Profile

A new backend profile must only be added when a new database (backend) type is required. Profiles are already available for the backends "InfluxDB" and "PostgreSQL" that are included in WinCC OA. Each backend profile is stored in an internal data point called <_NGA_P_profile name> of the data point type _NGA_BackendProfile. A data point of this type exists for each profile. For detailed information, see the descriptions of the panels below. The _NGA_BackendProfile data point is described in the chapter Internal Data Points. You can use the following panels change these values. Open the panels via System Management > Database > Database Engineering.

In order to search for existing backend profiles or in order to create additional profiles, use the Profile panel of the configuration panel. The panel shows the existing profiles on the left and the information of a specific profile on the right.

Profile is a template for a specific type of a backend. Default profiles for InfluxDB® and PostgreSQL® databases are available by default. If you use another database, create a new template for your specific database. Specify the database-specific settings and limitations by using the different options Send DPE as, Time Parameters and Miscellaneous Settings described below.

You cannot delete or edit profiles referenced by backends.

The profile panel can be used to specify how data point elements are written to the database, select time parameters and configure database-specific settings.

Figure 1. NGA Profile Configuration Panel

Name

Each profile needs a unique name, normally referring to the backend or database for which it will be used. By default 4 profiles are available: InfluxDB_dualDB (for a redundant backend), InfluxDB_singleDB for a single backend as well as MSSQL and PostgreSQL profiles for redundant backends.

Send DPE as

Figure 2. Send DPE as

The ID, name and alias are all required by the WinCC OA default backends. Only if a customized backend does not require one of these options, i.e. the ID, the name or the alias, you can choose not to send them from frontend to backend. In this case, use this option.

This option is only relevant for customized backends.

Time Parameters

Figure 3. Time Parameters

You can configure the time settings:

By default, the minimum segment duration is 0 for new backend profiles, meaning that the segment duration is not limited. You can change it by editing the "minimum segment duration in minutes" if the profile is not used by a backend.

  • Minimum segment duration in minutes: the minimum segment duration is available by default. You can change the minimum segment duration of a profile.
  • Supports months and years setting for retention and segment duration: Some databases (such as InfluxDB®) just support constant time periods (such as hours, days, weeks) and not time periods of varying length (such as months and years) for retention and segment durations.
  • Retention can be modified after creation.
  • Segment duration can be modified after creation: Some databases (such as InfluxDB®) do not allow you to change the segment duration after it has been created. Other databases such as PostgreSQL® again allow you to change the segment duration after it has been created.

Miscellaneous Settings

Figure 4. Miscellaneous Settings

You can configure specific settings for the underlying database:

  • Restrict group names to 7 uppercase characters: Restriction of Oracle schema implementation.
  • Allows start/stop of database process: Depending on database architecture some databases can be started and stopped by WinCC OA, such as InfluxDB®. If this check mark is set, the NGA backend will start the database at project start and stop it when the project is stopped. It will also monitor the database process and restart it is not running. If the check mark is not set, the database is expected to be already running when the project is started and will not be stopped when the project is stopped.
  • Autogenerate group name in DB: The database representation of the archive group (tablespace, …) will be named like the archive group, . You cannot specify a different name. Required for InfluxDB®.
  • Allows manual segment switch: Some databases (such as InfluxDB®) can only perform automatic segment switches.
  • Database handles redundancy: Database is able to work in a redundant mode and performs redundancy switches and synchronization after restart on its own.

Database Specific Settings

Figure 5. Database-Specific Settings

Specify the database-specific settings:

  • the database name

  • the backup path for the database

  • the address of the backup host.