How to limit Operator to view only certain DeltaV Live graphics?

Hello,

Please assist me if there is such feature in DeltaV Live v14.3.1:

  • Operator1 to view/operate all screens
  • Operator2 to view/operate Screens 1-10
  • Operator3 to view only screen11 (Overview)

Let us build success,

Zohaib Jahan

  • DeltaV manages the Operator environment by workstation and user security, based on Plan Area assignments. This determines the Operator's ability to make changes to modules, hence ability to operate the respective processes.

    With Live, you have the ability to also manage the available displays per workstation through the use of Display Sets assigned to each workstation. The Display Sets list the hierarchy and non-hierarchy displays that will publish to those workstations.

    If your operators are using the same workstation, and you want to limit what displays they can use when they log on, you would need to add some custom functionality based on the currently logged on user. You can detect a change in the logged-on user to trigger that customization.

    If your operators are on different workstations, then you might be able to accomplish this with display sets as per viewing screens. The View Only/Operate capability is based on the assigned plant areas each Operator is given. Operator 3 would have no assigned areas and would be able to view information but make no changes.

    Another way to limit access to displays is to hide access to open those displays. However, since DeltaV Live offers a context search that shows displays and each module has an assigned Process display, the operator could find any published display through this tool to call them up. Also, if you want alarms to be shown to View Only user, then direct access feature of Alarm Banner and Alarm Summary would bring up assigned Process Display when alarm is selected, or from the module faceplate. You need to consider how you would prevent these built in display navigation features.

    Off the top of my head, you might have to add some "On Open" script to your displays so that if they are opened by an operator that you determine should not have access, the On Open script could close itself, and maybe launch a contextual display as a pop up to indicate why the picture will not open. Maybe the display is allowed to open, followed by a Pop up dialog that instructs the use to either logon with a permitted user, or close the display and return to the OVerview. You would want to make this as easy for a permitted user who forgot to logon as the restricted user who has only the choice to go back to the overview. This needs some serious thought to come up with a solution that is also easy to manage.

    In most cases, when users have no access to make changes ( Plant Area assignments) and are expected to use the single display, they will respect that. If they don't, they still cannot make changes. They would not be following operating procedures and that is a training/responsibility issue. Trying to add custom display permissions has to be carefully thought out so that when access is to be permitted, you haven't missed a condition that prevents valid actions from being completed successfully.

    I'm thinking maybe you have a single monitor at this station and so want to force the monitor to Overview screen, except for certain Operators that would need access to additional displays. If this is a multi screen station, what would other monitors show?

    Anyway, limiting access to displays based on a UserName is not a built-in capability, but could be implemented if you carefully define all the use cases, and especially the abnormal or misapplication situations so that you don't complicate normal/valid access.

    What if you simply add a pop up to the 1-10 displays that says "You do not have access to Operate this Display", with an option to launch DeltaV Logon, Return to Overview, or Continue. Continue allows someone to quickly go see additional details on a display, but without ability to make changes. If every display shows this exta dialog, they are unlikely to bother using those other displays and learn to stay on the Overview. For someone that has access, if they forget to logon, they have a direct link to do so without having to recall the display. And finally, the restricted user can quickly return to the overview and no harm no foul. This greatly simplifies your logic to manage a popup from On Open, and with a Function, you can check the current user against a user security key or from a list, and forgo the pop up if they are permitted.

    Simple would be the best.

    Andre Dicaire

  • In reply to Andre Dicaire:

    Thanks Andre. So thehe solution is not that simple.
    The idea behind it was to show only 1 screen (only for view) to a remote client.

    Let us build success,

    Zohaib Jahan

  • In reply to Zohaib Jahan:

    Could be simple. If your Remote client session is always a View Only with access to a single display, that can be handled a bit differently. It gets more complicated if you want to have different display behavior on a console for different users. If you publish displays to a workstation, they can be called up through the search utility, even if you block access through the display Sets and such.

    On a dedicated session for View Only, consider making a layout file with a single display frame. You don't need the Alarm Banner as View only clients don't get any alarms. Set this display set to a fixed Display and disable navigation. The named display will be the only display shown. You then need a Display set to identify the display that needs to be published so serve this display frame. Technically, you would only need to add this display to the Non-hierarchical display area and leave the hierarchy blank. Or you could set the display as the only display in the hierarchy and leave Non-hierarchy displays empty.

    This will lock this session to only show this one display. Since you don't have any other displays in the display set, the search tool will not be able to call up any other display via Module assigned Process Displays.

    Any user that logs onto this session will be limited by this layout and display set. Do not assign any additional display sets as this would cause those displays to be published and be available via search. The layout cannot be changed at run time so having a single display frame with no navigation and no alarm banner would pretty much lock this down.

    Your other sessions or workstations would use a different layout and Display set combination to access different displays with navigation and alarm direct access, as well as search tools.

    Andre Dicaire

  • In reply to Andre Dicaire:

    Thanks Andre. That was the information I am looking for. I'll give it a try

    Let us build success,

    Zohaib Jahan