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Maintenance Action Types checklist Attribute

 
When this module is licensed, a number of features are activated within the software— features that are designed to pick up where diagnostics leave off.
 
The eXpress Maintenance  provides a set of features that allow you to extend diagnostics create The eXpress Maintenance provides a set of features that allow you to extend diagnostics created within eXpress to address a variety of practical situations:
Many of the capabilities of the eXpress Maintenance  are based on the creation of Fault Templates—representations within an eXpress design of the different conclusions possible during diagnostics. Here are some of the characteristics of Fault Templates in eXpress
 
Fault Template Attributes
Attributes can be defined for fault templates in the same manner as for other elements in an eXpress design. Moreover, for fault templates, you can specify that a particular text attribute is being used to represent a fault code—a unique identifier that identifies a given set of isolated items or root failures.
 
Once you have specified the fault code attribute, you can display fault codes in the Explorer Tree (rather than the template names), by selecting  “Display using Fault Codes” from the Display
section of that same menu.
 
 
 
 
To specify the attribute to be used for fault codes, right-click on the FAULT TEMPLATES folder in the Explorer Tree and then select “Specify Fault Code Attribute…” from the
Fault Codes submenu. A dialog will appear, allowing you to select the text attribute that will contain the fault code for each template.
 
“Display using Fault Codes” from the Display section of that same menu.
 
Fault codes can be assigned manually, imported from a spreadsheet (using the Spreadsheet Attribute import) or automatically generated using the Fault Code Assignment feature. To create fault codes automatically, select “Assign Fault Codes to all Templates…” from the same menu depicted above (this option will only be available after you have specified the fault code attribute). A dialog similar to the following will appear:
 
 
 
Because the fault code format and assignment method may differ from project to project, the panel that you use to create fault codes may look different than the panel depicted above. When you license the eXpress Maintenance Module, DSI will make sure that the fault code assignment mechanism satisfies your immediate needs—even if that means creating a new panel specially tailored for your own approach. If you plan on using this mechanism, contact DSI to discuss your specific approach to fault code assignment and the process that would be necessary to support it.
 
Exporting Fault Template Information to DiagML
Once fault templates have been created, you have the option of including fault template attributes in each <MaintenanceProcedure> that is created by the eXpress DiagML export.
Attributes can now be selected in the Maintenance Data section that appears at the bottom of the tree in the DiagML Options dialog. All attributes that have been defined for fault templates will be listed in this section. Select the attribute(s) to export in the same manner that you would select attributes to be exported for Items or Tests.
For each maintenance procedure in the exported DiagML file, eXpress will look for a fault template that maps to that procedure—a template based on root failures, if possible; otherwise, an item-based template that matches that procedure. If a template is found, then the values of the selected attributes will be included for that <MaintenanceProcedure>.
When you have included fault codes for each <MaintenanceProcedure> in a DiagML file, you can use these codes as a link between different diagnostic processes. For example, embedded diagnostics may report fault codes that are passed to (or entered into) troubleshooting software. Using the eXpress Maintenance Module, you can not only create and export these fault codes, but also ensure that the same fault codes are used for the same fault groups when diagnostics are repeatedly generated over time. Because the fault codes always refer to the same isolated elements, troubleshooting procedures can be developed in parallel with the primary diagnostics.
Tests Based on Fault Templates
Fault templates are not only a container for data associated with isolated fault groups. They can also be used to represent a prior diagnosis for which a troubleshooting process must be created. To do this, you can define tests in eXpress that map to previously-isolated fault groups and then use these tests as starting points for additional diagnostics.
 
In eXpress, template-based tests must reside in test sets whose usage has been set to “Template-Based Fault Detection” (allowed when the Maintenance  is licensed). You can set the usage using a drop box on the test set Details panel (depicted below) or within Grid View.
 
 
 
When you edit a test set whose usage is set to “Template-Based Fault Detection”, then all icons will be disabled on the Test Set Editing toolbar (depicted at right) except for the icon used to create tests based on fault templates. If you click on this icon, then the following dialog will appear:
 
 
Use the button in the lower right corner to toggle between listing the fault templates by name or by assigned fault code.
To simplify the selection process, there are a variety of ways to filter the fault template list—by type, by status, based on selected objects, etc. At the bottom, there is a filter box that allows you to list only templates whose names (or assigned fault codes) contain specified text.
Select the fault templates for which you wish to create tests and then click on the Create button.