Full-Featured, Graphical Smart Client

The Pegasus Smart Client (PSC) is a full featured, high-performance graphical interface to the Pegasus RDS™. The PSC runs on any Windows 2000/XP/Vista desktop. As is true of all Pegasus Data Server Applications, the PSC is fully multi-threaded and 100% “Managed Code”, based on .NET Framework 2.0. The PSC retrieves all data from the Pegasus RDS™ using the Dual, Public Pegasus Data APIs (PDA & PDA-RT). Pegasus RDS™ data navigation from within the client is very straightforward and never requires any typing (it’s strictly a drag-and-drop and point-andclick Client)!!

The PSC provides each user with the ability to create custom Profiles, stored locally in XML files, via its built-in Profile Editor. A Profile is a standard or user-defined set of Pegasus Data (SCADA Object Numerics, System Events, & Metadata), with a Time Range, that can be viewed or exported with the click of a button (or via drag-and-drop). A very large number of Public Profiles are created & maintained automatically by the Pegasus Data Servers, using SCADA Metadata.

Private Profiles are all XML based and can be shared among users by simple file exchange (Shared Directories, eMail attachments, etc.). Public Profiles are stored in Pegasus RDS™ databases and retrieved automatically by the PSC on startup. Private Profiles are typically created by selecting SCADA Objects from existing Common Profiles, making SCADA Object Navigation much easier than typical “Tree-Control Drilldown”.

The PSC supports both graphing and tabular display of all SCADA Objects in a Profile, in multiple, concurrent Data Views. Each Data View can be highly customized to show/hide SCADA Object Plots, show/hide Graphs or Tabular Data, etc. Within each Data View, the PSC automatically associates all Analog Limits with their corresponding SCADA Analogs and plots Analogs with their Limits (no Limit values are ever entered into Pegasus by Analysts, Users, or Operators).

The PSC supports graphing multiple sets of data at the same time in either a MDI (multiple windows within a parent window) or SDI (independent windows) environment. This allows the PSC to be configured to operate naturally on single screens (typical for Laptops and Corporate Desktops) or multiple screens (typical for Operator Control Rooms and Analysts).

Each Data View Graph can show multiple SCADA Objects with automatic color assignment. All graphs scale automatically based on data values being presented. The user can easily navigate forwards or backwards in time with the click of a button, or by using the Smart Client’s calendar control to go directly to any time range available in the Pegasus RDS™. The PSC’s Calendar automatically adjusts to show only data actually available in the Pegasus RDS™.

As the PSC user navigates thru the Pegasus RDS™, more recently accessed Data Views are automatically cached, Client-side, to reduce Network Loading and improve PSC responsiveness. PSC Cache Size is easily configurable, to support computers with small or large amounts of RAM.

The Smart Client supports extensive zooming and panning of all Data Views with double-click return to the original zoom level. The PSC uses Tools Tips extensively to show additional information about all SCADA Object Numerics and Metadata without cluttering the User Interface. The PSC also maintains logs of the Client’s activity, Data Retrieval Activity, and extensive Performance Statistics in a set of Grid-based logs that update in real-time.

In addition to viewing graphs and tabular displays of SCADA Object data, the PSC provides the ability to view the EMS Host Failover history, as well as the ability to navigate the complete SCADA Object change history, by time period or by SCADA Object, for any SCADA Object. Pegasus automatically tracks, via the PDC, SCADA Object name changes (composite key values), and captures other descriptive information about each SCADA Object, in what’s called Extended Metadata (e.g. device full name, nominal KV, high/low limits, area, category, point type). Extended Metadata is also available for viewing via the Pegasus Smart Client.

Another key feature of the Pegasus Smart Client is the ability to Export data. Data can be exported for a single, visible Data View, or continuously as the user navigates thru the Pegasus RDS™. Combined with Export Scripting capabilities, this makes the Smart Client a very powerful tool for retrieving, viewing, and manipulating historical SCADA data. Exported data can easily be retrieved into a spreadsheet (such as Excel), or imported into a relational database (Access, SQLServer, Oracle, etc.) to perform additional filtering, analysis, and graphing using standard Desktop Tools.

Large Data Exports are accomplished by “scripting” the PSC so exports can run unattended on the Desktop or on dedicated Servers. Export Scripts are normally written by the PSC, for the user, when the user selects Profiles to Export for large time windows. But the PSC can also read any Export Script written by an Analyst that follows a simple set of Script Conventions. Export Scripts, like Private Profiles, are text files that can be shared (or eMailed) among Users.

PSC Client security is based on Microsoft Domain Server Groups, using existing Enterprise Domain Servers (to reduce Administrative Overhead). Additionally, specific PSC functionality can be restricted to specific Domain Server Groups, if required.

The PSC automatically retrieves (unless directed otherwise) System Events matching any SCADA Objects currently being viewed (Event and SCADA Numeric data are automatically given the same visible time window). The PSC has extensive on-the-fly System Event filtering including Alarm Category, Priority, Substation, Device, Device Type, and free-form text search. This greatly simplifies data analysis, as System Events automatically follow the user’s navigation thru the Pegasus RDS™. The PSC also shows the most recent System Events, updating near real-time, in a dedicated Grid that can also be filtered.