# Historian Runtime DB — Connection Information

Verified working state on this machine. Capture date: 2026-05-03.

## Connection parameters

| Parameter       | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Server          | `localhost` (default instance, `MSSQLSERVER`) |
| Database        | `Runtime` |
| Port            | 1433 (default) |
| Authentication  | Windows integrated |
| Account         | `DESKTOP-6JL3KKO\dohertj2` |
| Server role     | `sysadmin` (full access; AVEVA `aaUsers` / `aaPowerUsers` / `aaAdministrators` group checks short-circuit through sysadmin) |
| SQL Server      | 2017 Express, 14.0.2105.1 (RTM-GDR, KB5084819) |

## `sqlcmd` recipe

```powershell
sqlcmd -E -S . -d Runtime -W -Q "<your SELECT>"
```

- `-E` — Windows authentication.
- `-S .` — local default instance (equivalent to `localhost`).
- `-d Runtime` — Historian DB.
- `-W` — strip trailing whitespace from columns.

For pipe-separated machine-readable output, add `-s "|" -h -1` (the `-h -1` suppresses headers; drop it to keep them):

```powershell
sqlcmd -E -S . -d Runtime -W -s "|" -Q "..."
```

## Sanity probes

These four queries together verify "I'm in the right DB and can reach Historian":

```sql
-- 1. Identify
SELECT @@SERVERNAME AS server, DB_NAME() AS db, SUSER_SNAME() AS [user];

-- 2. Tag tables exist (numbers will differ — non-zero is the point)
SELECT 'Tag'         AS tbl, COUNT(*) AS rows_ FROM Tag         UNION ALL
SELECT 'AnalogTag',         COUNT(*)          FROM AnalogTag    UNION ALL
SELECT 'DiscreteTag',       COUNT(*)          FROM DiscreteTag  UNION ALL
SELECT 'StringTag',         COUNT(*)          FROM StringTag;

-- 3. Linked servers (both should return one row)
SELECT name FROM sys.servers WHERE name IN ('INSQL', 'INSQLD');

-- 4. End-to-end OLE DB pull through INSQL
SELECT TOP 3 TagName, DateTime, Value
FROM History
WHERE TagName = 'SysTimeSec'
  AND DateTime >= DATEADD(MINUTE, -1, GETDATE())
  AND DateTime <= GETDATE()
  AND wwRetrievalMode = 'Cyclic'
  AND wwCycleCount = 5;
```

If probe 4 returns rows, the full retrieval path is live.

## Tags actually present (snapshot)

At capture date: 239 total tags (`Tag`), 219 analog, 18 discrete, 1 string. Useful built-ins for smoke-testing without depending on plant data: `SysTimeSec`, `SysTimeMin`, `SysTimeHour`, `SysPulse`, `SysPerfCPUTotal`, `SysSpaceMain`.

## Linked servers

Both auto-installed by Historian. Documented in [`01-overview.md`](01-overview.md#linking-insql-to-sql-server).

| Linked server | Role |
| --- | --- |
| `INSQL`  | Primary alias for the Historian OLE DB Provider. Use this in four-part queries (`INSQL.Runtime.dbo.History`) and `OPENQUERY(INSQL, '...')`. |
| `INSQLD` | Identical alias used to satisfy SQL Server when the same query joins the legacy analog and discrete history tables. |

## Other client paths

- **SSMS / Azure Data Studio** — point at server `.`, Windows auth, database `Runtime`.
- **PowerShell `Invoke-Sqlcmd`** — needs the `SqlServer` module (this machine has `SQLPS 14.0` only; install `SqlServer` from PSGallery if you want it). Equivalent: `Invoke-Sqlcmd -ServerInstance . -Database Runtime -Query "..."`.
- **.NET / ODBC / ADO.NET** — connection string `Server=.;Database=Runtime;Integrated Security=SSPI;`.
- **Python** — `pyodbc.connect("Driver={SQL Server};Server=.;Database=Runtime;Trusted_Connection=yes;")`.

## Caveats

- The tag tables (`Tag`, `AnalogTag`, etc.) are **real SQL Server tables** — fast, normal joins, no `wwXxx` semantics. The history tables (`History`, `Live`, `WideHistory`, `AnalogSummaryHistory`, `StateSummaryHistory`, `Events`, `HistoryBlock`) are **extension tables** served by `INSQL`; they require the patterns in [`01-overview.md`](01-overview.md) and [`02-syntax-limits.md`](02-syntax-limits.md).
- A `WHERE` clause is mandatory on every extension table except `HistoryBlock`. Probe 4 above demonstrates the minimum acceptable shape (TagName + DateTime range + retrieval mode).
- `Runtime` and the Galaxy Repository (covered by [`../grdb/`](../grdb/)) are **different** SQL Server databases on the same instance. Don't cross-query.