Using the Reports Control

Reports Control icon Use the Reports control to generate a variety of defined measurement reports via FMS Explorer. Selecting a report sends a Reports command that triggers the service to generate the requested customized report. You can then view, open, print, or export the generated report in a selected file format. You can create up to eight instances of this control.

Available Node categories for display in this control include Group, Device, Gas Device, Liquid Device, Accessory, or Station Nodes. You can filter the results by selected Node(s) and by report type. To select multiple Nodes from the filtered Node Chooser results, use the Apply changes option. See Using the Node Chooser Control for more information about using Apply changes to display multiple Nodes.

All reports (except Normalization View reports, which display data based on the normalization view specified), will display data in Device time (D), although the command parameter for the request is in Contract days (C), and assumes a contract hour of 0.

Reports generated via the Reports control can also be used as the means to access data that has been archived out of the FMS database via Archive Data commands (not applicable to Balance or Missing Data report types). See Archiving CygNet Measurement Data for more information.

You must have proper security authorization to perform these actions. See FMS Security (and CMDSYS security event) for information about configuring security access for the Reports control.

Note: If using Job reports with CygNet Dispatch, appropriate authorization is also required for the JOB security event.

See FMS Commands for information about individual commands that build reports.

See Running CygNet Measurement Reports for information about additional report options in CygNet Measurement.

See CygNet FMS Report Control for more information about configuring this control in CygNet Studio.

See FMS Explorer User Interface for more information about the FMS Explorer user interface.

Requirements for Building an FMS Report

To build reports using the Reports control, you need the following elements in place.

Report template files - a report template file must exist before reports can be generated. Templates define the report parameters and describe the report format. Report templates can be customized as desired, based on sample report template files provided by CygNet Software. See Managing Report Template Files for more information.

Report definitions - report definitions can be configured and saved as part of a report template file (stored in the FMS service), or they can be configured and saved through the FMS Explorer Admin menu (stored as a part of your Workspace). Scheduled reports access the report definition via the report template file in the FMS. Ad hoc reports can additionally utilize report definitions that are configured and managed through the FMS Explorer Admin menu. See Managing Report Definitions for more information.

The rows and columns of the Reports control grid allow you to view report data as configured for the selected report type. Once you have generated a report, you can use the control toolbar to select a report type, and then to optionally open a report for viewing in a selected file format, print a report as configured, or export a report to a selected file format for business purposes.

Note: Reports may have data cells without values (null or missing data values) for a specific record. Cells with null values are handled differently, depending on column value types. For columns with string values, these null values will be accounted for in data aggregation. For columns with numeric values, these null values will be ignored.

Considerations for Working with FMS Reports

There are some caveats to what you can do with an FMS report, once it is built, that are helpful to know before planning your reports. Some of these considerations might be different from expected functionality.

Consider the following functional details when planning your reports.

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Viewing FMS Reports

Use the Reports control Chooser pane (unless the Use Session Node option is selected in the Options pane) and Options pane to select what data to show in the report. Either pane can optionally be displayed or pinned to the left side.

Chooser Pane

In the embedded Node Chooser for the Reports control, select the Nodes you want to view data for from the <Any>, Group, Device, Gas Device, Liquid Device, Accessory, or Station Node categories. Further filter the Nodes by name, description, or ID as desired. See Using the Node Chooser Control for more information.

Options Pane

In the Session section of the Options pane, define the values for the report you would like to run.

Options Pane

Options Pane

Reports control options are as follows.

Option Description
Session

Use Session Node

Click the check box to select/clear the option to Use Session Node instead of using the Chooser.

Notes:

The Use Session Node check box is selected by default for Data controls (Alarm, Configuration, History Graph, History Grid, and Raw Data).

The Use Session Node check box is cleared by default for Summary controls (Dashboard, Exceptions), Reports controls, and Admin controls (Balance, Jobs; not applicable to Close Period, PPA).

See Session Node for more information.

Node

If Use Session Node is not selected, optionally type the Node name against which you want to run the report into the text box, instead of using the Chooser.

Note: Use of this Node selection method overrides any selection made on the Node Chooser, and the Node Chooser pane will become unavailable.

Use Session options

Click the check box to select/clear the option to Use Session options instead of entering a time window and time format.

Notes:

The Use Session options check box is selected by default for Data controls (Alarm, Configuration, History Graph, History Grid, and Raw Data).

The Use Session options check box is cleared by default for Summary controls (Dashboard, Exceptions), Reports controls, and Admin controls (PPA, Balance, Jobs; not applicable to Close Period).

See Session Options for more information.

Start date

Date selections are in Contract days (C).

Select the starting date, unless Use Session options is selected. Type the date into the text box or click ... to Select Date.

See Selecting Date and Time for more information.

End date

Date selections are in Contract days (C).

Select the ending date, unless Use Session options is selected. Type the date into the text box or click ... to Select Date.

See Selecting Date and Time for more information.

Unit set

For reports that display data requiring units, select a unit set in which to view the data.

Options appear in the drop-down menu, which is populated by the unit sets defined in the service, and includes a default unit set.

Refresh icon

Click to Refresh the available unit set list.

Apply

Click to Apply the changes made through the Options pane.

Note: When you click Apply on the Options pane, any Node selection that has been made but not applied on the Chooser pane will also be applied.

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Managing FMS Reports

Manage FMS reports via the Reports control toolbar.

Toolbar

Use the Reports control toolbar to select a report type to view and to access options to manage the report you are viewing.  See Menus and Toolbars for more information.

Reports control toolbar

Reports control toolbar

The following options appear on the toolbar; unavailable buttons appear dimmed.

Option Description

Refresh icon

Click to Refresh the control view.

Note: The Refresh button will not take into account changes made through the Options pane that have been selected but not yet applied.

See Refresh Button for more information.

Save icon

[The Save button is not available on this control.]

Cancel icon

[The Cancel button is not available on this control.]

Open icon

Click to Open and view the report in another application.

The following options are available in the drop-down menu.

  • Open as XLSX
  • Open as PDF

Note: In XLSX or PDF format, reports may appear slightly different than they appear in the control, due to the selected application's formatting details.

Print icon

Click to Print the contents of the control.

See Printing a Report for more information.

Export icon

Click to Export the contents of the control in a selected file format. The generated report can then be shared as desired for other business uses.

The following options are available in the drop-down menu.

  • Export as XLSX
  • Export as PDF

Note: You can email reports automatically by scheduling a report command through the MSS. See Running Scheduled Reports in the Running CygNet Measurement Reports topic for more information.

Type

Click to access the drop-down menu to select a report Type.

One "type" option will appear in the list for each distinctly configured report definition created by either of the following methods.

  • A report definition that has been defined in an individually configured report template file in the FMS Service. See Managing Report Template Files for more information.
  • A report definition that has been defined via the Admin menu Manage Reports interface and saved in your FMS workspace. See Managing Report Definitions for more information.

See FMS Commands for more information about Reports (Reports: X) commands.

Refresh icon

Click to Refresh the available report type list.

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Generating and Viewing a Report

To View a Report Using FMS Explorer

  1. In FMS Explorer, open the Controls menu, and then click Reports to open a reports screen.
  2. On the control toolbar, select a report Type from the drop-down menu.

    Note: If no report definition options appear, you can configure a report template file or configure a report definition to define customized reports to populate the list. See Running CygNet Measurement Reports for more information.

  3. Select the Node against which to run the report, using one of the following methods.

    Note: Not applicable to the Balance Details Report.

  1. Select the Session options for which to run the report, using one of the following methods.
  1. Select a Unit set in which to view the report.

    Note: Not applicable to Event, Missing Data, or Normalization View reports.

    Options listed in the drop-down menu include all unit set definitions configured in your system.

  2. Click Apply to generate and view the report.

Opening a Report

You can open a report in another application your system supports. Options are .xlsx or .pdf files.

To Open a Report Using FMS Explorer

  1. Generate the desired report.
  2. Click Open icon Open to access the file type options on the drop-down menu.
  1. Click Open as XLSX to display the report as an .xlsx spreadsheet.
  2. Click Open as PDF to display the report as a .pdf document.

Printing a Report

You can print FMS reports directly from FMS Explorer. Alternatively, you can open or export reports as .xlsx or .pdf files, and then print from those files.

Note: Reports printed directly from the control may appear slightly different than those printed via XLSX or PDF, due to the selected application's printing details.

To Print a Report Using FMS Explorer

  1. Generate the desired report.
  2. Click Print icon Print to access the Print dialog box.
  3. Select your desired print parameters as directed in the dialog box.
  4. Click OK to print.

Exporting a Report

FMS reports can be exported from FMS Explorer, as desired for your enterprise purposes, in a format your system supports. Options are .xlsx or .pdf files.

To Export a Report Using FMS Explorer

  1. Generate the desired report.
  2. Click Export icon Export to access the Save As dialog box.
  3. Type a file path into the address bar, or browse to the directory location to which you wish to save the file.
  4. In the File name text box, type a name for the report file you are saving.
  5. In the Save as type text box, select the file type from the drop-down menu. Options are Export as XLSX or Export as PDF.
  6. Click Save.

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