Asset Condition Management

I was wondering if anyone has experience extending their SKF Aptitude/@ptitude Analyst with custom reports and data manipulation by directly querying the SQL database back-end.

From the sales brochures and installation guide, it seems Aptitude stores all the data in an Oracle or SQL Server database. In theory, any SQL client should be able to query this database to retrieve information and update or modify records.

This is in contrast to RBMware installs I have seen, in which the back-end is in a proprietary database format (.rbm file) with a Read-Only ODBC driver for direct access.

The reason I ask is that I have about 15 years of data stored in a legacy DB format, and have the programming and SQL know-how to import it into any database provided I can get write access to server.

Anyone have any experience or comments on this?

Thanks.

I don't have enough experiance with SQL to be able to find out what the tables are that I would want to query in my IRD Odyssey SQL DB. However, I have wanted to many times.
If you have luck with the SKF Aptitude, I would like to pick your brain a bit as to what the process is.
I've fooled around in the tables some with scripts, but haven't directly dumped contents or queried specific items.
Would like to know how.
D

Yeah. My question is mainly because we have not yet purchased Aptitude. I have a suspicion the sales reps might not be so forthcoming with that kind of information, since I'm sure there may be additional products or services that they'd rather sell to us.

Regarding your IRD Odyssey system, I have no personal experience with it, but doing a quick search on it I see that depending on your version, the back-end could either be Oracle, Centura, Sybase, or SQL Server.

Each one has a different means of getting the table and field list (schema). One of the most convenient ways to just learn about a database is often through MS Access if you have it.

There would be a different process (and levels of difficulty) depending upon what your back-end uses. Let me know what you can about your particular system, and I'll try to point you in the right direction.

I also tried to do the same earlier with no luck. for querying the database directly, you have to know the names of the underlying tables, the headings for various data stored inside each table and the table relationships. In SKF Aptitude, i can see only one database with the name skfuser and not the underlying structure. So, I was unable to query the database directly.
Vibmaster

@Vibmaster:

What back-end does your system utilize?

What tool were you using to look "under the hood"? Access? SQL Server Management Studio? Oracle SQL Developer?

Were you logged on as a SysDBA or server administrator for the test?

Nicholas,

I use Gupta (formerly Centura) at home and on my laptop. That is what most stand alone systems use.
Most of the network apps either use Oracle (ugh) or SQL (the free one most of the time).
They quit using sybase due to it's unreliability a few years ago.

I have tried access, but don't know squat about what I was trying to do . Mind if I send you an e-mail. This is probably one of those things that PM would be handy for, but we're not responsible enough for that here on the forum.

Dave

Was out on a service call over the weekend.

Let's see here, never worked with Gupta which looks like has been bought out and renamed again to Unify. Looks like it also has a corresponding ODBC driver, but not sure where to get it. Perhaps with the original install media.

The general procedure for any back-end viewing / editing for will be:

1) Install the appropriate ODBC driver

• for systems with Oracle or SQL Server back-ends, the ODBC driver is part of windows
  
• in the case of RBMware, the ODBC driver comes with the installation media, but cannot give users write access since the back-end is not a relational database

2) Configure a data source on the computer with database connectivity

• this is done in Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Data Sources (ODBC)
  
• setup the data source using an account with the highest login privileges available (e.g. SYSDBA, SA, SYSADM)
  
• be sure to test the connectivity to make sure the data source is working
  

3) Use a client tool to query the database

• Example Access 2007; External Data > More > ODBC Database; Link to Database > Machine Data Source > Pick the correct datasource > OK; A list of tables should be shown, Select all > OK;
  
• Other SQL clients can be used or a direct query can be run against the database. Remember that database schema (structure) is also stored within a table. For example on SQL Server you can run "select * from sys.tables;"

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Now in theory a similar procedure should work on any system where the database is separate from the front end software. If our company goes with Aptitude and I am successful, I will share a how-to later.

@RSS_Dave: Well sure we could email, though I'm not sure the best way to get you my address; do image uploads work on these forums?

Image uploades do work. Send me an e-mail at d underscore mccallister at suddenlink dot net. I have several utilities that come with Odyssey (or Gupta rather) such as Sqlconsol DBA utility and SQLTalk Interactive SQL that I most generally do DB maintenance with (packing, etc.). Most of the maintenance is done with scripts.
Also have access. Also have the ODBC drivers, which I believe are windows, but could be wrong on that.
If you have the time, I would like to play with getting some info out of this thing, and troubleshooting one or two that are crazy on me, and OEM (Rockwell) does not have time (or desire maybe) to allocate manpower (their talk) to. I have some small databases also that I could E-mail one if necessary.

D

D

!!! Vendor Warning !!!

Nicholas

I know you asked about SKF product, but if you are interested in working with a condition monitoring software with a SQL back end that

1) gives you (on installation) a complete database entity-relationship diagram so you know what every field in every table is for;

2) contains a complete import engine that allows you to safely bring in your historical data from flat-file, CSV, or SQL tables;

3) contains a complete export engine that allows you to send out ALL your data (including spectra / TWFs) to Excel spreadsheets or XML documents;

4) contains a complete built-in query and reporting engine to allow you to modify existing reports or build your own reports from scratch;

5) finally, for the true tinkerer, has a complete programmatic interface (API) that lets you process the underlying database using SQL commands or other programming languages.

... you might want to take a look at MAINTelligence from DMSI ...

PS everything listed above is part of the standard install - no extra charges or engineering fees.

PPS if you have data from oil analysis, thermography, ultrasonic analysis etc. you can put that into MAINTelligence as well. Just sayin'

Steve

@Dave: out again on a service call. I'll shhot you an email sometime soon.

@Steve: I'll give it a look, though I doubt I have sufficient influence with my company to pick which system we go with. We have a fleet of fielded SKF boxes and are preparing for a phased upgrade; meaning we'll likely have to stick with compatible collectors. Unfortunately, SKF requires software purchase with their hardware. My job is to discover how to integrate.

No problem sir. I'm out hopefully 4 out of 5 days on service calls
This is the continuation of a night time hobby. Way back when Hector was a pup, I started programing in machine language for an 80A chip I think it was, moved to basic, and went on learning but stopped at turbo pascal. It got too difficult to move ahead on my own.
I now fool with things like this that will do me some good if I can crack them.
Beats cracking flight sim or one of the other floppy games we used to have. Computer is a little better also.
I'm going to connect to a copy of a db and try to get in touch with the sys.tables. I'll have to upgrade for access 2007, I still have 2003. Oh well, this desktop is getting tired.

Thanks for staying with us on the thread. I know it's not what you were looking for with the initial post, but perhaps we'll get an SKF'r interested.

D

Nicholas,
I tried my hands again with SQL and queried skfuser database supplied with SKF Aptitude Analyst
and was able to get the desired result.
Vibmaster

Interesting discussion. any one still online from you gents))

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Mohammed Abdalla
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-19-2012 04:23
From: IRSHAD AKHTAR
Subject: SKF Aptitude DB - Direct Access?

Nicholas,
I tried my hands again with SQL and queried skfuser database supplied with SKF Aptitude Analyst
and was able to get the desired result.
Vibmaster