What’s New in APM 7.17

Some of the enhancements made to AssetWise Performance Management (APM) in release 7.17 pertain to APM when AssetWise Enterprise Interoperability (AWEIS) has been implemented to exchange data with an external CMMS. For example, this release introduces solution package levels. You will also find news about security enhancements, asset specifications, translation updates, and more.

Contents

** Mandatory Environment Password

Asset Specifications

AWEIS

AWEIS – Solution Package Levels

Construction Management

French and Spanish Translations Updated

Inspection Management

Inventory – Warehouse – Storage Location Formatting

Performance and Stability Improvements

Server and Client Management

Strategy Development Analysis

Supported Database Software

Work Management

** Mandatory Environment Password

Security enhancements introduced in version 7.17 encrypt all potentially sensitive data at rest in the APM database and in the settings for all server/service, APM Server Manager, Thick Client, and APM Service Monitor instances that access that database. The password is used to protect sensitive data (such as settings, database fields, passwords, and connection strings) in APM.

Warning: Be sure to securely record the environment password for each of your databases and use it when setting up instances. All server/service, APM Server Manager, Thick Client, and APM Service Monitor instances that access the same database must use the same password.

After upgrading the software and databases, be sure to set the password for all instances before starting servers, services, and clients.

For instructions on adding passwords, see APM Upgrade Guide.

Asset Specifications

This release welcomes new asset specifications and value lists.

Oil and Gas Asset Specifications

This release introduces asset specifications related to oil and gas production, including oil drilling platforms, piping, and pressure vessels.

Note: The Oil and gas asset specifications are “generally available” product features. You must first enable features 91 and 93 to use the functionality in APM. In the Enterprise window, select the Features view and the Enabled Features tab. Click Browse, select “Support for Oil and Gas asset specifications” and “Support for Oil Drilling Platform asset specifications” and click OK. If APM is running as a smart client, click Refresh Enabled Features on the server. Then restart the client to use the functionality.

To view the new value lists, select the site’s Assets view, Settings tab, Oil and Gas Specifications tab. For example:

To use a specification, add it to an asset type and select the appropriate panel to display:

•	Asset specifications - Oil and Gas - Drilling platform

•	Asset specifications - Oil and Gas - Piping

•	Asset specifications - Oil and Gas - Pressure vessel

Assets of the type display the Specifications tab in the Asset window, Properties view. Here is an example of the piping specification:

The following attributes are available in oil and gas specifications:

Attribute	Data type	Attribute	Data type
Orientation	Quantity	Test pressure	Quantity
Service type	Enum	Service minimum temperature	Quantity
Set pressure	Quantity	Service maximum temperature	Quantity
Liner minimum thickness	Quantity	Service minimum pressure	Quantity
Rated for full vacuum	Enum	Service maximum pressure	Quantity
Design minimum temperature	Quantity	Maximum H25	Quantity
National safety board number	String	Maximum flow	Quantity
Utilization	Quantity	Traced	Enum
Outlet pressure	Quantity	External coating	Enum
Inlet pressure	Quantity	Internal coating	Enum
Toxic concentration	Quantity	Nominal wall thickness	Quantity

 

The following relationships were added:

Relationship	Related Class	Type
Plate material grade	Material grade	References one
Safety sensor	Asset	References one
Relief valve	Asset	References one
Head B information	Pressure vessel head information	Contains one
Head A information	Pressure vessel head information	Contains one
Plate material grade	Material type	References one
Metallurgy type	Material type	References one
Liner material type	Material type	References one
Linter material grade	Material grade	References one
Material grade transported	Material grade	References one
Material transported	Material type	References one
Toxic fluid	Fluid type	References one
Piping classification	Piping classification	References one

 

The following attributes were moved from subtypes to general asset specifications to ensure that all properties used on minimum thickness calculations are in one place:

•	Minimum plate thickness (Quantity)

•	Original plate thickness (Quantity)

•	Design maximum temperature (Quantity)

•	Design minimum pressure (Quantity)

•	Design maximum pressure (Quantity)

The following attributes were added to the specifications for drilling platforms:

Attribute	Data type	Attribute	Data type
Batter	String	Grouted plates	INTMAG
Bays	INTMAG	Helicopter pad	Enum
Boat landing location	String	Helicopter pad rating	String
Boat landings	INTMAG	Heritage	String
Bracing type	String	Holding	INTMAG
Bracing type long	String	Installation contractor	String
Bracing type tran	String	Installation method	String
CP type	String	Installed	Date
Crane capacity	Quantity	Installed deck elevation	Quantity
Cranes	INTMAG	Jacket design engineer	String
Deck design engineer	String	Jacket fabricator	String
Deck evaluation source	String	Jacket height	Quantity
Deck weight	Quantity	Jacket weight	Quantity
Design air gap	Quantity	Jacket work point dimensions	String
Design date	Date	Manned	Enum
Distance to shore	Quantity	Mud line	Quantity
First bay elevation	Quantity	Number of cranes	INTMAG

 

For more information, see:

•	**Setting up Asset Types

•	Adding Values for Asset Subtypes and Specifications

Dead Leg Asset Specifications

Value lists were added to oil and gas asset specifications to support dead leg piping:

•	Dead leg category

•	Dead leg fluid circulation

•	Asset service ranking

•	Asset consequence of failure

•	Asset failure probability

•	Asset risk category

•	Asset overall risk category

Note: Support for dead leg specifications is a “generally available” product feature. You must first enable feature 96, as well as 91, to use the functionality in APM. In the Enterprise window, select the Features view and the Enabled Features tab. Click Browse, select “Support for Dead Leg Piping section asset specifications” and click OK. If APM is running as a smart client, click Refresh Enabled Features on the server. Then restart the client to use the functionality.

To use the specification, add it to an asset type and select the panel “Asset specifications - Oil and Gas - Dead leg piping”. Assets of the type display the Specifications tab on the Asset window, Properties view. For example:

Distribution Networks Asset Specifications

The following fields were added to the Specifications panels for network objects.

Objects	Fields
Ground switch	Installation code
	SCADA installed
Network switch	External operator type
	Animal guards installed
	Installation code
	Installation order
Primary chamber	Insulating medium (quantity)
	Installation code
Protector	Installation order
	Circuit ID
Transformer	Installation code
	Circuit ID
	Spot grid
	Spot with

AWEIS

The following miscellaneous enhancements were made for this release.

Distribution Network Information in Work Documents

You can now set an option in work type site settings to display the Completion Info tab in interop work document windows. Completion information is only pertinent for work documents that display information about electrical equipment in a distribution network.

Distribution network information can be entered on a request for work, when acknowledging an alarm, creating a work document as part of an indicator reading, creating follow-up work requests, and in other places where work can be initiated in APM. The information is also visible on interop work requests, interop work orders, and solution packages.

Note: Support for distribution network information is a “generally available” product feature. You must first enable feature 62 to use the functionality in APM. In the Enterprise window, select the Features view and the Enabled Features tab. Click Browse, select “Distribution Network work information on AssetWise Interoperability work documents” and click OK. If APM is running as a smart client, click Refresh Enabled Features on the server. Then restart the client to use the functionality.

For more information, see Setting up Site-Specific Work Types.

In the Request for Work window, Distribution Networks Info tab, “Conductor type” was changed to “Conductor / equipment type”. The label “Primary” was changed to “Primary conductor”.

Hide Labor Requirement in Interop Work Documents

In the work type’s site settings, you can now set the labor requirement to read-only. In the Work Type and Site Settings window, select the Requests and Read Only tabs and select Labor requirement. In work documents of the type, the Labor tab is hidden.

Recommendations from Events

In work type site settings, you can now identify recommendations from events as mandatory or read-only on requests for work.

Controlling Whether Interop Documents can be Redrafted

You can use the APM formal approval process with the following interop documents: asset change requests, requests for work, work order change requests, and work request change requests. The redraft action allows documents that have been sent for approval or rejected to be reopened, modified, and sent through the approval process again. Settings in the site interoperability profile control whether redraft is allowed or not allowed based on interop status.

For more information, see Setting up Site Interoperability Profiles for AWEIS.

APM Install Database and AWEIS Activation

The SQL database included with the software (apminstall.bak) has a basic site hierarchy: Install Site, Division, and Plant. In previous releases, each of these sites had AssetWise Enterprise Interoperability set to “active” by default. This caused problems for administrators setting up sites.

As of this release, interoperability is not active by default on any of the sites in the install database. For related information, see Overview of Setting up APM for AWEIS.

AWEIS – Solution Package Levels

If the work document system in APM is Interop, preplanned work comes from the external system in the form of solution packages (which cannot be created in APM). With this release, the solution package has been enhanced to support a wider range of CMMS planned work.

For each site, you can set up as many as four solution package levels, naming the levels with terms specific to your CMMS or organization. For example, the levels could be named “Maintenance plan”, “Maintenance item”, and “Task list” or “Plan”, “Task”, and “Subtask”. You can also set up the step object, naming it appropriately (for example, “Operation”). Select the level at which individual steps can be created to describe tasks performed on the solution package.

Messages from the CMMS indicate the preplanned work’s level. In APM, the level is matched to the solution package type’s level (1 to 4). The solution package type identifies the kind of object, for example, maintenance plan. The site interoperability profile determines the behavior.

Setting up Solution Package Levels in APM

Setting up APM for solution package levels involves:

•	Creating a solution package type for each level, providing names of your choosing as well as sequence numbers

•	Setting options for each level in the site’s interoperability profile. For example, level 2 can be subordinate to the preceding level. You can also define solution package steps, providing a name to be displayed in the user interface, and selecting the level at which steps can be defined

•	Create or update characteristic map sets to handle solution package steps and levels

•	Creating or adjusting solution package templates to support levels

•	In work type site settings, you can mark solution package levels as mandatory or read-only on requests for work

In the Site Interoperability Profile window, specify how solution package levels will be used at the site. For example, if you choose three levels, Level 2 and Level 3 tabs are added so that you can specify options for each level:

Click the Steps tab to select the level that supports steps and provide a name that will be used in the user interface.

For more information, see:

•	Setting up Solution Package Types

•	Setting up Site Interoperability Profiles for AWEIS

Interop Work Documents and Solution Package Levels

Requests for work support solution package levels. For example, the Request for Work Properties window displays the Solution Package tab, where you can select solution packages at one or more levels.

This example shows Maintenance plan, Maintenance item, and Task list levels. Levels 2 and 3 are subordinate to higher levels, so a maintenance plan must be selected before maintenance items are available, and so on.

When you request a solution package trigger, the Solution Package tab is replaced by the Trigger tab, where you can select the solution package levels, a cycle, and steps.

For more information, see Creating a Request for Work from Scratch.

These changes have been made in all contexts where you create a request for work, for example, acknowledging indicator alarms and requesting follow-up work.

When you set options on an indicator state to create a request for work when an indicator reading is entered with the state, you can specify the default solution package levels on the request for work. For example:

Similarly, when you set up auto-acknowledgment defaults on an indicator state, you can specify solution package levels, steps, and a cycle.

For more information, see Setting up Indicator States to Create Requests for Work.

Solution package levels turn up in the following contexts:

•	Follow-up work defaults – In work management settings (feature 68 must be active), you can select solution package levels and steps in follow-up work defaults.

•	Checksheets – When generated from an interop work order, checksheets display the source solution package levels, steps, and cycle. In the Checksheet window, select the Properties view and the Source tab.

•

Site window – Solution packages and templates reflect the solution package levels and steps defined in the site’s interoperability profile. For example, below is a site’s Reliability Program view, Solution Packages tab. The site’s interoperability profile defines three solution package levels: Maintenance plan, Maintenance item, and Task list. Steps have been defined as “Operations” to describe the tasks performed on the solution package.

•	Asset window – Reliability Program view, Solution Packages tab displays a tab for each solution package level defined in site interoperability settings. It also provides a tab that lists all solution packages, a tab for steps, and another for inspection tasks.

•	Solution Package window – Properties view displays tabs listing any subordinate solution packages, steps, and cycles. Windows for interop work requests and work orders now contain Solution Packages tabs that list the items at each level.

•	Asset program profiles – You can select solution package template levels when setting up as many as five jobs for the program to perform. The selection list of cycles contains the cycles of the level designated in the site interoperability profile.

•	Strategy development analysis – When adding a corrective action plan task to a failure mode, you can select “Solution Package” as the type and then solution package levels, steps, and cycle.

Next Due On Date

The “Next due on” value on solution packages is calculated based on the earliest due date of the standard tasks associated with the package. Just one level is designated to support triggering, so when the next due date is recalculated, APM looks at the standard tasks assigned to all levels of the solution package, determines the earliest date, and sets the next due on date on the level that supports triggering.

To view the next-due-on date, open the Solution Package window, select the Properties view and the Next Due on tab. This tab shows the next due on date and time and lists the associated standard tasks.

Mapping Characteristics for Steps

Classes have been added to support solution package step and work order step characteristic values.

For more information, see Setting up Characteristic Mapping for Interop Work Documents.

Construction Management

Two enhancements were made in construction management.

Remote Computer Restriction

A new option on the construction form template allows you to prevent or allow editing of construction forms on other remote computers. If editing is restricted, a form can only be edited on the remote computer where it was created.

“Asset Name” Replaced “Description”

In the New Construction Form Assets window and elsewhere, the Description field was renamed Asset name to clarify its purpose.

French and Spanish Translations Updated

French and Spanish translations of the user interfaces for APM, APM Remote, and APM Mobile Count Sheets have been updated to APM version 7.15.

Inspection Management

The following enhancements were made to indicators and checksheets.

Checksheet Subtypes

This release introduces checksheet subtypes for Radiography and Ultrasonic calibration. When a subtype is assigned to a checksheet type, checksheets of that type display a Calibration tab. For example, here is a Radiography Calibration tab:

For information about assigning checksheet subtypes, see Setting up Checksheet Types.

Checksheet Export – Collected By

When you export simple checksheet readings, the Excel workbook now includes the Collected By column on the Readings sheet. A drop-down list allows you to select an employee number from the checksheet’s site and above.

Note: Checksheets that record measurement point readings do not include the Collected By column.

Indicator Readings Tab – Default Date Range

In the Indicator window, Readings view and tab, the dates at the bottom of the tab now default to the following.

•	From: one year and one day ago

•	To: tomorrow

This change ensures that a reading entered today is always listed in the Readings tab. For example:

APM Remote Indicators Support States Based on Calculations

The functionality has been fully implemented that allows indicators with states based on calculations to be supported on APM Remote.

Fabric Inspection Subtype for Measurement Point Readings

This release introduces the Fabric indicator subtype for measurement point readings. When the subtype is assigned to an indicator type, measurement point readings for indicators of that type display the Fabric tab. For example:

Note: The Fabric inspection subtype is available for technology preview. You must first enable feature 95 to use the functionality in APM. In the Enterprise window, select the Features view and the Enabled Features tab. Click Browse, select “Support for Fabric Inspection subtype on Measurement Point Reading” and click OK. If APM is running as a smart client, click Refresh Enabled Features on the server. Then restart the client to use the functionality.

Value lists have been added for the fabric subtype:

•	Anomaly scope

•	Coating condition

•	Fabric RBI condition

•	Repair method

•	Consequences of failure

•	Substrate condition

•	Likelihood of failure

Information about fabric inspections is displayed in measurement point reading history for the site. In the site’s Inspection Management view, select the Readings and By Indicator tabs and then the Measurement Points tab.

For information about adding the Fabric subtype to indicators, see **Setting up Indicator Types.

You can add values to an indicator subtype, as explained in Adding Values for Indicator Subtypes.

Fluid Sample Tab on Indicator Readings

An option on the checksheet status controls whether the Fluid Sample tab is initially displayed on indicator readings. If the option is selected, the user can update the fluid sample information before selecting the indicator state.

The Fluid Sample tab is displayed, whether the option is selected or not, once a state has been selected for the reading.

To update Checksheet Status, select the Inspection Management view, Settings tab. Select the Checksheets and Checksheet Statuses tabs. Open the Checksheet Status window and click Edit. The option is on the Details tab:

Inventory – Warehouse – Storage Location Formatting

Note: This functionality was rolled back in APM 7.18. It was not behaving as expected.

You can now define formatting rules for the names of warehouse storage locations. In the warehouse Properties dialog, select the Storage Locations Formatting tab to set up a mask:

For example, a mask value of

>LL-000-A

would accept the following primary location on a new warehouse item:

The mask also applies to the secondary location. The mask is also used to format storage locations on warehouse items in table configurations, reports, and count sheets.

Note: Existing warehouse items are not automatically updated to use a new mask. After upgrading to version 7.17, you can update items manually.

For related information, see **Setting up Warehouses and Adding an Item to a Warehouse.

Performance and Stability Improvements

This release sees more than a dozen fixes and enhancements that improve APM performance and stability. For example:

•	Session logging has been improved to monitor stale sessions, diagnostic information, session creation information, types of sessions, and so on. Context and session information is displayed in Assert dialogs and logging entries. SessionInfo data is included in cache dumps

•	Performance has been improved for displaying data in lists when multiple-language support is active

•	A condition on an EXPLink Slice no longer accepts type mismatches. A criteria on a string column cannot accidentally be compared to an integer, for example. This used to fail silently, carry on, and possibly return incorrect results. It now fails and throws an exception.

Server and Client Management

Thick Client Deployment

When downloading the APM Thick Client Install from the Server Manager Downloads page, you are now required to log in first. You can log in using CONNECT Client or Windows credentials, but your APM user must have the APM server manager option selected.

Basic Windows Authentication

Due to security enhancements introduced in version 7.17, basic Windows authentication is not supported by default. Because basic authentication is less secure, we recommend using Bentley CONNECT authentication in a Bentley-hosted deployment. If you require basic authentication, you will need to update your server, Server Manager, and Thick Client instances to support basic Windows authentication.

For more information, see APM Upgrade Guide.

Digitally-Signed Client Packages

The Smart Client and Thick Client Packagers now provide options for creating digitally signed installer .exe files. On the Install Information page, you will find settings for:

•	Certificate File – Fully-qualified path to the PFX file (code signing certificate)

•	Certificate Password – Password to use for the code signing certificate

•	SignTool Path – Fully-qualified path to the SignTool command line executable (available as part of the Windows SDK). Required to sign the client package with a code signing certificate

In the Automatic Update Information page, you can select the option to sign the package.

Strategy Development Analysis

Look for these enhancements to MTA2 and RBI analysis.

MTA2 – Reliability Online Content Library

The newly re-architected Reliability Online Content library is available with APM 7.17. If you wish to obtain or upgrade a subscription to the Online Content service, contact Bentley Support.

The library allows you to search through thousands of failure modes to help build your reliability-driven maintenance program quickly and effectively with existing templates. The facilitator can quickly identify assets and failure modes in the library, download the likely failure modes to the analysis in APM, and perform a first pass fit-to-context review. At this point, the subject matter experts can validate the data, add new failure modes, and develop the appropriate action plans. The result is that the analysis of a system and deployment of reliability maintenance programs can be done in a fraction of the time that it would normally take.

New failure modes and action plans can be automatically uploaded on a timed basis from APM and, once in the library, they can be downloaded into an analysis session to develop new maintenance programs. The framework of this web-based software service allows APM users to share data across different APM databases or different sites within a corporate enterprise.

The Online Content Library can also provide access to other failure mode libraries such as the APM baseline library, content libraries developed by other APM users, or vendor libraries hosted in the Online Content service environment. The APM baseline library is included as part of the Online Content service offering and is available to Online Content service subscriber companies at no charge. This library was compiled by APM RCM2 Practitioners and Implementation Consultants and represents over 1200 generic failure modes for over 58 classes of assets including action plans and indicators.

Risk-Based Inspection Analysis – Calculations

A new topic in APM Help explains the various risk-based inspection calculations that the software performs to arrive at a failure mode’s scores and values, including:

•	Probability of failure

•	Consequence severities

•	Criticality (risk)

•	Consequence priority

•	Confidence

•	Next inspection date

For the most part, these calculations are performed behind the scenes; the formulas are not shown on the screens. The topic also provides a list of the Degradation Minimum Value calculations available in the APM install database.

See RBI Calculations.

Tip: You can also download the APM Risk-based Inspection Analysis Guide (PDF) from the User’s Guides page in Bentley Communities.

Supported Database Software

APM 7.17 has been certified to work with Oracle 19c.

Note: If you intend to continue using Oracle 12.1 after upgrading to APM 7.17 (or later), you must run the EnableOracle12.bat file to configure the environment for Oracle 12.

For more information, see APM Upgrade Guide.

Work Management

Activity report comments are now displayed in the work order’s Activity view. For example:

In the Work Order window, Activity view, comments are displayed under the Comments node in the Work Order tree and in the Comment column in the Activity Reports tab.

The Comments tab has also been added to the Work Order window, Activity view. For example: