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Updating Time Series Data

TSD functionality is only available if the TSD option is enabled on your licence.

Time series data can be updated from external data sources. The following updates are supported:

  • Manual update of streams
  • Manual update of data sources
  • Automatic update of data sources (Applicable for ICMLive functionality only)

Available update types

Two different types of updates can be implemented:

  • Automatic – update of time series data that occurs on a scheduled or triggered basis. These types of updates can only be invoked by the Data Loader and always perform a latest update.
    • Scheduled – update that occurs on regular basis according to a configured schedule.
    • Triggered – update that occurs in response to an external event, such as the modification of a file.
  • Manual – update that occurs on demand, in response to a user request. These types of updates can only be invoked by the InfoWorks ICM user and may perform either a latest update or a ranged update.

Latest updates are also referred to as Optimistic updates. Optimistic updates load time series data with a time-stamp later that the most recent time-stamp. On the other hand, ranged updates, also known as Pessimistic updates, load time series data within a specified time range, possibly overwriting existing data.

In addition to latest or ranged updates, batch updates are also provided. A batch update loads all the data from a CSV format input file (i.e. all times and all streams except those for which updates have specifically been disabled). Only the Batch CSV data source supports batch update and, conversely, any update carried out for a batch CSV data source is a batch update (i.e. any specified data stream or time range is ignored – all available data are loaded).

Instructions on how to implement all these update types are described in the sections below:

Perform a manual update

Manual updates are updates implemented at the user's request. Since updating time series data can be a resource intensive process, it may prevent users from carrying out other tasks. Therefore, manual update of time series data may be delegated to a background process. It is possible to perform the update in the foreground but this is not recommended. Please refer to the sections below for further details.

The configuration of manual updates depends on the type of the time series data:

Manual update for Scalar time series data

  1. Open the current view of the desired Scalar TSD object.
  2. The Observed or Forecast Page of the Scalar TSD is displayed.
  3. At this stage it is possible to update a single data stream or a data source (and all its data streams):
    1. To update a single data stream, right-click anywhere on a row (data stream) in the Observed or Forecast page and, from the popup select:
      • Update data.

      or

    2. To update a data source and all its associated data streams, right-click anywhere on a row (data source) in the Data Sources page and select Update data from the context menu.
      3. Note: Manual update of scalar TSD can be permissioned and therefore may not be available to users who have not been granted rights to perform this operation.
      Tip: It is possible to make individual data streams not updatable by enabling their External update disabled option in the Observed or Forecast page of the time series data object.

    This displays the Update Time Series Data dialog.

  4. In this dialog, configure settings for the manual update as required. Ensure that the Perform the update in a background process (recommended) option is set to the desired state (checked or unchecked).

    Note: If Perform the update in a background process is checked, then updating from an "access" external data source can only be done by selecting an agent that has a 32-bit version of the software installed. If Perform the update in a background process is unchecked, updating from an "access" external data source can only be done in a 32-bit version of InfoWorks ICM. This is due to incompatibility of JET databases with x64 applications.
  5. Click OK to save the changes.
    • The update is carried out if the Perform the update in a background process (recommended) option is unchecked in the Update Time Series Data dialog. The grid is updated with the recent updates.
    • If the Perform the update in a background process (recommended) option is checked, the Schedule Job(s) dialog is displayed:
      1. Select when to run the updates and click OK.
      2. If the Time Series Data Grid was not in focus during the update, click Apply updates to refresh the window with the updated data (otherwise the window will be automatically refreshed) once the update is complete.

    The scalar time series data is updated.

Manual update for Spatial time series data

  1. Open the current view of the desired Spatial TSD object.
  2. The Time Series Data Grid is displayed.
  3. Click Update data.
    Tip: Manual update of spatial time series data can be permissioned and therefore may not be available to users who have not been granted rights to perform this operation. If this is the case the time series data grid will be read-only. Read-only time series data includes the R/O caption in the grid title bar.

    This displays the Update Time Series Data dialog.

  4. In this dialog, configure settings for the manual update as required and ensure that the Perform the update in a background process (recommended) option is set to the desired state (checked or unchecked).
  5. Click OK to save the changes.
    • The update is carried out if the Perform the update in a background process (recommended) option is unchecked in the Update Time Series Data dialog. The grid is updated with the recent updates.
    • If the Perform the update in a background process (recommended) option has been checked, the Schedule Job(s) dialog is displayed:
      1. Select when to run the updates and click on OK.
      2. If the Time Series Data Grid was not in focus during the update, click on the Apply updates button to refresh the window with the updated data (otherwise the window will be automatically refreshed) once the update is complete.

    The spatial time series data is updated.

Configure automatic updates

The configuration of automatic updates (scheduled or triggered) depends on the type of the time series data:

Setting up automatic updates for Scalar time series data

  1. Open the Scalar TSD object.
  2. Click the Data Sources tab.
  3. Configure the following parameters as required:
    • Automatic Updates Disabled
    • Automatic Update Start At
    • Automatic Update Interval
    • Automatic Update Trigger File
  4. Scheduled and / or triggered updates can be set up. See the Time Series Data topic for more information on these fields.
Note: When using the 64-bit version of InfoWorks ICM, it is not possible to perform updates as a background process when using a JET database as an external data source due to incompatibility with x64 applications.

Setting up automatic updates for Spatial time series data

  1. Right-click a spatial TSD object in the Explorer window.
  2. Select Open As from the context menu.
  3. Select the Automatic update configuration option and click OK.

    The Configure Automatic TSD Update dialog is displayed.

    Tip: Configure Automatic TSD Update dialog can also be launched from the Auto update button of the Spatial time series data configuration dialog.
  4. Set the update parameters as required. See Configure Automatic TSD Update dialog for further details.
  5. Click OK to commit the changes.

Disabling TSD updates

It is possible to disable updates to TSDs in InfoWorks ICM.

Note: Updates that are disabled in InfoWorks ICM will automatically be disabled in ICMLive Operator Client.

Disabling manual updates

There are two types of manual updates:

  • Manual update of data streams
  • Manual update of data sources

Data sources can always be manually updated, regardless if automatic updates are enabled or disabled. In other words, manual data source updates cannot be disabled. As spatial time series data can only contain one stream and only one data source, this means that spatial times series data can always be manually updated.

Scalar TSD objects, on the other hand, can have many streams and data sources defined. Manual update can be disabled for a data stream when you check the External update disabled option for that data stream in the Observed or Forecast page of the Scalar TSD object. (This option applies to both manual and automatic updates). As a result:

Disabling automatic updates

It is possible to disable automatic TSD updates from inside InfoWorks ICM. Automatic updates are performed on data sources (not on individual data streams) and the disabling mechanism depends on the type of the time series data involved:

Scalar time series data

It is possible to disable scalar TSD automatic updates for a data source when you check the Automatic Update Disabled option in the Data Sources page of the Scalar TSD.

Additionally, updates may be disabled for individual data streams. This is achieved by enabling the External update disabled option for the desired data stream(s) in the Observed or Forecast page of the Scalar TSD. This applies to both manual and automatic updates. If data source automatic updates are enabled, InfoWorks ICM will first consider updating all streams associated with the data source, but any stream that has the External update disabled option enabled will subsequently be omitted from the data source update.

Spatial time series data

Spatial TSD automatic updates can be disabled when you check the Disable automatic updates option in the Configure Automatic TSD Update dialog.

Parent topic: Scalar Time Series Data
Parent topic: Spatial Times Series Data

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