VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

VistaLINK™ PRO SNMP Remote

Management Software

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 1 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

Table Of Contents
Table Of Contents.................................................................................................2
1 The VistaLINK™ System ...................................................................................3
1.1 Introduction to the VistaLINK ™ System.........................................................3
2.0 Getting Started With VistaLINK PRO ..............................................................5
3.0 Using The VistaLINK Pro ™ Software ..........................................................11
3.2 Working with the Navigation Tree .................................................................14
3.3 Auto Discovery and System Settings ............................................................16
3.4 Hardware Custom Descriptions ....................................................................21
3.5 Services ........................................................................................................23
3.6 Alarm Indication ............................................................................................27
3.7 Launches ..................................................................................................31
3.8 MVP DVL ......................................................................................................33
3.8.1 DVL Creation Dialog ..................................................................................33
3.9 Crosspoint Creation ......................................................................................37
4.0 Alarm Log Management................................................................................44
4.1 Alarm Operations ..........................................................................................46
4.2 Configuring Alarm Properties ........................................................................58
4.3 Email Notification System .............................................................................62
4.4 Audible Alert System.....................................................................................66
4.5 Alarm Log Management................................................................................68
4.6 Event Archiving (Database Administrator) ....................................................69
4.7 Alarm Forwarding..........................................................................................72
5.0 Configuration.................................................................................................73
5.2 Working With Configuration Windows...........................................................76
5.3 Saving and Loading Configurations ..............................................................79
6.0 Audit Logging ................................................................................................86
7.0 Remote Administration Features...................................................................89
8.0 User Administration.......................................................................................90
9.0 VistaLINK PRO Monitor (Grid) Client ............................................................93
9.3 Viewing Alarm Indications in the Monitoring (“Grid”) View .........................100
10 AutoConfig Overview ...................................................................................103
10.4 Schedule Calendar. ..................................................................................114
11 VistaLINK Graphics Client ...........................................................................115
11.1 View Node.................................................................................................115
11.2 Page Console ...........................................................................................116
11.3 Design Mode.............................................................................................120
11.4 View Links.................................................................................................129
11.5 Canvas Control .........................................................................................130
11.6 Dynamic Page Mode.................................................................................133
12.0 VistaLINK PRO Troubleshooting...............................................................135

VistaLINKTM PRO 2 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

1 The VistaLINK™ System

1.1 Introduction to the VistaLINK ™ System

Much has been written on the subject of maintaining video quality in a modern television
facility. But with often as many as a hundred or more television channels to monitor, we
must be concerned not only with signal quality, but also with the continuity of the video,
multiple audio channels, closed captioning, V-Chip parental guidance and other VBI data
associated with each channel. The task of monitoring so many channels often involves
employing a plethora of gadgets specifically designed to check each function. Even with
the best equipment, it is difficult to watch up to a hundred picture monitors and
impossible to monitor the levels and phases of hundreds of audio channels, closed
captions, XDS, and other data on every channel.

VistaLINK™ is Evertz's remote monitoring and configuration capability

over a network using Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

VistaLINK™ is a product feature added to certain Evertz products enabling remote

monitoring of signal continuity and health status by utilizing the common, open-standard
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) as the communication protocol over a
network link.

1.2 VistaLINK PRO Provides Two Main Features

VistaLINK™ PRO Alarm Management

VistaLINK™ PRO is equipped with comprehensive alarm event monitoring capabilities

including configurable alarm severity settings, descriptions and user notes for each
VistaLINK™ - enabled Evertz product. Alarm event acknowledgement, per alarm type or
per service and alarm logging, with date, time and type descriptions offer the end-user a
complete database of alarm events for subsequent analysis and trend tracking.

VistaLINK™ PRO Configuration Management

Card configuration through VistaLINK™ PRO can be performed on an individual or

multi-card basis using simple copy/paste routines reducing the time to configure each
module separately. Configuration changes can be performed immediately, making it
possible to quickly change individual card parameters "on the fly", or delayed in order to
methodically configure and review changes before full deployment. Configuration
settings can be imported and exported in human-readable format, and configuration

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 3 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

change messages inform the user of parameter setting changes. All changes are recorded
in VistaLINK™ PRO's audit trail tool in the full version. A configuration-only
VistaLINK™ PRO tool (VLPRO-C) is provided free with 7700FC VistaLINK™ Frame
Controllers for convenient card configuration.

VistaLINKTM PRO 4 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

2.0 Getting Started With VistaLINK PRO

2.1 Getting Started With VistaLINK PRO

A typical Network Management System (NMS) consists of a PC (running the

VistaLINK™ PRO Server and/or Client software), a network connection, either through a
hub with network cables or directly to the “Agent” (the 7700/500/3000FC VistaLINK™
Frame Controller), which in turn communicates with the VistaLINK™-enabled modules
in a 7700/500/3000FR-C frame.

2.2 Hardware Requirements

• Pentium 4 1.0GHz (or higher)

• 512MB RAM
• 100Mb Ethernet Card, TCP/IP configured
• 8MB Video card
• 1024x768 screen resolution
• Windows NT4, 2000, XP, Server 2003 operating system
• CD-ROM

2.3 VistaLINK™ PRO Typical Setup

1. Configure the 7700FC VistaLINK™ Frame Controller to be monitored with

appropriate network settings to communicate with the PC running VistaLINK™
PRO.
2. Install VistaLINK™ PRO Server and/or Client on the same or multiple PCs.
Installation instructions are provided in the next section of this VistaLINK™ PRO
Help.
3. Install Network/Service Client View or Monitoring Grid Client View.
4. Activate Client Licenses.
5. Set administrative privileges, operator passwords and access rights.
6. Configure automated frame and product discovery cycles.
7. Configure VistaLINK™-enabled modules.
8. Configuring alarm properties including alarm severity, email notifications,
sounds, etc.
9. Generate “services” for a logical layout of hardware.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 5 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

2.4 Installing VistaLINK™ PRO – Full (Trial) Version

2.4.1 If you are installing VistaLINK™ PRO Server and Client on the
same PC:

1. From the CD-ROM, select “Install VLPRO (Full/Demo Version)". This selection
will initiate the software installation procedure for VistaLINK™ PRO Server

• Note – the trial version of VistaLINK™ PRO will only operate

for 30 days from the day of installation, unless a License
Key has been activated.
• License Keys are provided only when the end user purchases
the Network Management Software (NMS) VLPRO Client
License.
• For a License Key, please contact your Evertz representative.

2. Proceed with the installation, following instructions as displayed on the monitor.

Your options are to:

• Install a “Full” version, which will over-right all configuration

settings on existing VistaLINK™ PRO installations
• Install an “Upgrade” version, which will update the current
installation with the newest VistaLINK™ PRO features but
without over-writing existing VistaLINK™ PRO settings.

Note: If the VLPRO installation program does not detect a

previous version of VistaLINK™ PRO in the chosen installation
folder, the "Full/Upgrade" selection screen will not be presented
to the user, as the installer will default to a "Full" installation.

VistaLINKTM PRO 6 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

3. Upon completion of VistaLINK™ PRO Server installation, click the Windows©

“Start” button then “Programs”. Proceed to the “VistaLINKPro Server” selection
and click “Install VistaLINKPro Clients (on this machine) option. This will start
the VistaLINK™ PRO Client installation.
4. During the Client installation you will be prompted to select which type of client
application to install. Select the Standard Client, Monitor Client, AutoConfig
Client or the Graphics Client.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for all desired client type application installs.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 7 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

2.4.2 If you are installing VistaLINK™ PRO Server and Client on

separate PCs:

1. Install VistaLINK™ PRO Server as specified above on the PC (server machine)

2. Locate the “Program Files” sub-directory on your local disk (usually the “C:\”
drive)
3. Proceed to locate and open the “VistaLinkProServer” sub-directory.
4. Proceed Within the “VistaLinkProServer” sub-directory, proceed to locate the
5. “VistaLinkProClient” sub-directory. Share out the “VistaLinkProClient” sub-
directory.
6. From the remote client PC browse to the shared folder created in step 5.
7. Copy the two files "Client.exe" and "VistaLINKServerConfig.xml" locally to the
remote client station. Ensure both files are copied to the same location.
8. Run the "Client.exe" to install the client software.
9. Repeat step 8 for all client types desired.
10. Start-up the Server and Client as specified in the next section.

2.4.3 Installing VistaLINK™ PRO – Configuration Only Version

NOTE: VLPRO-C is an indication of a standalone version of VistaLINK

PRO. VLPRO-C versions do not connect to a running server and are
limited to module configuration only. No fault TRAP alarming or
database dependant features are available.

1. From the CD-ROM, select “VLPRO-C Configuration Only Version”. This

selection will initiate the software installation procedure for the standalone
version of VistaLINK PRO. This version does not require a connection to a
VistaLINK PRO Server application therefore it can only be used for hardware
configuration (no database dependant features).

2.4.4 Activating a VistaLINK PRO Client License

TM

• The Demo/Trial version of VistaLINK™ PRO will only allow 1 active general
client and 2 active PLUS client connections and only operate for 30 days from the
day of installation. To increase the amount of client connections allowed or to
remove the 30-day trial limitation a valid VistaLINKPro client license key must
be activated via the VistaLINKPRO server.

VistaLINKTM PRO 8 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

To Activate a Client License Key:

1. Copy the supplied client license key to the hard disk drive of the PC running the
VistaLINK PRO Server application.
2. From the VistaLINK Pro Server application select Help -> Activate License.
3. The Locate Activation File dialog will open. Browse to and select the license file
copied in step 1.
4. Click Open to activate the license file.

Note: To update or change existing client license information repeat the process outlined
above. New client license keys that activated will replace all existing license information.

2.4.5 Starting VistaLINKTM PRO

1. For Configuration-only (VLPRO-C) version:

a. From the “Start/Programs” menu of Windows, select and run “VistaLINK
PRO”.
b. Proceed to the VLPRO Help Guide for application instructions.
2. For the Full (Trial) VLPRO version:
a. From the “Start/Programs” menu of Windows, select and run
“VistalinkProServer”.
b. Upon start-up, enter “administrator” as the username without a password
to unlock the VistaLINK PRO Server.
c. Select and run “VistaLinkProClient” from the “Start/Programs” menu
d. Upon Start-up, enter “administrator” as the username without a password
to initiate the VistaLINK PRO Client.
e. Proceed to the VLPRO Help Guide for application instructions.

2.4.6 Logging into the System

The Logon window will appear shortly after you run the software. The purpose of this
window is to authenticate the user before access is given to the configuration and alarm
logs, as well as provide user audit tracking when an alarm is acknowledged.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 9 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

VistaLINK™ PRO Server is installed with a factory default logon account of

"Administrator" with no assigned password.

2.4.7 Note for System Administrators

It is the responsibility of the Administrator of VistaLINK™ PRO to change the password

of the factory default 'administrator' logon as soon as possible to avoid unwanted
tampering.

It is recommended that the system administrator assign a password to the "Administrator"

account upon first logon (see User Permissions)

VistaLINKTM PRO 10 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

3.0 Using The VistaLINK Pro ™ Software

3.1 Navigation Tree

3.1.1 About the Navigation Tree View

The Navigation Tree is located on the left side of the

VistaLINK™ PRO window. The navigation tree
displays super-nodes and sub-nodes that organize the
VistaLINK enabled hardware found by the system
and displays all Evertz VistaLINK™-enabled
products found on the network (see Discovery
Subsystem, Automatic Discovery). Nodes with a plus
sign beside them can be expanded to expose
underlying elements and similarly, nodes with a
minus sign can be collapsed to hide unwanted
information. Each node in the Hardware View has an
associated icon that indicates the type and alarm state
of the hardware device. For the VistaLINK PRO
Standard and Monitor Client applications there are
five super-nodes under which all other nodes will
appear. The Navigation Tree super-nodes are as
follows:

3.1.2 Navigation Tree Super-Nodes

Configurations (can contain sub groupings) All user

created System configurations will be displayed under
this Navigation Tree super-node.

Hardware
All hardware devices that are auto discovered or entered manually will appear under this
super-node. The Hardware super-node can contain any of the following hardware node
types:
• Frame nodes, denoted by the icons ( )
• Network Control Panel nodes, denoted by the icon -
• Module nodes, denoted by the icons -
• VIP modules, denoted by the icon -

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 11 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

Services (can contain sub groupings)

User created Services will appear under this Navigation Tree super-node. The Services
super-node can contain any of the following Service node types.
• User created Service, denoted by the icon -
• User created Service group, denoted by the icon -

Launches (can contain sub groupings)

User created Launches (executable / http) will appear under this Navigation Tree super-
node. The Launches super-node can contain any of the following Launches node types.
• User created Launches, denoted by the icon -
• User created Launches group, denoted by the icon -

Profiles
Profiles that have been created using the VistaLINK PRO AutoConfig Client will appear
under this Navigation Tree super-node.
• User created Alarm Profiles, denoted by the icon -
• User created Schedule Profiles, denoted by the icon -

Super-Node Groups
The Configurations, Services, and Launches super-nodes can all contain sub Groups to
aid in organizing the Navigation Tree nodes into logical groups. Super-node grouping can
be enabled or disabled on a per super-node basis by accessing the Tree Properties dialog.

3.1.3 Super-Node Alarm States

Each of the Navigation Tree super-nodes can be displayed in the any of the following
state conditions (colors), representing the current alarm state of the hardware device.

• None, OK (normal state)

• Green (self corrected alarm indication)
• Red, Critical alarm
• Orange, Major alarm
• Yellow, Minor alarm
• Dark Gray, Warning alarm

VistaLINKTM PRO 12 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

• Light Gray Text, Disabled (No longer responding)

3.1.4 Tree Properties

The Navigation Tree Properties dialog box, allows the user to customize the super-nodes
that appear in the Navigation Tree. Select Tree -> Properties from the main menu to open
the Navigation Tree Properties dialog or right click the Navigation Tree super-node and
select -> Properties.

Navigation Tree super-nodes can be individually enabled or disabled by checking its

corresponding selection box in the Tree Properties dialog.

Navigation Tree super-nodes that support Groups allow grouping to be enabled or

disabled by clicking the associated button. The button text will indicate if groups are
currently enabled or disabled for a displayed super-node.

Desktop/Tree Link
When the Desktop/Tree Link option is active selections made in the Client working areas
will cause the tree selection focus to follow.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 13 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

3.2 Working with the Navigation Tree

3.2.1 Expanding Collapsing Tree Nodes

The Navigation Tree super-nodes can be expanded or collapsed at any time in order to
quickly view or hide sub nodes or hardware contained in the Navigation Tree.

1. In order to expand or collapse the entire Navigation Tree and all displayed super-
nodes select Tree -> Collapse All or Tree -> Expand All for the desired result.

3.2.2 Hide/Show Navigation Tree

The entire Navigation Tree panel can be displayed or hidden from view when it is not
required.

1. In order to toggle the Navigation Tree between display and hide modes, select Tree
-> Hide/Show Tree from the main menu. Hiding the Navigation Tree allows the
user to dedicate more display area for alarm views, configuration views, graphics
views or monitoring client grids.

(TOOLBAR ICON)
The toolbar button labeled "Hide/Show Tree" can also be used to toggle the
Navigation Tree on and off.

3.2.3 Manually Adding Hardware

Depending on network conditions or if the Discovery Subsystem is disabled, the

Automatic Discovery System may not find your frame or products. In this case you can
select to manually force discovery on a frame that is known to be connected to the
network. Performing an Add/Update Frame on a device which is already present in the
Hardware view will cause the discovery system to rediscover and verify the device and
all contained modules.

To Force a Frame Discovery:

1. Select Tree -> Add/Update Frame. The Add/Update Frame dialog box will appear.

VistaLINKTM PRO 14 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

2. Enter the IP address of the frame that you want to manually add, and then select the
"OK" button. If the frame is already in the Hardware View you can select the IP
address from the drop-down list presented.
3. The Discovery Subsystem will now attempt to directly contact the specified frame.
• If the frame cannot be contacted it will not be added to the Navigation Tree's
Hardware super-node.
• If contact is established then the Discovery Subsystem will detect all products
in the frame and the frame will be added to the Navigation Tree's Hardware
super-node.

3.2.4 Refresh Network View

The Navigation Tree discovered hardware can be refreshed at any time by selecting Tree
-> Refresh from the main menu. Selecting this option will initiate an Auto Discovery
cycle disregarding the Discovery Interval setting.
All present frames will be updated with any newly added or removed modules. All newly
added or previously undiscovered hardware will be added to the Navigation Tree's
Hardware super-node.

(TOOLBAR ICON)
The toolbar button labeled "Refresh Network View" can also be used to
perform this action.

3.2.5 Cleanup Network View

If products have been removed from a frame or a frame has been disconnected from your
network the Navigation Tree will show the frame and/or products, however, they will
appear disabled. If you know that the hardware does not exist on the network or has been
permanently removed you can force VistaLINK™ PRO to "clean up" the Navigation
Tree by removing the disabled hardware. To do this, select Tree -> Cleanup from the
main menu.

(TOOLBAR ICON)
The toolbar button labeled "Cleanup Network View" can also be used to perform
this action.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 15 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

3.3 Auto Discovery and System Settings

3.3.1 Automatic Discovery

In order for VistaLINK™ PRO to monitor and control connected hardware it must first
perform a network auto discovery or have frame locations manually entered. The
software searches for VistaLINK™ (SNMP) enabled frames present on the network by
sending a broadcast message out on the network adapter and waiting for a response. If
multiple network cards are installed on the local machine then a broadcast message will
be sent for each adapter. When a valid frame response is received the frame will be
added to the Navigation Tree and the Discovery Subsystem will automatically begin
product detection for this frame, as indicated by the icon - .

When all products in the frame have been found, or the frame detection cycle has ended,
the frame node icon will change from the detection icon - to an idle frame icon - .
Detected products will be added as sub-nodes of the frame node. Any products that have
multiple video inputs, as in the 7761AVM-DC will be added with additional sub-nodes,
listed per-input.

Note: Once a device has been found and verified by the discovery system a reference for
that device will be added to the discovered devices file
(VistaLINKStandaloneSettings.xml.) After a device has been added to the discovered
devices file the VistaLINK™ PRO client will always try reconnecting to the device upon
startup even if the discovery system is disabled. (This is beneficial in that any hardware
that cannot be discovered by the Auto Discovery system only needs to be entered once
manually into the discovered devices file.)

Once the initial detection phase has completed VistaLINK™ PRO will enter into a
discovery interval cycle where it will awake at regular intervals, checking for new
VistaLINK™ enabled frames and verifying that all previous frames and products are still
responding across the network. If during this discovery cycle a new device is found, the
device will be added to the Navigation Tree. If a device can no longer be contacted the
icon for the device node will be changed to reflect the condition while leaving the device
in the Navigation Tree to alert the operator of the error condition.

The Auto Discovery subsystem can be configured for various detection cycle times and
discovery options.

VistaLINKTM PRO 16 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

3.3.2 Broadcast Traffic Note

If a device is located on a separate network or isolated by a firewall or router that does

not allow the passage of broadcast traffic the VistaLINK PRO broadcast discovery
system will be unable to add the frame to the hardware list. In the event that a frame
cannot be reached via the broadcast discovery system it will need to be manually added
in to the hardware list (see "Manually Adding Hardware"). After the frame has been
manually added to the tree, all subsequent polling attempts will utilize a direct SNMP
connection to the device that does not rely on the passage of broadcast traffic.

3.3.3 Configuring Discovery Settings

To configure the automatic discovery settings select File -> Discovery Settings from the
main menu. The Discovery Settings dialog will open allowing the user to set options for
the discovery status panel and queue size, the discovery system itself and the unverified
hardware notification system.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 17 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

3.3.4 Displaying the Discovery Status Panel

When the automatic discovery system is enabled, it may be advantageous to the user to
view status information on what the discovery system has found and information on how
it is interacting with devices. When the discovery status panel is enabled a discovery
status bar will appear at the bottom of the client application window and will inform the
user when the auto discovery systems are active and provide details regarding the devices
that have been discovered. When the discovery status panel is visible, clicking the
Discovery Log button will open a log file containing all recent entries.

3.3.5 Enabling or Disabling Automatic Discovery System

By default, VistaLINK™ PRO comes pre-configured with the Discovery System option
enabled. With this option enabled, the discovery subsystem will check the status of
frames and products and look for new frames and products on the network at preset
intervals. To change the Discovery System settings:

1. Locate the checkbox to the left of the Discovery Enabled text.

2. Place a check mark in the box to enable the Discovery System or remove the check
mark to disable the Discovery System.

3.3.6 Setting Discovery Cycle Duration

This setting will determine how often VistaLINK™ PRO will check the status of
equipment already present in the Navigation Tree as well as search for new VistaLINK
enabled equipment connected to the network. VistaLINK™ PRO keeps the network
connection open during the discovery cycle and closes the connection immediately before
the next discovery cycle. If you experience heavy load conditions, or delays in packet
responses on your network, you can increase this value to wait longer for equipment to
respond to the discovery process. To change the discovery cycle interval:

1. Locate the New Discovery period (secs) field directly below the Discovery
Enabled setting and enter the desired value (in seconds) into the field provided.

VistaLINKTM PRO 18 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

3.3.7 Hardware Verification Alarm

The Hardware Unverified notification option can be enabled to alert the user with an
alarm if the discovery system fails to contact a device that has already been added to the
Navigation Tree. If a discovered frame or module cannot be contacted its entry in the
Navigation Tree will turn light gray and a new pop-up dialog will be displayed to the user
with information regarding the frame or products that could not be contacted. The
system will continue to poll the lost product and if communication is re-established the
system will clear the entry from or remove the hardware unverified dialog. An audible
alert can also be played when the hardware unverified notification is present. The user
can select which sound to play by selecting the severity the sound is linked to (see
Audible Alerts)

3.3.8 General Settings

General Settings can also be configured for each individual VistaLINK™ PRO client. To
set General Settings choose File -> General Settings from the main menu.

3.3.8.1 Save and restore configuration/alarm views

With this option enabled (checked) VistaLINK PRO Client applications will save any
configuration or alarm view windows that are open upon exiting and attempt to reopen
and position the saved windows when the client application is restarted. VistaLINK PRO
will not attempt to restore views that are specific to hardware that is no longer present in
the Navigation Tree.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 19 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

3.3.8.2 Display invalid settings advisory on config refresh

When opening a configuration view for a product, VistaLINK PRO may not be able to
read an expected parameter from the module (this can be caused by outdated module
firmware, see the troubleshooting section for more detail). If VistaLINK PRO fails to
retrieve a configuration value, a "Configuration Advisory" message will pop-up to inform
the user. As these messages may interfere with the Configuration Auto-Refresh feature
the Advisory messages can be enabled or disabled on a per client basis by setting this
option.

3.3.9 Audit Log Acknowledge Tracking

When a user acknowledges an alarm an entry is inserted in the Audit Log recording the
client username and the alarms acknowledged. As acknowledging alarms is quite
common, this feature can be disabled if this level of tracking is not required. Disabling
this feature will considerable reduce the amount of entries and size of the Audit Log and
write operations to the database.

VistaLINKTM PRO 20 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

3.4 Hardware Custom Descriptions

3.4.1 Naming a Hardware Device

VistaLINK™ PRO allows the user to custom name each node in the Navigation Tree
(Super-nodes cannot be renamed). Once a custom name has been assigned, all future
references to the hardware device will use the custom description. Custom descriptions
will also be transferred as labels to any connected 9000NCP(2) Network Control Panels.

To Rename a Hardware Device/Node:

1. Select the desired node in the Navigation Tree.

2. Select Tree -> Add/Update Description from the main menu or right click the
selected hardware device and select "Add/Update Description". The Name
Description dialog box will appear allowing you to enter a custom name.

3. Enter the desired text and select the OK button to change the name or Cancel to
abort. The name change will take effect immediately. All remote VistaLINK™
PRO Clients running on the network will also update immediately displaying the
new hardware description.

3.4.2 Removing a Name From a Device

Removing a custom name from a hardware device is very similar to naming a hardware
device. To remove a custom name:

1. Select the desired node in the Navigation Tree.

2. Select Tree -> Add/Update Description from the main menu or right click the
selected hardware device and select "Add/Update Description". The Name

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 21 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

Description dialog box will appear allowing you reset the device description.

3. Click the "Restore To Default" button. The name change will take effect
immediately. All remote VistaLINK™ PRO Clients running on the network will
also update immediately displaying the name change.

VistaLINKTM PRO 22 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

3.5 Services

3.5.1 About Services

The Service super-node is located within the Navigation Tree. It appears directly below
the Hardware super-node. Refer to "Adding or modifying a service” for additional
information on creating, editing and deleting services.

Services allow the user to logically group or isolate hardware from one or more frames to
create a logical relationship between the physical characteristics of your network and the
actual setup of your broadcast center. The hardware contained in a service view follows
the same "Rules of Broadcast" outlined in the Alarm Indication section. When an alarm
occurs on a hardware device contained in a service, the alarm condition is broadcasted up
to the Service, and subsequently the service super-node.

Note that there are exceptions to this rule when viewing alarms in the service view.
Consider where a frame has two products but only one of the products has been added to
the service view. If the product in the service view has a minor alarm condition, but the
product not contained in the service view has a critical condition, the frame in the service
will reflect a critical alarm condition. This is because the service view indicates the
actual state of the frame, not the perceived state of the frame in the service. In other
words, the frame contained in the service does not simply show the alarm status of only
the products contained in that service.

It is also possible to see an alarm condition on a frame in the service but not see any
alarm conditions on any of the products shown in the service. In this scenario the frame
has an alarm condition and you should check the Hardware super-node to determine
which product is causing the frame to show an alarm.

3.5.2 Creating and Editing Services

To Create a New Service:

1. Ensure the Services super-node is visible by enabling though the Tree Properties
dialog.
2. Right click the Services super-node and select New -> Service.
3. The user will be prompted to enter a name for the new service. Once the service
has been named clicking the OK button will add the new service as a sub-node
under the Services super-node. The user is now ready to add hardware to the new

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 23 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

service.

Adding Hardware to a Service:

VistaLINK PRO allows the user to add hardware to a Service using two different
methods.

Method One (Drag and Drop):

1. In the Navigation Tree under the Hardware super-node, locate the hardware device
you wish to add to the newly created service.
2. While holding down the left mouse button, drag the selected hardware device over
the name of the service you wish to add it to and release the mouse button to add
it to the service.

Method Two (Right Click Add)

1. In the Navigation Tree under the Hardware super-node, locate the hardware device
you wish to add to the newly created service.
2. Right click the hardware device and select the "Add to Existing Service..." option.
3. A dialog will appear listing all created Services allowing the user to select the
service the hardware device should be added to.

3.5.3 Right Click Service Creation

An alternate and faster way to create a service is to highlight all devices to be part of the
service in the Navigation Tree (hold the "Ctrl" key to select multiple items). After all
items are highlighted, right click the selected devices and choose the "Create service
from selection" option from the pop-up menu. The user will be prompted to enter a name
for the service, which will then be added to the Service Tree View list.

VistaLINKTM PRO 24 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

3.5.4 Renaming a Service

A user created service can be renamed at any time. To rename a created service:

1. In the Navigation Tree, right click the service to be renamed and select the "rename
service" option.
2. The Rename Service dialog will open allowing the user to enter a new name for the
service, enter the new name and click "OK".

All local and remote clients will immediately update their Navigation Tree as well as any
Monitoring Client grid cells containing the service to display the new service name.

3.5.5 Removing a Service

To remove a Service, right click the Service in the Navigation Tree and select the Delete
Service option.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 25 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

3.5.6 Service Grouping Mode

To provide a second level of organization for Services in the Navigation Tree, VistaLINK
PRO provides the ability to further group user created services into Service Groups.
Grouping services into Service Groups provides a method for the user to logically
organizing created services according to their environment. Service Groups also provide
a better view of the Service Tree View fault indications for installations that utilize a
large list of services. The Service Group Mode feature can quickly be enabled or disabled
allowing the user to easily switch between a short Service Group list or a complete
Service list display in the Navigation Tree.

3.5.7 Creating a Service Group

1. Ensure the Services super-node is visible by enabling though the Tree Properties
dialog. (The Groupings option must be enabled in order to create Service
Groups.)
2. Select one or more Services in the Navigation Tree (use the ctrl key to select
multiple services). Once the selection is complete, right click the selected services
and choose the Create Service Bundle from Selection... option.
3. Service Groups can also be created by, right clicking the Service super-node then
selecting New -> Service Group. Once the new Service group is created Services
can be added by dragging them to the new group while holding the left mouse
button down.

VistaLINKTM PRO 26 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

3.6 Alarm Indication

3.6.1 About Alarm Indication

The Hardware and Service super-nodes in the Navigation Tree provide a means of
immediately alerting the operator when an alarm conditions exists on a hardware device
or in a service. Alarm events that have been setup to generate alerts (see Configuring
alarm properties) will color key the nodes presently in alarm and will use the “Rules of
Broadcast” to determine which alarm alerts the operator first.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 27 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

3.6.2 Rules of Broadcast

Broadcast of alarms depends on the severity assignment of the alarm. If more than one
alarm condition is present for the same device the alarm with the higher severity
assignment will take priority over the lower severity assignment. When broadcasting
alerts back to the root (Hardware or Services) node, the highest product node severity
will take priority. When the higher severity alert has been acknowledged, the next
highest severity alert will be shown if one is present. See the below example for a
description of this process.

In the figure above, the products in slot 2 and 15 have alarm conditions. The product in slot 2 has a critical
alarm and the product in slot 15 has a minor alarm. Even though both products have alarms, the highest
severity alarm has been broadcasted to the frame node, and subsequently, the Hardware super-node. The
Rules of broadcast allow the operator to address the most critical alarms first.

VistaLINKTM PRO 28 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

3.6.3 Inhibiting and Sleeping Hardware or Services

Inhibiting or Sleeping hardware or services is a means of disabling the alarm capabilities

of the device from VistaLINK™ PRO without physically disconnecting the device from
the network.

Inhibiting Hardware:
When a device has been inhibited fault alarms generated by the device will not show any
indication in the Navigation Tree view and the fault will not be logged to the VistaLINK
PRO trap database. When a device is inhibited in VistaLINK™ PRO the device will still
be visible in the Network and Service views but will be displayed in a blue color where
the shade of blue will determine how the device has been inhibited (see “Inhibited/Sleep
Colors”).

Sleeping Hardware:
When a device has been put to sleep, fault alarms generated by the device will not show
any indication in the Navigation Tree view however the fault will be logged to the
VistaLINK PRO trap database. When a device is put to sleep in VistaLINK™ PRO the
device will still be visible in the Network and Service views but will be displayed in a
orange color where the shade of orange will determine how the device has been inhibited
(see “Inhibited/Sleep Colors”).

Inhibited/Sleep Colors

There are two types of colors displayed for both the Inhibit and Sleep features. Inhibited
hardware will be displayed in either dark or light blue. Sleeping hardware will be
displayed in dark or light orange.

• Direct Inhibit - Dark Blue - This status indicates that the device has been
directly inhibited by the Inhibit menu option.
• Direct Sleep - Dark Orange - This status indicates that the device has been
directly put to sleep by the sleep menu option.
• Inherited Inhibit - Light Blue - This status indicates that this “child” device is
being inhibited by the Direct Inhibit status of another higher (“parental”)
device. One of the many scenarios that this will occur is when a frame is
inhibited and all of the products within the frame inherit the inhibit status
from the frame.
• Inherited Sleep - Light Orange - This status indicates that this “child” device
is being put to sleep by the Direct sleep status of another higher
(“parental”) device. One of the many scenarios that this will occur is when
a frame is put to sleep and all of the products within the frame inherit the

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 29 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

sleep status from the frame.

The following are some examples of inhibit status on frames and/or products:

To Inhibit / Sleep a Device:

• Select a node in the Hardware or Service View and then click the right
mouse button. A pop-up menu will appear.
• Select the Inhibit or Sleep option in the pop-up menu. The selected node
will change to a dark blue or dark orange to indicate that this device is now
inhibited or put to sleep.

To Remove Inhibit / Sleep Status:

• Select the inhibited nodes in the Hardware or Service View and then click

VistaLINKTM PRO 30 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

the right mouse button. A pop-up menu will appear.

• Select the Allow Alarms or Waken option in the pop-up menu. The blue or
orange inhibit/sleep status indicator will be removed from the node and the
node will return to normal alarm indicating state.

3.7 Launches

3.7.1 About Launches

VistaLINK PRO Launches provide a convenient method of launching an external

application or http link without leaving the VistaLINK PRO client application. Launches
can be setup to provide quick access to such items as:

• Third party control applications

• Utility service applications
• Product manuals
• Product HTTP control interfaces
• Internet links

3.7.2 Creating Launches

To create a new Launch, use one of the two methods described below depending on
whether it is an executable launch or an HTTP Launch.

HTTP (URL) Launches

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 31 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

1) Ensure the Launches super-node is displayed (see Tree Properties.)

2) Right click the Launches node and select New -> Launch.
3) Provide a Name for the new Launch and enter the URL to have your default
browser open when this Launch is accessed and click OK.

Executable (.exe) Launches

1. Ensure the Launches super-node is displayed (see Tree Properties.)

2. Right click the Launches node and select New -> Launch.
3. Provide a Name for the new Launch and use the Select button to browse to and
select the executable (program) that will be run when this Launch is accessed.

3.7.3 Accessing / Using Launches

Once new Launches have been created, they will appear in the Navigation Tree under the
Launches super-node. To use a Launch right click the Launch node and select -> Launch.
The right click menu will also allow you to Edit or Delete the selected Launch node.

VistaLINKTM PRO 32 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

3.8 MVP DVL

3.8.1 DVL Creation Dialog

To create a DVL, first right click on the DVL node( ) or group( ) to bring up the
popup menu. Select NEW -> then DVL. Once this is done a dialog will appear
as shown in Figure 1.
This dialog will show all required information for creation of a DVL.

Figure 1. DVL Dialog

This dialog uses drag and drop to facilitate ease of creation. Select a DVL server
from the tree, currently the only type is an MVP Server which appears in the tree
as the icon ( ). Drag this component into the dialog and drop it where the “Drag
Server Here” label appears. This server will then be contacted and all its
available Layouts and Displays will be populated in the dialog. The available
hardware will also be pulled from the server and shown in the Hardware Inputs
portion of the dialog based on the display that is selected. When the DVL Server

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 33 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

is dropped an initial layout will be selected as shown in Figure 2. The layout

chosen is simply arbitrary layout so that you can see there are layouts available.
If there are no layouts available this will be blank.

Figure 2. Initial layout

There are 3 main sections to the DVL Creation dialog, these include the Layout
Info; Hardware Inputs, and Preset Layout sections.

3.8.2 Layout Info Section

This section will determine which layout is to be displayed and which display it
will be placed on when activated. As described above the Layouts shown are
the available layouts to the MVP Server and as each one is selected from the list,
its layout will appear on the right in the Preset Layout area of the dialog. The
number and descriptions of the displays chooser comes from the number of
display cards that are available to the MVP. For example, if your MVP had a
PPV5 card in it, there would be 5 available displays.

VistaLINKTM PRO 34 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

Note : You might notice that when you change your Display that the hardware
changes in the Hardware Inputs section. This is due to the fact that each display
card can be hooked up to totally different hardware, as described in the
hwlinks.vssl file on the MVP Server itself, or setup in SCT.

3.8.3 Hardware Inputs Section/ Preset Layout Section

This section is where the inputs for each of the windows are to be selected for
use.
The layout on the right shows each of the monitor components shown in the
layout selected. Each of the windows may be one of three colors. Red, which is
an unchangeable video source, Grey, which is a monitor that can be changed but
has no set video source, and Green, which is a changeable monitor that already
has a video source set on it. Samples of each are shown in Figures 3 and 4.

Figure 3. Invariable Monitors

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 35 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

Figure 4. Variable Monitors and Set Monitors

To assign a video source to a variable monitor, simply select an Input from one of
the pieces of hardware in the Hardware Inputs panel, and drag it into a Grey or
Green monitor context. If the video source can be placed there the monitor will
now turn green. If you wish to know what video sources are attributed to each
monitor, simply leave your mouse lingering over a video window and the tool tip
that pops up will display the video sources information.

Once all the video sources you wish to use have been assigned to the layout,
you can test run your layout on your MVP system by pressing the Run button at
the bottom. This will trigger the Sample DVL to be sent to the MVP Server and
that display will update to the corresponding settings. If you are satisfied with the
setup, give the DVL a name and then save the settings as a DVL using either the
Apply button (if you are planning on creating several layouts) or the OK button (if
you are planning on creating just one).

Once created the new DVL will appear under the specified name in the tree
under the DVL portion of the tree and can be executed simply by right clicking on
the DVL and selecting Launch.

VistaLINKTM PRO 36 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

3.9 Crosspoint Creation

To create a Crosspoint, first right click on the Crosspoint node ( ) or group ( )

to bring up the Crosspoint creation dialog. When this dialog first appears it will
contain only a listing of routers that can be controlled. Figure 1 illustrates the
initial appearance of the Crosspoint creation dialog.

Figure 1. Crosspoint creation dialog.

This dialog uses drag and drop to facilitate ease of creation. Select a Router
from the tree, there exist several types of routers that can be used in this dialog.
For example each of the ptx ( )’s ports can be used as a router for control in a
Crosspoint.

The creation dialog consists mainly of four sections, the label field, and the

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 37 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

sections: Routers; Content, and Crosspoint Type. Each of these sections will
allow for a partial definition of a crosspoint.

3.9.1 Router Selection Section

On the left hand side of the dialog is a section that allows for the selection of the
router to be controlled. To select a router find it in the tree and simply click on it.
Components that cannot be used as routers will not affect the dialog. Once a
router has been selected the input and output areas in the Content section will be
filled in as in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Selected Router

The available inputs and outputs are populated through direct communication
with the router. If for any reason communication with the router is hindered, a

VistaLINKTM PRO 38 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

warning will be displayed and Crosspoint creation may be prevented.

Content Section

To fully define a Crosspoint we are required to select both an input and an

output. Inputs are displayed on the left, while outputs are on the right. While the
definition of a Crosspoint is simply a Router along with and input and an output,
there are some additional options that are facilitated. These include open ended
Crosspoints, Label tracked Crosspoints, and output referenced Crosspoints.

Open Ended Crosspoint

Normally when we create a Crosspoint we specify both an input and an output,

this fully describes a Crosspoint. However this dialog allows for the specification
of only an output as in Figure 3. If the input is left empty, when the Crosspoint is
about to be launched, a dialog will appear and at run time prompt the user for the
desired input. This allows users to create Crosspoints for a specific output, in
which the input is only known at run time.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 39 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

Figure 3. Open Ended Crosspoint.

3.9.2 Label Tracked Crosspoint

A Crosspoint defined by input number and output number is only useful if all the
video inputs and outputs are on fixed numbers. However some routers allow for
inputs and outputs to be tracked dynamically by assigning inputs and outputs
labels. On occasion this labeling affects the ordering of the inputs and outputs
on a router. So if the label tracking option is selected, then the input/output
numbers are not used as the references for the Crosspoints, but the input/output
labels are used as in Figure 4. This feature is only available on some routers, if
the feature is enabled for a given router then the bottom section of the
dialog(Crosspoint Type) will be enabled, otherwise this feature will be disabled.

VistaLINKTM PRO 40 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

Figure 4. Label Tracked Crosspoint.

3.9.3 Output Referenced Crosspoint

Sometimes it is useful to create a Crosspoint in which we do not directly know

which input is to be connected to an output, however we do know that another
output is already pointing to the desired input. This is where output referenced
Crosspoints come into play. These Crosspoints work by selecting an output as
normal, but instead of specifying an input, we specify another output(output
reference) as in Figure 5. If this is selected, then at run time, the input that is
feeding the output reference is determined by querying the router, this input is
then substituted for the input of the new Crosspoint.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 41 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

Figure 5. Output Referenced Crosspoint.

Once a router has been selected and the content specified, the new settings can
be saved into a Crosspoint. Specify a name for the Crosspoint in the Crosspoint
Field at the top of the dialog. Once this is done either press the apply button if
more then one Crosspoint is to be created, or press the OK button if only one is
to be created at this time.

Once the Crosspoint(s) have been created, they can be executed by right
clicking on the Crosspoint in the main tree and selecting launch in its popup
menu options.

VistaLINKTM PRO 42 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

Helpful Hints :

Some routers have thousands of inputs or outputs, which means that scrolling
through each of these lists may take a long time. To speed up this process the
Set fields for each of the input selection and output selection lists can be typed
into. When typing into these fields a search will be performed to select the
closest input or output to the description that has been typed. Once an input or
output has been found, press enter to ensure that the correct input or output will
be used.

3.9.4 Editing of Crosspoints

To edit a Crosspoint simply take any Crosspoint from the main tree and drag it
into the description field at the top of the Crosspoint creation dialog. The existing
Crosspoint description will be displayed and modification of any field can be
performed. When finished with the changes simply press the Apply or OK
buttons. If you wish to discard your changes simply select the Cancel button.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 43 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

4.0 Alarm Log Management

Logging, Holding and Ignoring Alarms (Server Properties)

Upon installation, VistaLINK™ PRO comes pre-configured to log all alarms that are
received. If you are designing and setting up the infrastructure of your broadcast center
you may not want to be notified, or may not want to log any alarms that are being
generated during this process. In this scenario you can choose to hold the logging of
alarms or ignore alarms completely. Below are the possible logging states with
description:

• Log Alarms (Log Events) - This is the normal state of the logging system. This
setting will log and notify all clients of each alarm that is received.

• Buffer Alarms (Do Not Log) - This setting will put the logging system on hold and
buffer the alarms in memory. Alarms will not be logged to the database while in
this mode. If while in this mode alarms are received and the logging system is
switched to the normal mode, the alarms held in the buffer will be dumped to the
database and the logging and notification system will continue as usual.

• Hold (Ignore Events)- This setting will completely ignore all received alarms.
Alarms will not be buffered, or logged, thus any alarms generated will be ignored.

To change the logging system setting:

1. The Logging System settings can be accessed from either the VLPRO Server or
VLPRO client applications. To change the Logging System settings:
From the Server or Client application: Select Tools -> Logging.

2. In the Logging dialog box select the logging option of your choice and click the
OK button. The transaction will occur immediately and the Server logging
system will be adjusted to reflect the new setting.

VistaLINKTM PRO 44 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 45 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

4.1 Alarm Operations

4.1.1 About Alarm View Windows

The Alarm view window provides a means of viewing, acknowledging and correcting
alarms that have been logged to the alarm database. Alarms can be arranged by column
and filtered by acknowledged, corrected, severity settings etc.

Depending on the node selected in the Hardware or Service section of the Navigation
Tree, the Alarm view window will tailor the display to show only the information that is
pertinent for that device or service.

4.1.2 What is an Alarm?

An alarm is defined as a SNMP trap event that has been generated by a hardware device.
Alarms can occur for various reasons and may be generated by conditions such as video
not present on the hardware device or the audio channel broadcasting over a pre-
determined level. The alarm or fault TRAP will be sent from the hardware device to the
VistaLINK PRO Server (trap destination) which will indicate fault states to the operator
by color keying nodes in the Navigation Tree.

4.1.3 Alarms and VistaLINK™ PRO

VistaLINK™ PRO provides centralized alarm management. Incoming alarm events are
processed and logged by the VistaLINK™ PRO Server and then dispatched to all
VistaLINK™ PRO Clients connected to the server. When the VistaLINK™ PRO Client
receives a dispatched alarm event it first determines the alarm's severity setting and then
broadcasts the alarm to the Navigation Tree where the alarm is displayed to the operator.

VistaLINKTM PRO 46 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

4.1.4 Alarm View Layout

The Alarm View window is comprised of 3 primary areas:

• The status area at the top of the window displays the Navigation Tree node selected
for display, toolbar icons and the current filter settings.
• The alarm content area in the middle of the window displays the individual alarm
events for that node that are in the active alarm database.
• The “Notes” and “Details” panel at the bottom of the window shows extended
information about a selected alarm. See “Acknowledging and Correcting Alarms”
for more information.

4.1.5 Viewing Alarms

Individual alarms are viewed using the Alarm View Window. An Alarm View Window can

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 47 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

be opened for any node on the tree in the Hardware or Service super-node sections. The
node that is selected by the user will determine what alarm information will be displayed
once the Alarm View Window is opened. Below is a description of the various types of
nodes that can be opened:

Note: There is no limit to the number of Alarm View Windows that can be open
simultaneously. Each time the user makes a new selection in the Navigation Tree
and launches the Alarm View a new Alarm View Window will open displaying
alarm information for the selected node. The "Window" menu found on the menu
bar provides options for configuring multiple open windows such as the ability to
cascade or tile the windows. This menu also provides the ability to minimize,
restore and close multiple windows simultaneously.

Hardware Super-node

Opening an alarm view from the Hardware super-node will display all alarm events in the
alarm database (alarm information for all hardware currently in the Navigation Tree)
including current alarm events as well as alarm events that have occurred under the
following conditions:

• Hardware that has generated alarms but are longer connected to the
network.
• Hardware that has generated alarms but have had their IP addresses
changed.
• This also includes notes from any of the below mentioned node types.

Frame Node

Opening this node will only display alarm events that have occurred for all products in
the selected frame.

• Includes alarm events for products that were previously in one slot but have
since been moved to a different slot. This also includes products that
were in the frame at one time but are no longer present in the frame.

Product Node

Opening an alarm view from this node will only display alarm events that have
occurred for the selected product.

VistaLINKTM PRO 48 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

Product Video Input Node

Opening an alarm view from this node will only display alarm events that have
occurred for the selected video input.

4.1.6 Opening an Alarm View Window

To open an alarm view window use one of the following methods after selecting a node
in the Navigation Tree (node selected will determine alarms displayed as stated above)

1. Select Alarm -> View Alarm from the main menu.

2. Click the Open Alarm View toolbar button - .
3. Right click the selected node and choose View Alarm from the pop-up menu.

4.1.7 Acknowledging and Correcting Alarms

Each alarm in the alarm view has two distinct operator states. The first state,
acknowledged, indicates that the operator has seen the alarm condition and has
dispatched a request to correct the problem. The second state, corrected, indicates that
the alarm condition has been corrected either by intervention of an engineer or the source
of the problem has restored itself. By utilizing these two alarm states it is possible to give
an accurate representation of the whole network system by keying alarm states in the
Hardware or Service views with various colors, and steady or flashing states.

The following table shows the acknowledged and corrected state and the visual indication
that will occur.

Acknowledged Corrected Visual Alarm Indication

No No Flashing, in assigned severity color
Yes No Steady, in assigned severity color
No Yes Flashing green - this state indicates that an alarm
occurred and corrected itself before an operator
acknowledged the error condition. This is the lowest
priority alarm state. See Corrected but not acknowledged
condition below.
Yes Yes No alarm indication

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 49 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

Corrected but not acknowledged

This is the lowest priority alarm condition. This means that if there is more than one
alarm event for the same product then Flashing and Steady alarm conditions will be
displayed before Flashing green alarm conditions. In other words, alarms that are not
corrected, or alarms that have been acknowledged and not corrected, will generate
operator alerts first.

4.1.8 Self Correcting Alarms

VistaLINK PRO will report all alarm information from enabled devices including alarm
conditions that have corrected themselves without user intervention (E.g. Momentary loss
of video). If the alarm generated to the system has corrected itself, VistaLINK PRO will
place a check in the corrected column check box for the particular alarm event and make
that column check box unavailable. The system makes this column unavailable in order
to indicate to the user that the alarm situation has returned to normal on its own as
opposed to an alarm entry that has been corrected by a user manually checking the
corrected column check box.

4.1.9 Acknowledging All Alarms

The Alarm view window provides a single click action to acknowledge all alarms
presently in the view. Alarms that are already acknowledged when this action is
performed will not be processed therefore the date and time stamps on those alarms will
not be updated.

To acknowledge all alarms in the view, click on the button located in the bottom-
right corner of the alarm view window

4.2.10 Customizing Displayed Headings

Each VistaLINK™ PRO Client installation can customize which headings are displayed
when the alarm view is opened for the various nodes of the Hardware and Service
sections of the Navigation Tree. To open the customization dialog, select Alarm ->
Configure Alarm Views.. The Configure Alarm Views dialog box will appear.

VistaLINKTM PRO 50 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

The Configure Alarm Views dialog is comprised of a View Category selector, Available
Fields area and the Show fields in this Order section. The view category selects the
corresponding node in the Hardware view that you want to customize the view for. The
available fields category contains fields (otherwise known as headers) that have not been
added to the view and the Show Fields in this Order category shows the fields that have
been added to the view. The top-to-bottom order in which the fields appear in the Show
Fields in this Order category determines the left-to-right order that the fields will appear
in the alarm view window, respectively.

The order of the fields can be changed by selecting one or more fields on the right and
selecting to move the fields up in the order or down in the order by clicking on the Up or
Down buttons.

Fields can be added or removed by selecting the field of choice then selecting the
available Add or Remove button.

Once complete, click on the "OK" button to save your changes. Any open alarm view
windows will not update to the new customizations until closed and re-opened.

Note: Some of the Available Fields options will be specific to certain hardware
modules. For example, the "Alarm GPI Label" which is populated by user defined
labels set on each individual 7700GPI module (if present). or the OV Trap Tag
field which is specific to a 3000OV MVP module.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 51 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

4.1.11 Adding a Custom Alarm Entry

Each alarm view window allows for the entry of additional custom note alarm entries.
These custom entries will appear in the Alarm View Window, however, will not be
associated with a particular system event. To enter a custom note click the Add
Custom Note button located in the toolbar of the currently displayed alarm view window.

The Add Custom Note dialog box will open allowing the operator to enter a description
for the custom note (displayed in the description column of the alarm view window), a
severity setting and any extended operator notes that should be included with this entry.
Click Save to add the Custom note to the alarm view window.

4.1.12 Filtering Alarms From the Alarm View

Normally when an alarm view is opened all alarm events for the selected node are shown.
This may not be the desired functionality. VistaLINK™ PRO provides an option to
display only alarms that match specified filter criteria. For example, the system can be set
to filter out any alarm events that have been previously acknowledged or corrected thus
only displaying the alarm events that have not been addressed.
In the event that new alarm are generated while a filter is enabled, the new events will be
displayed in the alarm view only if the event passes the filter criteria.

VistaLINKTM PRO 52 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

4.1.13 Default and Custom Filters

A filter can be applied to an alarm view window in two different ways:

1. A Default Filter is established that will be applied to all alarm view windows
each time they are opened.

When A Default Filter has been activated the Default

Filter indicator will appear in the top left corner of alarm
view windows each time they are opened.

To setup a Default Filter select Alarm -> Setup Default

Filters... from the main menu. This will open the Filter
Options dialog box allowing creation of the default filter (see Constructing Filters section
for additional details). Select Data Field, Test Condition and Criteria, then “Save” filter.
Upon reopening the alarm view, the default filter is applied.

2. A Custom Filter is applied to an open alarm view window that will apply to
the alarms currently being displayed. However, when an alarm view window
with a Custom Filter is closed and then reopened the filter will be removed
and the display will return to the default view.

When a Custom Filter has been activated the Custom

Filter indicator will appear in the top left corner of the
alarm view it has been applied to.

To setup a Custom Filter click the Filter Alarms toolbar

button found at the top of the alarm view window. This
will open the Filter Options dialog box allowing creation of the custom filter (see
Constructing Filters section for additional details).

4.1.14 Constructing Filters

Default and Custom filters are both created using the Filter Options dialog. This dialog
allows the user the ability to establish a filter set that will limit which alarms are
displayed in an alarm view window.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 53 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

The Filter Options dialog box presents individual filter options (per row) that can be
enabled or disabled in order to build the desired filter. Each filter option (row) has three
columns that make up the filter option parts. Each filter option can be enabled or
disabled as part of the final filter criteria by changing the Test Condition to any value
other than “Disable this filter”. When the Test Condition column has been changed for a
filter option, that option becomes active and is indicated active by displaying the rows
background color in yellow.

• Data Field: This is the field in the alarm view that will be checked when this filter
option is enabled.
• Test Condition: This drop down box is used to enable a filter option by selecting
the appropriate Test Condition for the Data Field (if set to “Disable this filter”, the
filter option specified on this row will not be part of the criteria for the filter being
created).
• Criteria: This sets what criteria the Test Condition should look for when checking
the Data Field.

Example: Changing the first Test Condition drop down box to “Is not” will establish a
filter that will only display alarms where the Acknowledged Status (Data Field) Is not
(Test Condition) Checked (Criteria) or simply, will only display alarms that are
unacknowledged.

The user can enable as many filter options (rows) as necessary, in order to build the
appropriate filter. When using more than one filter option the user has the ability to set
each additional option as an AND option, meaning the alarm must meet all filter

VistaLINKTM PRO 54 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

requirements (Option 1 AND Option 2), alternatively, additional options can be set as OR
options, meaning the alarm will be shown if it meets any of the filter options (Option 1
OR Option 2). After all filter option selections have been made, clicking the Apply Filter
button will activate the filter (Default or Custom depending on how the Filter Options
dialog was accessed).

4.1.15 Clearing Filter Options

The Clear and Clear All buttons can be used to reset filter options back to a disabled
state. Clear will reset only the selected row, while Clear All will reset all selected filter
options.

4.1.16 Saving and Loading Filters

Once a filter has been created, it can be saved for future use or copied to other clients. To
save a created filter, click “Save Filter Set”. VistaLINK PRO will prompt for a name and
location to save the filter set to. Saved filters can be loaded back into the Filter Options
dialog by clicking “Load Filter Set” and then browsing to the saved filter and clicking
“Open”.

4.1.17 Default “Unresolved Alarm” Filter

With this filter applied, the alarm view window will only display alarms if they have
neither been acknowledged nor corrected thus eliminating all alarms from the view that
have been fully addressed. To load the Unresolved Alarm filter click Load Filter Set in
the Filter Options dialog, browse to the VistaLINKProClient folder (C:\Program
Files\VistaLINKProClient by default) and select the “Filter_UnresolvedAlarms.xml” file.
This will load the default Unresolved Alarms filter into the Filter Options dialog enabling
the first two rows. (Ack Status Is not Checked OR Cor Status Is not Checked).

4.1.18 Suspending View Updates

While an alarm view window is open it may be desirable to temporarily hold new alarms
from interrupting the display of existing alarms. In this case it is possible to suspend the
processing of alarm updates by clicking on the Suspend toolbar button in the top-right
corner of the alarm view window. The button will stay depressed and the alarm view will
display the button with a red background to indicate that the alarm view window is

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 55 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

currently suspended.

While in this mode, the alarm view window will not receive any new alarm events. The
alarm view will continue to update the status of any events in the view if the status
changes.

To resume receiving new alarms, click on the Suspend button once again. The button
will restore to its normal state and the alarm view will immediately catch up on any
alarms that have occurred during the suspended period.

4.1.19 Saving the Current Alarm View

This feature allows you to save (or export) the alarms in the alarm view window to an
external file. Any filter settings that are currently applied to the view will also be applied
to the save operation. Note that any customizations to the headings will not be inherited
by the save. All headings are saved when the current view is saved.

Saving to a new file:

1. Click the Save Alarm log to disk button on the toolbar. A dialog box will
appear asking for a location and filename for the new alarm log file.

2. Select the desired location for the file and enter a filename in the file name
area. If no extension to the filename is specified a .txt extension will be
appended.

Appending to an existing file:

VistaLINKTM PRO 56 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

Follow the steps outlined in the “Saving to a new file” procedure above except specify
the filename of an alarm log file that already exists on your system. You will then be
prompted whether or not you wish to append to the end of this file. If you choose to
append, the alarm information will be appended to the end of the specified file, separating
existing information from new information with a single line header describing the date
and time the new append occurred.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 57 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

4.2 Configuring Alarm Properties

4.2.1 Viewing and Modifying Alarm Properties

The Alarm Severity Configuration dialog provides a means of custom tailoring each
alarm event to meet the requirements of your installation. The hardware devices
connected to your network generate alarm events, also known as “TRAPS”. These traps
are received by the VistaLINK™ PRO Server and stored in VistaLINK™ PRO's alarm
database. The alarm properties determine if, when and how VistaLINK™ PRO clients
are informed of these alarm events.

Upon installation, VistaLINK™ PRO comes configured with all alarms set to their
highest severity setting (critical). You should review these settings as soon as possible to
ensure that they are setup correctly for your broadcast center.

4.2.2 Severity Options

VistaLINK™ PRO provides five severity level options. The following is a list of
severities and their description:

• Critical - The highest level of severity that can be set for an alarm. This
severity setting should be used for alarm events that are critical in nature
and require immediate attention. All critical alarms will be shown in red.
• Major - This setting is of a lesser importance than the Critical alarm setting
above. This setting should be used for alarm events that are still
important in nature but can be looked at after all critical alarm events have
been acknowledged. All major alarms will be shown in orange.
• Minor - This setting is of a lesser importance than both the Critical and
Major alarm settings above. All minor alarms will be displayed in yellow.
• Warning - This setting is the lowest severity that can be assigned to an
alarm event and still generate an operator alert in the Device View. Use
this setting for alarms that are of lowest importance. All warning alarms
will be displayed in dark gray.
• None - This setting will cause the alarm event to be ignored. Alarms with
this setting can still be acknowledged but do not generate an operator
alert in the Device View. All alarms of this type will not have a color
associated to them.

VistaLINKTM PRO 58 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

To view or modify alarm properties:

1. Select Alarm -> Configure Alarms or right click a hardware device in the
Navigation Tree and select the Configure Alarms... option. The Alarm Severity
Configuration dialog box will appear displaying the User Label, Severity, Auto-
acknowledge, Email and Alarm Note settings for all "TRAPS" of the product type
selected. Severities other than "None" will be color-keyed to the severity setting.

2. When you have completed making changes select either the OK or Apply button.
Below is a list of the columns that can be modified and their meanings:

User Readable Label

This is a friendly version of the engineering label. This is the text that will be
shown in the Description column of the Alarm View Window displays.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 59 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

Severity
This setting determines the severity of the alarm event. When the event occurs
and is reported to the Clients the Navigation Tree indication and the Alarm View
Description column background color will match the severity color level set in
this dialog. For more information, see Alarm Indication.

Ack
If this option is checked, the alarm event will automatically be marked as
acknowledged at the time it is stored in the alarm database. Having an event
marked as acknowledged means that an operator has seen the alarm and knows
that there is a problem. See Acknowledging and correcting alarms for more
information about this setting.

Email
This setting will cause an email to be dispatched to a list of recipients describing
the alarm condition. (see Configuring the Email Alert System)

Alarm Notes
Alarm notes are additional pieces of information that can help the operator
diagnose a problem. These notes will be displayed in the Alarm Notes section of
the Alarm View for each alarm of this type that is logged by the system.

4.2.3 Factory Defaulting

You can clear all changes you have made to a product by first ensuring the correct
product is selected in the product type drop-down and selecting the Set to Factory
Defaults button. A confirmation box will appear asking you to verify the operation. A
Set to Factory Defaults operation will reset all severity settings back to critical and clear
the auto acknowledge and email flags. The User Readable Label and Alarm Notes will
not be reset by this operation.

4.2.4 Bulk Operations

Programming each alarm event for every product can be a tedious task. To ease this
process you can perform bulk apply and clear operations. First, select the alarm events
that you want to modify. This can be done either by holding down the control (Ctrl) key
and highlighting each alarm event individually, or by selecting one alarm event, holding
down the shift key and selecting a second alarm event. All events that lie in between the
first and second selections will be highlighted.

VistaLINKTM PRO 60 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

Once you have selected the events, click the right mouse button while the mouse pointer
is over top of any one of the selected items. This will display a pop-up menu with the
following items:

• Enable Autoack
• Enable Email
• Set Severity - The Set Severity menu item has a sub-menu that will pop-up
when the mouse is hovered over the menu item text. The sub-menu
contains all severity option settings
• Clear Autoack
• Clear Email
• Clear Alarm notes

Selecting any one of these items will apply the operation to all selected alarm events the
same as if you had performed the action on one item.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 61 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

4.3 Email Notification System

4.3.1 Configuring the Email Alert System

VistaLINK™ PRO can be configured to dispatch email when an alarm event occurs if the
alarm "TRAP" event has the email option checked in the Configure Alarms dialog. The
Email system must be enabled and properly configured with valid SMTP mail server and
recipient addresses for email notification to function.

To Configure the Email System

Select Alarm -> Configure Email. The Configure Email dialog box will appear
displaying options for the email system.

To enable or disable the email alert system, check or un-check the Enable Notification
option in this dialog.

Enter a valid mail server address in the Outgoing Mail Server text area. VistaLINK™
PRO will use this mail server for sending email notifications.

4.3.2 Important SMTP Mail Server Note

VistaLINKTM PRO 62 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

VistaLINK PRO will issue email notification packages to a valid SMTP mail server on
port 25. The mail server (e.g. Microsoft Exchange Server) must be set up to accept
unsolicited mail on port 25 for relay.

Note: As opening port 25 for any incoming unsolicited mail for relay would
be a security concern it is suggested that the SMTP mail server be setup to
only relay unsolicited mail when received from the IP address of the
VistaLINK PRO Server PC only.

4.3.3 Delivery Options

New Alarms Only: Email notification will be sent only when a new alarm event is
received. Recipients will only be notified once for a particular new event according to
the Check and Send time interval.

New and Previous Uncorrected: Email notification will be sent for new alarm events as
well as existing events that have not been corrected. Existing alarm events that have not
been corrected will persist in the email alerts up to the Remove alarm if not corrected
after ____ email count

Note: Enter a number in Remove alarm if not corrected after _____ email option to
change the count for how many email alerts an existing uncorrected alarm will persist for,
before being removed.

Set the Check and send alarm email every _____ seconds to set the duration in seconds
for the VistaLINK™ PRO system to check for alarms and send email notifications
according to the Delivery Options

4.3.4 To Configure the Email Recipients

Select Alarm -> Configure Email. Change to the Recipients tab of the Configure Email
dialog.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 63 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

To add a recipient address to the list, click Add, enter the email address and click OK.

To remove a recipient from the list highlight the address and click Remove.

Note: All addresses displayed in the Recipients list will receive email notifications from
VistaLINK™ PRO. Email notifications will only be sent for those alarms that have the
email notification option enabled in the Alarm Configuration setup.

Audible Alerts (Playing Sounds When an Alarm Occurs)

When an alarm is displayed in the Hardware or Service View, a corresponding sound that
matches the severity condition can be played (if programmed) up to the repeat count, or
until acknowledged, depending on how the sound is configured. To play sounds when
alarms are received:

Note: Audible alert settings are local to each VLPRO Client they are established on. Each
separate Client application can have its own audible alert settings programmed.

Select "Alarm" from the Client menu bar then select "Configure Sounds". This will
open the Audio Configuration dialog box allowing sounds (.wav files) to be linked to
each of the 9 severity states for an alarm (4 severities unacknowledged [flashing], 4
severities acknowledged [non flashing] and the OK state).

Click the browse button (...) next to the Audio File text box to enter a sound file to play
when an alarm with the selected severity is displayed in the Hardware/Service View. Set
the repeat count and playback volume for each sound

VistaLINKTM PRO 64 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

Note: To program the sound to repeat forever (intelligent mode only) until the alarm
condition is acknowledged, set the repeat count to the maximum setting until the count
value shows

Audible Alert Playback Mode

The "Enable intelligent alarm sound playback" option can be enabled or disabled to
switch between the two available operating modes for audible alerts.

Intelligence Enabled (checked)

This mode will play the sound for it's repeat count corresponding to the severity level of
the system. If the system severity level changes before the repeat count is completed the
sound for the new severity level will play immediately.

Intelligence Disabled (unchecked)

This mode will play the severity sound for each alarm that occurs for it's full repeat count
(max repeat count = 10).

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 65 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

4.4 Audible Alert System

4.4.1 Audible Alerts (Playing Sounds When an Alarm Occurs)

When an alarm is displayed in the Navigation Tree, a corresponding sound that matches
the severity condition can be played (if programmed) up to the repeat count, or until
acknowledged, depending on how the sound is configured. To play sounds when alarms
are received:

1. Select Alarm -> Configure Sounds. This will open the Audio Configuration dialog
box allowing sounds (.wav files) to be linked to each of the 9 severity states for an
alarm (4 severities unacknowledged [flashing], 4 severities acknowledged [non
flashing] and the OK state).

2. Click the browse button (...) next to the Audio File text box to enter a sound file to
play when an alarm with the selected severity is displayed in the Navigation Tree.
Set the repeat count and playback volume for each sound

Note: To program the sound to repeat forever (intelligent mode only) until the alarm
condition is acknowledged, set the repeat count to the maximum setting until the count
value shows

VistaLINKTM PRO 66 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

Audible Alert Playback Mode

The Enable intelligent alarm sound playback option can be enabled or disabled to switch
between the two available operating modes for audible alerts.

Intelligence Enabled (checked)

This mode will play a sound for it's repeat count corresponding to the severity level of the
system. If the system severity level changes before the repeat count is completed the
sound for the new severity level will play immediately.

Intelligence Disabled (unchecked)

This mode will play the severity sound for each alarm as they occur for it's full repeat
count (max repeat count = 10) regardless of current system severity level.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 67 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

4.5 Alarm Log Management

4.5.1 Logging, Holding and Ignoring Alarms (Server Properties)

Upon installation, VistaLINK™ PRO comes pre-configured to log all alarms that are
received. If you are designing and setting up the infrastructure of your broadcast center
you may not want to be notified, or may not want to log any alarms that are being
generated during this process. In this scenario you can choose to hold the logging of
alarms or ignore alarms completely. Below are the possible logging states with
description:

• Log Alarms (Log Events) - This is the normal state of the logging system. This
setting will log and notify all clients of each alarm that is received.
• Buffer Alarms (Do Not Log) - This setting will put the logging system on hold and
buffer the alarms in memory. Alarms will not be logged to the database while in
this mode. If while in this mode alarms are received and the logging system is
switched to the normal mode, the alarms held in the buffer will be dumped to the
database and the logging and notification system will continue as usual.
• Hold (Ignore Events)- This setting will completely ignore all received alarms.
Alarms will not be buffered, or logged, thus any alarms generated will be ignored.

To change the logging system setting:

1. The Logging System settings can be accessed from either the VLPRO Server or
VLPRO client applications. To change the Logging System settings: From the
Server application: Select Tools -> Logging. From the Client application:
Select Tools -> Server Properties from the main menu.

2. In the Logging dialog box select the logging option of your choice and click the
OK button. The transaction will occur immediately and the Server logging
system will be adjusted to reflect the new setting.

VistaLINKTM PRO 68 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

4.6 Event Archiving (Database Administrator)

VistaLINK™ PRO incorporates an automatic Database Administration feature. It is

possible to direct the VistaLINK™ PRO Server to archive any alarms older than a
specified duration to an external file. The VistaLINK™ PRO Server achieves this by
periodically querying the alarm database for any alarms older than the specified duration.
If alarms are found the server runs the Save alarm log feature storing the alarms to an
external report file. The Database Administrator can also be run manually at any time. A
proper database administration cycle will keep the active alarm database running at best
performance. The archive duration should be selected according to the amount of
hardware being monitored and how often fault alarms are reported to the VistaLINK
PRO Server.

4.6.1 To Enable or Disable the Database Administrator

1. Select Tools -> Logging in the VLPRO Server application or select Tools ->
Server Properties in the VLPRO Client application. Either of these two methods
will open the Logging dialog box .
2. Select the Database Administrator tab and check or un-check the Enable Database
Administrator option to enable or disable this feature.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 69 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

4.6.2 To Set the Log Administration Duration and Save Location

1. Select Tools -> Logging in the VLPRO Server application or select Tools -> Server
Properties in the VLPRO Client application. Either of these two methods will
open the Logging dialog box .
2. Select the Database Administrator tab and change the Archive events that are older
than ___ day(s) duration.
3. Select the OK button. Your new duration will take effect the next time the
VistaLINK™ PRO Server queries the alarm database.

The Logging dialog also allows the user to select a different location to save the archived
alarm and audit logs to. Use the browse button to select a different path location.

4.6.3 To Run the Database Administrator Immediately

Clicking the Run Database Administrator button found in the Logging / Database
Administrator dialog will immediately run the Database Administrator feature, bypassing
its regular schedule thus immediately archiving events according to the Archive events
that are older than duration.

VistaLINKTM PRO 70 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 71 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

4.7 Alarm Forwarding

4.7.1 To Set Up Alarm Forwarding

1. Select Alarm -> Configure Alarm Forwarding which will open the Alarm
Forwarding Manager dialog.

2. Enter the following information; Host IP or where the SNMP TRAPs should be
forwarded to, Alias name for this forward rule and the Port the TRAPs will be
forwarded to (default 162.)
3. Click OK to begin forwarding TRAPs to this location.

VistaLINKTM PRO 72 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

5.0 Configuration
Using VistaLINK PRO a user can change individual module setups by accessing and
changing values in its associated Configuration View. Configuration Views provide
access to all controllable parameters available on a module similar to its card edge
controls or OSD menu system. Configurations can be saved and loaded into hardware
using the VistaLINK PRO system.
By taking advantage of VistaLINK PRO's Advanced System Configurations feature many
powerful and scalable system presets can be defined and used to quickly and accurately
change hardware setups.

5.1 About Configuration Windows

Each Configuration View window provides a means of remotely viewing and setting the
various parameters within a product. The configuration view window is composed of a
series of tabs along the top of the window and a content area for each tab that contains the
various configuration options. The configuration options, also known as components, can
be broken down into six basic categories.

Described below are the six basic component categories and how each component
operates.

• Monitored Text Component - The text component is a descriptive label. This type
of component cannot be selected and does not represent a modifiable option.
• Group Box Component - The group box component, as it's name implies, is used to

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 73 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

represent a group of common or related configuration options.

• Radio Button Component - Radio button components are used to represent a choice
in configuration options. A single radio button represents each option. Only one
radio button item can be selected within the group of radio buttons present. To
change the value of a radio button component click on the radio button with the
left mouse button. Since at least one option must be selected within a group of
radio buttons, to remove the selection from one radio button you must select a
different radio button within that group.

• Check Box Component - The check box component is used to represent an ON or

OFF condition. If the component has a check mark to its left then it is enabled (or
ON). If there is no check mark beside the component then the component is de-
selected (or OFF). Check boxes can only exist in one of the two described states.
Check boxes differ from that of Radio buttons since check boxes can be grouped
together with each check box being selected. To change the setting of a check
box component click on the component with the left mouse button or press the
space bar on the keyboard.

• Slider Component - The slider component is used to represent a range of possible

values. Slider components have a minimum value and a maximum value. The
current value of a slider is represented by the position of the thumb box. To
change the value of a slider component, click and hold the left mouse button on
the thumb box and drag the box either left or right. When finished, release the left
mouse button. You can also change the value by pressing the left or right arrow
keys on the keyboard.

• Dropdown Component - The dropdown component is very similar to a group of

radio button components. The dropdown component presents a list of options
when expanded. Only one of the options in the list can be selected at one time.
To expand the list of options, click on the down arrow. To select one of the items
in the list, click on the item with the left mouse button. An alternative is to scroll
to the item with the arrow keys and press the Enter key on the keyboard.

Below is a screenshot containing the various component types:

VistaLINKTM PRO 74 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 75 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

5.2 Working With Configuration Windows

5.2.1 Viewing Configurations

In order to change a module’s parameters the Configuration View for that product must
be opened. To open a product’s Configuration View, right click the product desired and
select -> View Configuration or click the View Configuration toolbar icon.
Below is a description of the various types of nodes that a Configuration View can be
opened for.

Product Node
Opening this node will display the complete configuration view for the
product selected.

Product Video Input Node

Opening this node displays the configuration view for the selected video
input.

9000NCP Network Control Panel Node

Opening this node allows setup and configuration of a 9000NCP(2)
(see the 9000NCP(2) manual for information on how to use the Network
Control Panel with VistaLINK PRO)

5.2.2 Refreshing the View

At any time you may refresh the configuration view that you have open. Performing this
option will synchronize your view with the information contained in the product. Any
configuration changes that have not been applied to the product will be overwritten after
executing a refresh.

To refresh the view, select Configuration -> Refresh or click the Refresh button
found on the top of each configuration view window.

5.2.3 Automatic Refresh

VistaLINK™ PRO can automatically refresh an open configuration view. This is useful
if you want to monitor a parameter that changes frequently. To enable Automatic refresh

VistaLINKTM PRO 76 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

select Configuration -> Auto Refresh from the main menu. A check mark should appear
to the left of the menu item. To disable, select Auto Refresh again. The check mark
should disappear.
An alternate method would be to select the button on the toolbar. When Auto refresh
is enabled the toolbar button should appear green with a plus (+) sign in the bottom
right corner of the button. When disabled, the toolbar button should appear red with a
minus (-) sign in the bottom right corner of the button.

The refresh interval will depend on your network conditions. The refresh operation is a
continuous cycle meaning that the refresh will start with the first parameter, continue
until the last parameter has been refreshed and start from the beginning again.

Note: Automatic Refresh and Dynamic Apply cannot be enabled at the same time.

5.2.4 Applying Changes Made to Configuration

When changes are made to a product's configuration settings the changes need to be
applied. There are two methods of applying changes: Dynamically and Deferred.

Deferred apply refers to the process of making one or more changes and then manually
requesting for those changes to be sent to the product. Deferred apply also has the
advantage of being able to chose how the changes are to be applied. Applying changes
using this method can be performed using the toolbar buttons found at the top of each
Configuration View window. Please see below for a list of deferred options and their
descriptions:

• Apply Changes - applies only the configuration settings that have been
changed in the configuration view since the last apply operation. To apply
just the changed settings, select Configuration -> Apply Changes from the
main menu or click the Apply Changes toolbar button located at the
top of each Configuration View window .
• (Global) Apply To Same Product Types - applies only the configuration
settings that have been changed since the last apply operation to all
similar products. This is the same operation as the Apply item except that

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 77 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

the configuration settings will be applied to all like products. For example,
if the configuration is being applied for an AVM card, this operation would
apply the same settings to all AVM's currently in the Navigation View. To
apply changes to all similar products, select the button on the toolbar.

Note: Deferred apply is a verified process. This means that once the configuration has
been applied the same configuration will be read back from the product to verify that all
settings have indeed been set to the proper value.

5.2.5 Dynamic Apply

Dynamic apply refers to the process of updating the product in real time as the
configuration settings are being made. Dynamic apply cannot be applied to all product
types as can Deferred apply. To enable dynamic apply, select Configuration -> Dynamic
Apply. A check mark should appear to the left of the menu option. To disable, select the
Dynamic Apply option again. The check mark should disappear if disabled.

An alternate method would be to select the button on the toolbar. When Dynamic
apply is enabled the toolbar button should appear green with a plus (+) sign in the
bottom right corner of the button. When disabled, the toolbar button should appear red
with a minus (-) sign in the bottom right corner of the button.

Note: When Dynamic apply is enabled, the Apply and Apply to Same Product types
buttons will be disabled. Dynamic Apply cannot be enabled if Auto Refresh is active.

VistaLINKTM PRO 78 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

5.3 Saving and Loading Configurations

5.3.1 About Configuration Files

VistaLINK™ PRO provides the ability to save the configuration for a product to an
external file or system file so that the saved configuration can be loaded at a later date
using the Load feature. This is useful if you want to create a backup of your product's
configuration settings or if you want to use the saved configuration file as a template and
rubber stamp the configuration settings to all like product types by loading the
configuration file into those products. It also provides a method to create custom scalable
presets for any single or group of hardware with resolution down to the individual
parameter level . Configurations can be stored in several different formats depending on
its intended use.

VistaLINK PRO's new System Configurations feature allows for scalable and
powerful system level changes as well as adding extended functionality to the
9000NCP(2) Network Control Panels. Advanced System and System Configurations
are the most common and powerful methods of saving configuration files. If you are
unsure what method to use choose one of these options.

5.3.2 Saving Configurations

When saving a Configuration file for a product(s) there are several different methods to
choose from depending on the intended use for the Configuration file. To save a
configuration file select the products in the Navigation Tree (hold the Ctrl key to select
multiple products) right click the selected product(s) and choose Save -> <save options
below>. System configuration files can also be saved/created by right clicking the
Configurations super-node and selecting New -> Configuration. Configurations files can
be saved using the following formats.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 79 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

5.3.3 Local Configurations

If Local is selected as the format for the configuration save, all parameters for the
product(s) selected will be stored to an external .xml file. This file can be copied to a disk
for transfer to a different location. The user will be prompted to enter a name and location
to store the configuration file to.

VistaLINKTM PRO 80 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

5.3.4 Advanced Local Configurations

Advanced Local configurations files are also stored to an external .xml file however, the
user is presented with an extra dialog during the save operation to choose what individual
parameters from each product(s) will be saved as part of the configuration file. Advanced
configurations are advantageous as they allow the user to load settings on to a module(s)
for a specific parameter without effecting other non related parameters on the same
module(s). To build an Advanced Local configuration select the product(s) to be part of
the save option, right click and choose Save -> Advanced Local. The Advanced
Configuration Dialog will appear allowing you to create the configuration file.

1. Expand modules in the left-most tree to expose the individual parameters for each
module.
2. Select a parameter and while holding the left mouse button, drag it to the center
tree to add it to the configuration file..
3. Once a parameter has been added to the center tree view, double click the
parameter to set its value. Repeat steps 1-3 for all desired modules / parameters.
4. Provide a name and location to save the configuration file to and click Save.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 81 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

5.3.5 System Configurations

System configurations are similar to Local in that all parameters for the product(s) are
saved, however, System configurations differ in that they are not stored to an external
file.
System configurations are stored in the VistaLINK PRO Server database and will appear
under the Configurations super-node in the Navigation Tree. System configurations
are advantageous in that they can be run directly from the Navigation Tree, they are
immediately available to all remote connected clients and they can be used with other
systems such as the 9000NCP Control Panels or placed on a View in the VistaLINK PRO
Graphics Client.

VistaLINKTM PRO 82 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

5.3.6 Advanced System Configurations

Advanced System configurations are stored under the Configurations super-node similar
to System configurations, however, they do not have to store all parameters for all
selected products. When building an Advanced System configuration the user is presented
with a dialog allowing them to choose the individual parameters that will be saved in the
configuration. The Advanced Configuration Save dialog works in the same manor as for
Advanced Local however the configuration file will be stored to the Navigation Tree's
Configurations super-node rather than an external .xml file.

1. Expand modules in the left-most tree to expose the individual parameters for each
module.

2. Select a parameter and while holding the left mouse button, drag it to the center
tree to add it to the configuration file.

3. Once a parameter has been added to the center tree view, double click the
parameter to set its value. Repeat steps 1-3 for all desired modules / parameters.

4. Provide a name and location to save the configuration file to and click Save.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 83 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

5.3.7 Loading Configurations

Loading Local Configuration Files

VistaLINK™ PRO provides the ability to configure a product by loading settings from an
external file created by the Save feature. A configuration file may contain the
configuration settings for one product, multiple products, one parameter or multiple
parameters. Saved Local configurations can only be applied to the same product or
product multiples that they where saved from.

For example:
A save operation was executed on a frame with an AVM in Slot 4 and an AVM-DC in Slot
8. This configuration file can only be loaded into a frame that contains an AVM in slot 4
and an AVM-DC in slot 8.

VistaLINKTM PRO 84 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

If the saved Local configuration is limited to a specific module or sub parameter, that
saved configuration can be loaded into any similar product anywhere in the system.

To load a configuration file:

1. Select the desired node(s) in the Navigation Tree.

2. Right click the selected nodes and choose Load -> Local. The Config Local Load
dialog box will appear. Select the saved configuration file and then select Open.

Loading System Configuration Files

System configuration files can be loaded into modules in a similar manner to local files,
however, System configurations can also be launched directly from the Navigation Tree.
When initiated in this manner the System configuration will apply its settings strictly to
the exact hardware that the configuration was built from.

System configurations can also be added to VistaLINK PRO Graphics Views as well as
attached to a 9000NCP(2) preset button.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 85 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

6.0 Audit Logging

6.1.1 About the Audit View Window

The Audit View window provides a means of viewing activity that has occurred in the
VistaLINK™ PRO system. Each audit entry is stamped with the user logon name, date
and time of the action, a description of the activity and a detailed breakdown of data that
was changed. The audit system also allows operators to add custom audit entries so that
operator issues can also be tracked through the audit system. For more information on
custom audit entries, see “Manually adding an Audit Entry”.

To view the Audit Log select Audit -> View Audit Log

6.1.2 Manually Adding an Audit Entry

The Audit system in VistaLINK™ PRO allows an operator to add a custom audit entry.

VistaLINKTM PRO 86 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

In addition to adding the audit entry into the audit database, the audit entry can be
addressed to a specific operator of the system, notifying that operator immediately if
logged on, or prompting the operator the next time he/she logs in to the VistaLINK™
PRO system. To add a custom audit entry:

1. Select Audit -> Add Audit Entry (the Audit Log must be visible). The audit entry
dialog will appear allowing you to enter an audit heading and detailed description.

2. Enter a heading and additional information description.

3. Optionally, select the users that you want to notify of this entry by placing a check
mark in the alert column next to the user name.
4. Click on the Add Item button to save your changes or click on the Cancel button to
abort the operation.

If you selected to notify a user in the above operation the user will be immediately
notified of the audit entry if they are presently logged on to the VistaLINK™ PRO. If the
user is not logged on, he/she will be notified of the entry the next time he/she logs on to
the VistaLINK™ PRO.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 87 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

VistaLINKTM PRO 88 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

7.0 Remote Administration Features

7.1 Purging the Alarm Database

This feature allows an administrator to purge (delete) all alarm events that are stored in
the alarm database. Once purged, the alarm events cannot be recovered. To remotely
clear the alarm database:

Select Tools -> Purge Alarm Database from the main menu.

You will be prompted to confirm your request to delete all alarm events. Select Delete to
proceed with the operation. A Remote Server Message will automatically be sent to all
running clients to inform them that the alarm database has been purged.

7.2 Sending a Text Message to Clients

This feature allows an administrator to send a message to all running clients. This is
useful if you want to notify all users of an event that has occurred or is about to occur.
To send a remote server message:

Select Tools -> Send Message from the main menu.

You will be prompted to enter a message to send. Enter your desired message. Once
complete, select the Send button.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 89 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

8.0 User Administration

8.1 User Permissions

VistaLINK™ PRO provides audit tracking and restricts access to features by requiring
operators to Logon with an appropriate user account before gaining access to the
software. Each user that requires access to VistaLINK™ PRO should have a unique
logon. Doing so ensures that a user will only have access to areas defined by the account
privileges and allow for an audit trail indicating which users handled certain events.

8.2 Adding or Modifying a User Account

1. In order to add or modify user accounts you must be logged on to VistaLINK PRO
with an account that has access to the Configure Users option. The Administrator
account has this ability by default.

2. User accounts can be added, edited or removed through the User Manager dialog.
Select Tools -> Configure Users from the main menu. The User Manager dialog
box will open displaying all current users accounts for the system.

3. If adding a new user, select the Add button. If modifying an existing user,
highlight the user in the list and select the Edit button. The Add New/Edit User
dialog box will open allowing configuration of the user account username,
password and privileges.

VistaLINKTM PRO 90 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

4. The user account details dialog contains the following fields that can be changed
when adding a new user or editing an existing user account: User name: The
name of the account being created/edited. This is the name the user will use to
logon to the VistaLINK PRO system. All audit log entries will reference this
accounts actions by the name entered in this field. Password: The password this
account will use to logon to the system with the appropriate account privileges.
Privilege Class: This dropdown menu will change the privilege authorization
screen to allow privileges to be assigned for any feature type in VistaLINK PRO.
The available options are: Common Privileges, Monitoring Privileges, Scheduling
Privileges and Server Privileges. Change this selection and then use the
Authorization area to select specific access rights. Note: the Privilege Class is
not a user account type, it simply changes what options are displayed in the
Authorization area. Authorization: This area presents all features for a Privilege
Class with an Authorization check box for each. Access per feature can be
enabled or disabled for the current account by checking or un-checking the
Authorization check box for the feature in selected.

5. After setting up a user account clicking OK will add the user (or update if editing)
to the User Manager list. Continue steps 2 - 3 for additional users or click the

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 91 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

OK button to close the User Manager and save changes. Click the Cancel button
to abort all changes.

8.3 Deleting a User Account

Deleting a user will remove the ability for that user to Logon to the VistaLINK™ PRO
software. Deleting a user will not delete any actions the user has performed prior to the
delete. All audit entries, acknowledged or corrected alarms, etc. remain as-is with the
user's name attached to the operation. To delete a user:

1. Selecting Tools -> Configure Users from the main menu. The User Manager
dialog box will open displaying all current users of the system.

2. Highlight the user you wish to delete from the list of users and select the Remove
button. You will be prompted to confirm the action. Select Yes to delete the user
or No to abort the operation.

VistaLINKTM PRO 92 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

9.0 VistaLINK PRO Monitor (Grid) Client

9.1 About the Monitor (“Grid”) View

The Monitor “Grid” view provides the operator with a simplified monitoring tool that
emulates existing real or virtual monitor walls. Simply stated, given an actual or virtual
monitoring wall consisting of 16 displays in a 4x4 matrix, VistaLINK™ PRO will allow
the user to set-up the SNMP monitoring GUI in a similar pattern, which is also
configurable should the number of displays change. This view also allows the user to set
the same UMD names as currently displayed by the monitors. Font size, color and type
allow the display to be customized for the application.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 93 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

9.1.2 Creating a Grid View

VistaLINK™ PRO provides an easy to use interface for adding a grid to the Monitor
Client for Service Monitoring

1. Select Grid -> Add -> Grid on the main menu or click the Add Grid button on
the toolbar. The Add Grid properties window will open allowing the user to
establish the parameters for the new grid.

2. Enter a name for the new grid in the Grid Name text box. This name will be
displayed along the bottom of the grid display window indicating the currently
active grid view.

3. Enter the number of cells the grid should contain by supplying the appropriate row
and column values.

4. Check the “Make new grid active view” to set the new grid to be the default grid
shown in the grid display area.

5. Uncheck the “Use Default Font and Colors” check box in order to manually
configure the font type, font size, and font colour and background colors the grid
will use for the Info and Service cells.

6. Click OK to accept the settings and create the new grid view.

VistaLINKTM PRO 94 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

9.1.3 Editing Existing Grid Properties

To edit an existing grid view, ensure the grid is currently active by clicking its
corresponding select button and choose Grid -> Properties from the main menu or click
the Properties button on the toolbar.

9.1.4 Modifying Existing Grids and Grid Cells

Right clicking a cell in an existing grid will open a pop-up menu with options to modify
the existing grid or the properties of the clicked cell.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 95 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

9.1.5 Grid Cell Right Click Options

• The grid right click menu provides the user with quick access to add or remove
services, labels, rows and/or columns from an existing grid or grid cell.
• The Cell Properties option on the right click menu allows the user to change the
color and font attributes for individual grid cells (will affect the cell clicked on)

Changing the Default Grid Properties

When creating a new grid the Monitoring Client will use the default grid properties to
establish the initial grid size, font type, font size, font color and background color of the
new grid. To change the default grid properties select "Grid" from the main menu then
select "Default Properties". Change the settings to establish a new default grid profile
and click OK to activate. Clicking the "Restore Defaults" button in this window will
return the Grid Defaults to the values displayed when the dialog was opened.

Removing a Grid View

To delete an existing Grid select Grid -> Remove -> Grid from the main menu or click
the Remove Grid button on the toolbar. Select the grid to be deleted in the drop
down menu and click OK to remove the selected grid.

9.1.6 Adding a Service to a Grid

• The Monitoring Client allows the user to add established services to a grid view to
allow for a visual representation of a monitoring wall display. To create services
to add to a grid please refer to “Creating and Editing Services”.

To add a service to a grid view, ensure the target grid is displayed in the active grid
display area. Click Grid -> Add -> Service from the main menu or click the Add
Service button on the toolbar. Choose the service to add from the Select Service drop
down menu, set the Row and Col values to the coordinates of the target cell and click
OK. The service will appear in the grid at the cell coordinates specified as a filled cell
location using the colors set in the grid properties.

• An alternative method of adding a service to a grid is to right click an empty grid

cell in the active grid display area and select Add Service. This option will
automatically set the Row and Col values in the Add Service window to the
coordinates of the clicked cell.

VistaLINKTM PRO 96 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

NEW - Drag and Drop Method

As of VistaLINK PRO version 7.x.x, services can now be placed into grid cells by
holding the left mouse button and dragging the service from the Navigation Tree
to the desired grid location. Release the left mouse button to drop the service into
place on the grid.

Removing a Service from a Grid

To remove a service from an active grid select Grid -> Remove -> Service from the main
menu or click the Remove Service button on the toolbar. Select the service to remove
from the drop down menu and click OK to remove the selected service from the grid.

• An alternate method of removing services is right click a cell with a service in

the active grid display area and selecting Remove Service.

Adding a Grid Label

Custom labels can be added to a grid in order to provide organization and a more detailed
grid view for operator use. A custom label can be added to a grid cell by selecting Grid -
> Add -> Label from the main menu or by clicking the Add Label button on the
client toolbar. Enter the text to use for the label in the Enter label text box as well as the
Row and Col coordinates to select which grid cell the label will appear in.

• An alternative and faster method for adding labels is to right click a cell
displayed in the active grid area and select Add Label. This option will
automatically set the Row and Col values in the Add Label window to the
cell that was clicked on.

9.1.7 Removing a Grid Label

To delete an existing grid label select Grid -> Remove -> Label from the main menu or
click the Remove Label button on the toolbar. Select the label to remove from the
drop down menu and click OK to remove the selected label.

• An alternative method for removing grid labels is to right click a grid cell in
the active grid display area containing a label and select Remove Label.
This will automatically set the Remove Label Window to the grid cell
clicked on. Click OK to remove the selected label.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 97 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

9.2 Displaying a Grid View

9.2.1 Displaying Grids

After creating a new grid view, its name will be displayed in a button along the bottom of
the grid display area. If the “Make new grid active view” box was checked during grid
setup, the new grid view will be the currently active grid displayed in the grid display
area. If multiple grid views have been established a user can switch between the grid
views by clicking its corresponding named button along the bottom of the grid display
area.

9.2.2 Displaying Grid Headers

In order to easily recognize grid locations, Grid Headers can be toggled on and off for the
grid display area. To activate the Grid Headers select "Grid" from the main menu and
check the "Grid Headers" option. With Grid Headers activated an additional row and
column will appear along the top and left edge of the grid, containing numbers
corresponding to the cell coordinates.

VistaLINKTM PRO 98 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

9.2.3 Enabling Dynamic Grid View

The Dynamic Grid option can be enabled to maximize the use of the active grid display
area. With Dynamic Grid enabled, the currently active grid view will be dynamically
maximized to use the entire display area. To enable Dynamic Grid select "Grid" from the
menu bar then check the "Dynamic Grid" option or click the Toggle Grid View
toolbar button.

9.2.4 Hiding the Navigation Tree

In order to further maximize the size of the active grid display the Navigation Tree can be
toggled on and off to allow the active grid to use the entire Client window area. To hide
the Navigation Tree, select Tree from the main menu bar then select the Hide/Show
Tree... option or click the Hide/Show Tree... toolbar button.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 99 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

9.3 Viewing Alarm Indications in the Monitoring (“Grid”) View

When a service in a grid view contains an alarm condition the operator will be visually
notified with either flashing text or a flashing background in the alarm severity color.
Left clicking the cell with a service will open the detailed Alarm View Window for that
service. The Alarm view window provides a means of viewing, acknowledging and
correcting alarms that have been logged to the alarm database. Alarms can be arranged
by column and filtered by acknowledged, corrected or severity settings. Monitoring
Client alarm view window operations are consistent with the standard client as outlined
in the “About the Alarm View” section.

• Clicking the Alarm View button on the toolbar will open the split pane and
display the alarm view for the item that is currently highlighted in the service tree
view.

9.3.1 Alarm View Window Sliding Panel Option

When an alarm view window is opened for a service a sliding panel will expand to show
the alarm view window to the operator. This sliding panel can be configured to split
horizontally or vertically. To set how the sliding panel operates select "Grid" from the
menu bar then "Grid/Alarm Split" and check either "Split Horizontal" or "Split Vertical".

• Left clicking more than one service cell will open multiple alarm view
windows in the split pane, allowing operators to view multiple service
alarm views at one time. If all alarm view windows are closed the sliding
pane will collapse allowing the grid display to use the maximum viewable
area once again.

VistaLINKTM PRO 100 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

After a grid has been setup and services to monitor have been added to grid locations the
Monitoring Client is ready to monitor alarms on the particular services included in the
grids. When an alarm condition occurs for a product included in a service, its
corresponding grid location will flash either the text or background of the cell with the
alarm condition color, according to the “Rules of Broadcast” outlined in “Alarm
Indication”.

• When a grid contains an alarm condition its corresponding grid selection

button along the bottom of the active display area will also flash providing
the operator with an indication that an alarm has occurred on a grid even
though it is currently not displayed in the active grid display area.

9.3.2 Alarm Indicator Select

When an alarm occurs for a particular grid location the cell in that location will alert the
operator by either flashing the cell’s text color or background color according to the
Alarm Indicator Selection. To change which method the grid display will use to indicate
alarm conditions select "Grid" from the menu bar then select "Indicator Select" and check
either the "Flashing Text" or "Flashing Background" option.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 101 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

VistaLINKTM PRO 102 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

10 AutoConfig Overview

The VistaLINK Autoconfig System provides the facilitation of automation for

configurations. Its simplified interface provides the tools to create a scheduled
system to launch stored configurations at defined dates and times. Tools are
also provided to create configuration launches based on alarm information
received from the VistaLINK PRO Server. All the tools are encompassed into a
single client called the ‘AutoConfig Client’. This client has the same structure as
the traditional VistaLINK PRO client and gives the VistaLINK PRO user a familiar
interface to work with. The Autoconfig client can also facilitate alarm monitoring
and configuration creation to simplify the automation setup and control. The
success of automation with the VistaLINK PRO monitoring suite is provided
through the AutoConfig client itself. A dedicated PC computer to always run the
AutoConfig client is needed. The health of the environment for Autoconfig client
is an asset for successful automation with the VistaLINK PRO monitoring suite.

In order to access the automation capabilities the following is needed.

A working install of the VistaLINK PRO Monitoring

Suite.
A supporting license for the AutoConfig System
(picture of server front)

The figure on the right demonstrates that the green virtual

LED shows that the running license enables the
AutoConfig System. An indication that the current applied
license that does not support the AutoConfig system will
make the virtual LED become gray.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 103 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

10.1 Client Installation and Setup

The Autoconfig client is bundled

into the generic client installer
script. This script can be found
successfully on a system that has
an installation of the VistaLINK
PRO Server. The client installer
script can be executed from (Start
> Programs > VistaLinkPro
Server > Install VistaLinkPro
Clients (on this machine). See
the side figure for details.

The client install script will

present four different clients
install options. The AutoConfig
client can than be installed by
selecting the third client in the
client listings. Select the ‘Next’
button to proceed to further
installation options. Default
options are provided in all the
menus.

Once the installation has

finished, a new programs
group is created in the
Windows start menu system to
access necessary shortcuts to
run the AutoConfig system.

To configure the AutoConfig client to communicate to the VistaLINK PRO server,

the ‘Client Server Configuration’ tool can be used. To execute the ‘Client Server
Configuration’ tool, select the shortcut from ( Start > Programs > VistaLinkPro
AutoConfig System > Client Server Configuration). Once the tool has
successfully opened, enter in the IP address of the VistaLINK PRO Server for
both Alarm Server and Database Server fields.

VistaLINKTM PRO 104 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

10.2 Profiles Node

The Autoconfig Client presents a new node in the Navigation Tree. This node
holds all automation configurations and may be shown on other VistaLINK PRO
clients. This node is called ‘Profiles’ and is noted by the following icon. If
this node is not available on other VistaLINK clients or the AutoConfig client,
check the Navigation Tree properties to see if it’s enabled (Tree > Properties).
Currently the Profiles node does not support groupings like other nodes found in
the Navigation Tree.

Profiles Type

There are two types of profiles that can be created. Each has distinct capabilities
and configuration views. Also they are represented in the profiles node with
different node icons.

The alarm profiles are represented by . These profiles are created and
executed based on alarms sent to the VistaLINK server and in return what
configuration(s) to run. An example of a alarm profile would be to run a stored
configuration that might heal an error that is sent from a device.

The scheduled profiles are represented by . These profiles are created and
executed on a specified time or re-occurring time to launch configuration(s). An
example of a scheduled based profile would be to change a multi-viewer layout
or disabling of alarms when a different circuit is being used in the facility.

10.2.1 Alarm Profiles

Before creating any automation setups ensure that there are configurations
available underneath the ‘Configurations’ node in the tree. The key to the
Autoconfig is to schedule when these configuration scripts must run. Use the
appropriate functions from either the AutoConfig client or other VistaLINK clients
that support configurations to populate the ‘Configurations’ node.
To create an alarm profiles

(1) Select the profile node from the Navigation tree using the right-click
mouse button. A menu option will appear called ‘New’.
(2) From the ‘New’ menu, the menu can be further expanded to ‘Alarm Profile’
and ‘Sched Profile’. Select the ‘Alarm Profile’ to open its config view.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 105 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

The figure below shows the Alarm Profile in full.

The following steps will demonstrate how to create a successful alarm profile with
descriptions in each of the steps.

Step 1.

Enter a profile name to

uniquely identify this profile
from the navigation tree. This
step is necessary

Step 2.

VistaLINKTM PRO 106 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

Ensure that the ‘Configurations’ tab is

selected, since this is the type of Alarm
Profile being created. DVL alarm profiles will
be explained later. The Configurations tree
will be populated with the same
configurations that are housed in the
Navigation Tree.

This example has one configuration called

‘FC’. By selecting this sample configuration,
details about this configuration are shown in
the below pane. You may have to click the
up/down arrows to show the details pane.
Step 3.

The next step is to select which cards this configuration needs to apply too.
There is no limit to the amount of hardware this configuration can run against.
The hardware tree on the left gets populated with what hardware is compatible
for the desired configuration. The hardware tree will also only show from what’s
available in the Navigation Tree. Cards can be dragged from the left pane to the
right pane to denote which cards the configuration should run against. The arrow
buttons at the bottom may be used to move cards back and forth between the
panes.

Step 4.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 107 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

The bottom left two panes are used to select which of the devices traps will be
used to execute the configuration. The hardware tree on the left will be
populated with the same contents in the Navigation Tree. You can use drag and
drop to move devices from the left pan to the right pan. There is no limit on the
amount of devices that can be listed in the right pane. The arrow buttons below
can also facilitate moving the devices from the two panes.

Step 5.

Once the selected hardware that will trigger this profile has been selected than
selecting the specific alarm can be made. Selecting the hardware from the
middle bottom pane will present a list of alarms in the right pane. Use the check
boxes to make the selection for which traps would have to be sent in order for the
profile to execute. The ‘select’ column denotes the error traps. The ‘Cor’ column
is to denote the correcting trap for that error trap. To utilize the ‘cor’ column, the

VistaLINKTM PRO 108 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

companion error trap must be selected from the ‘select’ column. Multiple alarms
or alarms from different cards can be combined to an ‘OR’ logic to have the
profile executed. Currently, a ‘AND’ logic is not supported.

Step 6

Once all the criteria is created for the profile it

would be ready to be saved. The ‘Save’ and ‘OK’
buttons can facilitate this function. Once the profile
is created, an alarm profile icon will be present
in the navigation tree.

The alarm profile can also execute not only just configurations but it can execute
the MVP DVLs created in VistaLINK. Select the DVL tab by the
Configurations tab to select DVLs from the list. A Configuration and a DVL
can be ready for execution in a single alarm profile.

10.2.2 Scheduled Profiles

The prerequisite to create a scheduled profile is the same of creating a alarm

profile. Configurations must be created and available in the Navigation tree.

To create a schedule profile

(1) Select the profile node from the Navigation tree using the right-click
mouse button. A menu option will appear called ‘New’.
(2) From the ‘New’ menu, the menu can be further expanded to ‘Alarm Profile’
and ‘Sched Profile’. Select the ‘Sched Profile’ to open its config view.

The below figure shows the schedule profile config in full.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 109 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

The following steps will demonstrate how to create a successful scheduled profile
with descriptions in each of the steps.

Step 1.

Enter a profile name to uniquely

identify this profile from the navigation
tree. This step is necessary

Step 2.

The first step is to select the configuration that needs to be configured for. This
step is exactly the same as when choosing a configuration for a alarm profile .
Once the configuration is selected, details about the configuration can be viewed
in the panel below the tree.

Step 3.

Hardware will than be populated in the middle tree for what the configuration that
was selected supports. Select hardware elements and either drag’n drop into the

VistaLINKTM PRO 110 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

tree on the right, or use the < > arrow buttons to move them back and forth.

Step 4.

Once the configurations or DVL adjustments have been made than the proper schedule
can than be created. The ‘Calendar’ control section specifies the frequency of this
schedule profile. Selections can be made on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Also a
profile can be made to run just once on a specific time. Options to enable notifications
before starting and on completion are available to alert other VistaLINK clients about the
upcoming schedule change. The ‘Schedule’ control selection is used to control the
duration the scheduled alarm should be active and working for. The ‘Schedule’ control
section is also needed for one time scheduled alarm profiles.

Step 5.

Once all the criteria is created for the profile it would be

ready to be saved. The ‘Save’ and ‘OK’ buttons can
facilitate this function. Once the profile is created, an
schedule profile icon will be present in the navigation
tree.

10.3.1Starting and Stopping Scheduler System

The scheduler system can be paused and played on demand. By default the
scheduler system is turned on and will run schedule profiles created when the
time criteria is met. The icon that denotes that the system is running looks like
the following . If the icon is set to this than the scheduler has been
forcefully stopped and will not run scheduled profiles. To toggle this mode, select
the icon from the tool bar at the top of the program.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 111 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

10.3.2 Starting and Stopping Alarm Event System

The alarm system can also be stopped or started by clicking its icon on the top
tool bar of the program. The icon denotes that the alarm system is running
and able to execute profiles based on alarms that are propagated to the
AutoConfig client. The icon denotes that the system has been forcefully
stopped and no alarm profiles will run.

The ‘General Status’

information frame can also
supply information when
the scheduler or the alarm
system has stopped and
started. The LEDs also
inform the state of the
systems if they’re either
running or not.

Active Profiles

The ‘Active Profiles’ panel

provides information on what
profiles are in the queue or
what profiles are currently
running. Date information is
provided when the profile is
specified to run. This panel is
vital to knowing if the
Autoconfig client is bogged
down and whether introducing
another Autoconfig client is
needed.

A progress bar is provided to facilitate configuration execution to determine the

duration of a profile launch. This progress bar is located at the bottom of the
application. The progress bar is not visible when the AutoConfig client is idle.

VistaLINKTM PRO 112 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

Profiles Log

The ‘Profiles Log’ panel job

is to keep track of executed
profiles. The type column
indicates which profile was
executed. Also the
configuration name is
supplied in the logger. Data
and time are supplied for
further analysis for house
keeping of the automation
system. The ‘Desc’ is used
to supply actions that were
done by the associated
configuration launch.
Double clicking the ‘Desc’
column will bring up a
window of the following
tasks done by the
configuration

The description window

shows each consecutive
action done by the
configuration. This output
can also be saved to a file
on the local file system for
inventory purposes using
the ‘File’ menu from the top.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 113 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

AutoConfig System Log

To access the AutoConfig System

log information select the icon
from the AutoConfig tool bar at the
top of the program. Information is
provided about profile creation and
deletion. Also when the scheduler
or alarm system has stopped and
started. This information can also
be saved to the local hard disk for
inventory purposes using the ‘File’
menu.

10.4 Schedule Calendar.

The AutoConfig client includes a calendar system too facilitate viewing of

upcoming scheduled configuration launches. The calendar can be opened
through the following menu systems (AutoConfig > View Calendar)

The figure on the right

shows the calendar view
in full. Months can be
select from the tabs on the
left. The year combo box
adjusts the calendar for
the specific year.
Scheduled configurations
are also noted in the
calendar by their profile
name. The day boxes can
further be opened to
display full listings of
scheduled profiles to run
that day.

VistaLINKTM PRO 114 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

11 VistaLINK Graphics Client

11.1 View Node

The VistaLINK PRO Graphics system houses the workable areas in a

node group called ‘Views’. This can be located from the navigation tree and
enabled/disabled from the tree properties. Views can be created, deleted and
grouped from the navigation tree using the following menus discussed later.

The following icon will be shown in the navigation tree when Views are
enabled in the Tree properties.

To access the creation and deletion of views a user can use 2 menu systems.
The ‘view’ menu at the top of the program can facilitate the view management.
A right click menu system is also available to work at the navigation tree. The
menu’s provide the ability to create and delete views. Group creation and
deletion are also available through the same menu system

To create views select Views from the navigation tree using the right click mouse
button or from the Views menu at the top. Using the mouse to expand a new
menu from New in the right click menu and select View. The below dialog shows
were to customize the view. Enter a name in the View Name field and select the
browse button to choose a graphical background for the view. Click OK when
fished.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 115 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

Views and Groups are housed underneath the ‘Views’

super node. Groups are for organizational purposes to
manage a large amount of created views. Currently the
only way to add a view to a group is to select the view
and drag it over top of the desired group. These groups
can hold a unlimited number of views

11.2 Page Console

The Page Console tool is used to access the views and add elements to them.
The Page Console allows the creation of pages. Views can be placed on the
created pages and in turn the views can be viewable and editable. The Page
Console may look like the below when first running the VistaLINK PRO Graphics
system.

Click the Open Page Console button to expand the page console tools.

If for some reason at this point you do not see the Page Console change the
graphics display mode using either of the following icons in the Graphics

system.

When the Page Console is open 4 tools will be provided for managing

This icon allows the addition of pages. A dialog will pop to allow the user
to provide a mandatory name for the page.
Page names can have the same name as views but two pages cannot
have the same name.
This icon facilitates the removal of pages. Pages can be select and
removed using this button. If no pages are selected a dialog with a list of
available pages for removal will appear.
The Page Console has the functionality of not displaying all the available
pages on the system. This icon can be used to hide certain pages from
certain VLPRO Graphics installations.
Pages that have been set to hide can be available using this icon. A list
will be provided of the hidden pages once this button is clicked.

VistaLINKTM PRO 116 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

Pages created in the Page Console will appear like the above. This example
only shows two pages that have been created, Page 1 and Page 2. A listing of
created pages is only available when the Page Console is set to open. Also
make sure the graphics display mode is set correctly by clicking the following
icons to see the list of pages.

Pages can be opened further for adding views. To open pages double click the
page from the Page Console. When a page is opened the page console will
close and the ‘Active Page:’ field will show the current opened page. Only one
page can be opened at a time during this time. Below shows the Page Console
status when a page is opened.

When a page is first created the page will contain no views. Views created
earlier can now be put onto the newly created pages for viewing. An opened
page can display two body fields. The top body labeled ‘View Holder’ shows a
thumbnail image for all the views on the page. The bottom body ‘View Picture’
shows a select view as a whole.

By default an opened page will look like this when the split mode is set.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 117 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

View
Holder

View
Picture

To open up another page click the ‘Open Page Console’ from the Page Console
to get a listing of available pages to be opened.

11.2.1 Adding Views to a Page

To add any created views from the Navigation Tree ‘Views’ super node, select a
view and drag and drop it with the mouse into the ‘View Holder’ body of an
opened page.

VistaLINKTM PRO 118 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

The above image shows two views, ‘View 1’ and ‘view 2’ on Page 1. Currently
View1 is selected for viewing. If ‘view 2’ was selected, the bottom body will show
the background of ‘view 2’.

11.2.2 Panel Modes

The VistaLINK PRO Graphics can be adjusted to different display modes the list
of views on pages and to view the View’s canvas. Below describes the 3 types
of panel modes. These buttons are always located in the middle location on the
tool bar

Split mode sets the application to display the page console at the top and
display a selected view canvas at the bottom. This mode also allows the
user to adjust how much of the page console is shown and show much of
the view’s canvas is shown.
This mode sets the application to use the whole panel for the page
console. Lists of pages are only shown or a list of views (thumbnail
images of views) is shown when opening a page.
This mode shows the canvas in full and hides the page console
completely. The full view mode is mostly desirable when exposing your

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 119 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

graphics development to the operators.

11.3 Design Mode

Design Mode is used to bring the application into a mode to edit the views.
Editing the views involve many tasks that are describe throughout the manual.
Views can include all elements from the navigation tree. Only in design mode a
user can change the way the view looks or what is on the view. When the
application is out of design mode the elements on the view operate the same as
they would from the navigation tree. The view becomes this static picture of
whatever vector arts or custom icons that was created on the view. The Design
Mode control is seldom delegated to all operators and is heavily used by the
graphics developer and administrator.

To toggle the application to in and out of Design Mode the follow icon is always

available in the toolbar of the application. . A user can see the application
distinctively move into design mode because the view’s canvas opens up in full
and vector arts controls appear immediately underneath the tool bar. Below is a
screenshot to show a view in design mode.

VistaLINKTM PRO 120 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

11.3.1 Vector Arts

The vector art tools give the user the ability to create vector art designs through
the VistaLINK PRO Graphics applications. These tools are available so the
application can assist in labeling, line drawings, colored boxes and circles. To
create vector arts in your graphics view select one of the vector arts and double
click in the graphics view to draw the vector. 7 Vectors are available for use with
distinct characteristics they are listed below.

Line Polyline Circle Arc Polygon Rectangle Text

To manipulate the vector arts in the graphics view select one of the vectors
points to resize it. Each vector art as it’s own properties control for color and line
change. Certain vector arts have distinct properties like the Text art. To access
the properties control of a vector art, select one of its points using the right click
mouse button and click ‘Properties’.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 121 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

Other options in the right click menu

allow the vectors to be manipulated
around other vectors. The ‘Copy
Vector’ will create an exact copy
and size as the vector selected.
Using the CTRL+C and CTRL+V for
copy and paste are permitted and
desirable for doing more than one
vector. The ‘Export’ will be
discussed later.

The image on the right shows the

properties for the rectangle vector.
Each vector has a unique properties
menu with a large magnitude of
options.

11.3.2 Adding Navigation Tree Elements to Views

The VistaLINK PRO Graphics integrates everything from the navigation tree into
the graphics system. Elements from the Navigation Tree can be placed into
graphics views using drag’n’drop. All hardware elements, services, saved
configurations and etc can be carried over and be placed strategically into the
graphics view to best fit the operational needs. Elements dropped into the
graphics view will function the same as they do in the
Navigation Tree. Alarm severities will be available in the graphics view for hardware and
service elements to give the graphics view dynamics in alarm monitoring setups. Below is
a sample picture of the majority of the Navigation Tree elements placed into the graphics
view.

VistaLINKTM PRO 122 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

The above picture demonstrates that VistaLINK PRO Thumbnail images can be
embedded into the graphics view for a fully converged environment of
VistaLINK’s tasks. To modify the graphics view of any sort, the program will
need to be in Design Mode. As each element gets added to the graphics view
through Drag’n’Drop, the view node in the Views super node in the navigation
tree gets updated with to show what elements are added to it. Existing elements
may be added multiple times for increase flexibility designs.

To increase the operation of a view, configuration controls can be added to the

view to create custom configuration pages. When in Design Mode, the Control
Selection is available and facilitates this task. This section will be located
underneath the navigation tree. Below illustrates the steps.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 123 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

To start working with the Control Selection, select the hardware from the
Navigation Tree and drag’n’drop it into the Control Selection. Once done a list
of parameters will be available. Drag’n’drop the parameters from the Control
Selection to the graphics views to expose the parameters control. All the types
of controls found in a configuration view can be

deployed into a graphics view. Controls like sliders; combo boxes, text boxes
and status boxes can be strategically laid into the graphics view for a optimal
layout design.

Apply and Refresh controls found in the configuration views are available on the
applications toolbar. These controls will work with all configuration parameters in
the graphics view and they function the same as a product’s configuration view.

11.3.3 Icon Face Management

The powerful flexibility on the graphics program is the ability to change the
elements icons in the graphics view. The graphics user has the ability to import
icons from the supplied library or from a custom library. By default the
tiny(Standard) library is used. To change an elements icon face select the
element using the right click mouse button and select the ‘Change Icon
Face…’ option. A dialog will appear were the user can select imported icons
from a combo box. The below image displays the 2 step process to change a
element icon face.

VistaLINKTM PRO 124 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

The ‘Change Icon Face..’ option is available for all elements in the Navigation
Tree except for Thumbnails and items from the Control Selection. Two Icon
Face controls are available in Design Mode for managing the icons. They are
described below

This control gives the application the ability to change its default icon face.
This is desirable for rack views when working with different types of
elements
This control opens up a dialog box to import icons into the system. This
dialog will allow the user to select the icon from the hard disk and create a
custom name for it.

11.3.4 Drop as Block

A very powerful feature in the graphics program is to add elements to the

graphics view as blocks. When elements are dropped as blocks they can than
be resized and re-colored. This can quickly overcome the problem of not being
able to resize an icon face in the application to maximize the screen real estate
and make a quick easy delivery of a view. To access the Block functionality,
drag the element into the graphics view holding the CTRL key down. A menu will
appear and give you the ability to drop as a block. Below illustrates the process.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 125 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

Once the block has been created

you can gain access to its
properties. Select one of its points
using the right click mouse button
and choose properties. A properties
menu will appear.

Drop as Rack

The ‘Drop as Rack’ is ideal when

doing rack views. Cards in the
frame are automatically aligned
below the frame. This is useful for
designing rack views. Rack views
will be discussed later.

VistaLINKTM PRO 126 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

11.3.5 Creating Components Icons

Custom components are used to

bring in static images into the
graphics view. These icons are not
the same a hardware icon because
they don’t work like the elements from
the navigation tree. To create a
component, use the Design Mode
option menu. That is, right mouse
click anywhere in the graphics
view. The menu should resemble the
image to the right.

(you must be in design mode to do this)

Once the dialog

shows up, use the
‘Browse’ button to
navigate the local
file system for the
desired component.
The ‘Existing’
option allows you to
reuse the icon in
the graphics view
that has already
been created.

Two macro type components are available and are hard

coded into the system. These are the clock selections in the
‘Create Components’ menu. The clocks work off the local
computer time. The best optimal strategy is to synchronize
the local computer time to a remote NTP server. There is
not limit on how many clocks are used in the graphics
System. Two types of clocks are available; Analog and
Digital clocks.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 127 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

11.3.6 Visibility Controls

The visibility controls are purpose built controls to aid in the development of the
graphics views. They can hide control types temporary while in design mode.
Settings of these controls do not take effect when the graphics program is not in
design mode.

Toggles the navigation tree items Toggles the custom components

visibility visibility
Toggles the visibility of Toggles the thumbnail visibility
parameter controls
Toggles the vector art visibility Toggles the block icon visibility

VistaLINKTM PRO 128 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

11.4 View Links

The VistaLINK PRO graphics program gives the developer the ability to link
multiple views together much like a web page. Views can be linked together
though the Navigation Tree elements and Custom components allowing an
operator to double click one of the items to access another view. This
functionality can create a ‘drill down’ system from a top view to a bottom view.
Much like a national map linked to a facility view, than the facility view linked to a
specific item view in the facility.

To successfully switch from one view to another view, the destination view must
be located on at least on one Page. The destination view can be on the same
page as the source view or on another page. An operator can recognize a view
element being a link path to another view by observing the mouse icon change
when hovering over the view element.

The below images demonstrates conceptually how a drill down might look like.
Notice how the frame view might have view link to the map view. Of course, the
frame view would have two icons to link to the Racks view and the Global view.
This design would be up to the graphics developer discretion.

The below image demonstrates how to create the view link using the right click
mouse button . All created views will be populated in the combo box were the
destination view is selected from.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 129 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

History controls are available on the menu bar to revert back to a previous view.
These history controls record every action made. They can be identified on the
menu bar by the following icons. Using the eraser icon can erase the action
history.

11.5 Canvas Control

Canvas controls are available to manipulate the canvas while in design mode.
One option is to change the canvas into a grey scale and the other options are to
lay a grid over top of the canvas. The grid option can further be set so that
elements are snapped to the grid points for alignment accuracy. These settings
removed when the Graphics program is brought out of design mode. To access
these options, right click anywhere in the canvas while in design mode and
select ‘Canvas Properties’. Below illustrates how to access the menu items.

VistaLINKTM PRO 130 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

The canvas background can also be changed while in design mode. Select the
following grayscale image at the top left corner. A dialog will appear to select a
new background.

11.5.1 Import and Export

Import and Export feature is used to re-use design layouts. Elements from the
navigation and vector arts may be included in the export. The export function
creates a text editable XML based file. This file can be hand edit and is used by
the Import function. Typical uses of the Import and Export are for repetitive and
favorable designs. This feature is more powerful than using the clipboard (copy
and paste) because the export makes the copy into a file that can be saved on
the local hard disk.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 131 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

The above figure shows the steps to do an Import and Export. Below explains in
detail.

Export

1. The first step is to select a group of components. The figure above

illustrates selecting everything. This may not be the case in other
scenarios so the Visibility controls can be of aid to group select the right
items. Using the mouse to select everything does the group select.
2. Select any of the selected item’s points using the right click button to
bring up the option menu. Other items should still be selected at this
point. Select the last menu item called ‘Export..’
3. A dialog will appear to choose the location and name of the saved file. A
XML file will be created in the desired path

Import

1. Open the global option menu in design mode using the right click button
anywhere in the canvas.
2. Select import from the menu.
3. Choose the import method whether it’s absolute or relative
a. Absolute does the import from where the elements were exactly
located from before. This is ideal to duplicate a view layout exactly
on another view.

VistaLINKTM PRO 132 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

b. Relative imports the elements based on were the mouse initiated

the import command. This is ideal for duplicated designs on a
single view.
4. Locate and open the saved XML file to create the graphics elements
based in the file.

11.5.2 Duplicate Views

Views can be duplicated at the Navigation tree. Components can be check to

be duplicated or not. To access this menu, right mouse click on the view to be
duplicated and choose ‘Duplicate’. The below image shows the process and the
‘Duplicate View’ dialog with all of it’s options.

11.6 Dynamic Page Mode

Dynamic Page Mode is a mode that can create Pages automatically. The View
groups drive this mode from the navigation tree. When in dynamic page mode,
each group created creates a page automatically in the Page Console. When
views are added to the view groups, the views will automatically be placed on the
Page named after the view group. Dynamic Page Mode disables the Page
Console controls appropriately in regards to add and removing pages. The
system therefore cannot run either mode simultaneously and one mode should
be used throughout the VistaLINK PRO Graphics install base. This mode will
hinder a view from belonging to multiple pages because the nature how the
views are organized in the Navigation Tree. Meaning a view cannot belong to

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 133 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

more than one view group.

Below is the step-by-step process in enabling Dynamic Page Mode and using it.

1) Enable dynamic page mode from the page console using the following icon.

2) Create view groups from the Navigation Tree.

3) Drag and Drop views into the view groups.

While doing the above three steps, you might notice that a Page was created as
soon as your created the view group. Also when dragging view’s into the groups,
the views would have been automatically placed onto the Pages.

VistaLINKTM PRO 134 Revision 1.5

 VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

12.0 VistaLINK PRO Troubleshooting

12.1 Failure to Register Client with Server

• Ensure there is a valid Ethernet path connecting the Remote Client to the Server PC.
• Ensure that the Client configuration specifies the correct Server hostname / IP
address.
• Ensure the Server application is running.
• Ensure there is an available client license on the Server for the type of Client being
used.

12.2 Client Will Not Close / Settings Not Retained

• If the software is running on a Windows 2000/XP operating system the logged on

user will need full file access to the VistaLINKPro sub directories for proper
operation.
• As VistaLINK PRO writes to configuration files upon shutdown, the user will need
sufficient rights to do so in order to retain user settings.

12.3 Cannot Log Into VistaLINK PRO

• VistaLINK PRO is installed with a default user account of “administrator” with no

password.
• If the system has been previously configured contact the System Administrator for
the appropriate account and password to use for logon.

12.4 Cannot Discover Frames or Products

• Ensure the 7700FC Frame Controllers have been correctly configured for the
Ethernet network.
• Ensure there is a valid Ethernet connection between computers running VistaLINK
PRO and the 7700FR-C frames to be monitored.
• Ensure the “Auto Discovery” options have been configured properly.

Revision 1.5 VistaLINKTM PRO 135 -

VistaLINKTM PRO Manual

• If the frames you are attempting to discover are beyond a router or gateway the
broadcast discovery packets will not reach the frames. In this case manually add
the hardware to VistaLINK PRO (once added hardware references will be stored
for future discoveries.)

12.5 Cannot Change Product Configurations

• Ensure you have logged into VistaLINK™ PRO with a user account that has
configuration abilities.
• If the module has a Local/Remote mode (jumper/DIP switch) ensure it is set to the
"Remote" mode.

VistaLINKTM PRO 136 Revision 1.5