Sorting and Filtering Drop-Down Lists

In addition to providing you with the Alarm List Options, which allow you to select the category of alarms to be displayed in the alarm list, VTS enables you to filter and sort the alarms in the list being displayed to make specific alarms and events easier to find. This feature is especially convenient when the alarm list being displayed contains a large number of entries.

Filtering is the process whereby you remove from the alarm list display all alarms and events that do not fit the selected criteria. For example, if you filter by critical priority, only those alarms with a critical priority remain displayed in the alarm list. All events and alarms that have a priority of high, or warning are removed from the display.

Sorting is the process of placing the currently displayed alarms and events in the alarm list in a specific order. For example, if you sort by date and time, the most recent alarms and events appear at the top of the alarm list, and the least recent alarms and events appear at the bottom of the alarm list.

Filtering and sorting options are available by means of the drop-down lists and fields appearing beneath the List Options and Actions buttons. The filtering and sorting controls are displayed below.

You can apply several filtering and sorting options simultaneously to manage the currently displayed alarm list.

List Sorting Option

The list may be sorted in one of two way:

•    Sorted by Date/Time

The most recent alarms are displayed at the top of the list.

•    Sorted by Priority

The highest priority alarms are displayed at the top of the list.

By default, the list will be sorted by date/time.

Priorities Filter

The Priorities drop-down list (initially set to "Show All Priorities" by default) enables you to filter the currently displayed alarms list to show alarms of a specific priority. Unless the Single Priority option is selected, the filter selects all alarms from the selected priority and the alarms of higher priorities. 

The available selections in the Priorities drop-down list include.

•    0 – Event: When selected, only events will be displayed in the alarm list

•    1 – Critical: When selected, only critical alarms will be displayed in the alarm list

•    2 – High: When selected, both high and critical alarms will be displayed in the alarm list

•    3 – Warning: When selected, warning, high, and critical alarms will be displayed in the alarm list

•    4 – Notice: When selected, notice, warning, high, and critical alarms will be displayed in the alarm list

Areas Filter

The Areas drop-down list (initially set to "Show All Areas" by default) enables you to filter the currently displayed alarms list to show alarms from a specific area, such as a page or station (i.e. alarm tags whose Area property matches the list selection will be displayed). The available selections in the Areas drop-down list include:

•    Show All Areas: (Default) displays all alarm tags, regardless as to their Area property configuration

•    Show All Non-System Areas: Displays all alarm tags whose Area property is not set to "System"

•    Alarm Dialer: Displays all alarm tags whose Area property is set to "Alarm Dialer"

•    Default: Displays all alarm tags whose Area property is set to "Default"

•    Modem: Displays all alarm tags whose Area property is set to "Modem"

•    Operator Log: Displays all alarm tags whose Area property is set to "Operator Log"

•    Report: Displays all alarm tags whose Area property is set to "Report"

•    Security: Displays all alarm tags whose Area property is set to "Security"

•    System: Displays all alarm tags whose Area property is set to "System"

Name Filter

In this filter field, you can type part of a name, followed by the wildcard character * to limit the display to only those alarms with names matching the filter. To use this filter, you must have a good knowledge of your application since the list shows alarm descriptions but not alarm names. 

The X button will clear the filter.