{"id":30302,"date":"2017-08-17T07:40:16","date_gmt":"2017-08-16T23:40:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/help\/?page_id=30302"},"modified":"2023-09-08T14:12:32","modified_gmt":"2023-09-08T06:12:32","slug":"configuring-entities-4-4-0","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/oihelp.corporate.ifs.com\/help\/p2-server\/configuring-your-system\/configuring-entities\/configuring-entities-4-4-0\/","title":{"rendered":"Configuring Entities (4.4.0)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This article applies to P2 Server versions 4.4.0 and earlier. For the latest, see Configuring Entities<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This article is about how to create entities\u00a0using P2 Server Management or the Import\/Export spreadsheet. For general information on entities, see: \u00a0Entities, the Backbone of all Data<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Every now and then, you will need to add a new asset to your system. In P2 Server, these are known as entities<\/em>. Configuring an entity is a crucial\u00a0step in setting up a system to model your assets. You can configure an entity using Server Management or the Import\/Export spreadsheet.<\/p>\n

<\/i>BEST PRACTICE<\/span><\/p>\n

Before you start, spend some time thinking about where this entity sits in your asset model<\/a>, which templates<\/a> you want to use, and what are the attribute<\/a>\u00a0values you want to retrieve.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Server Management<\/h2>\n

In P2 Server Management, fully configuring an entity requires 4 main steps, all performed through the Entities menu option:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Adding the entity.<\/li>\n
  2. Assigning the templates.<\/li>\n
  3. Configuring the attribute values.<\/li>\n
  4. Assigning the primary templates.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The only prerequisite is that you must have already created the templates you intend to use.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    Prerequisite Step<\/strong>: Creating Templates and Attributes<\/a><\/p>\n

    Adding the Entity<\/h3>\n

    1. Open P2 Server Management, and click the Entities\u00a0\"entity-icon-sm\"<\/strong>\u00a0icon.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    2. Click Create New Entity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    Note: If you want to edit an existing entity, select\u00a0it from the list below the Create button.<\/p>\n

    <\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

    3. Give the entity a name<\/strong>, display name<\/strong>, and a description<\/strong>. Note that the name cannot contain reserved characters.\u00a0For the description, it's often useful to provide a broader explanation\u00a0of the asset that is represented by this entity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    Related: Reserved Characters & Keywords<\/a><\/p>\n

    <\/a><\/p>\n

    4. Click the Save<\/strong> button in the top right corner.<\/p>\n

    After you have saved, the Assigned Templates<\/strong> menu item\u00a0becomes active.<\/p>\n

    Assigning the Templates<\/h3>\n

    Related: Templates<\/a>, Attributes - An Overview<\/a><\/p>\n

    For this next step, you must have already created a\u00a0template<\/a>. You will now assign a template to this entity. This will enable all of the attributes associated with that template to be passed on to the entity. The entity will then be responsible for populating the attributes with actual values for that specific entity.<\/p>\n

    Refresher<\/strong>: The primary<\/em> template of an entity defines its primary use, or type. E.g. A well that produces oil can be assigned the Oil Producing Well template.\u00a0
    \n Templates that are assigned, but are not primary, are known as secondary<\/em> templates. Secondary templates are often used to store information that is not presented to users.\u00a0
    \n Templates are also time-aware<\/em>, which means that templates are assigned for periods of time. Only one template can be the primary template for any particular point in time.<\/p>\n

    Before you move to the next step, make sure you know what all your applicable templates are, and which is to be primary.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    5. Click Assigned Templates<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    6. Click the Add<\/strong> button next to Templates<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/a><\/p>\n

    7. Add as many templates as you need. Only templates that have already been added to the system will be available. Each template you add is known as a template instance<\/em>.<\/p>\n

    First, select them from the drop-down list, and then assign date ranges for when they apply. Date ranges may overlap. As you add the templates, you will notice the Timeline<\/em> being updated.<\/p>\n

    <\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

    8. Click the Save<\/strong> button.<\/p>\n

    Configuring the Attribute Values<\/h3>\n

    You will notice that the template instances now have a drop-down arrow next to each of them.<\/p>\n

    This is where you configure where the attributes will retrieve their values from for this entity.\u00a0So while a Water Injection\u00a0Well<\/em>\u00a0may already have an attribute for Bottom Hole Pressure<\/em>, the entity still needs to pull that attribute value from somewhere. This is where you configure that.<\/p>\n

    <\/a><\/p>\n

    You will need to perform the following step for each template instance, if you want the attribute to produce a value.<\/p>\n

    9. Click the drop-down arrow next to the template.<\/p>\n

    10. Click the attribute you want to configure. This will reveal if the attribute already has a value. If this is a new entity, the values will be unassigned<\/em>.<\/p>\n

    <\/a><\/p>\n

    11. Click the edit \"editicon\"<\/a>\u00a0icon for the attribute to configure it.<\/p>\n

    The Attribute Values<\/strong> page opens. As attributes are also time-aware, this page contains a timeline view similar to the one on the templates page.<\/p>\n

    <\/a><\/p>\n

    12. Click the Add<\/strong> button. You can add as many attribute values as necessary.<\/p>\n

    An attribute can have a number of values, and they can be of different types. For example, for one date range you may want the attribute to have a fixed value and for another date range you may want the attribute to get its value from a tag.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    Note also that the time ranges available for an attribute are tied to\u00a0the time range of the template instance, and cannot extend beyond the template instance's start or end times. Date ranges for individual\u00a0attribute values cannot overlap.<\/p>\n

    <\/a><\/p>\n

    13. When you have finished configuring your attribute values, click Save<\/strong> in the top right corner.<\/p>\n

    Assigning the Primary Templates<\/h3>\n

    14. Click the Assigned Templates<\/strong> menu item again, and click the Add<\/strong> button next to Primary Templates<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    \"add-primary-template\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    As you add templates, you will notice that only the templates you added in the previous step will be available for adding as a primary template.<\/p>\n

    <\/a><\/p>\n

    You should\u00a0assign at least one primary template<\/strong>. The date range for the primary template must also fall within the date range of the template instance.<\/p>\n

    E.g. If you choose Oil Producing Well<\/em> for the primary template, the applicable primary date range must not end\u00a0after 1st March 2016. \u00a0In fact, if the template you choose has an end date, it will automatically be entered for you. You may change the end date such that it occurs earlier, but it cannot occur later.<\/p>\n

    <\/a><\/p>\n

    As you add the primary template, you will notice the timeline automatically update to reflect your changes.<\/p>\n

    15. When you have finished assigning templates, click the Save<\/strong> button in the top right corner.<\/p>\n

    Tip: You can zoom in and out of the timeline by hovering the cursor over it, and scrolling\u00a0up and down using\u00a0the mouse's scroll wheel.<\/p>\n

    \"timeline\"<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

    Done! After completing the above steps, you will have a properly configured entity.<\/p>\n

    <\/i>BEST PRACTICE<\/span><\/p>\n

    You should now add the entity to a hierarchy<\/a> so you can include it in an asset model.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    \u00a0<\/p>\n

    \n

    Import\/Export Spreadsheet<\/h2>\n

    The Import\/Export spreadsheet is generally only used to make bulk changes, but it provides access to some advanced functionality not currently available through Server Management.<\/p>\n

    If you want to configure\u00a0entities as part of a bulk configuration, you need to\u00a0use several tabs in the\u00a0Import\/Export spreadsheet<\/a>:<\/p>\n