The History Import Manager is the default view for a device’s Histories extension. Like other managers, it is a table-based view (Figure 60). Here, each row is a history import descriptor. Each descriptor specifies how log data is imported (pulled) from the device into the station as a history.
You use this view to create, edit, and delete history import descriptors. Each import descriptor you add results in the creation of a local Niagara history—regardless if the source log data is a BACnet Trend Log, Niagara history, or other type of data log (depending on driver type, and parent device’s component type).
This view provides a status summary for collecting imported histories. You can also use it to issue manual “Archive” commands to one or more history descriptors. This causes an immediate import request to pull logged data from the remote device.
Only history import descriptors appear in the History Import Manager view—any other components that may also reside under Histories do not appear. For example,
you do not see the default “Retry Trigger” component (see About the Retry Trigger). However, you can use the Histories property sheet to access these items.
At the bottom of the view, the “” button lets you manually create new import descriptors in the station. An “” button lets you edit one or more import descriptors. Buttons “,” “” and “” are also available, (these work similarly as in the Point Manager). An “” button is available to manually import (pull data) into one or more selected histories.
Starting in AX-3.5, the History Import Manager in some drivers provides a 
“” button, to add folders to organize history import (and export) descriptors. Each such folder provides its own set of history
manager views. See the section Niagara History Import Manager for details on this, as well as other history import information specific to the niagaraDriver.
For more common details about a History Import Manager, see:
Button exists in a device’s History Import view, but is typically used only if:
-
Using “system tags” to import remote histories, such as in the Niagara History Import Manager, versus online discovery.
-
Engineering offline—most devices with a Histories extension support online discovery (a FileDevice is one exception). If offline, Match may be used later (when online with the device).
A “New” tool is also on the History Import Manager toolbar, and in the Manager menu.
In the History Import Manager, you can Edit any import descriptor in the station database by simply double-clicking it.
The Edit dialog appears with the import descriptor listed (Figure 61).
This dialog shows configuration properties of the history import descriptor, plus Name (equivalent to the right-click Rename command on the descriptor). To access all properties, (including all status properties) go to its property sheet.
For related property details, see “BACnet Trend Log notes” in the BACnet Guide, or if a Niagara History Import descriptor, see Niagara History Import properties.
The following related topics also apply:
The Edit button in the History Import (or Export) Manager allows you to edit one or more descriptors in a single dialog. Before clicking Edit, use standard Windows keyboard controls to highlight (select) multiple descriptors (e.g. hold down Ctrl key and click desired descriptors).
Edit is also on the History Import (or Export) Manager toolbar and the Manager menu, if any descriptor is selected.
The “gang” edit feature is useful for making identical changes in multiple (selected) descriptors. For example, you can change “Execution Time” (when data is pulled into imported history) in multiple descriptors at the same time (versus editing individually).
When you have the Edit dialog open with multiple descriptors, you can also click on select ones to make individual edits (e.g. Execution, Time of Day), during the same dialog session where you made “gang” edits. When you click OK, all the changes are applied to the descriptors as made during your Edit session.
When you have multiple descriptors selected in the Edit dialog, properties that currently have different values are automatically unavailable (dimmed). Only a property that currently has the same value (across all selected descriptors)
is available for gang edit.
Unless working offline, you can use the learn process to import histories in the station. As with other NiagaraAX learns, this is a two-step process in the History Import Manager, where you:
The Histories Import Manager reinforces this process by providing two separate panes in the view whenever you enter “Learn
Mode.” See About Learn toggle.
When you click Discover, the Histories Import Manager splits into two panes (Learn Mode): discovered items in the top pane, and existing import descriptors bottom pane (Figure 62).
If under a BacnetDevice, a “Bacnet Trend Logs Discover” job is started, with a progress bar at top. If BACnet Trend Log objects
are found, they are listed in the discovered pane.
Under a NiagaraNetwork (only), the discovered pane shows the collapsed tree structure of all Niagara histories of that selected NiagaraStation. Click to expand and select histories for import. See Discovered selection notes for more details.
In Learn Mode, the two panes in the Histories Import Manager operate as follows:
-
Discovered (top pane)
Lists histories (Niagara) or Trend Logs (Bacnet) found in the device, as history descriptor candidates. Any item that already exists as a history in the station is “ghosted” (faintly listed).
If a BacnetDevice, a job “progress bar” is also included on top of the Discovered pane.
A Cancel button is available during a discovery job. If needed, use it to stop discovery.
-
Database (bottom pane)
Lists history descriptors currently in the station database (each has an associated history).
As necessary, drag the border between the two panes to resize. Also (at any time), toggle between the two-pane Learn Mode and the single-pane (Database) view by clicking the Learn Mode tool in the toolbar (Figure 24), or using the Learn Mode command in the Manager menu.
The Add button is available in Learn Mode when you have one or more items selected (highlighted) in the top discovered pane. When you click Add, a dialog appears that allows you to edit properties before the history descriptor(s) are created in the station.
Whenever you select one or more items in the top discovered pane, the toolbar also has an available Add tool (“plus” symbol),
and the Manager menu has an Add command. Also, you can simply double-click a discovered item to bring it up in the Add dialog.
The Add dialog is identical to the history import descriptor Edit dialog. For details on properties of a Niagara HistoryImport descriptor, see Niagara History Import properties.
Match, as an online function, is available if you have one history selected in the top (discovered) pane and one history import descriptor selected in the bottom (database) pane. However, usage of Match when importing histories from a device (NiagaraStation, BacnetDevice) is generally not recommended. Instead, use the Discover and Add method to import histories.