User's Manual

C1553M-B (4/05) 219
Alarms and Events
Alarms and events are actions that are executed when specific conditions occur within the system. As system administrator, you define the
condition that triggers an alarm or event. You also define the scripts that run under the following conditions:
• When the alarm is triggered
• When an operator replays the alarm or event
• When the alarm or event is acknowledged
Categories: Alarms and events are organized into categories that have certain settings in common, including the following:
• The operators notified
• The sound they make
• Whether they require acknowledgement
• Whether they are archived
These settings apply to all the alarms or events in the category, without exception.
Predefined categories: For convenience, the VMX300(-E) server has three predefined categories:
• Alarms
• Events
• Normal
Alarms are intended for exceptional occurrences. By default, alarms require acknowledgement and appear in the Session Manager in red. The
Events and Normal categories are intended for routine occurrences. By default, these categories appear in the Session Manager in blue and do
not require acknowledgement.
You do not need to use the predefined categories. You can create your own categories as needed, or adapt the predefined ones by changing the
settings. The name and type of predefined categories cannot be changed, but all other options can.
Property: Alarms and events have one Boolean property that you can use in scripts and expressions: Value. Value is false when the alarm/
event’s expression is false, and true when the expression is true.
HOW ALARMS AND EVENTS WORK
WHEN AN ALARM OR EVENT IS TRIGGERED
Whenever something happens that could affect the value of an alarm/event expression, the expression is evaluated. If the expression becomes
true as a result of what happened, the first of the alarm/event’s scripts runs and recipients are notified. Specifically, the following events occur:
• On the workstation of an alarm/event recipient, the alarm/event icon becomes animated (the bell hammer strikes the bell) and changes
color to the alarm/event category’s Color. The animation continues as long as the expression remains true; the color changes back to the
default when the alarm or event is acknowledged or becomes complete.
• The alarm or event’s On Event script runs.
• On the workstation of all alarm/event recipients, an entry recording the alarm or event appears in the Session Manager. The entry displays
in the alarm/event category’s Color.
• If there is no active entry highlighted in the Session Manager of a particular recipient when the alarm or event is triggered, the entry for the
new alarm or event is automatically highlighted and the On Operator Replay script runs. If acknowledgement is required, Acknowledge or
Acknowledge with Comment becomes available on the Session Manager tool bar and in the alarm icon pop-up menu. The entry for the new
alarm or event will not be highlighted if the recipient already has a highlighted entry in the Session Manager when the alarm or event is
triggered. This ensures that the operator’s current activity is not interrupted.
• If Sound is selected in the alarm/event category, the sound plays on the workstations of alarm/event recipients. If the category has “Play
sound continuously” selected, the sound continues to play until the operator turns it off by clicking the Silence Alarm button in the Session
Manager.
• If the alarm/event category has “Archive events of this category” selected, the entry is committed to the archives.
When the expression that triggers an alarm or event becomes false, the icon animation stops (the bell hammer stops striking the bell).
TIP: Refer to Alarms and Events and Session Manager in the VMX300(-E) Client Operation Manual for additional information on how
alarms and events behave in the client.