Cloud Logging – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is Cloud Logging?
Cloud Logging is a service with which you can pull your data from your PLC, send it securely to the cloud, and access it through advanced, easy to use and fully customizable components from any device with an internet connection.
If there is no internet connection available for the x500, your data is not lost. The x500 can locally store data for weeks at a time if there is no internet connection available. This data is not locally accessible. Once the x500 has internet again, it’ll send the data to the cloud. Active in the x500 in firmware 3.12 and up. Please upgrade your firmware if you are running an older version.
In addition to visualising the data through components, you can also export this data as a CSV file, integrate this data into 3rd party BI tools, or integrate it into your own software through our API. All the pulled data will be timestamped and displayed in your own time zone. The data can be stored for up to 7 years on the X4 Cloud servers.
You can choose to activate Cloud Logging or try it 30 days for free, no strings attached.
How do I activate a Cloud Logging license?
When you want to try Cloud Logging, you can start a 30 day free trial. After that, you have to purchase a Cloud Logging license.
How do I use Cloud Logging?
Follow these next few steps to get your Cloud Logging all set up.
- Step 1: Activate Cloud Logging or start the 30 day free trial.
- Step 2: Set up a data source. Here you select (1) your communication protocol (i.e. Modbus) and (2) add the variables that you’re interested in.
- Step 3: Log your data. Here you add data tags. A data tag is nothing more than a variable, which you added in step 1, that you now configure to log.
- Step 4: Visualizing/export your data. You can visualize your data in customizable components, export it as a CSV file, or request it via our API.
What do you mean by “data points / hour”?
We distinguish our licenses by the amount of data points / hour that they allow you to log, but what actually is the measurement “data points / hour”? Here’s an easy example: if you’re logging 1 variable every minute, you’re using a total of 1 x 60 = 60 data points / hour. If you’re unsure how much you really need, it’s best to simply activate the trial and try it out.
How are my data points divided?
There are three ways to log your data: on interval, on value change and on a custom trigger. Variables that are being logged on interval get priority on the available data points. The remaining data points are available for logging on change or trigger.
For example, let’s say that you have 10 variables all logging every minute, this will use 600 dps/hr, and you have a 1000 dps/hr Cloud Logging license. In this example there will be 400 dps/hr available for variables logging on change and trigger.
When all 400 remaining data points have been used up by variables logging on change or trigger, further changes or triggers in the remainder of the hour will not be logged. Once the new hour begins, the 400 dps/hr become available again and any new changes or triggers will be logged again.