Importing Equipment Information
Equipment information is imported from the Import tab of the Import and Export Equipment window. The import action is not limited to the context currently selected on the Equipment tab. Administrators and Controls Engineers can import equipment into all contexts. Maintenance Managers require additional permissions to perform imports.
Prerequisites
Before importing equipment information, the following prerequisites must be met:
Ensure that the script timeout setting for ThingWorx has been updated as described in the "Update the Script Timeout Setting" section of Importing the ThingWorx Apps Extension. If you encounter timeout issues while importing significantly large amounts of information, consider further increasing the script timeout setting.
The IndustrialThingShape Thing Shape must be present on the equipment Thing for properties to be remotely bound to KEPServerEX tags using import. This can be achieved in one of two ways:
In ThingWorx Composer, add the Thing Shape to the Implemented Shapes field on the Thing Template used by the equipment type on which you are remotely binding properties. All equipment Things created using that Thing Template inherit the Thing Shape.
OR
Adding the Thing Shape to the individual equipment Things as needed through the import. This is done by adding a column named Implemented Shapes to the General Information tab of the import spreadsheet, and specifying IndustrialThingShape as the value in that column for the individual piece of equipment. The import creates the equipment Thing with the Thing Shape implemented on it directly.
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Caution: Do not use both methods. If the IndustrialThingShape Thing Shape is already present on the Thing Template for an equipment type, and is then also specified in the spreadsheet on equipment of that equipment type, that piece of equipment is invalid for import.
If you have added new Thing Shapes or Thing Templates that are used by equipment which you want to import, you need to configure those entities for import. For more information, see Configuring New Thing Shapes and Thing Templates for Import.
Performing the Import
To import equipment information:
1. Download the template spreadsheet (if needed), or export your existing equipment information and download the exported spreadsheet.
2. Input or update the information into the spreadsheet, and save the spreadsheet. Keep in mind the following:
Only assets, or equipment types that derive from assets, can be included in more than one context. If more than one context is specified in the Context column on the General Information tab for a non-asset piece of equipment, that equipment is invalid for import.
If you are creating equipment using import, any optional values (noted in the template spreadsheet) can be left blank. If you are updating equipment using import, the values specified in the spreadsheet overwrite any values currently specified on that equipment.
If you are specifying remotely bound properties, see Specifying Remotely Bound Properties for Import
Refer to the comments on each column in the template spreadsheet data tabs for more information.
3. From the Equipment tab, click Import and Export Equipment action icon. to open the Import and Export Equipment window.
4. On the Import tab, select Structure and Equipment to import both the equipment information and the equipment structure definitions, or select Structure Only to import only the equipment structure.
5. Click Choose File to navigate to and select the spreadsheet. Click Upload.
6. Click Validate File and review the Validation Results table. You can still proceed with the import if there is invalid data present, but any invalid data is skipped.
7. Click Import. Depending on the amount of information being imported, the process can take some time to complete.
8. If the import is completely successful, a success message displays. If there was any invalid data, the Import Results table displays, detailing the actions completed on the import. You can view the details for why certain data was invalid in the script logs by clicking View logs.
Specifying Remotely Bound Properties for Import
If you are specifying remotely bound properties in the spreadsheet for import, keep the following in mind:
Binding to KEPServerEX Tags
To successfully create a remote binding to a KEPServerEX tag, keep the following in mind:
The IndustrialThing property for the equipment Thing must have the following settings in the spreadsheet:
BindingNone
BaseTypeThingname
Value—The name of the Industrial Thing that is the gateway for the KEPServerEX connection. You can find this value by clicking View Connection Information (View Connection Information icon.) for the connection in Controls Advisor. The name of the Industrial Thing gateway is the value given in the connection information as the Thing name.
LoggedFALSE
The remotely bound property itself must have the following settings in the spreadsheet:
BindingRemotely Bound
BaseType—Specify the property base type that matches the base type of the KEPServerEX tag.
Tag Address—The tag address for the KEPServerEX tag to which the equipment Thing property is to be bound.
Properties Remotely Bound to Edge MicroServer (EMS) Properties
To successfully create a remote binding to an Edge MicroServer (EMS) property, the equipment Thing property must have the following settings in the spreadsheet:
BindingRemotely Bound
BaseType—Specify the property base type that matches the base type of the Edge Thing property.
Remote Property Name—The name of the property on the Edge Thing to which the equipment Thing property is to be bound.
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