Alarm Management
It is normal to expect that SCADA/HMI software includes some form of alarm monitoring so it comes down to the feature set that separates basic functionality vs advanced. ClearSCADA is designed for Master Station SCADA, which is a term used for large system monitoring and control, ie. many servers and workstations with thousands of controllers. In these systems there may be a considerable number of active alarms so it is important to separate by area (database hierarchy) and filter by alarm category.
Firstly, alarming is an attribute of point object so when you configure the point you specify the alarm limits, severity level, associated help page, rate-of-change threshold, etc. When you save the point configuration, the server immediately monitors the alarm conditions and reports status. When an alarm occurs it can be observed in many places:
i. Full alarm page
ii. Alarm banner (either top or bottom of display)
iii. Graphic display by highlighting point value
iv. Embedded list
v. Redirected to SMS text message on cell phone
vi. Redirected to email message
The redirection capability is an advanced feature and built into the server at no extra cost. It is ideal for unmanned SCADA monitoring as it alerts the right person when a critical event occurs. Even if SCADA is 24/7 manned, redirection can be an insurance policy to ensure notification. Another metaphor for redirection is a business rule, when a critical alarm occurs you determine who gets notified and whether it should take place immediately or after a certain period of time if the alarm persists. You can also configure multiple redirections thereby providing an escalation process. The diagram below shows how this might work.
An example of alarm redirection
