Native support for PostgreSQL in the Reliance 4 SCADA/HMI system

September 2, 2014 | Bretislav Valek

Beginning with version 4.6.3, support for logging historical data and alarms/events to the PostgreSQL object-relational database management system is part of the Reliance SCADA/HMI system. PostgreSQL is open-source software. It can run on major operating systems including Windows and Unix-like systems (Linux). pgAdmin is a GUI administration tool for PostgreSQL. It is also part of the installation.

To download the installers of the database system and pgAdmin, go to the Web pages shown in the following table:

PostgreSQL	pgAdmin
PostgreSQL database installer	pgAdmin GUI administration tool

How to connect Reliance to PostgreSQL

The ODBC standard is used to access the database management system. The Reliance system requires a 32-bit version of PostgreSQL ODBC Driver.

Once you install the driver, a new data source can be created through the ODBC Data Source Administrator. You must run a 32-bit version of this tool. Follow these instructions:

32-bit Windows:

1. Go to the Windows Control Panel and select Administrative Tools > Data Sources (ODBC).

2. On the System DSN page, add a new data source by clicking on Add. Select PostgreSQL Unicode.

64-bit Windows:

1. Run the ODBC Data Source Administrator using C:\Windows\SysWOW64\odbcad32.exe.

2. On the System DSN page, add a new data source by clicking on Add. Select PostgreSQL Unicode.

Note: Shortcuts to both editions of the ODBC Data Source Administrator (32-bit and 64-bit) are already contained in the Control Panel of 64-bit versions of Windows 8.

ODBC Data Source Administrator

Create New Data Source

3. In the PostgreSQL Unicode ODBC Driver (psqlODBC) Setup dialog, set up the connection parameters (connection name, database name, server address, and login data).

Setting up the connection parameters

After that, you can define an SQL connection in a Reliance project:

1. Open your project in the Reliance Design development environment.

2. Go to the Project Options dialog box (Project > Options > SQL) and add a new connection (or use the predefined one).

Project Options

3. Click on the Edit Connection String button to open the Data Link Properties dialog.

4. On the Provider page, select Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers:

Data Link Properties

5. On the Connection page, specify the data source and enter your login data:

Data Link Properties – entering the login data

6. Click on the Test Connection button to verify the connection. Click OK to save the changes.

Henceforth, you can use the connection for logging historical data and alarms/events in the visualization project.