Customizing Start and End Event Notifications in PI System: Workarounds and Solutions

Customizing Start and End Event Notifications in PI System: Workarounds and Solutions

In the world of industrial data management and operational intelligence, timely and effective notifications can make a significant difference in decision-making processes. The PI System by OSIsoft is a powerful tool that provides capabilities for tracking and analyzing data in real-time. Among its many features, the PI Notification system allows users to be informed through email when certain conditions or events occur. However, customizing these notifications—particularly when it comes to using the same email address for both start and end event notifications—can pose challenges. In this blog post, we will explore the limitations and share some practical workarounds to achieve the desired notification setup.

Understanding the Limitation

The PI System's notification UI, at first glance, seems to provide limited flexibility for associating the same email address with multiple event notifications. The issue arises when trying to use the same email for notifications at both the start and end of an event. The system's default settings prevent duplicating email addresses within the same notification context, potentially leading to confusion and barriers in setup.

Workarounds for Custom Notifications

Here are some effective methods and workarounds to achieve customized event notifications in the PI System:

1. Utilizing Contact Groups

One straightforward workaround is to create different contact groups in which the email address can be included multiple times. This setup relies on managing contacts through group lists where the same email address is entered in different groups, each dedicated to various triggering conditions (start or end events).

2. Creating Separate Notification Rules

Another robust approach is to create distinct notification rules dedicated to start and end events within the system. This involves setting up individual rules for each event trigger rather than attempting to modify a single notification rule to handle both. Each rule can then be configured independently to provide tailored notifications based on the event type.

3. Using Element Templates and Analysis

The PI System’s Element Templates and Analysis features can be leveraged to craft more sophisticated notification strategies. By setting up variables or conditions within an Analysis Template, users can define triggers for different event states (such as an end event when a certain variable equals zero). Multiple Notification Rule Templates can be created from an Element Template and configured with different triggers. While the same email can be utilized as a subscriber for both rules, the content and format of each notification can be customized.

Setting Customized Notifications

These methods allow users to configure notifications with greater specificity and align them more closely with operational requirements. By leveraging contact groups, distinct notification rules, and sophisticated template setups, PI System users can receive the right notifications in the desired format, without being constrained by the system's default restrictions.

Conclusion

While the PI System may have built-in limitations regarding notification customization, its flexibility allows for creative solutions and workarounds. By understanding these limitations and employing methods like contact groups, distinct rules, and Element and Analysis Templates, users can successfully manage notifications in a way that serves their unique operational needs. By implementing these solutions, organizations can ensure that critical information is delivered to the right people at the right time, thereby enhancing their decision-making capabilities.