display.
2. Hold the left mouse button down and drag it to create a rectangle the
size that the Alarm and Event Banner should be.
3. When the object the desired size, release the left mouse button. The
Alarm and Event Banner object is drawn on the display.

68 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 9 Set up graphic displays
4. Resize the graphic display so that the Banner fills the graphic display
(do not leave white space). Do so because the Banner displays no more
than five alarms at a time.

Step 3. Configure the properties of the Alarm and Event Banner

1. To open the Alarm and Event Banner Properties dialog box,
double-click the Alarm and Event Banner object. For details about all
of the properties in the dialog box, click Help.
2. On the General tab, click the Browse button (...) under Alarm and
Event Summary command.

This opens the Command Wizard where you will create a command to
start the Alarm and Event Summary graphic display from the Alarm
and Event Banner.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 69

Chapter 9 Set up graphic displays
3. Scroll down the list of commands on the right side of the wizard, select
Display, and then click Next.

4. In the File list, click Alarm and Event Summary.

5. Select the Window Position check box. Scroll down the list on the right
and then click Centered of the screen.

70 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 9 Set up graphic displays
6. Click Finish to save the Display command and add it to the Alarm and
Event Banner Properties dialog box.

7. Click OK to close the dialog box.

Step 4. Change the display settings for the Alarm and Event Banner
display
1. On the Edit menu, click Display Settings.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 71

Chapter 9 Set up graphic displays
2. In the Display Settings dialog box, on the Properties tab, make the
following changes, and then click OK:

• Clear the Title Bar check box.

• Select Size to Main Window at Runtime.
• Select Allow Display to be Resized.
• Under When Resized, select Scale if it is not already selected.
3. The Alarm and Event Banner graphic display is always visible because
it is docked. You do not need to turn on Cache After Displaying, as you
did for the Alarm and Event Summary object. See step 2: "Change the
settings of the Alarm and Event Summary display" in Create an Alarm
and Event Summary on page 65.

Step 5. Save the graphic display

1. On the File menu, click Save.
2. In the Save dialog box, type a name for the graphic display and then
click OK.
In this example, we use Alarm and Event Banner.

3. Close the graphic display.

72 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 9 Set up graphic displays

Create a startup macro for This section describes how to create a startup macro. You will use the macro
when you configure the FactoryTalk View Site Edition Client. See Monitor
the Banner display and interact with alarms at runtime on page 87.

Step 1. Configure a startup macro

This startup macro docks the Banner display to the bottom of the FactoryTalk
View SE Client window.
1. In FactoryTalk View Studio, in the Explorer window, right-click
Macros and then click New to open the editor.

2. To open the Command Wizard, double-click anywhere in the body of

the macro editor.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 73

Chapter 9 Set up graphic displays
3. In the Command Wizard, scroll down the list of commands on the
right side of the wizard, click Display, and then click Next.

4. In the File list, click Alarm and Event Banner.

5. Select the Window Position check box. Scroll down the list on the right
and then select Docked to the bottom.
6. To save the Display command and add it to the macro, click OK.

Step 2. Save the macro

1. On the File menu, click Save.
2. In the Save dialog box, type a name for the new macro and then click
OK. In this example, we use Start Alarm and Event Banner.

Create an Automatic Use the Automatic Diagnostic Event Summary object to subscribe to and
Diagnostic Event Summary show diagnostic events collected by Rockwell Automation controllers via

74 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 9 Set up graphic displays
Ethernet. It is enabled by the Automatic Diagnostics feature. Automatic
Diagnostics is supported only on Compact GuardLogix 5380, CompactLogix
5380, CompactLogix 5480, ControlLogix 5580, and GuardLogix 5580
controllers, and the firmware revision must be 33 or later. With the Automatic
Diagnostic Event Summary, you can suppress, unsuppress, filter, and sort
diagnostic events at runtime.
You can use FactoryTalk Security to control which users can suppress or
unsuppress events at runtime in an application (or in an area). To do this,
right-click the application (or area) and then click Security. For details, see the
FactoryTalk Security System Configuration Guide.

Step 1. Create a new graphic display

1. In the Explorer window, expand the Graphics folder.
2. Right-click Displays, and then click New.

Step 2. Add an Automatic Diagnostic Event Summary object to the

display
1. On the Objects menu, point to Alarm and Event, click Automatic
Diagnostic Event Summary (or, in the toolbox, select Automatic
Diagnostic Event Summary), and then place the cursor approximately
where the object is to be on the display.
2. Hold the left mouse button down and drag it to create a rectangle the
size that the Automatic Diagnostic Event Summary should be.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 75

Chapter 9 Set up graphic displays
3. When the object the desired size, release the left mouse button. The
Automatic Diagnostic Event Summary object is drawn on the display.

Step 3. Configure the properties of the Automatic Diagnostic Event

Summary
• To open the Automatic Diagnostic Event Summary Properties dialog
box, right-click the Automatic Diagnostic Event Summary object. For
details about all of the properties in the dialog box, click Help.

Step 4. Change the display settings for the Automatic Diagnostic Event
Summary display
1. On the Edit menu, click Display Settings.

76 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 9 Set up graphic displays
2. In the Display Settings dialog box, on the Properties tab, make the
following changes, and then click OK:

• Clear the Title Bar check box.

• Select Size to Main Window at Runtime.
• Select Allow Display to be Resized.
• Under When Resized, select Scale if it is not already selected.

Step 5. Save the graphic display

1. On the File menu, click Save.

2. In the Save dialog box, type a name for the graphic display and then
click OK.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 77

Chapter 9 Set up graphic displays
In this example, we use Automatic Diagnostic Event Summary.

3. Close the graphic display.

Use color animation to In this section, you use alarm expressions in FactoryTalk View to animate a
indicate alarm state rectangle on a graphic display so that it changes color when the alarm state
changes at runtime:
changes
• If there are active unacknowledged alarms, the rectangle flashes red.
• If all active alarms have been acknowledged, the rectangle is a steady
red.
• If there are no active alarms but there are normal unacknowledged
alarms, the rectangle is yellow.
• If there are no active or unacknowledged alarms, the rectangle is
green.

Step 1. Create a new graphic display

1. In the Explorer window, expand the Graphics folder.
2. Right-click Displays, and then click New.

Step 2. Add an Alarm and Event Summary to the graphic display

1. On the Objects menu, point to Alarm and Event, and then click
Summary (or in the toolbox, click Alarm and Event Summary).
2. Hold the left mouse button down and drag it to create a rectangle the
size that the Alarm and Event Summary object should be.
3. When the object is the desired size, release the left mouse button. The
Alarm and Event Summary object is drawn on the display.

78 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 9 Set up graphic displays
4. If necessary, resize either the Alarm and Event Summary object or the
graphic display to expose enough white space at the top, bottom, or on
one side to add a rectangle object that will be the alarm status
indicator.

5. On the Objects menu, point to Drawing and then click Rectangle.

6. In the graphic display, hold down the left mouse button and then drag
the mouse to draw a box for the alarm status indicator.

Step 3. Add an expression to animate the rectangle

1. Right-click the rectangle, point to Animation and then click Color.
To create an expression for the color animation, you can compose the
expression step by step, as explained in the following steps, or you can
type the following expression in the Expression box:
If AE_InAlmUnackedCount( "*" ) > 0 Then 0 Else
If AE_InAlmAckedCount( "*" ) > 0 Then 1 Else
If AE_NormalUnackedCount( "*" ) > 0 Then 2 Else 3

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 79

Chapter 9 Set up graphic displays
Tip: In the preceding expression, "*" means include all alarms that are in the same location
(area) as the HMI server. If the preceding expression is used in a network station application or
network distributed application with areas, the expression would include all alarms from the
alarm servers that are located in the same area as the HMI server.
If you want to include alarms from other areas, use the absolute path syntax. For example,
("/AreaName::*").
If you type the expression instead of composing it, skip to the next
major step "Step 4. Set up colors for the alarm states" to apply colors to
each state.

2. In the Animation dialog box, click Expression.

3. In the Expression Editor, click the If button and then click If to add
the IF condition.

4. In the Expression Editor, click Functions.

80 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 9 Set up graphic displays
5. In the Functions dialog box, in the list of Function Categories, click
Alarm and Event.

6. In the list of functions on the right, click

AE_InAlmUnackedCount(AlarmName), and then click OK.
7. In the Expression Editor, the AE_InAlmUnackedCount( ) function
appears in the Expression box, with the cursor between the
parentheses. Next, type "*" to return a count of all alarms that are in
the same location (area) as the HMI server and are in the In Alarm and
Unacknowledged state. Next, move the cursor to the right of the
closing parenthesis.
To count the number of instances of a specific alarm, you can type a
tag name instead of the asterisk.
To include alarms from other areas, use the absolute path syntax. For
example,
("/AreaName::*").
8. Click Relational and then click > GT for greater than.

9. In the Expression box, type 0, click If and then click Then to add a
THEN condition.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 81

Chapter 9 Set up graphic displays
This completes the IF condition: "If the number of In Alarm,
Unacknowledged alarms is greater than 0 . . ."

10. In the Expression box, type 0, click If and then click Else to add an
ELSE condition.
This completes the THEN condition: "If the number of In Alarm,
Unacknowledged alarms is greater than 0, then animate the rectangle
to show the colors for state 0."

11. Follow the same process, substituting the necessary selections to add
the remaining two expressions, and then click OK.
If AE_InAlmAckedCount( "*" ) > 0 Then 1 Else (animates the
rectangle to show the colors for state 1)
If AE_NormalUnackedCount( "*" ) > 0 Then 2 Else 3 (animates the
rectangle to show the colors for state 2. If none of the conditions are
true, the expression animates the rectangle to show the colors for
state 3.)

Step 4. Set up colors for the alarm states

This step describes how to set up colors for the rectangle for each solution to
the expression.

82 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 9 Set up graphic displays
1. In the Animation dialog box, under Expression, click state A.

2. In the Value box, type 0.

3. Beside Fill, select the Blink check box. A colored box is displayed so
that you can specify an alternative color.
4. Beside Fill, make sure the colored boxes are set to red (for the fill color)
and black (for the blinkalternative color).
5. Set up the colors for the remaining states:
• State B: Value = 1, Line = Black, Fill = Red
• State C: Value = 2, Line = Black, Fill = Yellow
• State D: Value = 3, Line = Black, Fill = Green
6. When you are finished setting up the colors, click Apply and then click
Close.

Step 5. Save the graphic display

1. On the File menu, click Save.
2. In the Save dialog box, type a name for the graphic display and then
click OK.
In this example, we use Alarm Status Indicator.

Step 6: Test run the display

1. On the View menu, click Test Display, or click the Test Display button
(shown at left) on the toolbar.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 83

Chapter 9 Set up graphic displays
If there are unacknowledged alarms whose alarm condition is In
Alarm, the rectangle flashes red.

2. Right-click one of the alarms, and then click Ack All. Because all active
alarms have been acknowledged, the rectangle changes to a steady red.

3. Continue experimenting to observe the effects of acknowledging

alarms:
• If there are no active alarms, but there are normal unacknowledged
alarms, the rectangle is yellow.

84 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 9 Set up graphic displays
• If there are no active or unacknowledged alarms, the rectangle is
green.

4. When you are finished, on the View menu, click Edit Display, or click
the Edit Display button on the toolbar.
Next steps Do one of the following:
• Use the graphic displays you just created to monitor and interact with
alarms and events. See Monitor and interact with alarms at runtime on
page 87.
• Set up historical alarm and event logging. See Set up historical alarm
and event logging on page 105.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 85

 Chapter 10

Monitor and interact with alarms at runtime

To interact with alarms and events at runtime, set up a FactoryTalk View Site
Edition Client and configure one or more graphic displays that host Alarm
and Event objects. Next, run the client and then monitor the alarms and
events that are shown.

Before you begin • Be sure you have defined alarms as described in Define device-based
alarms in Studio 5000 controllers on page 29.
• Add the required server, as described in Add a device server for Studio
5000, PLC-5, or SLC 500 controllers on page 39, Add a tag-based alarm
server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, SLC 500, or third-party controllers on
page 51, Add an OPC data server for third-party controllers on page 47,
or Add FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector for third-party OPC UA
servers on page 59.
• Set up and configure any graphic display objects as described in Set up
graphic displays on page 63.
What you need • FactoryTalk Linx software
• FactoryTalk View SE software
• FactoryTalk View SE Client software
Follow these steps Follow these steps to monitor and interact with alarms during runtime:
• Set up graphic displays
• Run FactoryTalk View SE Client wizard and create a configuration file
• Run the FactoryTalk View SE Client
• Monitor graphic displays with Alarm and Event objects
• Acknowledge an alarm
• Disable and enable an alarm
• Suppress and unsuppress an alarm
• Set up historical alarm and event logging
Create and then run a To run an application and monitor graphic displays for alarm messages, start
FactoryTalk View Client the FactoryTalk View Site Edition Client.

configuration IMPORTANT For this example, be sure that the controller is running the West_Plant_Controller program
that we created in Chapter 4, and that you have tripped the alarm (right-click the rung
contact and then click Toggle Bit).

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 87

Chapter 10 Monitor and interact with alarms at runtime

Step 1. Create a FactoryTalk View Site Edition Client configuration file

1. To open the FactoryTalk View SE Client Wizard, in Windows, click
Start > Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk View Site Edition Client.

2. In the FactoryTalk View SE Client Wizard, click Create a FactoryTalk

View SE Client configuration file.
3. On the File name and location page, in Client file name, type a name
for the configuration file. In this example, we used Alarms and Events
Demo. Select a path for the configuration file and click Continue.

88 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 10 Monitor and interact with alarms at runtime
4. On the Startup components page, select Local Station.

In the Connect to the application list, select the name of the

application you plan to connect to. In this example, use the My Local
Site application created in Set up graphic displays on page 63.
In the Startup macro list, select Start Alarm and Event Banner, and
then click Advanced.
5. On the Client window properties page, configure how the FactoryTalk
View SE Client window will look at runtime. In this example, we
entered Show Me Alarms in the Title bar text box. At runtime, this text
is displayed at the top of the Client window. Click Security and
debugging.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 89

Chapter 10 Monitor and interact with alarms at runtime
6. On Security and debugging page, you can configure the Client to log
out automatically after a period of inactivity.

7. Click Save, and then Run.

The Client window opens with the Alarm and Event Banner docked at
the bottom.

Step 2. Open the Alarm and Event Summary from the Alarm and Event
Banner
In the Alarm and Event Banner, click the Alarm and Event Summary
button (shown at left). The Alarm and Event Summary opens, and is
similar to the following graphic display.

90 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 10 Monitor and interact with alarms at runtime

Step 3. Next steps

Do either of the following:
• Monitor and interact with alarms and events as shown in the next
section.
• Set up historical logging for alarms and events using the graphic
displays and startup macros created in this chapter and in Set up
graphic displays on page 63. See Set up historical alarm and event
logging on page 105.
Monitor alarms and events The data fields in the Alarm and Event Banner window are organized in
columns, and represent various alarm and event data. At runtime, only the
columns that were configured at design time to be visible are displayed in the
Alarm and Event Banner.

In this example, the alarm list shows these columns:

• Priority - Medium
• Alarm State - In Alarm and Unacknowledged
• Event time and date stamp
• Message
The status bar shows (from left to right):

The connection status of the Tag Alarm and Event Server --

whether connected or disconnected from the Alarm and Event Banner.
The green icon shows that the Tag Alarm and Event Server is
connected. When disconnected, the icon flashes red.

The number of alarms that are In Alarm and

Unacknowledged

The number of alarms that are In Alarm and Acknowledged

The number of alarms that are Normal and

Unacknowledged

The number of alarm faults

For all of the possible priorities and alarms states that can be shown in the
Alarm and Event objects, see FactoryTalk Alarms and Events Help.

Security for alarms and You can use FactoryTalk Security to control which users can acknowledge,
enable, disable, reset, suppress, or shelve alarms at runtime in an application
events (or in an area).

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 91

Chapter 10 Monitor and interact with alarms at runtime
To do this, in FactoryTalk View Studio or FactoryTalk Administration Console,
right-click the application (or area) where the alarms are located and then
click Security. For details, see the FactoryTalk Security System Configuration
Guide. In Windows, click Start > Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk Security
System Configuration Guide.

Acknowledge an alarm When you acknowledge an alarm it does not correct the condition causing the
alarm, but it indicates that an operator is aware of the alarm.
Tip: The Digital Alarm Properties, Level Alarm Properties, and Deviation Alarm Properties dialog boxes each
contain a Control Tags tab that allows you to acknowledge alarms by using tags in the controller (remote
acknowledgment).
• At runtime, the alarm state in graphic objects changes to Acknowledged when the remote acknowledge
tag value is changed to positive.
• The alarm import and export functions support remote acknowledgment.
See FactoryTalk Alarms and Events Help for more information on using the Control Tags tab.

A single tag might have several alarm conditions In Alarm. Each alarm
condition must be acknowledged separately. For example, a tag that monitors
a temperature might trigger HI and HIHI alarm conditions by the time it is
acknowledged. The alarm could also go In Alarm and Out of Alarm several
times before it is acknowledged.
Previous occurrences of an alarm that have gone Out of Alarm and then back
In Alarm cannot be acknowledged. These older occurrences are referred to as
out of scope and are displayed in the alarm list with a different icon. When the
most recent occurrence of an alarm is acknowledged, previous occurrences
are removed from the alarm list.

Acknowledge the selected In the Alarm and Event Summary event list, do one of the following:

alarm • Select the alarms you want to acknowledge, and then click the
Acknowledge selected alarm button .
• Select the alarms you want to acknowledge, right-click the selected
alarms, and then click Ack.

92 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 10 Monitor and interact with alarms at runtime

Acknowledge the selected 1. In the Alarm and Event Summary event list, do one of the following:

alarm and enter a comment • Select the alarms you want to acknowledge, and then click
Acknowledge selected alarm with comment .
• Select the alarms you want to acknowledge, right-click the selected
alarms, and then click Ack Comment.

2. In the Acknowledge Alarm with Comment dialog box, type a

comment, and then click Acknowledge. If historical logging is set up,
the comment is displayed in the Alarm and Event Log as part of the
Tracking event that is generated from the Acknowledge command.

Tip: You can view the last comment that was entered for an operation (for example, ack, disable,
suppress) in the Alarm Details dialog box. To view a comment associated with an alarm state,
select an alarm and then click the Show details for the selected alarm button on the toolbar. In the
Alarm Details dialog box, expand an alarm state (Disabled, Suppressed, Acknowledged, and so on)
to view the comment associated with that state.

Acknowledge all of the In the Alarm and Event Summary toolbar, do one of the following:

alarms displayed on the • Click Ack page of alarms . All alarms currently visible in the event
page list are acknowledged.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 93

Chapter 10 Monitor and interact with alarms at runtime
• Right-click one of the alarms and then click Ack Page.

Acknowledge all of the In the Alarm and Event Summary toolbar, do one of the following:
alarms in the event list
• Click Acknowledge all alarms contained in list . All alarms in the
event list are acknowledged, even if they are not all visible. However, if
the list is filtered, alarms that are filtered out are not acknowledged.
• Right-click one of the alarms, and then click Ack All.

Disable or enable an alarm When an alarm is disabled the operator is not notified when the alarm
condition occurs and the alarm is removed from the Alarm and Event Banner.
• An alarm that is disabled is effectively turned off in the controller.
• The alarm condition is no longer monitored and notifications are not
generated by the controller.
• Disabled alarms do not sound the alarm bell in the Alarm and Event
Banner.
• Unacknowledged disabled alarms are displayed in the Alarm and Event
Summary.

94 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 10 Monitor and interact with alarms at runtime
Unlike a silenced alarm, a disabled alarm does not trigger the alarm bell in the
Alarm and Event Banner if the alarm condition occurs again after the alarm
was disabled.
Tip: Disable alarms that are related to equipment that is being shut down or serviced.

To enable alarms, use the Alarm Status Explorer. See Enable selected alarms
on page 96.
When an alarm is enabled, the operator is notified when the alarm condition
occurs. Enabled alarms sound the alarm bell, and continue appearing as new
events in the Alarm and Event Summary, unless they are suppressed.
IMPORTANT You can use FactoryTalk Security to control who can disable or suppress alarms. If a user
attempts to perform an operation for which they do not have the required security rights, the
operation will fail and a message will be displayed stating that the user has insufficient
rights to perform the operation. To add another level of security, the Alarm and Event
Summary can be configured not to show the toolbar buttons, which also hides those
operations on the context (shortcut) menu.

Disable selected alarms 1. In the Alarm and Event Summary event list, do one of the following:
• Select the alarms you want to disable, and then on the toolbar, click
the Disable selected alarm button.
• Select the alarms you want to disable, right-click the selected
alarms, and then click Disable.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 95

Chapter 10 Monitor and interact with alarms at runtime
2. In the Disable Alarm dialog box, type a comment (for example, to
explain why the alarm is disabled) and then click Disable.

This comment is stored with the alarm and is logged to the Comment
field in the Alarm and Event Log, which you can view using the Alarm
and Event Log Viewer.
Tip: Any alarms you disable stay in that state until you enable them again. You must use the Alarm
Status Explorer to enable alarms.

Enable selected alarms 1. In the Alarm and Event Summary window, do one of the following:
• If it is visible on the toolbar, click the Display the Alarm Status
Explorer button .
• If the toolbar button is not visible, right-click an alarm in the Alarm
and Event Summary event list, and then click Alarm Status.

96 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 10 Monitor and interact with alarms at runtime
2. In the Alarm Status Explorer window, select the alarms you want to
enable and then click the Enable selected alarm button .

Any alarms you enable stay in that state until you disable them again.
For details about the other features of the Alarm Status Explorer, click
Help in the dialog box.
Suppress or unsuppress an You can suppress an alarm that is not needed temporarily, for example,
alarm suppress an alarm that is caused by another alarm that you are already
addressing. You can suppress or unsuppress up to 2000 alarms at one time.
• A suppressed alarm is not displayed in the Alarm and Event Banner.
If an alarm is displayed in the Alarm and Event Banner and then
suppressed, it is removed from the alarm list.
• An unacknowledged suppressed alarm is displayed in the Alarm and
Event Summary.
If an alarm is displayed in the Alarm and Event Summary and then
suppressed, it is only removed from the alarm list when it is
acknowledged.
• A suppressed alarm continues to be logged in the alarm history log,
which you can view using the Alarm and Event Log Viewer. See Set up
historical alarm and event logging on page 105 for more information.
• A suppressed alarm also continues to set the appropriate InAlarm
parameters of an alarm instruction in the controller.
Disable an alarm instead of suppressing it if you want to completely turn off
the alarm detection logic for the alarm source and prevent the alarm from
being detected. See Disable selected alarms on page 95.

Suppress an alarm 1. In the Alarm and Event Summary event list, do one of the following:
• Select the alarms you want to suppress and then click the Suppress
selected alarm button .

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 97

Chapter 10 Monitor and interact with alarms at runtime
• Select the alarms you want to suppress, right-click the selected
alarms, and then click Suppress.

2. In the Suppress Alarm window, optionally type a comment, and then

click Suppress.

A comment is stored with the alarm and is logged to the Comment

field in the Alarm and Event Log, which you can view using the Alarm
and Event Log Viewer.
Unsuppress an alarm Unsuppress an alarm that was previously suppressed if it now needs to be
monitored again. For example, an operator might have suppressed an alarm
because the alarm was caused by another alarm that an operator was already
attending to.
An unacknowledged suppressed alarm is displayed in the Alarm and Event
Summary.
To unsuppress an alarm, follow these steps:

98 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 10 Monitor and interact with alarms at runtime
1. In the Alarm and Event Summary, right-click an alarm and then click
Alarm Status.

2. In the Alarm Status Explorer window, select the alarm or alarms you
want to unsuppress, and then on the toolbar click the Unsuppress
selected alarm button.

Tip: You can filter alarm sources to make it easier to find the alarm you want. In the Name box,
type all or part of an alarm name, or select an alarm status from the list. You can use the * and ?
wildcard characters in the filter. For details about filtering alarm sources, see FactoryTalk Help. In
Windows, click Start > All Programs > Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk Help.
3. In the Unsuppress Alarm dialog box, optionally type a comment on
why the alarm is unsuppressed, and then click Unsuppress.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 99

Chapter 10 Monitor and interact with alarms at runtime
This comment is stored with the alarm and is logged to the Comment
field in the Alarm and Event Log, which you can view using the Alarm
and Event Log Viewer if historical logging has been configured.
For details about the other features of the Alarm Status Explorer, click
the Help button .
Shelve or unshelve an alarm Shelving an alarm temporarily suppresses it. When shelving, the operator
specifies a duration for the alarm to remain shelved. The alarm is
automatically unshelved when the duration runs out.
Tip: Shelving is supported in the Logix Designer application version 21 or later.

A shelved alarm is displayed in the Alarm and Event Summary or Alarm

Status Explorer. However, a shelved alarm is not displayed in the Alarm and
Event Banner.
Disable an alarm, instead of shelving it, if you want to completely turn off the
alarm detection logic for the alarm source, and prevent the alarm from being
detected. See Disable selected alarms on page 95 for more information.

Shelve an alarm 1. In the Alarm and Event Summary event list, do one of the following:
• Select the alarm you want to shelve and click the Shelve selected

alarm button on the toolbar.

• Right-click the alarm you want to shelve and select Shelve.

100 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 10 Monitor and interact with alarms at runtime
2. The Shelve Alarm dialog box appears.

In the dialog box, enter the following information if desired:

Field Description
Alarm name Shows the name of the selected alarm.
If multiple alarms are selected, this shows as Multiple (x alarms selected) where
x is the total count of selected alarms.
Shelve duration Specifies the period of time the alarm should be shelved. Once the shelve
duration expires, the alarm is unshelved. The value must be a whole number.
• Default: 1
• Minimum: 1
• Maximum: 2147483647

Comment (optional) Specifies the reason for shelving the alarm.

The default value is empty. The maximum length is 512 characters.
This comment is stored with the alarm and is logged to the UserComment field
in the alarm database, which you can view using the Alarm and Event Log
Viewer.

3. When complete, click Shelve.

When you reshelve alarms, the conditions vary depending on the type of
alarms:

Alarm type Alarm condition

A digital alarm The alarm is shelved with the new specified duration. The alarm unshelve time is also
updated accordingly.
An analog alarm If one or more of the alarm conditions you reshelve were previously shelved, the alarm
condition is shelved with the new specified duration and the alarm unshelve time is also
updated accordingly.
If none of the alarm conditions you reshelve were previously shelved, the alarm condition is
shelved targeting to the old unshelve time.

Unshelve an alarm If alarms that were previously shelved need to be monitored again, you can
unshelve the specified alarms in the Alarm Status Explorer.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 101

Chapter 10 Monitor and interact with alarms at runtime
1. In the Alarm and Event Summary window, right-click an alarm and
then click Alarm Status.

2. In the Alarm Status Explorer, select the alarm or alarms you want to

unshelve, and then click the Unshelve selected alarm button on

the toolbar.

3. In the Unshelve Alarm dialog box, optionally enter a comment about

why the alarm is unshelved, and then click Unshelve.

The comment is stored with the alarm and is logged to the Comment
field in the Alarm and Event Log, which you can view using the Alarm
and Event Log Viewer if historical logging has been configured.

102 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 10 Monitor and interact with alarms at runtime
You can also unshelve all shelved alarms in the Alarm and Event Summary:
1. In the Alarm and Event Summary event list, do one of the following:

2. On the toolbar, click the Unshelve all alarms button .

• Right-click an alarm in the list, and then click Unshelve All.

3. The Unshelve All Alarms dialog box appears. Optionally enter a

comment on why the alarms are unshelved and then click Unshelve
All.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 103

 Chapter 11

Set up historical alarm and event logging

Use the FactoryTalk Alarm and Event Log Viewer to view alarms and events
that have been logged to a Microsoft SQL Server database that is configured to
store historical alarm and event data.
Tip: If you do not have a Microsoft SQL Server database installed, we recommend that you install it using
the batch file available in the FactoryTalk View installation package in the Redist folder. For installation
instructions, see Install Microsoft SQL Server on page 169.
If you already have Microsoft SQL Server installed, you may need to change the configuration options to log
alarm and event messages. For configuration instructions, see Use an existing Microsoft SQL Server
database on page 173.

Use the Alarm and Event Log Viewer to display entries corresponding to all
event types or to filter the events you want to view. Alarms and events
generated during runtime can be logged to a Microsoft SQL Server database.
IMPORTANT Simple Events are not currently supported. A simple event describes a simple occurrence in
the system, such as failure to access a computer or device. Condition-related events--those
that relate to changes in alarm state, and tracking-related events--those that monitor
audited changes to the system, are supported.

To set up historical alarm and event logging, here is an overview of the steps
to follow. Each step is explained in detail in this chapter.
• Confirm that the Microsoft SQL Server software is installed.
• Add a database definition to your FactoryTalk system.
• Associate a database definition with an alarm and event server.
• Add an Alarm and Event Log Viewer object to a graphic display.
• Run the FactoryTalk View Site Edition Client software and then
monitor the graphic display.
Before you begin • If you do not already have Microsoft SQL Server software installed, you
can install it from the FTView\Redist folder in the FactoryTalk View
installation package. For installation instructions, see Install Microsoft
SQL Server on page 169.
• Define alarms as described in Define device-based alarms in Studio
5000 controllers on page 29.
• Add the required server, as described in Add a device server for Studio
5000, PLC-5, or SLC 500 controllers on page 39, Add a tag-based alarm
server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, SLC 500, or third-party controllers on
page 51, Add an OPC data server for third-party controllers on page 47,
or Add FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector for third-party OPC UA
servers on page 59.
• Set up graphic display objects as described in Set up graphic displays
on page 63.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 105

Chapter 11 Set up historical alarm and event logging

What you need • FactoryTalk Linx software

• FactoryTalk View Studio software
• FactoryTalk View SE Client software
• Microsoft SQL Server software
Follow these steps Follow these steps to set up historical logging:
• Plan your system
• Confirm that the Microsoft SQL Server software is installed
Tip: Microsoft SQL Server Express is available in the FactoryTalk View installation package in the
Redist folder.
• Run FactoryTalk View Studio
• Add a database definition to your FactoryTalk system
• Associate the database definition with an alarm server
• Add an Alarm and Event Log Viewer object to a graphic display
• Run FactoryTalk View SE Client software and then monitor the
graphic display
• Monitor and interact with alarms during runtime
Confirm that the SQL Server To log historical alarms and events, you can either install Microsoft SQL
software is installed Server or you can use an existing SQL Server database already installed on
your network. If you are using an existing SQL Server database you need to
set up your database for alarm and event logging.
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events can log historical data to any of the supported
SQL Server databases. For more information, see Supported SQL Server
databases on page 173.
Tip: Microsoft SQL Server Express is available in the FactoryTalk View installation package in the Redist
folder.
To install SQL Server, see Install Microsoft SQL Server on page 169.
If you are using an existing SQL Server database, see Use an existing SQL Server database on page 173.

Add a database definition to Create a database definition that specifies the connection information for the
database and creates the required database objects.
your FactoryTalk system

Step 1. Open an existing application in FactoryTalk View Studio

1. Open FactoryTalk View Studio.
2. In the Application Type Selection window, select View Site Edition
(Local Station) and then click Continue.

106 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 11 Set up historical alarm and event logging
3. In the New/Open Site Edition (Local Station) Application dialog box,
click the Existing tab, and then select the My Local Site application
that you created in Add a device server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, or SLC
500 controllers on page 39.

Step 2. Create a new database connection

1. In the Explorer window, expand the folders System > Connections
and then right-click the Databases folder. Click Add Database
Connection.

2. In the Database Connection Properties dialog box, configure

properties for the new database definition. Select FactoryTalk Alarms
& Events History Database in the Database type list.
In this example, we used FTAE_History for the definition name and
database name. The authentication includes Windows authentication
and SQL Server authentication. We used SQL Server authentication

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 107

Chapter 11 Set up historical alarm and event logging
with FTAE_Historian as the database user name, and password as the
password.
(optional) You can also force encryption of the connection to SQL
Server and validate the certificate on the SQL Server computer for
certificate handshake. For more information, click Help.

Tip: To improve efficiency when writing to the database, information is sent to a cache file located
on the computer hosting the alarm server before writing to the database.
3. Click the Alarms Advanced settings tab. The system will attempt to
create the database, the user account, and the tables that are necessary
to store the alarm and event information. If the database or user does
not already exist in SQL Server, you are prompted to create them. Click
Yes.

108 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 11 Set up historical alarm and event logging
4. Configure the settings for the Alarm and Event History Database.
5. If the connection to the database is lost, alarm and event information
will continue to be cached to files. After the connection is restored, the
cached information will be sent to the database.
To limit how much information is cached, reduce the amount of days
or % of available disk space for database buffering. When the limit is
reached, the oldest information is overwritten.
6. When you finish, click OK. If you are prompted to create the database,
click Yes. The database definition is added to the Databases folder and
is ready for use.
Associate a database To set up a FactoryTalk Linx device server (device-based server), a FactoryTalk
definition with an alarm Tag Alarm and Event Server (tag-based server), or FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA
Connector for third-party OPC UA servers to log historical alarm and event
server data to a database, you must associate a database definition with the alarm
server.
If no alarm history database is associated with an alarm server, the alarm
server does not log any historical data. You can associate different alarm
servers with different alarm history databases, or you can have all alarm
servers log their data to the same database.
The example shows you how to configure a FactoryTalk Linx device server for
alarm logging.

Step 1. Open an existing application in FactoryTalk View Studio

1. Open FactoryTalk View Studio.
2. In the Application Type Selection window, select View Site Edition
(Local Station) and then click Continue.
3. In the New/Open Site Edition (Local Station) Application dialog box,
click the Existing tab, and then select the My Local Site application
that you created in Add a device server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, or SLC
500 controllers on page 39.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 109

Chapter 11 Set up historical alarm and event logging

Step 2. Configure the alarm server

1. In the Explorer window, expand the application tree until each alarm
server is visible.

2. Right-click the alarm server named FTAE Server that you created in
Add a device server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, or SLC 500 controllers on
page 39. Click Properties.

110 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 11 Set up historical alarm and event logging
3. For a FactoryTalk Linx Device Server, do the following and then click
OK:

• In the FactoryTalk Linx Server Properties dialog box, click the

Alarms and Events tab.
• Under Alarm and Event History, select the Enable history check
box.
• In the Database definition list, select a definition (for this example,
we use FTAE_History).

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 111

Chapter 11 Set up historical alarm and event logging
4. For a Tag Alarm and Event Server, do the following and then click OK:

• In the FTAE Server Properties dialog box, click the Priorities and
History tab.
• Under Alarm and Event History, select the Enable history check
box.
• In the Database Definition list, select a definition. In this example,
we use FTAE_History.
Create an Alarm and Event Use the Alarm and Event Log Viewer to view alarm and event information
Log Viewer display previously logged in a Microsoft SQL database configured to store historical
data.

Step 1. Open an existing application in FactoryTalk View Studio

1. Open FactoryTalk View Studio.
2. In the Application Type Selection window, select View Site Edition
(Local Station) and then click Continue.
3. In the New/Open Site Edition (Local Station) Application dialog box,
click the Existing tab, and select the My Local Site application that you
created in Add a device server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, or SLC 500
controllers on page 39.

112 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 11 Set up historical alarm and event logging

Step 2. Create a new graphic display

1. In the Explorer window, expand the Graphics folder, right-click
Displays, and then click New.

A blank display appears in the workspace.

2. If necessary, resize the graphic display to about the same size as the
one you created for the Alarm and Event Summary.

Step 3. Add an Alarm and Event Log Viewer object to the display
1. On the Objects menu, point to Alarm and Event and then click Log
Viewer (or select Alarm and Event Log Viewer in toolbox).
2. Hold the left mouse button down and drag the mouse to create a
rectangle that is the size required for the Alarm and Event Log Viewer
object.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 113

Chapter 11 Set up historical alarm and event logging
3. When the object is the correct size, release the left mouse button. The
Alarm and Event Log Viewer object is drawn on the graphic display.

Step 4. Configure the properties of the Alarm and Event Log Viewer
1. To open the Alarm and Event Log Viewer Properties dialog box,
double-click the Alarm and Event Log Viewer object.

2. On the General tab, select the alarm log whose entries you want to
view. In the previous example, we selected FTAE_History. This is the
SQL database we created in Associate a database definition with an
alarm server on page 109.
3. Click the Columns tab, and then clear the Area check box.
4. On the other tabs, set properties to customize the Log Viewer display,
as desired. For details, click Help.
5. When you are finished, click OK to close the dialog box.

Step 5. Save the graphic display

1. On the File menu, click Save.
2. In the Save dialog box, type a name for the new display and then click
OK.

114 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 11 Set up historical alarm and event logging
In this example, we use Alarm and Event Log Viewer for the name of
the graphic display.

3. Close the graphic display.

Create a button to open the In this section, we add a button to open the Alarm and Event Log Viewer
Alarm and Event Log Viewer display in the same FactoryTalk View Client window as the Alarm and Event
Banner display.
display

Step 1. Create a new graphic display

1. In the Explorer window, expand the Graphics folder, right-click
Displays, and then click New.

2. If necessary, resize the graphic display to about the same size as the
one you created for the Alarm and Event Summary.

Step 2. Add a button to the graphic display

1. On the Objects menu, point to Push Button, and then click Button (or
select Button in the toolbox).
2. Hold the left mouse button down and drag the mouse to create a
rectangle the correct size for the button and then release the mouse
button.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 115

Chapter 11 Set up historical alarm and event logging
3. In the Button Properties dialog box, click the Action tab.

Step 3. Configure the button commands

1. Click the Browse button (...) to the right of the Press action field to
open the Command Wizard.

2. In the Command Categories pane on the left, expand Graphics >

Graphic Displays > Navigation.
3. In the list of commands on the right, click Display, and then click Next.
4. In the File box, click the browse button to select the name of the
graphic display that is to open when the button is clicked.

116 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 11 Set up historical alarm and event logging
In this example, we want the button to start the Alarm and Event Log
Viewer, so we select Alarm and Event Log Viewer.

5. To close the Command Wizard, click Finish. In the Button Properties

dialog box, the command Display "Alarm and Event Viewer" appears
in the Press action box.

6. Click the Up Appearance tab.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 117

Chapter 11 Set up historical alarm and event logging
7. In the Caption box, type Run the Alarm and Event Log Viewer. Press
the Enter key after the word Alarm so that the text wraps to the next
line. This is the text that will appear on the button.
8. Click OK to save the button configuration. The button is drawn on the
graphic display.

Step 4. Configure the properties of the graphic display

1. On the main menu bar Edit menu, click Display Settings.

2. In the Display Settings dialog box, make the following changes on the
Properties tab:
• Clear the Title Bar check box.
• Select the Size to Main Window at Runtime check box.
• Select the Allow Display to be Resized check box.
• Under When Resized, select Scale option if it is not already
selected.
Click OK when finished.

118 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 11 Set up historical alarm and event logging

Step 5. Save the graphic display

1. On the File menu, click Save.
2. In the Save dialog box, type a name for the new graphic display, and
then click OK.
In this example, we use Menu Bar for the name of the graphic display.
Create a startup macro for This section shows you how to modify the startup macro you created in Set up
the Menu Bar display graphic displays on page 63. This example also shows you how to add
commands to the startup macro that will open the button display you just
created and dock it to the top of the client window.

Step 1. Edit the startup macro

1. In FactoryTalk View Studio, in the Explorer window, double-click the
Start Alarm and Event Banner macro.
The macro editor opens, showing the Banner display command
Display "Alarm and Event Banner" /DB.
2. To open the Command Wizard, double-click anywhere in the body of
the macro editor.
3. In the list of commands on the right, select Display and then click
Next.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 119

Chapter 11 Set up historical alarm and event logging
4. In the File list, click Menu Bar.

5. Select the Window Position check box. In the list of window positions,
click Docked to the Top.
6. To save the configuration and display it in the macro editor, click
Finish.

Step 2. Save the startup macro in the application

1. On the File menu, click Save.
2. Close the macro editor.
View historical alarm data in Use the Alarm and Event Log Viewer--embedded in a FactoryTalk View
a FactoryTalk View SE Client graphic display--to view, sort, filter, and export historical alarm information
stored in Alarm and Event Logs.
With the Alarm and Event Log Viewer, you can:
• Display alarm and event information that has been logged by the
FactoryTalk Alarm and Event Historian.
• Define filters to determine which logged alarms and events will be
displayed.
• Sort the alarms and events that will be displayed.

120 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 11 Set up historical alarm and event logging

Run the application You can open the FactoryTalk View Site Edition Client in these ways:
• From the Windows Start menu. See Monitor and interact with alarms
at runtime on page 87.
• From within FactoryTalk View Studio, which is covered in this section.
• By double-clicking a FactoryTalk View SE Client configuration file
(*.cli).
Start the FactoryTalk View 1. If FactoryTalk View Studio is not still open, click Start > Rockwell
SE Client from within Software > FactoryTalk View Site Edition Client.
2. In the FactoryTalk View SE Client Wizard, select Run an existing
FactoryTalk View Studio FactoryTalk View SE Client configuration file, and then select Alarms
and Events Demo.cli. Click OK.
The FactoryTalk View SE Client opens after a few moments. The
button appears at the top of the window and the Alarm and Event
Banner appears at the bottom.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 121

Chapter 11 Set up historical alarm and event logging
3. Click the Run Alarm and Event Log Viewer button to make the Log
Viewer appear in the middle of the client window:

4. Click the Run Alarm and Event Summary button on the Banner
display at the bottom of the window. The Summary display replaces
the Log Viewer.

For details about enabling, disabling, suppressing, unsuppressing, shelving,

unshelving, and acknowledging alarms, see Monitor and interact with alarms
at runtime on page 87.

122 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 12

Configure redundancy for alarms and events

This chapter describes how to configure FactoryTalk Alarms and Events

device-based and tag-based alarm server redundancy.
Server redundancy is typically used to maximize system availability in case of:
• Computer hardware failure.
• Software failure on one server computer.
• Power failure on one server computer.
Redundancy requirements are unique to each application. The ideal
redundant solution involves having at least two instances of
everything--hardware, software, and networks. In practice, this is seldom
necessary. Redundant FactoryTalk server components duplicate server
information on a secondary computer that is used if a primary server
computer fails.

FactoryTalk server FactoryTalk server redundancy can be configured for:

redundancy • FactoryTalk Alarms and Events servers

• Data servers (FactoryTalk Linx or OPC data server)
• FactoryTalk Site Edition HMI servers
IMPORTANT FactoryTalk Alarms and Events server redundancy and data server redundancy are
only supported in network station applications and network distributed applications.
FactoryTalk HMI server redundancy is only supported in network distributed
applications.

For more information on planning and implementing a FactoryTalk

distributed network application, see Reference for building a distributed
system on page 193.

Develop and test your It is good practice when developing a FactoryTalk Alarms and Events
application to develop and test with all alarm servers configured without
application without redundancy. This approach effectively reduces the size and complexity of the
redundancy application during the development and test phases.
Adding alarm server redundancy at the end of development to a properly
planned network station application or network distributed application will
not require any changes in graphic displays that are already developed and
working properly.
Existing alarm servers and tag data servers can be configured to support
redundancy if the distributed system supporting your FactoryTalk application
has been adequately planned and prepared beforehand.

Before you begin To implement redundant servers, the procedure depends on whether you are

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 123

Chapter 12 Configure redundancy for alarms and events
using a device-based alarm server or a tag-based alarm server.
• Plan and implement your FactoryTalk distributed system, taking into
consideration which components require redundancy, the network
layout of the components in the system, the CPU processing load that
is expected for each component, and the software required to be
installed on each component.
• Configure alarm servers and tag data servers as required. Initially,
configure these servers without redundancy. Verify that all of the
configured tags and alarms are working properly.
• Be sure all graphic displays are working properly on the FactoryTalk
application with alarm servers configured without redundancy.
• For each redundant alarm server, determine if it will use favor primary
or favor current switchover behavior.
Favor current. When a redundant switchover occurs, the secondary
server remains active in the application even after the primary server is
recovered and available once again. This is the default behavior, set in
the Server Properties dialog box Redundancy tab under Switchover
options by selecting Continue using the secondary server even when
the primary server becomes available again. When it is selected you
can perform manual switchovers from primary to secondary and back
again. This can be useful for testing redundant applications. You can
change this selection at any time.
Favor primary. After a redundant switchover has occurred, and the
primary server is recovered and available again, control passes back to
the primary server. This is set in the Server Properties dialog box
Redundancy tab under Switchover options by selecting Switch over to
primary server when it becomes available again.
You can change the redundant server configuration from favor current
to favor primary any time that both servers are running and connected
to the network station application or network distributed application.
What you need If you are using device-based alarm servers:
• FactoryTalk Linx and FactoryTalk Alarms and Events installed and
running on the primary server computer, configured and working as a
non-redundant component.
• FactoryTalk Linx and FactoryTalk Alarms and Events installed and
running on the secondary server computer.
• FactoryTalk View Studio or FactoryTalk Administration Console
running on a development station or other component connected in
the FactoryTalk application.
If you are using server tag-based alarm servers:
• FactoryTalk Linx or OPC Data Server installed, configured, and
running on a separate component configured in the FactoryTalk
application, or configured for redundancy and running on the primary
and secondary server computers as a redundant pair.

124 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 12 Configure redundancy for alarms and events
• FactoryTalk Alarms and Events installed and running on the primary
server computer, configured and working as a non-redundant
component.
• FactoryTalk Alarms and Events installed and running on the secondary
server computer.
• FactoryTalk View Studio or FactoryTalk Administration Console
running on a development station or other component configured in
the FactoryTalk application.
Follow these steps Follow these steps for device-based alarm servers:
• Add a device-based alarm server
• Start FactoryTalk View Studio and open the Site Edition network
application
• Select the device alarm server
• Configure the server properties
• Open the Communication Setup editor
• Configure the secondary path to the Studio 5000 controller
• Check the server status
Follow these steps for tag-based alarm servers:
• Add a tag-based alarm server
• Start FactoryTalk View Studio and open the Site Edition network
application
• Select the tag alarm server
• Configure the tag alarm server properties
• Check the server status
Upgrade an existing In this section, you will upgrade a configured Rockwell Automation
device-based alarm server device-based alarm server (FactoryTalk Linx) to support redundancy using a
secondary computer already configured in the FactoryTalk network
distributed application.

Step 1. Open the application in FactoryTalk View Studio

This example shows how to open an existing network distributed application
in FactoryTalk View Studio.
1. To run FactoryTalk View Studio, in Windows, click Start > All
Programs > Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk View > FactoryTalk
View Studio.
2. In the Application Type Selection window, select View Site Edition
(Network Distributed) and then click Continue.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 125

Chapter 12 Configure redundancy for alarms and events
3. In the New/Open Site Edition (Network Distributed) Application
dialog box with the Existing tab selected, under the heading
Application Name, select the name of the existing application. In this
example, we name the application My Network App.

4. Click Open.

Step 2. Select the device alarm server

In the Explorer window, open the application My Network App and
find the device alarm server FTAE Server.

Step 3. Configure the alarm server properties

1. In the Explorer window, right-click the alarm server FTAE Server and
then select Properties.
2. In the FactoryTalk Linx Server Properties dialog box, click the
Redundancy tab. Select the Provide redundancy using a secondary
server check box.
3. In the Redundancy tab, click Browse.
Tip: If your distributed network application has been planned and implemented beforehand as
recommended, then the secondary server computer name will be listed in the Select Computer
dialog box.
4. Select the name of the secondary server computer in the Select
Computer dialog box and then click OK.
5. In the Redundancy tab, the switchover option Continue using the
secondary server even when the primary server becomes available
again is selected by default. This allows you to use manual switchover
to test the redundant pair. You can change the selection when testing
is complete. If you select Switch over to primary server when it
becomes available again manual switchover is not available.

126 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Chapter 12 Configure redundancy for alarms and events

Step 4. Open the Communication Setup editor

1. In the Explorer window, click the FactoryTalk Linx server FTAE
Server, and then double-click Communication Setup.
2. Before the Communication Setup dialog box appears, a FactoryTalk
Linx information dialog box appears. To save the changes, click OK.
Tip: The secondary controller is normally the same device as the primary controller but a different
path may be used on the Primary tab. For instance, the secondary path may pass through an
alternate bridge device in order to provide redundancy at the communications level.
3. To set the path to the secondary controller, click the Apply button.
4. To save the shortcut configuration and close the Communication
Setup dialog box, click OK.
Upgrade an existing In this section, you will upgrade a configured Rockwell Automation tag-based
tag-based alarm server alarm server to support redundancy using a secondary computer configured
in the FactoryTalk network distributed application.

Step 1. Open the application in FactoryTalk View Studio

This example shows how to open an existing network distributed
application in FactoryTalk View Studio.
1. To start FactoryTalk View Studio, in Windows, click Start > All
Programs > Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk View > FactoryTalk
View Studio.
2. In the Application Type Selection window, select View Site Edition
(Network Distributed) and then click Continue.
3. In the New/Open Site Edition (Network Distributed) Application
dialog box with the Existing tab selected, under the heading
Application Name, select the name of the existing application. In this
example, we name the application My Network App.
4. Click Open.

Step 2. Select the tag alarm server

In the Explorer window, open the application My Network App and
find the tag-based alarm server, for example, TagAE.

Step 3. Configure the alarm server properties

1. In the Explorer window, right-click the alarm server TagAE and then
select Properties.
2. In the Tag Alarm and Event Server Properties dialog box, click the
General tab. Select the Load when operating system initializes startup
type option.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 127

Chapter 12 Configure redundancy for alarms and events
IMPORTANT The configuration options on the Redundancy tab will be disabled if the Load when
operation system initialized option is not selected on the General tab. This is
because redundant servers need to be running and available in order to exchange
redundant information in preparation for an unexpected switchover, even when the
HMI application is not actually running.
3. In the Tag Alarm and Event Server Properties dialog box, click the
Redundancy tab.
4. Select the Provide redundancy using a secondary server check box.
5. Select the secondary server computer from the computer list and then
click OK.
Tip: If your distributed network application has been planned and implemented beforehand as
recommended, then the secondary server computer name will be listed in the Select Computer
dialog box.
6. In the Tag Alarm and Event Server Properties dialog box, the
switchover option Continue using the secondary server even when the
primary server becomes available again is selected by default. This
allows you to use manual switchover to test the redundant pair. You
can change the selection when testing is complete. If you select Switch
over to primary server when it becomes available again manual
switchover is not available.
Check the status of an alarm Follow this example anytime you change the configuration properties and
server settings of an alarm server.
After changing the alarm server configuration you need to reboot the server
computer. For a network distributed application or network station
application, the recommended start up sequence is:
1. FactoryTalk Directory server
2. Primary server computers
3. Secondary server computers
4. Operator workstations
This example demonstrates how to check the status of a redundant alarm
server in FactoryTalk View Studio using the device alarm server FTAE Server
created in Add a device server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, or SLC 500 controllers
on page 39.

Step 1. Open the application in FactoryTalk View Studio

1. To start FactoryTalk View Studio, in Windows, click Start > All
Programs > Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk View > FactoryTalk
View Studio.
2. In the Application Type Selection window, select View Site Edition
(Network Distributed), and then click Continue.
3. In the New/Open Site Edition (Network Distributed) Application
dialog box, on the Existing tab, select the name of the existing
application. In this example, we named the application My Network
App.
4. Click Open.
128 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022
 Chapter 12 Configure redundancy for alarms and events

Step 2. Select the device alarm server

In the Explorer window, open the application My Network App and
find the device alarm server, for example, FTAE Server.

Step 3. Check server status

1. In the Explorer window, right-click the alarm server FTAE Server, and
then click Server Status.
Tip: To test your redundant server configuration, trigger a manual switchover by clicking the
Switchover button. The Switchover button is enabled if the server is configured for redundancy, the
Switchover options selection is Continue using the secondary server, even when the primary
becomes available again (default), and both the primary and secondary servers are currently
available.
2. To close the Server Status dialog box without making any changes,
click Cancel.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 129

 Appendix A

Get started with language switching

You can use language switching to display text strings that you define when
you create an application, in up to 40 different languages. At runtime, a
FactoryTalk View SE Client can switch between any of the languages the
application supports. In a network distributed application or network station
application, multiple clients can run in different languages at the same time.
For more information on supported languages, see Language identifiers for
language switching on page 195. For additional information about configuring
language switching configuration in FactoryTalk View Studio, see "Setting up
Language Switching" in the FactoryTalk View Studio Site Edition Help.
IMPORTANT Time and date formats do not switch. Alarm and Event objects in FactoryTalk View always
display the date and time format of the operating system. The rest of a FactoryTalk View
application shows the format for the language FactoryTalk View is displaying.
Dialog boxes that are part of the graphical user interface of FactoryTalk Alarms and Events
but not user configurable—for example, the Acknowledge with Comment dialog box—do not
switch languages. They are displayed in the language of the operating system.
Historical alarm and event messages do not switch languages. They are displayed in the
language in which they were logged.

Before you begin To implement language switching, the procedure depends on whether you are
using device-based alarm monitoring or tag-based alarm monitoring. If you
are not sure what type of alarm monitoring to use, see Plan your system on
page 25.

If you are using device-based alarm monitoring

• Review Define device-based alarms in Studio 5000 controllers on page
29.
• Verify that you have installed and activated the software listed in What
you need on page 30.
• Verify that the Studio 5000 firmware has been updated to revision 16
or later (excluding 21 to 23).

If you are using tag-based alarm monitoring

• Review Add a tag-based alarm server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, SLC 500,
or third-party controllers on page 51.
• If your alarms and events system uses a data server, review Add an
OPC Data Server for third-party controllers on page 47.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 131

Appendix A Get started with language switching

What you need If you are using device-based alarms

• The Logix Designer application (or RSLogix 5000 software version 16
or later)
• ControlFLASH
• RSLinx Classic
• FactoryTalk Linx
• FactoryTalk View Studio
• FactoryTalk View SE Client

If you are using tag-based alarms

• PLC-5, SLC 500, third-party, or Studio 5000 controllers that have not
been programmed with alarm instructions included in the Logix
Designer application (or RSLogix 5000 software version 16 or later)
• RSLogix 5 or RSLogix 500 software
• FactoryTalk Linx, RSLinx Classic (for bridging from Ethernet to DH+
or DH-485 networks), or a third-party OPC Data Server (for example,
KEPWare server) for communicating with third-party controllers
• FactoryTalk View Studio or FactoryTalk Administration Console
• Microsoft Excel® (for editing exported alarm messages in multiple
languages)
Follow these steps Follow these steps to get started with language switching:
• Add a device server or add a tag-based alarm server
• Create device-based or tag-based alarm messages
• Add buttons to a graphic display to switch languages
• Add languages to the application
• Edit alarm messages in alternate languages
• Create a display client configuration file
• Test alarm messages at runtime
Create device-based alarm To create device-based alarm messages in multiple languages you can use the
messages import and export features in the Logix Designer application (or RSLogix
5000 software). At runtime, alarm messages located in Studio 5000
controllers can be displayed in the language of the FactoryTalk View
application in which they are displayed.
When FactoryTalk Linx connects to the controller, all alarm messages and
their languages are uploaded from the controller. When a FactoryTalk View
SE Client runs, the FactoryTalk Alarms and Events objects (Alarm and Event
Summary, for example) connect to the FactoryTalk Alarms and Events system
and request alarm messages in the current language. When you switch
languages on the client computer, the alarm monitoring system and all of the
client screens switch to the appropriate language on that specific client.

132 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix A Get started with language switching
IMPORTANT Historical alarm messages are logged in the language currently associated with the Alarm
and Event Log. The Alarm and Event Log displays messages in the language in which they
were logged. For example, a message logged in English will be displayed in English, even if
the language is switched to Italian.

Translate alarm messages A system may have thousands of alarm messages that need to be translated.
To simplify this process, you can export alarm messages to a file, add
using import and export translated messages in multiple languages to the file, and then import the file
back into your project. Any of the languages you translate the strings into
must be supported by FactoryTalk View.
You can enter text strings in multiple languages in two ways.
1. In RSLogix 5000 software version 16 or earlier, create alarm messages
in one language, and use the RSLogix 5000 Export tool to export the
project's tags, logic comments, descriptions and alarm messages from
RSLogix 5000 to a comma-separated value (*.csv) file or a text (*.txt)
file. The text strings can be translated into other languages and added
to the file. Then use the RSLogix 5000 Import tool to import the
strings back into the project.
2. In RSLogix 5000 software version 17 or later, you select a language for
the project, and then in the Project Documentation Language
Configuration dialog box you export a localization file that contains
documentation from the project. The documentation included in the
text (*.txt) file includes user-defined logic comments, component
names, and alarm messages. The text strings can be translated into
other languages and added to the file. Use the Project Documentation
Language Configuration dialog box to import strings back into the
project. See Translating alarm messages using RSLogix 5000 version 17
or later on page 136.

Translate alarm messages To translate alarm messages using RSLogix 5000 software version 16 or
earlier, complete the following steps. To translate alarm messages in RSLogix
in RSLogix 5000 version 16 5000 software version 17 or later, using the project documentation language
or earlier feature, see Translating alarm messages using RSLogix 5000 version 17 or
later on page 136.

Step 1. Export alarm messages from RSLogix 5000

1. Start RSLogix 5000 (version 16 or earlier) and open the
West_Plant_Controller project you created in Define device-based
alarms in Studio 5000 controllers on page 29. If you have not yet
created the project, do so before continuing.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 133

Appendix A Get started with language switching
2. In the RSLogix 5000 window, on the Tools menu, click Export.

3. In the Export dialog box, click Export.

If your RSLogix 5000 project includes a large number of programs, and
you want to translate alarm messages from only one of them, you can
make selections in the Export dialog box to limit the data that is
exported. For details, click Help.
Tip: When translating to or from Unicode character sets (for example, Asian languages), you must
export and then import the RSLogix 5000 tag database as a .txt file. The .csv format does not
support Unicode character sets. This limitation does not apply to Tag Alarm and Event Servers.

Step 2. Translate the exported alarm messages

1. In Windows Explorer, locate the file you exported and then
double-click it to open it in Notepad. You can also edit the file using
Microsoft Excel.

The last line of text in the file is the alarm definition. The first element
from the left is the instruction type (ALMMSG:) and the language
string for the alarm message (en-us for English in the United States).
The alarm message text appears as the fourth element from the left
(Tank Temperature is High).
2. Copy the ALMMSG line and paste it at the end of the file.
3. Change en-us to it-it (for Italian in Italy), and then change the alarm
message text to read La temperatura del serbatoio e alta.
4. Paste another copy of the ALMMSG line at the end of the file.

134 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix A Get started with language switching
5. Change en-us to de-de (for German in Germany), and change the
alarm message text to read Hohe Tanktemperatur!.

6. On the File menu, click Save.

Tip: When you import alarm messages, the system verifies the message length and displays a
warning if the alarm message exceeds the character limit.

Step 3. Import the translated alarm messages

1. In the RSLogix 5000 software, on the Tools menu, click Import.
2. In the Import window, select the file you modified and then click
Import.

The import process produces warnings because it overwrites existing

tags.

Step 4. Download the project to the controller

To update the controller with additional alarm messages in the new
languages, download the project to the controller.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 135

Appendix A Get started with language switching
Next, either continue setting up tag-based alarm messages, or set up a graphic
display for language switching. See Add buttons to a graphic display to switch
languages at runtime on page 143.

Translate alarm messages The steps in this procedure apply to RSLogix 5000 software version 17 and
later, and the Studio 5000 Logix Designer application version 21 and later,
using RSLogix 5000 version both referred to in this procedure as the application.
17 or later
To translate alarm strings use the project documentation import and export
feature. Only the information that is necessary for localization is included in
the exported file.

Step 1. Export alarm messages

1. Run the application and open the West_Plant_Controller project you
created in Define device-based alarms in Studio 5000> controllers on
page 29. If you have not created the project, do so before continuing.
2. To open the Project Documentation Language dialog box, click the
Documentation Language Configuration icon or click
Documentation Languages on the Tools menu.

3. To associate the existing product documentation with a language,

select a language from the Select a language list or click Custom and
then add a custom language. For example, select English (United
States) from the list and then click OK.

136 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix A Get started with language switching
4. After you select a language for the project, the Project Documentation
Language Configuration dialog box opens. If the dialog box does not
open after a short time, click Documentation Languages on the Tools
menu. To export a localization file, click Export.

5. In the Export Project Documentation dialog box, select the languages

to include in the localization file and then click Next. For example,
select German (Germany) and Italian (Italy) if the project
documentation will be translated into German and Italian.
6. To add the configuration information to the localization file, click
Next.
7. Specify the name and location of the exported localization file and
then click Export.
8. Click OK.

Step 2. Translate the exported alarm messages

1. In Windows Explorer, locate the file you exported. Right-click the file,
point to Open With and then click Microsoft Excel.

The first column contains the instruction type ALMMSG. Column C is

labeled KEY:en-US [English (United States)] and the alarm message is
displayed in English.
Column D is labeled de-DE [Deutsch (Deutschland)], and Column E is
labeled it-IT [italiano (Italia)]. These are the languages you selected for
the export.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 137

Appendix A Get started with language switching
2. Type Hohe Tanktemperatur! in column D in the same row that shows
Tank Temperature is High.
3. Type La temperatura del serbatoio e alta in column E in the same row
that shows Tank Temperature is High.
4. On the File menu, click Save.

Step 3. Import the translated alarm messages

1. In the application, on the Tools menu, click Documentation
Languages.
2. In the Project Documentation Language Configuration dialog box,
click Import.
3. In the Select File dialog box, select the file you modified and then click
Import.
4. Verify the languages you want to import in the Import Project
Documentation dialog box, and then click Import.
5. Click OK.
Tip: When you import alarm messages, the application verifies the message length and displays a
warning if the alarm message exceeds the 255 character limit.

Step 4. Download the project to the controller

To update the controller with additional alarm messages in the new
languages, download the project to the controller.
Next, either continue with setting up tag-based alarm messages, or set up a
graphic display for language switching. See Add buttons to a graphic display
to switch languages at runtime on page 143.

Create tag-based alarm The alarm messages in a tag-based alarm server also support language
switching. As with device-based alarms, in FactoryTalk View you can also
messages enter text strings in multiple languages in two ways:
1. The messages in the Alarm and Event Setup editor are saved in the
language you select when opening an application in FactoryTalk View.
2. After creating alarm messages in one language, you can export them
from FactoryTalk View to a Microsoft Excel (*.xls ) or XML file (*.xml ),
add translated versions of the strings to the exported file, and then
import them into FactoryTalk View again.
The maximum length for alarm messages is 255 characters. When you
import alarm messages, anything over 255 characters is truncated.
Enter text strings in
FactoryTalk View Studio

138 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix A Get started with language switching

Step 1. In FactoryTalk View Studio, choose a language in which to open

an application
1. To start FactoryTalk View Studio, in Windows click Start > All
Programs > Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk View > FactoryTalk
View Studio.
2. In the Application Type Selection window, select View Site Edition
(Local Station) and then click Continue.
3. In the New/Open Site Edition (Local Station) Application dialog box,
click the Existing tab, select the application you created in Add a device
server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, or SLC 500 controllers on page 39 (we
used My Local Site).

4. In the Language list, select the language in which you are creating your
application (in this example, English (United States), en-US), and then
click Open.

Step 2. Create a digital alarm

This section uses the FactoryTalk Tag Alarm and Event Server you created in
Add a tag-based alarm server for Studio 5000, PLC-5, SLC 500, or third-party
controllers on page 51. If you have not yet created the server, do so before
continuing.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 139

Appendix A Get started with language switching
1. In the Explorer window, expand the new Tag Server, and then
double-click Alarm and Event Setup.

In the Alarm Setup dialog box, click the Digital tab.

2. On the toolbar, click the New button .

140 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix A Get started with language switching
3. In the Digital Alarm Properties dialog box, in the Name box, type
TankTempThreshold.

4. In the Input Tag field, type system\Second. This tag uses the second
count from the computer's internal clock to trigger the alarm. You can
also click the Browse button (...) beside the Input Tag field to select the
system\Second tag and then click OK.

5. In the Digital Alarm Properties dialog box, in the Condition list, select
Input = 0. This triggers the alarm every time the value of the
system\Second tag is 0, which happens every minute.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 141

Appendix A Get started with language switching
6. In the Message field, type Tank Temperature is High, and then click
OK.
7. Close the Alarm and Event Setup editor and save your changes.

Add languages to the 1. In FactoryTalk View Studio, on the Tools menu, click Languages.
application 2. In the Language Configuration dialog box, select the Display
undefined strings using the default language check box, and then click
Add.

When the Display undefined strings using the default language check
box is selected, any strings that are not defined in the current language
are displayed in the default language at runtime.
When this check box is not selected, any strings that are not defined in
the current language are displayed as question marks (???) at runtime.

142 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix A Get started with language switching
3. In the Add Language dialog box, click German (Germany) and then
click OK.

4. In the Language Configuration dialog box, click Add to add the next
language.
5. In the Add Language dialog box, click Italian (Italy) and then click OK.

6. In the Language Configuration dialog box, click OK.

Add buttons to a graphic In this section, we add a button to a graphic display which can be used to
display to switch languages switch among available languages at runtime.

at runtime
Step 1. Create a new graphic display
1. In FactoryTalk View Studio, in the Explorer window, expand the
Graphics folder.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 143

Appendix A Get started with language switching
2. Right-click Displays, and then click New.

Step 2. Add buttons to the graphic display

1. On the Objects menu, select Push Button > Button.
2. In the graphic display, hold down the left mouse button and then drag
the mouse to draw a box for the button.

3. On the Edit menu, click Copy.

4. On the keyboard, press Ctrl-V twice, to paste two more copies of the
button in the graphic display.
5. Drag the copies of the button apart on the display.
6. On the keyboard, press Ctrl-A to select all of the buttons.
7. On the Arrange menu, click Align Top to align the tops of the buttons.

144 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix A Get started with language switching
8. On the Arrange menu, click Space Horizontal to space the buttons
equally apart.

Step 3. Add captions to the buttons

1. Double-click the first button to edit it.
2. In the Button Properties dialog box, click the Action tab.
3. Click the Browse button to the right of the Release action field.
The Command Wizard opens.
4. In the Command Categories pane on the left, expand All Commands
and Macros.
5. In the list of commands on the right, click Language, and then click
Next.
6. In the Language ID list, select the name of the language and then click
Finish.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 145

Appendix A Get started with language switching
In this example, we are using English (United States), en-US.

7. In the Button Properties dialog box, click the Up Appearance tab.

8. In the Caption field, type English and then click OK.

9. Repeat the steps above to add captions to the other two buttons:
• For the second button, the press action is Language it-IT (Italian for
Italy).
• For the second button, the caption is Italiano.
• For the third button, the press action is Language de-DE (German
for Germany).

146 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix A Get started with language switching
• For the third button, the caption is Deutsch.

Step 4. Add an Alarm and Event Summary to the graphic display

1. On the Objects menu, point to Alarm and Event, and then click
Summary (or in the toolbox, click Alarm and Event Summary).
2. In the graphic display, hold the left mouse button down and drag the
mouse to create a box for the Alarm and Event Summary object.
3. When you have the object the required size, release the left mouse
button. The Alarm and Event Summary object is drawn on the display.

Step 5. Save and then close the graphic display

1. On the File menu, click Save.
2. In the Save dialog box, type a name for the graphic display and then
click OK.
In this example, we used Alarm Summary Multilingual.

3. On the File menu, click Close to close the graphic display.

Enter alarm messages in In this section, we edit our application twice. The first time, we open the
other languages application in Italian, and enter the Italian alarm message in the Alarm

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 147

Appendix A Get started with language switching
Properties dialog box.
Next, we export the alarms and events to an Excel spreadsheet, enter the
German alarm message in Excel, and then import the alarm messages again
into our application.
When you enter alarm messages in multiple languages in Excel, you can add
the text strings for all languages to one Excel file, and then import the
translated text for all languages into the application in one operation.
When you import alarm messages, the maximum length that is allowed is 255
characters. Alarm messages longer than 255 characters are truncated.

Step 1. Open the application in a new language

1. On the File menu, click Close Application.
2. In the New/Open Site Edition (Local Station) Application dialog box,
click the Existing tab.
3. In the list of applications, click the name of your application (in this
example, My Local Site).
4. In the Language list, select Italian (Italy), it-IT and then click Open.

148 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix A Get started with language switching

Step 2. Enter the alarm message for the digital alarm

1. In the Explorer window, expand the Tag Server, and then double-click
Alarm and Event Setup.

2. In the Alarm and Event Setup editor, click the Digital tab and then
double-click the TankTempThreshold alarm to edit it.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 149

Appendix A Get started with language switching
3. In the Digital Alarm Properties dialog box, in the Message field, type
La temperatura del serbatoio e alta and then click OK.

Step 3. Export alarm messages to an Excel spreadsheet

1. Right-click the Tag Alarm and Event Server where the alarms are
defined, and then click Import and Export.
In this example, right-click the Tag Alarm and Event Server called Tag
Server.

150 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix A Get started with language switching
2. In the Alarm Import Export Wizard - Operation Type window, leave
Export alarm configuration to Excel file selected and then click Next.

3. In the Alarms to Export window, leave the TankTempThreshold alarm

in the list of alarms to export and then click Next.

If you have many alarms and you want to export only some of them,
you can filter the list of alarms to find the ones you want, and then you
can include only those alarms you need in the exported file. For details,
click Help.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 151

Appendix A Get started with language switching
4. In the Messages to Export window, leave Export messages for all
alarms selected, leave all of the languages selected, and then click
Next.

In this window you can choose whether to export all alarm messages,
the messages for only the alarms you selected in the previous step, or
no alarm messages, which then exports only the alarm data. If you are
exporting alarm messages, you can also select which languages you
want to export.
5. In the Specify Output File window, leave the file name as it is. You can
specify a location where you want the file to be save or use the default
location that is displayed, and then click Finish.

To browse for a location, click the Browse button .

6. After the export is complete, click OK.

152 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix A Get started with language switching

Step 4. Enter alarm messages in Excel

1. Locate the exported alarm file and then double-click it to open it in
Microsoft Excel. The default location is in your My Documents folder.
In this example, the file is called My Local Site_Tag
Server_AlarmExport.xls.

Each alarm is located in a new row in the spreadsheet. The column

names correspond to the settings for each alarm. At the bottom of the
Excel window there are tabs that organize the alarms by type (Digital,
Level, Deviation).
Two additional tabs contain the alarm messages and the tag update
rates. These items are located on their own tabs because they can apply
to multiple alarms.
For example, if you had 50 alarms, you could use the same alarm
message for 10 of them, but have different messages for the rest.
Instead of editing the same alarm message 10 times, you only need to
edit it once. Each alarm message has its own numeric identifier (in the
Message column located in column H in our example), which links a
message to each alarm (level alarms can have a different message for
each level).
The maximum length for an alarm message is 255 characters.
Messages that are longer than 255 characters are truncated when they
are imported.
2. At the bottom of the Excel window, click the Messages tab.

3. To add a new language for messages, add a new column and then type
the associated language identifier as the column heading. For example,

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 153

Appendix A Get started with language switching
click cell D1 and then type de-DE. This is the language identifier for
German.
For example, the column heading, en-US is the language identifier for
English (United States). For more information, see Language
identifiers for language switching on page 195.
4. To add messages, type the new message in a row under the column
specified for that language. For example, click cell D2 and then type
Hohe Tanktemperatur!

5. At the bottom of the Excel window, click the Tag Update Rates tab. The
columns are labeled with the update rates. For example cell A-1, is
labeled 0.10 Seconds and cell E-1 is labeled 2 Seconds.
6. To update an input tag every 2 seconds, enter the name of the input tag
in the column labeled 2 Seconds.
7. To save your changes, on the File menu, click Save.
8. Close Microsoft Excel.

Step 5. Import the alarm messages

1. In FactoryTalk View Studio, right-click the Tag Alarm and Event Server
where the alarms are defined, and then click Import and Export.
In this example, right-click the Tag Alarm and Event Server called Tag
Server.

154 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix A Get started with language switching
2. In the Alarm Import Export Wizard, in the Operation Type window,
select Import alarm configuration from Excel file and then click Next.

3. In the File to Import window, select the Excel spreadsheet to which

you added the German alarm message and then click Next.

To browse for the file, click the Browse button .

4. In the Alarms to Import window, select Import only alarm messages,

and then click Next.

In this window you can choose to overwrite any existing alarms, add
only the new alarms--leaving all existing alarms unchanged, or delete
all existing alarms and then import only those that are in the import
file.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 155

Appendix A Get started with language switching
5. In the Messages to Import window, select Update existing messages
and create new messages from the import file, and then click Finish.

Do not select either of the other two options in this window. In our
Excel spreadsheet, we added a language to an existing alarm message;
we did not create a new alarm message. If you do not choose to update
existing messages, the translated text will not appear in your alarm
messages.
6. After the import is complete, click OK.
Create a Display Client Because the Language command is ignored when you test run an application,
configuration file to test you need to run the application from the FactoryTalk View Site Edition Client.

alarm messages
Step 1. Run FactoryTalk View Site Edition Client
1. In Windows, click Start > All Programs > Rockwell Software >
FactoryTalk View > FactoryTalk View Site Edition Client. The
FactoryTalk View SE Client Wizard opens.

Step 2. Create a FactoryTalk View Site Edition Client configuration file

1. In the FactoryTalk View Client Wizard, click Create a FactoryTalk
View SE Client configuration file.

156 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix A Get started with language switching
2. On the File name and location page, in Client file name, type a name
for the configuration file. In this example, we used Multilingual
Alarms. Select a path for the configuration file and click Continue.

3. On the Startup components page, click Local Station.

In the Connect to the application list, select the name of the

application you want to connect to. In this example, we used the My
Local Site application that we created in Set up graphic displays on
page 63.
In the Initial display list, click Alarm Summary Multilingual, and then
click Advanced.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 157

Appendix A Get started with language switching
4. On the Client window properties page, configure how the FactoryTalk
View SE Client window will look at runtime. In this example, we
entered Show Me Alarms in the Title bar text box. At runtime, this text
is displayed at the top of the Client window. Click Security and
debugging.

5. On Security and debugging page, you can configure the Client to log
out automatically after a period of inactivity.

6. Click Save, and then Run.

Test alarm messages at For details about triggering an alarm in the Logix Designer application (or
runtime RSLogix 5000 software), see step 6: "Test the alarm instruction by switching
to run mode and triggering the alarm" in Configure the alarm and download
to the controller on page 32.
In a Tag Alarm and Event Server, the TankTempThreshold alarm we created
triggers automatically once every minute.

158 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix A Get started with language switching
When an alarm conditions occurs, the alarm appears in the Alarm and Event
Summary in the default runtime language (in this case, English for the United
States).

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 159

Appendix A Get started with language switching
When you click the Italiano button, the alarm message appears in Italian.
Notice that the other parts of the Alarm and Event Summary (for example, the
Details pane) currently appear in the language version of the FactoryTalk
View software you have installed on your computer. However, you can make
these items switch languages by editing the properties of the Alarm and Event
Summary to modify the column heading text. You can also export the graphic
display's language strings in FactoryTalk View, and then translate them before
importing them again.

The behavior of the display is the same when you click the Deutsch button to
display the alarm message in German.

160 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix A Get started with language switching
The labels on the buttons do not change when switching languages. This is the
expected behavior because there are no translated strings for the buttons, and
the Display undefined strings using the default language check box is
selected. If you do not select this check box, undefined strings are displayed as
question marks (?) at runtime.

Summary and tips for To set up language switching for an application:

setting up language 1. Develop the application in a base language.

switching 2. Export the application's user-defined text strings.
When translating to or from Unicode character sets (for example,
Asian languages), you must export and then import the Logix Designer
tag database as a .txt file. The .csv format does not support Unicode
character sets. This limitation does not apply to FactoryTalk Tag Alarm
and Event Servers.
3. Translate the strings. You can use Notepad or Microsoft Excel. Excel is
useful for large numbers of strings.
4. Import the translated strings back into the application.
Tip: For more detailed information about setting up language switching, see the FactoryTalk View
Site Edition Help in FactoryTalk View Studio. Also see the FactoryTalk View User's Guide in
FactoryTalk View--click Help > Online Books.

Text that supports language In general, the user-defined strings that support language switching are
those that an operator sees in an application at runtime. Specifically, these
switching are:
• Text you specify for graphic objects and global objects including
captions, tool tip text, time and date embedded variables, and numeric
embedded variables.
• Graphic and global object display titles specified in the Display
Settings dialog box.
• Text objects created in graphic displays and global object displays.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 161

Appendix A Get started with language switching

Text that does not support Text that does not support language switching:

language switching • Text that is part of the language version of the FactoryTalk View Studio
Site Edition or Client software, such as information from system tags,
which is displayed in the same language as the operating system.
These are translated when FactoryTalk View is localized.
• Text that can be displayed at runtime but is used to operate the
application, such as the names of graphic displays, and command
strings.
• Tag descriptions and string constants in expressions.
• Text in the title bar of a FactoryTalk View Site Edition Client window,
which is part of the setup of the client, not part of the application.
Alarm and Event Summary If the Alarm and Event Summary or the Alarm and Event Banner is notified of
and Alarm and Event Banner a language switch, the contents are reloaded in the new language.
Any Alarm Fault List messages that you created in Logix Designer (in the
Alarm Properties dialog box) do not currently switch languages.
You can use the Alarm and Event Banner Properties dialog box to configure
tooltips and panel captions in multiple languages. Define strings in one
language at a time. FactoryTalk View controls which language is displayed.
You cannot switch the text labels for the alarm states and priorities.
Tip: When configuring language switching for the Alarm and Event Banner, see the FactoryTalk View Site
Edition Help in FactoryTalk View Studio.

Alarm and Event Log Viewer You can use the Alarm and Event Log Viewer to configure column headings,
button captions, and button tooltips in multiple languages. Define strings in
one language at a time. FactoryTalk View controls which language is
displayed.
When the Alarm and Event Log Viewer is notified of a language switch, the
contents of the viewer, which consists of report data, are not translated. This
data continues to be displayed in the language that was used when the alarm
or event was logged.
If text for a language is not available, the text for the default language is used.
Tip: When configuring language switching for the Alarm and Event Log Viewer, see the FactoryTalk View
Site Edition Help in FactoryTalk View Studio.

162 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix B

System performance and limits

FactoryTalk Alarms and Events has been tested to conform to the following
performance limits.
Tip: All testing was performed with the recommended hardware. For details, see the FactoryTalk View Site
Edition Installation Guide.

Controller specifications The specifications vary depending on the controller firmware revisions.

Controllers with revision 31 Starting from revision 31, Logix tag-based alarms (configured alarms) are
supported.
and later
Specification Value
Number of subscribers (FactoryTalk Linx servers) per L7x
3
controller
Number of subscribers (FactoryTalk Linx servers) per L8z
6
controller
Active alarm state transitions every 5 minutes per L7x or L8z
3,000
controller
Maximum number of instruction alarms per L7x or L8z controller 3,000
Configured alarms only
Maximum number of configured alarms only per L8z controller 10,000
Maximum number of "used" configured alarms per L8z
7,500
controller
Configured alarms with instruction based alarms
Maximum of configured alarms with instruction based alarms
10,000
per L8z controller
Maximum number of "used" alarms per L8z controller 7,500
Maximum number of instruction based alarms within "used"
3,000
alarms per L8z controller
Digital 1 KB
Approximate controller memory used for each instruction based Analog 2.5 KB
alarm Using associated tags, string tags consume 750-1600 bytes per
string tag depending on the alarm type.
Supported languages for alarm messages All languages supported by FactoryTalk View.

Execution times for alarms

Execution times
Rung State
ALMD instruction ALMA instruction
False with no alarm state change 7 μs 5 μs
False with alarm state change 16 μs 5 μs
True with no alarm state change 7 μs 15 μs
True with alarm state change 16 μs 25 μs

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 163

Appendix B System performance and limits

Controllers with revision 24 The following table lists information for controllers with revision 24 and later.
and later Specification Value
Number of subscribers (FactoryTalk Linx servers) per L7x
3
controller
Number of subscribers (FactoryTalk Linx servers) per L8z
6
controller
Active alarm state transitions every 5 minutes per L7x or L8z
3,000
controller
Maximum number of instruction alarms per L7x or L8z controller 3,000
Digital 1 KB
Approximate controller memory used for each instruction based Analog 2.5 KB
alarm Using associated tags, string tags consume 750-1,600 bytes per
string tag depending on the alarm type.
Supported languages for alarm messages All languages supported by FactoryTalk View.

Execution times for alarms

Execution times
Rung State
ALMD instruction ALMA instruction
False with no alarm state change 7 μs 5 μs
False with alarm state change 16 μs 5 μs
True with no alarm state change 7 μs 15 μs
True with alarm state change 16 μs 25 μs

Controllers with revision 20 The following table lists information for controllers with revision 20 or
or earlier earlier.
Specification Value
Number of subscribers (FactoryTalk Linx servers) per controller 3
Controller memory used for buffering by each subscriber
100KB
(FactoryTalk Linx)
Typical number of alarm state transitions per subscriber 1,000
Recommended maximum number of alarms per controller 2,000
Digital 1 KB
Approximate controller memory used for each instruction based Analog 2.2 KB
alarm Using associated tags, string tags consume 750-1,600 bytes per
string tag depending on the alarm type.
Supported languages for alarm messages All languages supported by FactoryTalk View.

Execution times for alarms

Execution times
Rung State
ALMD instruction ALMA instruction
False with no alarm state change 8 μs 17 μs
False with alarm state change 35 μs 17 μs
True with no alarm state change 8 μs 65 μs
True with alarm state change 35 μs 126 μs

Scan times increase during a scan when many alarms change state at the
same time. An alarm state change is any event that changes the condition of
the alarm. Minimize the potential for large alarm bursts by creating

164 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix B System performance and limits
dependencies on related alarms. Large alarm bursts can have a significant
impact on application code scan time.
Tip: Firmware revisions 21 to 23 do not support the new alarms functionality.

System sizing When you design and set up a FactoryTalk system, we recommend using the
recommendations following guidelines. If you find that your system needs to expand beyond
these guidelines, contact your Rockwell Automation sales or distributor
representative to discuss your application design.
Component Recommended guidelines
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events servers per FactoryTalk Directory 10 non-redundant servers or 10 redundant server pairs1
FactoryTalk tag-based alarms per server 20,0002
Logix device-based alarms per server 10,0003
Total alarms per FactoryTalk Directory 100,0004
FactoryTalk Linx
FactoryTalk Linx data servers per FactoryTalk Directory 10 non-redundant servers or 10 redundant server pairs1
Total device tags per FactoryTalk Directory 1,000,0005
Tags per FactoryTalk Linx data server 100,0005
FactoryTalk View SE
HMI servers per FactoryTalk Directory 10 non-redundant servers or 10 redundant server pairs1
HMI tags per HMI server 40,0006
Total data logged tags per HMI server (1 second scan rate) 5,000
FactoryTalk View SE client sessions simultaneously connected to the application 1205
FactoryTalk ViewPoint SE servers per application 4
FactoryTalk ViewPoint SE concurrent clients per ViewPoint server 50
1. Because multiple applications can run simultaneously within the same FactoryTalk Directory, the recommended number refers to the sum of servers across applications in one FactoryTalk
Directory.
2. The number of alarm backing tags influences the maximum number of available alarms because they increase the resource requirements of the alarm server. When using backing tags for status
and control, a good rule of thumb is to multiply the total number of backing tags by the total number of alarms, and ensure the result is less than 20,000. PlantPAx® users should refer to the
PlantPAx Reference Manual PROCES-RM001 for alarm server sizing guidance for a PlantPAx application.
3. This number is the sum of both instruction alarms and Logix tag-based alarms across all the controller shortcuts in each FactoryTalk Linx server.
4. The total number of alarms per FactoryTalk Directory includes all FactoryTalk Alarms and Events tag-based and device-based alarms in the directory.
5. Refer to Knowledgebase Document ID: IN7377 - Amounts of device tags that may have in FactoryTalk View SE application for detailed information to determine system scalability for the total
device tags per FactoryTalk Directory.
6. The maximum number of HMI tags that can be created on a single HMI server is 175,000. Extensive use of HMI tags has a significant performance impact on an HMI server, so Rockwell Automation
recommends minimizing their use, and instead using direct-reference tags as much as possible.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 165

 Appendix C

Install FactoryTalk Alarms and Events manually

FactoryTalk Alarms and Events software is installed when you install

FactoryTalk View Site Edition and FactoryTalk Services software. If
FactoryTalk Services Platform already exists on a computer where FactoryTalk
Alarms and Events is not installed, you need to install it manually.
The following illustration shows a sample FactoryTalk system with
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events installed on various computers.

Summary of steps Step 1. Confirm that FactoryTalk Services Platform is installed on the
computer where you are going to install FactoryTalk Alarms and Events.
Step 2. Install FactoryTalk Alarms and Events.

Confirm that FactoryTalk FactoryTalk Services Platform must be installed before installing FactoryTalk
Alarms and Events.
Services Platform is
installed To check if you have FactoryTalk Services Platform:
1. On the Start menu, click Control Panel and then click Programs and
Features.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 167

Appendix C Install FactoryTalk Alarms and Events manually
2. In the list, look for FactoryTalk Services Platform 2.10 (CPR 9) or later.
If it is not in the list, install it. For instructions, see either the
FactoryTalk View Site Edition Installation Guide or the FactoryTalk Linx
installation instructions.
Install FactoryTalk Alarms Log in as a user with administrative rights before you begin the installation.
and Events As part of the installation process, FactoryTalk Alarms and Events creates
program folders and modifies registry entries. To make these modifications,
the user that is currently logged in must have administrative rights on the
computer on which FactoryTalk Alarms and Events is installed.
1. Close any open programs.
2. At the root of the FactoryTalk View SE, FactoryTalk Services, or
FactoryTalk Linx installation package, under the Common folder, open
the <version>-FTAE folder, and then double-click FTAE.msi.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions.

168 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix D

Install Microsoft SQL Server

FactoryTalk Alarms and Events uses Microsoft SQL Server as the database
engine for logging alarm and event information. You can connect to an
existing SQL Server database. You can also install SQL Server Express, which
is included in the Redist folder in the FactoryTalk View installation package.
If you do not have an existing SQL Server database, or do not plan to use it,
follow the instructions outlined in this chapter to make sure that SQL Server
is installed with the correct features enabled. See Summary of Steps on page
169 for details.
You can install the database on the same computer used to host other
FactoryTalk servers, or on a separate computer. Depending on the size of your
system, you might choose to use a separate computer as a dedicated logging
computer to balance processing power.
For more information on using an existing SQL Server database, see Use an
existing SQL Server database on page 173.

Summary of steps The following is a summary of the steps required to install SQL Server
Express. Each step is described in more detail on the following pages.
Step 1. In the FactoryTalk View installation package, open the Redist folder,
which contains the software for SQL Server Express.
Step 2. Install the .NET Framework. The SQL Server Express installation fails
without this component.
Step 3. Run the SQL Server Install batch file to install and configure SQL
Server Express.
Step 4. Configure the Windows firewall if you want to allow for remote
connections.

Step 1. Open the Redist The Redist folder is located in the FactoryTalk View installation package and
contains the following folders:
folder
Folder Description
DotNETFX_4.8 Installation for Microsoft .NET Framework version 4.8. You might already have the
.NET Framework software on your computer, but verify the correct version is
installed or the SQL Server install fails.
Note: This software component is a prerequisite that must be installed before you
install SQL Server 2019 Express. If the installation program identifies other missing
components, download them from the Microsoft website.
SQLServerEXPR_2019 Installation for SQL Server 2019 Express.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 169

Appendix D Install Microsoft SQL Server

Step 2. Install the .NET The Microsoft .NET Framework version 4.8 is a prerequisite for SQL Server
2019 Express. Microsoft .NET Framework version 4.8 is installed
Framework automatically by the FactoryTalk View installation. You need to manually
install it if it is not installed.
Tip: If you have .NET Framework 1.2 or any version before 2.0.50727, you must uninstall it (versions 1.0 and
1.1 do not have to be uninstalled) before installing the correct version.

To manually install the .NET Framework version 4.8

1. In the FactoryTalk View installation package, open the
Redist\DotNETFX_4.8 folder, and then double-click
ndp48-x86-x64-allos-enu.exe.
2. Follow the on-screen instructions.
Step 3. Run the SQL Server The batch file installs SQL Server 2019 Express on your computer with the
Install batch file (not the correct settings for logging alarms and events. The batch file configures the
following settings for SQL Server:
.exe)
• Allow remote connections to the database using the TCP/IP protocol.
• Enable SQL Server Browser.

To install SQL Server 2019 Express

1. Close any open programs.
2. In the FactoryTalk View installation package, open the
Redist\SQLServerEXPR_2019 folder, and then double-click SQL
Server Install.bat.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions.
Step 4. Configure the If you want to allow remote connections to the SQL Server database, the
Windows firewall database engine service and the SQL Server browser service must be added as
exceptions in Windows firewall. Perform these steps if you:
• Have remote clients (for example, a log viewer) that needs access to the
database.
• Want to configure the database remotely.

To configure the Windows firewall

1. Click Start > Control Panel > Windows Firewall.
2. Click Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall.
3. Click Allow another app.
4. To add the database engine service:
a. In the Add an app dialog box, click Browse, and then go to
C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\<Your SQL Server Instance
Name>\MSSQL\Binn\sqlservr.exe.

170 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix D Install Microsoft SQL Server
b. Click Open.
c. Click Add.
5. To add the browser service:
a. In the Add an app dialog box, click Browse, and then go to C:\Program
Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Shared\sqlbrowser.exe.
b. Click Open.
c. Click Add.
6. Click OK.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 171

 Appendix E

Use an existing SQL Server database

FactoryTalk Alarms and Events can use an existing Microsoft SQL Server as
the database engine for logging alarm and event information.
You must set up the correct settings for logging alarm and event data if you
are using an existing SQL Server database. For more information on the
settings, see Summary of steps on page 173.

Supported SQL Server FactoryTalk Alarms and Events can use the following Microsoft SQL Server
database:
databases
• SQL Server 2019 Standard (64-bit)
• SQL Server 2017 Standard (64-bit)
• SQL Server 2016 Standard SP2 (64-bit)
• SQL Server 2014 Standard SP3 (64-bit)
• SQL Server 2012 Standard SP4 (64-bit)
Remote connections to the To allow remote connections to the database you must configure the TCP/IP
SQL Server database protocol, the SQL Server Browser, and the Windows Firewall. Perform these
steps if you:
• Have remote clients (for example, a log viewer) that needs access to the
database.
• Want to configure the database remotely.
Summary of steps Step 1. Install SQL Server Management Studio on page 173
Step 2. Specify Mixed Mode authentication for the SQL Server database on
page 174
Step 3. Configure TCP/IP protocol for the database on page 174
Step 4. Enable the SQL Server Browser service on page 174
Step 5. Configure the Windows Firewall on page 174

Step 1. Install SQL Server Prior to SQL Server 2016, management tools are included in a SQL Server
installation. Starting from SQL Server 2016, you need to download and install
Management Studio management tools, such as SQL Server Management Studio separately.
To install SQL Server Management Studio, complete these steps:
1. Go to the Microsoft Download SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)
webpage and download the installation package.
2. Double-click the EXE file and follow the on-screen instructions.
3. After completing the installation, restart your computer.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 173

Appendix E Use an existing SQL Server database

Step 2. Specify Mixed Mode To change the authentication mode and configure the sa login, complete
these steps:
authentication for the SQL
1. Open SQL Server Management Studio.
Server database
2. In Object Explorer, right-click the server node, and then click
Properties.
3. On the Security page, under Server authentication, select SQL Server
and Windows Authentication mode, and then click OK.
4. In Object Explorer, expand Security, expand Logins, right-click sa, and
then click Properties.
5. On the General page, you may have to create and confirm a password
for the sa login.
6. On the Status page, under Login, click Enabled, and then click OK.
7. If you changed the authentication mode, restart the server. In Object
Explorer, right-click the server node, and then click Restart.
Step 3. Configure TCP/IP To configure TCP/IP protocol for the database, complete these steps:
protocol for the database 1. Open SQL Server Configuration Manager.
2. In Object Explorer, expand SQL Server Network Configuration, and
then click Protocols for MSSQLSERVER.
3. In the details pane, right-click TCP/IP, and then click Enabled.
4. Set all other protocols listed in the details pane to Disabled.
5. To finish, restart the SQL Server. In the Object Explorer of SQL Server
Management Studio, right-click the SQL Server instance, and then
click Restart.
Step 4. Enable the SQL To enable the SQL Server Browser service, complete these steps:
Server Browser service 1. Open SQL Server Configuration Manager.
2. Click SQL Server Services.
3. In the details pane, right-click SQL Server Browser. Click Properties.
4. In the Properties dialog box, on the Service tab, set Start Mode to
Automatic, and then click OK.
5. On the SQL Server Configuration Manager main page, right-click SQL
Server Browser again, and then choose Start.
Step 5. Configure the To configure the Windows Firewall, perform the following steps:
Windows Firewall 1. Click Start > Control Panel > Windows Firewall.
2. Click Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall.
3. Click Allow another app.
4. To add the database engine service:
a. In the Add an app dialog box, click Browse, and then go to C:\Program
Files\Microsoft SQL Server\<Your SQL Server Instance
Name>\MSSQL\Binn\sqlservr.exe.
b. Click Open.
c. Click Add.

174 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix E Use an existing SQL Server database
5. To add the browser service:
a. In the Add an app dialog box, click Browse, and then go to C:\Program
Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Shared\sqlbrowser.exe.
b. Click Open.
c. Click Add.
6. Click OK.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 175

 Appendix F

Alarm time stamping

FactoryTalk Alarms and Events provides excellent time-stamp accuracy

compared with traditional alarm monitoring systems, and you can obtain
better time-stamp resolution in some cases by using time stamps directly
retrieved from peripheral devices such as I/O cards or other time-stamping
hardware.
When an analog (ALMA) or digital (ALMD) alarm instruction executes as an
alarm event occurs, the current Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) value of
the controller’s wall clock is captured and delivered to the FactoryTalk Alarms
and Events system with the alarm.
This appendix shows how to replace the controller’s wall clock time in an
alarm event with a time stamp from an external source.
You can take events from an I/O card such as a 1756-IB16ISOE and use the
50-microsecond accuracy from the card’s time stamp when delivering an
alarm to the rest of the alarm monitoring system.
Resolve these points when you replace the normal time stamp provided with
the alarm instructions:
• Alarm time stamps must be in UTC with no time zone or daylight
savings time offset included (these offsets are automatically added to
the time stamp when it is displayed).
• The alarm time stamp is usually represented as a long integer (LINT)
data type, occupying one 64-bit word. Most I/O cards stamp time using
two double integers (DINT), occupying two 32-bit words.
Overview of time keeping In the Studio 5000 Logix Designer environment, time is represented in three
different ways: Local Time, Coordinated System Time, and Universal
Coordinated Time.

Coordinated System Time Coordinated System Time is provided by a free-running backplane clock that
starts counting the first time the system is powered up. CST is used for time
(CST) stamping, event tracking between processors and I/O cards, as well as for
motion planning among multiple motion modules. CST has no relevance to
real-world time, but can be converted to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)
using an offset. CST time stamps must be converted to UTC before passing
them to the alarm monitoring system.

Coordinated Universal Time Coordinated Universal Time is a real-world time relative to a time constant,
but with no time zone information and no daylight savings time offsets. It is
(UTC) the raw value used to represent time and also the value required for time

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 177

Appendix F Alarm time stamping
stamps in the FactoryTalk Alarms and Events system. UTC is equivalent to
Greenwich Mean Time, with no daylight savings time offsets.
Advantage of using UTC for time stamps is that distributed events can be
compared, regardless of their geographical location or where they are, relative
to Daylight Savings Time (DST). The software reading the time stamp can
then convert UTC time stamps to local time. Studio 5000 and FactoryTalk
Alarms and Events graphic objects convert UTC time stamps to the local time
of the workstation running the software application.
Time stamps from different sources may or may not be returned in UTC
format, depending on the device generating the time stamp and how it is
configured. For example, a 1756-IB16ISOE module can return time in UTC if
configured to do so.
In the Studio 5000 Logix Designer software, time is often returned as two
32-bit DINT data types instead of one 64-bit LINT data type. The FactoryTalk
Alarms and Events system requires the time stamps to use the LINT data type.
If a module (for example, the 1756-IB16ISOE module) returns the time stamp
in two DINTs instead of a LINT, you will have to convert the time format into
a LINT. To perform this conversion, an Add-On Instruction is available for
download from theStudio 5000 Logix Designer sample code website in the
Rockwell Automation Sample Code Library. You can locate this code by
performing a search for LINT on the search page.

Local Time (Wall Clock Local time (often referred to as Wall Clock Time) is the time in the real world
where the controller is located. This means that Wall Clock time is UTC, but
Time) with time zone and Daylight Savings Time (DST) offsets added.
Local Time is typically used to trigger local events (like turning on a pump at
1:00AM during shift change). Local time values must be converted to UTC
before passing them to an alarm monitoring system.

178 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix F Alarm time stamping
You can see the calculated result in Studio 5000 Logix Designer, in the
Controller Properties dialog box, on the Date/Time tab, as shown in the
following illustration.

We recommend using local time only to drive events from the controller, and
not to time-stamp alarms.

ALMD and ALMA alarm When the controller detects a condition that causes an In Alarm event, the
controller stores the current UTC value in the backing tag for the alarm.
blocks

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 179

Appendix F Alarm time stamping
1. The alarm is provided by ladder logic that includes the ALMD or ALMA
instructions:

If you are using RSLogix 5000 version 20 or earlier, the instruction

block is like this:

2. In the ALMD Properties dialog box, in the Configuration tab, click the
Browse button (...) to edit the alarm message sent when the alarm is
triggered.

180 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix F Alarm time stamping
3. On the Status tab, time stamps appear when the alarm is triggered,
acknowledged, returns to normal, or when the alarm count is reset.

4. On the Parameters tab, these UTC time stamps are automatically

transferred to tags that you can then use in logic of your own.

For details about adding an Alarm and Event Summary object to a graphic
display in FactoryTalk View, see Set up graphic displays on page 63.

Insert time stamps manually To insert a time stamp manually, in the ALMD Properties dialog box, on the
Tag tab, enter the new time under the .ProgTime element. Set the boolean
.UseProgTime in the backing tag for the alarm before the actual alarm
instruction is triggered.

Example

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 181

Appendix F Alarm time stamping

182 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix G

Time synchronization

FactoryTalk Alarms and Events provides excellent resolution and accuracy for
alarms and events time stamps. You can build a very accurate time sequence
for events that led to a failure, or simply to diagnose the exact order of their
occurrence. Because the alarms are generated by the controller, the
time-stamp accuracy is a function of the rate of the controller’s ability to scan
the alarm instruction, plus the accuracy of the controller’s wall clock.
When an alarm instruction is evaluated in code and an alarm transition event
occurs (goes into alarm, or is acknowledged, suppressed, and so on), the
instruction immediately records the current value of the controller’s wall
clock. This 64-bit, microsecond-resolution number reflects the time of the
event relative to the controller’s wall clock in UTC time (no time zone or
daylight savings information is included). When you view this time stamp,
either in Studio 5000 Logix Designer or in FactoryTalk View Site Edition, the
time zone of the computer running the software is used to visualize the time
value. You can use a distributed system that covers multiple time zones to
display a valid sequence of events at an operator or maintenance station
independently of the time zone the time stamps are captured in.

Coordinate multiple Because alarm events can originate in multiple controllers distributed over an
enterprise, it is important to provide a common time reference to set these
controller wall clocks clocks. A controller with a wall clock that is out of synchronization with the
rest of the enterprise can potentially log events out of the time sequence in
which they actually occurred, relative to the other controllers.
Setting the controllers' wall clocks individually by hand is inefficient.
Additionally, clock drift naturally causes these clocks to record time further
and further apart from each other. There are several automated methods to
manage the wall clocks on multiple controllers. One of the methods is using
the Logix5000 Clock Update Tool. For other methods to set clocks in a
ControlLogix system. see Knowledgebase Document ID: QA8202 - Controller
Clock setting and Time synchronization between racks, ControlLogix (various
methods).
The Logix5000 Clock Update Tool lets you view and synchronize the system
time of the controllers and devices on a network, using any computer running
Microsoft Windows and RSLinx Classic. You can also schedule automatic
synchronization of all devices. See Create a synchronization schedule on page
186.
The accuracy of time synchronization varies based on many factors, including
the network path and what the controller is doing when the time

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 183

Appendix G Time synchronization
synchronization takes place. Typical systems using the Logix5000 Clock
Update Tool coordinate clocks to approximately 300ms. If you need greater
accuracy for clock synchronization than the Logix5000 Clock Update Tool can
provide, there are several other hardware-based options to improve the
accuracy of time stamps in the control system. These include IRIGB, NTP,
GPS, and IEEE 1588 Ethernet.

Install the Logix5000 Clock Using RSLinx to browse to multiple controllers, this stand-alone tool
synchronizes multiple wall clocks at a user-defined rate in a variety of
Update Tool controllers, including PLC-5, SLC 500s, MicroLogix, and all Studio 5000
controllers (except the SoftLogix controller which typically obtains the time
from the clock in the computer where the controller is installed).
1. Go to Product Compatibility and Downloads Center (PCDC).
2. Go to Downloads by Product.
3. In the search bar type Studio 5000 and click Studio 5000 Tools.
The tools will appear on the right hand menu.
4. Click the DOWNLOADS button on the right upper corner.
5. Follow the instructions on the screen.
For more information, see Knowledgebase Document ID: IN6753 - Download
Studio 5000 Tools.

Start Clock Update Tool • Click Start > All Programs > Rockwell Software > RSLogix 5000 Tools >
Logix5000 Clock Update Tool > Logix5000 Clock Update Tool.
Start the Update Tool You can start the Logix5000 Clock Update Tool automatically when you start
automatically Windows.
• In the Logix5000 Clock Update Tool, on the File menu, click Start the
application when Windows starts.
The next time you start Windows, the Clock Update Tool opens automatically.

Use the Logix5000 Clock

Update Tool

184 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix G Time synchronization
The Logix5000 Clock Update Tool lets you view and synchronize the system
time of the controllers and devices on a network, using any computer running
Microsoft Windows and RSLinx Classic. You can also schedule automatic
synchronization of all devices.

The left pane of the Clock Update Tool window contains a tree view, with
these items:
• Scheduled Synchronizations lists synchronization schedules that have
been configured. Right-click an individual schedule for more options.
• Devices lists devices that have been configured. Right-click an
individual device for more options.
• Log contains a log of the most recent events. The path indicated under
the list of events contains the location of the complete log file for the
day.
Synchronize devices on a To synchronize devices on a schedule, complete these steps:
schedule 1. Create a synchronization schedule. This schedule determines when
synchronization takes place.
2. Create a list of devices you want to synchronize and then add them to
synchronization schedules. Devices that are not included in this list are
not synchronized.
3. Optionally, match existing devices with existing synchronization
schedules. Skip this step if you specified a synchronization schedule
when you added the device. Devices that are not matched to any
synchronization schedule are not synchronized.
This section includes information about each of these steps.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 185

Appendix G Time synchronization

Create a synchronization A synchronization schedule determines when devices are synchronized. For
example, you can schedule devices to be synchronized on a fixed time
schedule interval. You can also configure a synchronization schedule to expire on a
particular date.

Create a synchronization 1. In the Logix5000 Clock Update Tool window, in the left pane, click
Scheduled Synchronizations.
schedule 2. Right-click the right pane and then click Add Event.
3. In the Update Date and Time Interval dialog box, set up a schedule for
synchronizing the date and time, and then click OK.

The new schedule information appears, as shown in the following

example:

Remove a synchronization To remove a synchronization schedule from the list:

schedule 1. Right-click the synchronization schedule you want to remove and then
click Remove Event.
2. Any devices that were associated with this synchronization schedule
are no longer associated with a schedule.
Modify a synchronization 1. To modify an existing synchronization schedule, right-click the
schedule synchronization schedule and then click Modify Event.
2. In the Update Date and Time Interval dialog box, modify the schedule
information, and then click OK.

186 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix G Time synchronization

Enable or disable a Occasionally, you might want to temporarily disable a synchronization

schedule, rather than permanently delete it.
synchronization schedule
• To disable a synchronization schedule, right-click the synchronization
schedule you want to disable and then click Disable Event.
• To enable a synchronization schedule, right-click the disabled
synchronization schedule you want to enable, and then click Enable
Event.
Add devices After creating one or more synchronization schedules, add the devices you
want to include in the schedules.
When you add a device, you can also match it to a synchronization schedule,
or you can add all of the devices first and then match them to synchronization
schedules later. If you add the devices later, you can add all of the devices to a
single synchronization schedule in one step.
You can add a device to only one synchronization schedule.

Add a device 1. In the Logix5000 Clock Update Tool, in the left pane, click Devices.
2. Right-click anywhere in the right pane and then click Add New Device
or click the Add Device button .

3. In the RSLinx dialog box, browse to the device you want to add, select
it, and then click OK.
Tip: You cannot click OK unless you have selected a device that is capable of being synchronized
and has not already been configured.
4. In the Add Device to Schedule list, select the synchronization schedule
to which you want to add the device, and then click OK.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 187

Appendix G Time synchronization
The device is added to the list. Because this device has not yet been
synchronized, question marks (?????) appear in the Last Update
column.

Remove a device • To remove a device from the list, right-click the device you want to
remove, and then click Remove Device. You can also select the device
your want to remove, and then click the Remove Device button . If
the device is associated with a particular synchronization schedule, it
is removed from that schedule.
• If you want to remove all devices from the list, right-click in the Device
pane and then click Remove All Devices. All devices are removed from
the list, as well as from their respective synchronization schedules.
View details about a device To view the details of a particular device, right-click the device and then click
Device Properties. This shows major and minor firmware revision
information, Computer Time, Device Time, Response Time, and the Time
Difference between the computer and the device.

Assign devices to When a synchronization schedule is selected in the left pane, the Device pane
lists all of the devices that are configured.
synchronization schedules

188 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix G Time synchronization

Tip: When you add a new device, you can assign it to a specific schedule at that time. See Add devices on
page 187.
• To add a device to the selected synchronization schedule, select the
check box to the left of the device. To remove the device from the
synchronization schedule, clear the check box.
• To add all devices to the specified schedule, select the Select All check
box at the bottom of the list.
Synchronize devices In addition to scheduling automatic synchronization, you can synchronize
manually devices manually. Either:

• Click the Synchronize All Devices button on the toolbar.

• Right-click a device and then click Synchronize Device or right-click
anywhere in the Device pane and then click Synchronize All Devices.
Any errors in synchronization are saved to the log file. In addition, an icon
appears in the device list and in the main tree view to indicate the error. The
log file indicates a specific cause for the error, where one is known.

View the log file To view a log of the most recent events, in the left pane click Log. The path
shown under the list of events contains the location of the complete log file
for the day. The log file is saved in .txt and .xml format.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 189

Appendix G Time synchronization

Change the location of the The default location for the synchronization log file is C:\Program
Files\Rockwell Software\RSLogix 5000 Tools\Logix5000 Clock Update Tool.
log file
To change the location of the log file:
1. On the Log menu, click Change Log File Location (or to the right of the
Path box at the bottom of the Update Tool window, click the Browse
button ).
2. In the Browse for Folder dialog box, select the new folder for the log
files, and then click OK. To create a new folder for the log file, click
Make New Folder.

Time stamps with tag-based If your FactoryTalk Alarms and Events system includes tag-based alarm
alarms servers, the time stamps for those alarms come from the computer that hosts
the server that provides tags to the alarm server (for example, FactoryTalk
Linx or a third-party Data Server). To ensure that alarms are ordered properly
by time, you must synchronize the computer's clock with the controllers'
clocks.
The simplest way to solve this synchronization problem is to run the
Logix5000 Clock Update Tool on the same computer as the FactoryTalk Linx
alarm server. This ensures that the controller clocks all synchronize with the
computer's tag-based alarm server. Typical systems using this method
commonly achieve 300ms synchronization.
If it is not possible to install the Logix5000 Clock Update Tool on the same
computer that hosts the data server that provides tags for the tag-based alarm
server, try to synchronize the computer's clock with the same NTP server that
is used to synchronize the control network, with similar network latencies.
For details about tag-based alarms, see Add a tag-based alarm server for
Studio 5000, PLC-5, SLC 500, or third-party controllers on page 51.

190 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix G Time synchronization

Supported devices The Logix5000 Clock Update Tool supports the following controller families:
• ControlLogix
• CompactLogix
• All CompactLogix processors can be used with ENI. CompactLogix
L32E and CompactLogix L35E can be directly connected via Ethernet
or with ENI.
• Make sure that the CompactLogix port is set up for DF1 full-duplex.
• Make sure routing is enabled on NET-ENI. Net-ENI works with
Ethernet devices drivers and not with EtherNet/IP drivers.
• DriveLogix
• FlexLogix
• PLC-5
• SLC
• MicroLogix
• PowerMonitor

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 191

 Appendix H

Reference for building a distributed system

This system configuration guide primarily focuses on building an alarms and

events system on a single computer.
When building a distributed system on multiple computers on the network,
keep the following guidelines in mind.

When installing FactoryTalk FactoryTalk Alarms and Events is installed with FactoryTalk View and
FactoryTalk Services.
Alarms & Events
For details, see Install FactoryTalk Alarms and Events manually on page 167.

Typical distributed system In the sample distributed automation system shown next, FactoryTalk
Services Platform is installed on every computer in the network.
on a network
The diagram shows just one example of a possible network layout for a group
of computers and software products participating in a FactoryTalk Alarms
and Events system using a FactoryTalk Network Directory. Use this diagram
only as a starting point--your own distributed system will vary.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 193

 Appendix I

Language identifiers

With the FactoryTalk View language switching feature, runtime operators can
view the text strings defined in an application in up to 40 different languages.
FactoryTalk View SE Clients can run in any of the languages an application
supports. In a network distributed application or network station application,
multiple clients can run in different languages at the same time.
The languages in the following table are supported for language switching by
the application at runtime. Be sure that these languages are installed on the
development and client computers before trying to switch languages.
To find out which languages are installed on a computer, open Control Panel.
Click Region and Language.
Installed languages are listed in the dialog box. The language that has a check
mark beside it is the default language.
For more information on adding alarm messages in multiple languages to a
FactoryTalk Tag Alarm and Event Server, see Enter alarm messages in other
languages on page 147.

Language identifiers The following table lists the language identifiers:

Language ID
Afrikaans (South Africa) af-ZA
Albanian (Albania) sq-AL
Arabic (Algeria) ar-DZ
Arabic (Bahrain) ar-BH
Arabic (Egypt) ar-EG
Arabic (Iraq) ar-IQ
Arabic (Jordan) ar-JO
Arabic (Kuwait) ar-KW
Arabic (Lebanon) ar-LB
Arabic (Libya) ar-LY
Arabic (Morocco) ar-MA
Arabic (Oman) ar-OM
Arabic (Qatar) ar-QA
Arabic (Saudi Arabia) ar-SA
Arabic (Syria) ar-SY
Arabic (Tunisia) ar-TN
Arabic (U.A.E.) ar-AE
Arabic (Yemen) ar-YE
Armenian (Armenia) hy-AM
Azeri (Cyrillic) az-Cyrl-AZ
Azeri (Latin) az-Latn-AZ
Basque eu-ES
Belarusian be-BY

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 195

Appendix I Language identifiers
Language ID
Bosnian (Cyrillic, Bosnia and Herzegovina) bs-Cyrl-BA
Bosnian (Latin, Bosnia and Herzegovina) bs-Latn-BA
Bulgarian bg-BG
Catalan ca-ES
Chinese (Hong Kong S.A.R.) zh-HK
Chinese (Macau S.A.R.) zh-MO
Chinese (PRC) zh-CN
Chinese (Singapore) zh-SG
Chinese (Taiwan) zh-TW
Croatian (Croatia) hr-HR
Czech (Czech Republic) cs-CZ
Danish (Denmark) da-DK
Divehi (Maldives) dv-MV
Dutch (Belgium) nl-BE
Dutch (Netherlands) nl-NL
English (Australia) en-AU
English (Belize) en-BZ
English (Canada) en-CA
English (Caribbean) en-029
English (Ireland) en-IE
English (Jamaica) en-JM
English (New Zealand) en-NZ
English (Philippines) en-PH
English (South Africa) en-ZA
English (Trinidad ) en-TT
English (United Kingdom) en-GB
English (United States) en-US
English (Zimbabwe) en-ZW
Estonian (Estonia) et-EE
Faroese (Faroe Islands) fo-FO
Farsi fa-IR
Filipino(Philippines) fil-PH
Finnish (Finland) fi-FI
French (Belgium) fr-BE
French (Canada) fr-CA
French (France) fr-FR
French (Luxembourg) fr-LU
French (Monaco) fr-MC
French (Switzerland) fr-CH
Frisian (Netherlands) fy-NL
FRYO (Macedonian) mk-MK
Galician gl-ES
Georgian ka-GE
German (Austria) de-AT
German (Germany) de-DE
German (Liechtenstein) de-LI
German (Luxembourg) de-LU
German (Switzerland) de-CH
Greek (Greece) el-GR
Gujarati (India) gu-IN
Hebrew (Israel) he-IL
Hindi (India) hi-IN
Hungarian (Hungary) hu-HU
Icelandic (Iceland) is-IS

196 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix I Language identifiers
Language ID
Indonesian (Indonesia) id-ID
Inuktitut (Latin, Canada) iu-Latn-CA
Irish (Ireland) ga-IE
Italian (Italy) it-IT
Italian (Switzerland) it-CH
Japanese (Japan) ja-JP
Kannada (India) kn-IN
Kazakh (Kazakhstan) kk-KZ
Konkani (India) kok-IN
Korean (Korea) ko-KR
Kyrgyz (Cyrillic) ky-KG
Latvian (Latvia) lv-LV
Lithuanian (Lithuania) lt-LT
Luxembourgish (Luxembourg) lb-LU
Malay (Brunei Darussalam) ms-BN
Malay (Malaysia) ms-MY
Maktese mt-MT
Maori mi-NZ
Mapudungun (Chile) arn-CL
Marathi (India) mr-IN
Mohawk (Mohawk) moh-CA
Mongolian (Cyrillic) mn-MN
Norwegian (Bokmal) nb-NO
Norwegian (Nynorsk) nn-NO
Polish (Poland) pl-PL
Portuguese (Brazil) pt-BR
Portuguese (Portugal) pt-PT
Punjabi pa-IN
Quechua (Bolivia) quz-BO
Quechua (Equador) quz-EC
Quechua (Peru) quz-PE
Romanian (Romania) ro-RO
Romansh (Switzerland) rm-CH
Russian (Russia) ru-RU
Sami, Inari (Finland) smn-FI
Sami, Lule (Norway) smj-NO
Sami, Lule (Sweden) smj-SE
Sami, Northern (Finland) se-FI
Sami, Northern (Norway) se-NO
Sami, Northern (Sweden) se-SE
Sami, Skolt (Finland) sms-FI
Sami, Southern (Norway) sma-NO
Sami, Southern (Sweden) sma-SE
Sanskrit - India sa-IN
Serbian (Cyrillic) sr-Cyrl-CS
Serbian (Cyrillic, Bosnia and Herzdgovina) sr-Cryl-BA
Serbian (Latin) sr-Latn-CS
Serbian (Latin, Bosnia and Herzdgovina) sr-Latn-BA
Sesotho sa Leboa (South Africa) ns-ZA
Sestswana (South Africa) tn-ZA
Slovak sk-SK
Slovenian (Slovenia) sl-SI
Spanish (Argentina) es-AR
Spanish (Bolivia) es-BO

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 197

Appendix I Language identifiers
Language ID
Spanish (Chile) es-CL
Spanish (Colombia) es-CO
Spanish (Costa Rica) es-CR
Spanish (Dominican Republic) es-DO
Spanish (Ecuador) es-EC
Spanish (El Salvador) es-SV
Spanish (Guatemala) es-GT
Spanish (Honduras) es-HN
Spanish (International Sort) es-ES
Spanish (Mexico) es-MX
Spanish (Nicaragua) es-NI
Spanish (Panama) es-PA
Spanish (Paraguay) es-PY
Spanish (Peru) es-PE
Spanish (Puerto Rico) es-PR
Spanish (Traditional Sort) es-ES_tradnl
Spanish (Uruguay) es-UY
Spanish (Venezuela) es-VE
Swahili (Kenya) sw-KE
Swedish (Finland) sv-FI
Swedish sv-SE
Syriac (Syria) syr-SY
Tamil (India) ta-IN
Tatar (Russia) tt-RU
Telugu (India) te-IN
Thai (Thailand) th-TH
Turkish (Turkey) tr-TR
Ukrainian (Ukraine) uk-UA
Urdu (Pakistan) ur-PK
Uzbek (Cyrillic) uz-Cyrl-UZ
Uzbek (Latin) uz-Latn-UZ
Vietnamese (Vietnam) vi-VN
Welch cy-GB
Xhosa xh-ZA
Zula zu-ZA

For more information, see Enter alarm messages in other languages on page
147.

198 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix J

Glossary

In this section:
A - C on page 199
D on page 200
E - P on page 201
R - T on page 203

A-C
-A-

Alarm history log

A Microsoft SQL Server database that is configured to accept alarm and event
data from the FactoryTalk Alarms and Events system.

Analog alarm
An analog alarm defines a condition that evaluates a single analog tag. The
trigger condition compares the value of the tag against a defined static value
using an operator: equal to, not equal to, greater than or equal to, less than or
equal to, greater than, or less than.

Application
An application organizes project information, including elements such as
data servers, HMI servers, and alarm and event servers, and makes the
information available to all software products and computers participating in
a FactoryTalk system.
• Network distributed applications are held in a FactoryTalk Network
Directory. Project information and participating software products
can be located on multiple computers distributed across a network. All
of the computers participating in a particular network distributed
application share a common Network Directory Server located on a
network computer.
• Network station applications are held in a FactoryTalk Network
Directory. All participating software products (except for data servers)

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 199

Appendix J Glossary
must be installed on the same computer. Network station applications
can connect to data servers that are located on different machines. All
of the computers participating in a particular network station
application share a common Network Directory Server located on a
network computer.
• Local station applications are held in a FactoryTalk Local Directory.
Project information is located on a stand-alone computer and is
available only to software products installed on that same local
computer. Local station applications cannot be accessed remotely and
cannot share project information with a network distributed
application or network station application.

Area
Areas subdivide and organize a distributed network application into logical or
physical divisions. For example, separate areas might correspond with
separate manufacturing lines in a facility, separate plants in different
geographical locations, or different manufacturing processes.
Areas are not available with local station applications.

-C-

Condition-related event
An event associated with a change in the state of an alarm. For example, a
condition-related event is triggered when an alarm condition changes to In
Alarm, Acknowledged, Return to Normal, or Disabled.

D
-D-

Data server
Data servers serve tags, or data items, contained in OPC-DA (Data Access)
servers. Clients that need access to data items, such as FactoryTalk View
Studio and FactoryTalk Transaction Manager, use data server application
elements referenced from the FactoryTalk Directory to locate the computers
that are hosting OPC-DA 2.0 compliant data servers.

200 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix J Glossary

Deviation alarm
A deviation alarm defines a condition that evaluates a single analog tag. A
trigger condition compares the value of a tag against a deviation from a target
value.

Device server
A server process that connects to devices (controllers) and subscribes to alarm,
status, and diagnostic information. A device server processes this data and
publishes it to client processes for graphic display and logging. FactoryTalk
Linx is one common example of a device server. See also data server.

Device-based alarm monitoring

With device-based alarm monitoring, pre-built alarm instructions, available
in RSLogix 5000 v. 16 or later, are programmed in a logic project and then
downloaded into a Studio 5000 controller. The controller detects alarm
conditions and publishes event information, which is routed through the
system for display and logging.

Digital alarm
A digital alarm defines a condition that evaluates a single digital tag. The
trigger condition compares the value of the tag to either zero or one.

Docked
A graphic display that is fixed to the top, bottom, left or right side of a
FactoryTalk View SE client window.

Dongle
A dongle is a security or copy protection device for commercial computer
programs. When required by a program, a dongle must be connected to an
input/output port, such as USB or parallel port of the computer, to allow the
program to run. Programs that use a dongle query the port at start-up and at
programmed intervals thereafter, and close if the dongle does not respond
with the expected validation code.

E-P

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 201

Appendix J Glossary

-E-

Enabled
When an alarm is enabled, it is running its condition detection logic. Enabled
alarms cannot be edited or deleted.

-H-

HMI server
HMI servers, also called FactoryTalk View SE Servers, store and serve HMI
projects, which contain displays, alarms, tags and other services, to HMI
clients such as FactoryTalk View Studio and FactoryTalk View SE Clients. HMI
clients use FactoryTalk Directory to locate the computers that are hosting
HMI servers.

-L-

Level alarm
A level alarm defines multiple conditions that evaluate a single level tag
(sometimes called an analog tag). Each level can uniquely identify an alarm
threshold, a severity, and an alarm message.

-O-

Offline data item

In RSLinx Classic, offline data points are read directly from a processor's
project file defined in the RSLinx Classic DDE/OPC Topic Configuration (Use
Symbols option).
In FactoryTalk Linx, offline data points are read directly from a processor's
project file defined in the device shortcut. For ControlLogix, offline tag
browsing requires firmware version 10 or higher.

202 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix J Glossary

Online data item

Online data items are read directly from a processor, exactly as they are
defined in that processor.
Using a Studio 5000 controller you can create tags right in the controller and
use RSLinx Classic or FactoryTalk Linx to access those tags directly. As a
result, you can work with symbol names in a Studio 5000 processor both
online and offline.
In a traditional PLC-5 or SLC 500 processor, tags are not created in the
controller--instead symbol and tag names are associated with predefined PLC
addresses. These associations are held in the logic program and are
referenced by RSLinx Classic or FactoryTalk Linx. When reading data points
online, only the PLC addresses exist inside the controller. You must work with
RSLinx Classic offline data items to use ladder logic symbol names with these
types of controllers.

OPC
OPC (OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) for Process Control) is a
non-proprietary technical specification that defines a set of standard
interfaces based on Microsoft’s OLE/COM (Component Object Model)
technology. Applying OPC standards makes interoperability possible among
automation and control applications, field systems and devices, and business
and office applications.
The FactoryTalk Services Platform supports and extends the OPC 2.0
specification, which includes the ability to browse data items.

-P-

Policy
A set of system-wide rules governing how security is implemented, such as
rules related to password length and complexity.

R-T
-R-

RSLinx
RSLinx Classic and FactoryTalk Linx are families of software products that
link networks and devices to products such as the FactoryTalk View family of
HMI software and the RSLogix family of device-programming software.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 203

Appendix J Glossary
Two versions of RSLinx are commonly used in FactoryTalk systems:
• RSLinx Classic: an OPC-DA 2.0 data server.
• FactoryTalk Linx: a FactoryTalk Live Data server and Alarms and
Events server.

RSLogix
The RSLogix family of software products provides programming software for
control devices, including the Studio 5000 series, PLC-5, and SLC 500. Use
either of these two control programming tools to set up device-based alarm
monitoring in FactoryTalk Alarms and Events:
• Studio 5000 Logix Designer application, version 21.00.00 and later.
• RSLogix 5000 software, version 16.00.00 and later.

-S-

Simple event
Any event describing a simple occurrence in the system. Example: failure to
access a computer or device.

-T-

Tag update rate

The rate at which a tag is scanned for changes to its value. To reduce the
quantity of network traffic, set the tag update rate to be as long as possible.
For example, because an operator cannot respond to tag values that change
faster than once every second, it is seldom necessary to set a tag update rate
faster than once every few seconds. Set a faster tag update rate only if the
system is programmed to respond automatically to tag values that change so
quickly, bearing in mind the load this places on the network.

Tag-based alarm monitoring

Software-based Tag Alarm and Event Servers monitor controller tags for
alarm conditions through data servers and publish event information for
display and logging. Tag-based alarm monitoring is used for Studio 5000
controllers, PLC-5, and SLC 500 devices communicating through Rockwell
Automation Device Servers (FactoryTalk Linx), or for third-party controllers
communicating through OPC data servers.

204 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Appendix J Glossary

Tracking-related event
An event that tracks changes made to the system over time. Examples: an
event describing the acknowledgment of an alarm by an operator, or the
modification of a tag value by an operator.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 205

 Legal Notices

Legal Notices Rockwell Automation publishes legal notices, such as privacy policies, license
agreements, trademark disclosures, and other terms and conditions on the
Legal Notices page of the Rockwell Automation website.

End User License Agreement (EULA)

You can view the Rockwell Automation End User License Agreement (EULA)
by opening the license.rtf file located in your product's install folder on your
hard drive.
The default location of this file is:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Rockwell\license.rtf

Open Source Software Licenses

The software included in this product contains copyrighted software that is
licensed under one or more open source licenses.
You can view a full list of all open source software used in this product and
their corresponding licenses by opening the TXT file located in your product's
OPENSOURCE folder on your hard drive. This file is divided into these
sections:
• Components
Includes the name of the open source component, its version number,
and the type of license.
• Copyright Text
Includes the name of the open source component, its version number,
and the copyright declaration.
• Licenses
Includes the name of the license, the list of open source components
citing the license, and the terms of the license.
The default location of this file is:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Rockwell\Help\FactoryTalk
Services Platform\Release Notes\OPENSOURCE\<product
name>_oss_licenses.txt
You may obtain Corresponding Source code for open source packages
included in this product from their respective project web site(s).
Alternatively, you may obtain complete Corresponding Source code by
contacting Rockwell Automation via the Contact form on the Rockwell
Automation website:
http://www.rockwellautomation.com/global/about-us/contact/contact.page.
Please include "Open Source" as part of the request text.

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 207

Legal Notices

Commercial Software Licenses

The following table lists the commercially licensed software components in
FactoryTalk Services Platform, FactoryTalk Alarms and Events, FactoryTalk
Linx OPC UA Connector, and FactoryTalk Linx.
Product Component Copyright
FactoryTalk Services Platform Stingray 12.2 Copyright 2017, Rogue Wave Software, Inc.
BCGControlBar Pro for MFC 30.0 Copyright 1998 - 2020 BCGSoft CO Ltd.
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events Stingray 12.2 Copyright 2017, Rogue Wave Software, Inc.
BCGControlBar Pro for MFC 30.0 Copyright 1998 - 2020 BCGSoft CO Ltd.
FactoryTalk Linx OPC UA Connector Softing OPC UA .NET Standard Client SDK V2.90 Copyright 2021 Softing Industrial Automation GmbH
Softing OPC UA C++ Client SDK for Windows V5.66.1 Copyright Softing Industrial Automation GmbH 2009 - 2021
FactoryTalk Linx There are no commercially licensed software components in FactoryTalk Linx.

208 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

 Index
adding to graphic displays 115, 143
Open Alarm and Event 115

Index C
clear
alarm 91
color
A blink 78
in graphic objects 78
about comment 93
acknowledging alarms 92 communication 125
Alarm and Event Banner 16 componenets of FactoryTalk Alarms and
Alarm and Event Historian 16 Events 16
Alarm and Event Log Viewer 16 controllers
Alarm and Event Summary 16 finding with RSLinx Classic 33
Alarm Status Explorer 16 linking tags with FactoryTalk Directory 47
Coordinated System Time 177 coordinated system time
database definitions 106
about 177
deviation alarms 51
create
device-based alarm monitoring 20
FactoryTalk Audit Log 16 database 106
FactoryTalk Diagnostics 16 new alarm 32, 36
graphic displays 63
Local applications 25, 39, 52
D
logging alarm and event history 16 data server 52
monitoring for alarm conditions 87 device-based alarm monitoring 20
Network distributed applications 25 choosing over tag-based 24
OPC data servers 13 compared with software-based 20
process data 13 definition of 20
security for alarms and events 13 how it works 20
setting up FactoryTalk Alarms and Events RSLogix 5000 24
16
software-based tag servers 13 E
Tag Alarm and Event Servers 51
tag-based alarm monitoring 22 enabling/disabling 95
time stamps for alarms 177
warning icons 39, 52 F
acknowledge alarms 92
FactoryTalk Services Platform 167
alarm monitoring
version required 9
about device-based alarm monitoring 20
about HMI Tag Alarm Monitoring 15 FactoryTalk View SE
about tag-based alarm monitoring 22 documentation 12
adding Tag Alarm and Event Servers 51 graphic objects in 64
choosing between tag- and device-based version required 9
24 FactoryTalk View SE Client
application 9 docking displays in 87
availability 123 setting up security for 92
FactoryTalk View Studio
B workspace in 64

background color G
in Alarm and Event Summary 78
of severities 78 glossary 201
buffered data 29
buttons H
adding captions 143 HMI Tag Alarm Monitoring 15

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022 209

Index

I Studio 5000 controllers 39

third-party controllers 47
installation tags
manual installation 167 in RSLogix 5000 36, 52
recommended hardware 9
required software 9 W
L wall clock time 178
Windows
Logix Designer docked to bottom of screen 73
Logix Designer projects 30 docking to top of screen 119
version required 9 setting up for language switching 195
Logix5000 Clock Update Tool
starting automatically 184
synchronizing clocks 185

M
monitor alarms 91
acknowledge an alarm 92, 93, 94
enable an alarm 95, 96
shelve an alarm 100, 102
suppress an alarm 98, 99

O
overview
choosing alarm monitoring options 20,
24
device-based alarm monitoring 20
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events 13
install 27
logging alarm and event history 106
monitoring for alarm conditions 87
parts of FactoryTalk Alarms and Events
16
securing access to alarms and events 92
tag-based alarm monitoring 21

R
redundancy 123
RSLogix 5000 9, 30

S
security 92
for alarms and events 92
software 9
supported devices 9, 11, 12
system requirements 9, 163, 173

T
tag-based alarm monitoring
adding Tag Alarm and Event Servers 55
definition of 13
how it works 22
OPC data servers 47

210 Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

Rockwell Automation support
Use these resources to access support information.
Technical Support Center Find help with how-to videos, FAQs, chat, user forums, and product notification updates. rok.auto/support
Knowledgebase Access Knowledgebase articles. rok.auto/knowledgebase
Local Technical Support Phone Numbers Locate the telephone number for your country. rok.auto/phonesupport

Literature Library Find installation instructions, manuals, brochures, and technical data publications. rok.auto/literature
Product Compatibility and Download Center Get help determining how products interact, check features and capabilities, and find rok.auto/pcdc
(PCDC) associated firmware.

Documentation feedback
Your comments help us serve your documentation needs better. If you have any suggestions on how to improve our content, complete the form at
rok.auto/docfeedback.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)

At the end of life, this equipment should be collected separately from any unsorted municipal waste.

Rockwell Automation maintains current product environmental information on its website at rok.auto/pec.

Allen-Bradley, expanding human possibility, Logix, Rockwell Automation, and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.

EtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA, Inc.

Trademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.

Rockwell Otomayson Ticaret A.Ş. Kar Plaza İş Merkezi E Blok Kat:6 34752, İçerenkÖy, İstanbul, Tel: +90 (216) 5698400 EEE YÖnetmeliğine Uygundur

Rockwell Automation Publication FTAE-RM001O-EN-E - November 2022

Supersedes Publication FTAE-RM001N-EN-E - March 2022 Copyright © 2022 Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.