Vaisala Veriteq viewLinc 3.6 Service manual

ADMINISTRATOR GUIDE
viewLinc 3.6
Vaisala Veriteq viewLinc Software
Data LoggerDigi Device
viewLin c S er v er
User PC
Existing
Ne twork
Serial
Data Logger in
vNet Device
Fo r PoE configuration
power adaptor is not
required
M211342EN-A

Copyright
Copyright  2011 Vaisala Canada Inc. All rights reserved.
No copying, distribution, publication, modification, or incorporation of this docu-
ment, in whole or part, is permitted for commercial purposes without the express
written permission of Vaisala Canada Inc.
Vaisala Canada Inc
13775 Commerce Parkway
Richmond, BC V6V 2V4
Canada
Trademarks
Vaisala Canada Inc, Vaisala Veriteq, Vaisala Veriteq vLog, Vaisala Veriteq view-
Linc, and Vaisala Veriteq Spectrum are trademarks of Vaisala Canada Inc.
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
All other trademarks referred to are the property of their respective owners.
Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability
Vaisala Canada Inc and its subsidiaries assume no responsibility for any damage
or loss resulting from the use of this manual.
Vaisala Canada Inc and its subsidiaries assume no responsibility for any loss or
claims by third parties which may arise through the use of this software. Vaisala
Canada Inc. and its subsidiaries assume no responsibility for any damage or loss
caused by deletion of data as a result of hardware malfunction. Be sure to make
backup copies of all important data to protect against data loss.
Vaisala Canada Inc makes no warranties, either expressed or implied, regarding
Vaisala Veriteq data loggers, Vaisala 300 Series Transmitters, or software, its mer-
chantability, or its fitness for any particular purpose. The exclusion of implied war-
ranties is not permitted by some states. As such, the exclusion may not apply to
you.
Vaisala Veriteq viewLinc has been tested using a variety of network systems. How-
ever, the large number of possible hardware and network configurations makes
testing under every circumstance impossible. If you have trouble using Vaisala
Veriteq viewLinc software, contact Vaisala Canada Inc.
Technical Support
For technical support in North America, please call 1-866-861-3388, or for custom-
ers outside North America, see “Getting Help” on page 16.
Email: [email protected]
Document part number: M211342EN-A
Release date: March 2011

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide i
About this Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
Who this Manual is for . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
How this Manual is Organized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
Conventions Used in this Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vi
Related Documentation and Software Products . . . . . . . . . .vi
Support Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vi
Chapter 1: Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Installing viewLinc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Connecting Loggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Installing Spectrum or vLog Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Installing viewLinc Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Logging In to viewLinc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Administrator’s Road Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Chapter 2: Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
About Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
What is a Channel? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Where are my Channels? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Understanding the Channels Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Opening Large Channel Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Real-Time Graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Reading Graphs in Large Channel View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Viewing Graph Detail in Large Channel View . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Acknowledging Alarms from Large Channel View . . . . . . . 26
Organizing Channels into Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Creating Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Editing Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Assigning Channels to Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Deactivating Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Contents

Contents
ii © 2011 Vaisala Canada Inc
Ordering Channel Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Hiding and Showing Channel Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Chapter 3: Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
About Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
What Happens When an Alarm is Triggered? . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Creating Alarm Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Threshold Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Setting Threshold Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Editing Threshold Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Disabling Threshold Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Deactivating and Reactivating Threshold Alarms . . . . . . . . 44
Communication Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Setting Communication Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Editing Communication Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Disabling Communication Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Logger Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Setting Logger Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Editing Logger Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Disabling Logger Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Acknowledging Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Pausing Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Chapter 4: System Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Discovering Loggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Adding Loggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Swapping Loggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Removing Loggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Editing Logger Properties and Aliases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Editing Channel Properties and Aliases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Configuring Email Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Editing Alarm Email Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Working with Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide iii
Creating Contact Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Creating User Accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Editing Users and Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Deactivating Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Reactivating Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Choosing Logger and Channel Description Lengths . . . . . 69
Choosing Temperature Measurement Unit Preferences . . 70
Setting Session Expiry Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Creating Preconfigured Comments for Email Messages . . 71
Chapter 5: Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Viewing Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Adding Comments to Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Printing Event Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Exporting Event Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Chapter 6: Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
About Historical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Generating Historical Data Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Generating Alarm History Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Generating Channel History Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Creating New Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Deleting Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Chapter 7: Transfers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Transfers and Transfer Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Creating Transfer Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Performing an Immediate Data Transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Editing Transfer Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Deactivating a Transfer Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Temporarily Disabling Transfer Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Appendix: FAQs & Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Contents
iv © 2011 Vaisala Canada Inc

About this Manual
viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide v
About this Manual
The viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide includes the
information you need to install, configure and operate the
viewLinc system.
You can also view the Quick Start Guide for a graphical
overview of installing viewLinc. If you are not an
Administrator, refer to the User Guide for information on the
standard tasks performed using viewLinc.
Who this Manual is for
This manual is for administrators who will install and
configure viewLinc Server software and its associated
components to allow end users to view and monitor data
logger readings across a network. This manual covers
several topics, including how administrators set threshold
alarms, configure email alarm notification, organize
channels, define reports, and set logger data transfer
schedules.
How this Manual is Organized
The viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide is organized into
chapters as follows:
Chapter 1: Getting Started. Contains viewLinc overview,
hardware and software requirements, essential installation
instructions, how to log in.
Chapter 2: Channels. Covers what a channel is, using “My
Channels”, opening large channel views, and organizing
channels into zones. This chapter covers topics of interest to
both a general viewLinc user and the administrator.
Chapter 3: Alarms. Contains information on creating,
editing, deactivating, and pausing alarms informing those
monitoring the system of threshold-exceeding conditions or if
data communication between the logger and the system is
down. Includes how to acknowledge alarms.
Chapter 4: System Settings. Includes information
specifically for administrators, including creating user
accounts, configuring email server settings for alarms,

About this Manual
vi © 2011 Vaisala Canada Inc
choosing temperature units to display, and changing how and
which loggers are shown in My Channels.
Chapter 5: Events. Includes filtering and printing event logs,
including details on transfers, alarms, and
acknowledgements.
Chapter 6: Reports. Includes a definition of historical data,
what you can do with it, how to generate reports.
Chapter 7: Transfers. Includes information about how to
transfer Vaisala Veriteq logger data to a PC for analysis using
vLog or Spectrum.
Appendix: FAQs & Troubleshooting. Answers common
troubleshooting questions, including how to stop and start the
viewLinc service, what is installed with viewLinc, and how to
troubleshoot common issues.
Conventions Used in this Document
This document uses the following conventions:
• A sequence of actions is indicated by a list separated by a
vertical line. For example:
“In viewLinc, choose System | Loggers”
• Menu selections, items you select, and the names of
buttons are shown in bold.
Related Documentation and Software Products
For help with viewLinc, consult the viewLinc Quick Start
Guide.
Use Vaisala Veriteq Spectrum or vLog software and their
associated Quick Start Guides for setting up Vaisala Veriteq
data loggers and viewing and printing logger historical data
as graphs or text files.
Use your specific Vaisala product User Guide for information
about installing 300 Series Transmitters.
Support Information
In North America, technical support is available between
8am-4pm PST Monday - Friday, 1-866-861-3388 (or 604-

About this Manual
viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide vii
273-6850). You can also email [e-mail],
or visit www.vaisala.com/veriteq.
For sales, pricing, quotations, or general information, please
call 1-800-683-8374 (in North America), or 604-273-6850.
For assistance outside North America, see “Getting Help” on
page 16.

About this Manual
viii © 2011 Vaisala Canada Inc

viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 1
Chapter 1: Getting Started
This section includes:
• overview of the Vaisala Veriteq Continuous Monitoring
System (CMS)
• hardware and software requirements
• installing viewLinc
• logging in to viewLinc from an Internet browser to monitor
conditions
• Administrator’s Road Map

Chapter 1: Getting Started
2© 2011 Vaisala Canada Inc
Overview
Welcome to viewLinc 3.6, a key element in the Vaisala
Veriteq Continuous Monitoring System (CMS). Using
viewLinc you can easily monitor data logger readings locally
on a PC or across a network using a supported version of
Microsoft® Internet Explorer® or Mozilla® Firefox® Internet
browser.
With viewLinc 3.6, you can:
• monitor remote conditions from multiple data loggers from
a local or remote PC desktop
• view real-time data in a graphical format
• generate historical data and alarm reports
• receive visual or email alarms when conditions you are
monitoring are out of compliance or if there is a network
communication problem
• analyze automatically documented logger events, such as
when alarms are triggered, acknowledged or there are
logger communication problems
• schedule transfers of Vaisala Veriteq logger data (also
referred to as ‘historical data’) to be viewed and graphed
with Vaisala Veriteq Spectrum or vLog software
• easily identify loggers and the zones in which they operate
• swap a logger for calibration or replacement purposes
without breaking the data audit trail
• create preconfigured comments for alarm notifications
• create reusable alarm templates
When installed, the Vaisala Veriteq CMS is comprised of
software components (including viewLinc), and hardware
components (including data loggers, a PC with a supported
Internet browser, and, depending on how you connect the
loggers to your PC, various cables, Vaisala Veriteq vNet or
Digi networking devices).
How you connect your loggers to your PC is a very important
administrative decision. There are four methods and each
requires certain hardware connections. The most convenient

Overview
viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 3
methods of attaching loggers to PCs are using vNet or Digi
devices. These options are described in Table 1.
Method How
Connected Detail
vNet devices Ethernet • Allows data loggers to be
connected to the PC across
an Ethernet network, allow-
ing the PC and loggers to
be separated by large dis-
tances within a facility
• Requires installation of
vNet drivers (provided)
• Requires use of vNet device
Digi device Ethernet • Allows data loggers to be
connected to the PC across
an Ethernet network, allow-
ing the PC and loggers to
be separated by large dis-
tances within a facility
• Requires installation of Digi
drivers (provided)
• Requires use of Digi device
USB port Vaisala Veriteq
USB cable
• Allows data loggers to con-
nect directly or over an
Ethernet network (when
logger host is installed) to
the viewLinc server
• Requires installation of USB
drivers (provided) and uses
a USB connection on a PC
• Requires a USB to Logger
cable
Table 1: Methods of attaching loggers to PCs

Chapter 1: Getting Started
4© 2011 Vaisala Canada Inc
It is also possible to use a mix of these methods if your
system requires it.
The outlined System Requirements apply to all installation
options.
System Requirements
To install viewLinc, you need:
• Vaisala Veriteq data loggers or Vaisala 300 Series
Transmitters (both are referred to as ‘loggers’ in this guide
and in viewLinc)
• PC (will be referred to in the rest of this document as the
viewLinc Server)
• Vaisala Veriteq cables (there are specific cables for
attaching loggers to Digi devices and attaching loggers to
USB or Serial ports on a viewLinc Server)
• (optional) vNet devices, for connecting loggers to a
viewLinc Server using an Ethernet connection
• (optional) Digi devices, for connecting loggers to viewLinc
Server using an Ethernet connection
Serial port Vaisala Veriteq
serial port cable
• Allows data loggers to con-
nect directly or over an
Ethernet network (when
logger host is installed) to
the viewLinc server
• Requires a Serial port on a
PC
• Requires a Serial to Logger
cable
Method How
Connected Detail
Table 1: Methods of attaching loggers to PCs

System Requirements
viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 5
viewLinc Server Requirements
The viewLinc Server machine must meet the following
requirements:
• Be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Have 350 MB free application disc space.
• Use one of the following operating systems:
•Microsoft
® Windows XP
•Microsoft
® Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 (32 or
64 bit versions)
• Other operating systems can be used depending on the
size of the installation
• If you plan to use viewLinc from the viewLinc Server
machine, you must have a supported Internet browser
installed (Microsoft® Internet Explorer® 6.0 or later;
Mozilla® Firefox® 3.5 or later are recommended).
• The Historical database requires 200KB/channel/day. The
default location of the database is the application folder,
and the location of the application folder can be specified
during installation.
Depending on the number of channels you are using, the
viewLinc Server machine should also meet the following
requirements:
Large size installation (300-1000 channels)
• a dedicated machine
• 3.2 GHz, Quad Core
•4 GB RAM
• sufficient HD space to support 200KB/channel/day
For example, if you have 400 channels, you will need
approximately 30GB (400x200x365) per year.
Medium size installation (20-299 channels)
• machine may be shared with other applications
• 1.6 GHz Dual Core
•4 GB RAM
• sufficient HD space to support 200KB/channel/day

Chapter 1: Getting Started
6© 2011 Vaisala Canada Inc
For example, if you have 40 channels, you will need
approximately 3GB (40x200x365) per year.
Small installation (<20 channels)
• 1.6 GHz
•2 GB RAM
• sufficient HD space to support 200KB/channel/day
For example, if you have 4 channels, you will need
approximately 300MB (4x200x365) per year.
End User PC Requirements
A machine on the network used to administer viewLinc must
have:
• 2.4 GHz
•2 GB RAM
• a supported Internet browser installed (Microsoft Internet
Explorer 6.0 or later; Mozilla Firefox 3.5 or later
recommended).
Installing viewLinc
This section outlines how to install viewLinc on a server or a
remote host, including a description of the four methods by
which loggers can be connected to the system. The four
methods are:
• using a vNet device to connect loggers to the network
• using a Digi device to connect loggers to the network
• using USB port to connect loggers to viewLinc Server or
Remote Host
• using Serial port to connect loggers to viewLinc Server or
Remote Host
If you are connecting 300 Series Transmitter loggers, they
are connected either wirelessly or using a Digi device. Refer
to your Vaisala product User Guide for more information.
For further graphical representation of installing viewLinc,
see the relevant Vaisala Quick Start Guides. There are
versions for those using vNet or Digi devices and those using

Installing viewLinc
viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 7
USB/Serial ports. For copies of Quick Start Guides, see
www.vaisala.com/veriteq or speak to your sales
representative.
Connecting Loggers
Choose from the following methods to connect your loggers
to the network or appropriate PCs.
Method 1: Using vNet Devices
The following procedure shows how to use vNet devices to
connect your data loggers to the network.
Attaching Main Hardware
1Remove protective label on the bottom of the data
logger.
2Connect the data logger to the vNet device.
3Connect the vNet device to the Ethernet outlet and (if not
using PoE) power supply. When power is supplied to the
vNet device, the red power LED light will blink for 7-8
seconds, then stay solid. When a network connection is
made, the red LNK LED should light up and stay solid,
and the green ACT LED should blink occasionally.
Note: To ensure a secure connection, insert the power
supply barrel-end connector into the device and
turn 1/4 to the right. If your network supports
Figure 1: Overview of viewLinc system using vNet devices

Chapter 1: Getting Started
8© 2011 Vaisala Canada Inc
Power Over Ethernet, you do not need to con-
nect to a power supply.
For more information about installing vNet devices, refer to
the vNet User Guide.
Installing Vaisala Veriteq Drivers
This section covers installing the drivers for vNet devices to
connect Vaisala Veriteq loggers to the network using an
Ethernet connection. Repeat all of these steps for each vNet
device you want to use.
Discovering the vNet Device
1Obtain a reserved (recommended) or static IP address
for your vNet device from your IT department. If your
networking policy requires you to reserve IP addresses
using DHCP, see www.vaisala.com/veriteq for
instructions.
2Insert the vNet Device driver CD into the viewLinc
Server.
3The Device Setup Wizard launches automatically. Click
Next.
4Select the device that matches the MAC address from
the side of your vNet device, then click Next.
Note: If your device is on a different subnet from the
server, you will need to know the IP address
of the vNet device and launch the RealPort-
Setup.exe installer from the RealPort folder on
the vNet Device Drivers CD.
Configuring RealPort and Installing Drivers
1In the Configure Network Settings screen, enter an IP
address (provided by your IT department). Click Next two
times.
2In the Configure RealPort Settings screen, select Install
RealPort on this computer, then click Next.
3Click Next again. The settings are saved.
4Click Finish.
Repeat Installing Vaisala Veriteq Drivers for each vNet
device.

Installing viewLinc
viewLinc 3.6 Administrator Guide 9
Method 2: Using Digi Devices
The following procedure shows how to use Digi devices to
connect your data loggers to the network.
Attaching Main Hardware
1Connect your data logger to a Digi device using a Vaisala
Veriteq cable.
2Connect your Digi device to power supply and Ethernet
outlet.
Note: These instructions focus on the Digi One SP. For
other Digi models, see www.vaisala.com/veriteq.
Installing Digi Drivers
This section covers installing the drivers for Digi devices to
connect Vaisala Veriteq loggers or Vaisala 300 Series
Transmitters to the network using an Ethernet connection.
Repeat all of these steps for each Digi device you’ll use.
Discovering the Digi Device
1Obtain a reserved (recommended) or static IP address
for your Digi device from your IT department. If your
networking policy requires you to reserve IP addresses
using DHCP, see www.vaisala.com/veriteq for
instructions.
Figure 2: Overview of viewLinc system using Digi devices

Chapter 1: Getting Started
10 © 2011 Vaisala Canada Inc
2Insert the Digi driver CD into viewLinc Server.
3The Digi Device Setup Wizard launches automatically.
Click Next.
4Select the device that matches the MAC address from
the bottom of your Digi device. Click Next.
Note: If your device is on a different subnet from the
server, you will need to know the IP address of
the Digi device and launch the RealPort installer
on the Digi Driver CD.
Configuring RealPort and Installing Drivers
1In the Configure Network Settings screen, enter an IP
address (provided by your IT department). Click Next two
times.
2In the Configure RealPort Settings screen, select “Install
Digi RealPort on this computer”. Click Next.
3Click Next again. The settings are saved.
4Click Finish.
Repeat Installing Digi Drivers for each Digi device.
Method 3: Using USB Port
You can also connect data loggers directly to PCs using a
USB Port, as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3: Overview of viewLinc system using USB port to connect
loggers