Troubleshooting Missing AF Template Attributes in PI Vision

One common question for administrators and integrators working with OSIsoft PI System is why newly added attributes to AF templates sometimes don't show up in PI Vision after being created. This can be a source of confusion, especially when extending or modifying existing plant designs. Let's explore the reasons for this issue and practical steps for resolving it.

Scenario: Attributes Not Appearing in PI Vision

Imagine you've just expanded an AF template to include new attributes, excited to visualize the new data points in PI Vision. However, when you open the PI Vision editor and attempt to modify a plant display, the new attributes simply do not appear. What could be going wrong?

Underlying Cause: Search Indexing

The most likely reason for this problem is related to the PI Vision search index. PI Vision relies on a search crawler to index AF metadata, making it available for browsing and visualization in the PI Vision web interface. If the changes to your AF template haven't been indexed yet, PI Vision won't recognize the new attributes, and they won't be available for selection or display design.

PI Vision and PI Web API Integration

PI Vision performs its searches through the PI Web API, which maintains a search index of the AF hierarchy and associated metadata. If the index hasn't refreshed since the template was updated, then any new attributes or changes will be invisible to PI Vision users until the next index operation.

How to Check the Indexing Status

1. Verify the Search Index Status:

   • Navigate to the PI Web API search index status page (for example: https://yourvisionservername/piwebapi/admin/search/database.html).
   • This page shows the current status of the index, last crawl time, and any indexing errors.

2. Force or Schedule a Rebuild:

   • If you see that the latest crawl doesn't include your recent changes, you may be able to manually trigger a reindex from this page depending on your permissions. Alternatively, check the PI Web API documentation or contact your administrator about scheduling regular indexing.

3. Permissions and Caching Issues:

   • Ensure your user account has the necessary permissions to see both the AF changes in System Explorer and in PI Vision.
   • Sometimes, clearing browser cache or refreshing the PI Vision page can also help surface new metadata after indexing.

Best Practices for Template Changes

• Communicate Changes: Let your PI Vision administrator know when significant AF template changes are made so they can confirm indexing operations.
• Stagger Updates: If possible, avoid large volumes of changes all at once to prevent long index cycles.
• Monitor Regular Crawls: Make sure the PI Web API search index is scheduled to update at an interval that matches operational needs.

Conclusion

If you run into the issue of missing AF attributes in PI Vision after an update, the problem is likely due to PI Web API search indexing. By confirming the status and triggering a re-crawl, you can typically resolve the issue quickly and get your new attributes visible for display design.

For more in-depth guidance, see the OSIsoft documentation on PI Vision Search Indexing.