Connection Groups

Connection records can be added for each site. Because a connection record has multiple path assignments, CAIRS calls each connection name a ‘connection group’. Once the group name is determined, you can add path assignments to the connection group. The connection group can also be associated with or added to a building record.

When you are viewing a connection group, there are two panes of information. The top pane displays the basic information for the connection, for example, connection name, site, connection type, etc. The bottom pane displays the paths and assignment information as well as the path status (reserved, working, protected, and loaded).

Adding a New Connection Group

Before you can begin to add connection groups, you need to define your connection types. When creating a connection type, you must define the whether the path is multiple channel or single channel. A multiple channel path allows for a path to be used for several different assignments, whereas, if you designated the connection type as a single channel, each path can only be used once.

  1. Click the Facilities menu
  2. In the Navigation pane, click Connections.
  3. There are two ways to add a Connection Group:
    • Within the toolbar directly above the Navigation pane, click the drop-down arrow next to New and select Connection Group.
    • Within the Actions pane, click the Add New Connection Group
  1. With either option, the General – Connection window opens. Within the top pane complete the following information (required fields are marked with an asterisk (*)):
    • Site* – click the drop-down arrow to access a list and select the site. The site drop-down list displays the bottom-most site first. After the ~~ is the complete path to the site. Each site level is separated by a >.
    • Connection Name* – type the connection name.
    • Connection Type* – click the drop-down arrow to access a list and select the connection type. This selection is important because it determines how the connection paths are used, whether multiple channel or single channel.
    • Bandwidth – type the connection bandwidth.
    • Connection Definition – type the connection definition
    • Path Definition – type the path definition
    • Miscellaneous Information 1 – 20 – use these fields to type any miscellaneous connection information.
  1. Within the Actions ribbon group, click Save (to save and stay) to continue working with terminal types, or click Save & Close (to save and exit) to return to the Building list.).
  2. At this point, you have simply created the connection group; you now need to add the connection paths. To add connection paths to this group, refer to the “Adding a Connection Path Range” section.

Deleting a Connection Group

The connection must be free of all assignments and removed from all buildings before you can delete it from the database.

  1. Click the Facilities
  2. In the Navigation pane, click Connections.
  3. Depending on the amount of records you have within your database, the list may not immediately populate. To populate the list, perform one of the following actions:
    • Within the search box, type the connection group name or portion of the name and then click the magnifying glass
    • Click the Show All
  1. The Connection Group list opens. Within the list, highlight the connection to delete. There are three ways to delete a connection:
    • Within the toolbar directly above the Navigation pane, click the red X.
    • Click the Delete Connection Group link within the Actions
    • Double-click the name to open the Connection window, and within the Actions ribbon group, click the Delete
  1. Once you click Delete, a message box displays verifying that you really want to delete the connection group. Click Yes within the box to continue or No to cancel the operation.
  2. If the connection group is currently associated with any assignments, the assignments need to be deleted or re-assigned before you can delete. If there are assignments, a message box displays saying the connection group is currently in use.

Managing Connection Sites

At times, there is a need to associate a connection to more than one site. When you select a site within General information, you are associating to just one site. With the Sites ribbon group, you can select multiple sites within different levels of where the connection exists. This allows components to be assigned to the connection at any of the sites.

  1. Click the Facilities
  2. In the Navigation pane, click Connections.
  3. Depending on the amount of records you have within your database, the list may not immediately populate. To populate the list, perform one of the following actions:
    • Within the search box, type the connection group name or portion of the name and then click the magnifying glass
    • Click the Show All
  1. The Connection Group list displays. Double-click the connection name.
  2. The Connection window opens. Within the Show ribbon group, click the Sites The window displays two panes of information; the top pane displays the sites associated with the connection. The lower pane displays a list of all the sites within your database, the following read-only information is available for each site:
    • Site Name – displays the name of the site, this is the lowest level of the site tree.
    • Site Path – displays the complete path to the site. Each level is separated by a >.
    • Site Level – displays the site level name or number
    • Site Code – displays the three-digit alphanumeric site code.

Adding a Site

  1. To add a site to the connection, find the site within the list, and double-click the record, the site name now displays within the upper pane.

! Be aware that sites do not inherit the associations of their parents. You must associate each level to the connection. For example, if you associate a parent and want all the children associated you must associate all children site as well.

Deleting a Site

  1. Within the top pane, right click the record selector box just to the left of the site name to access a pop-up menu. From the menu, select Delete.
  2. Once you click Delete, a message box displays verifying that you really want to delete the site. Click Yes within the box to continue or No to cancel the operation.
  3. Once selected, CAIRS draws a line through the site; allowing you to delete multiple items at once.
  4. If you do not want to delete the site, right-click the record to access a pop-up menu and from the pop-up, click Undelete.
  5. Once you select Undelete, a message box displays verifying that you really want to keep the site. Click Yes within the box to continue or No to cancel the operation.
  6. Within the Actions ribbon group, click Save (to save and stay) to continue working with the connection, or click Save & Close (to save and exit) to return to the Connection Group list.

GPS Location

You can add GPS locations for path ranges within each connection.

Connection records can be added for each site. Because a connection record has multiple path assignments, CAIRS calls each connection name a ‘connection group’. Once the group name is determined, you can add path assignments to the connection group. The connection group can also be associated with or added to a building record.

When you are viewing a connection group, there are two panes of information. The top pane displays the basic information for the connection, for example, connection name, site, connection type, etc. The bottom pane displays the paths and assignment information as well as the path status (reserved, working, protected, and loaded).

Adding a New Connection Group

Before you can begin to add connection groups, you need to define your connection types. When creating a connection type, you must define the whether the path is multiple channel or single channel. A multiple channel path allows for a path to be used for several different assignments, whereas, if you designated the connection type as a single channel, each path can only be used once.

  1. Click the Facilities menu
  2. In the Navigation pane, click Connections.
  3. There are two ways to add a Connection Group:
    • Within the toolbar directly above the Navigation pane, click the drop-down arrow next to New and select Connection Group.
    • Within the Actions pane, click the Add New Connection Group
  1. With either option, the General – Connection window opens. Within the top pane complete the following information (required fields are marked with an asterisk (*)):
    • Site* – click the drop-down arrow to access a list and select the site. The site drop-down list displays the bottom-most site first. After the ~~ is the complete path to the site. Each site level is separated by a >.
    • Connection Name* – type the connection name.
    • Connection Type* – click the drop-down arrow to access a list and select the connection type. This selection is important because it determines how the connection paths are used, whether multiple channel or single channel.
    • Bandwidth – type the connection bandwidth.
    • Connection Definition – type the connection definition
    • Path Definition – type the path definition
    • Miscellaneous Information 1 – 20 – use these fields to type any miscellaneous connection information.
  1. Within the Actions ribbon group, click Save (to save and stay) to continue working with terminal types, or click Save & Close (to save and exit) to return to the Building list.).
  2. At this point, you have simply created the connection group; you now need to add the connection paths. To add connection paths to this group, refer to the “Adding a Connection Path Range” section.

Deleting a Connection Group

The connection must be free of all assignments and removed from all buildings before you can delete it from the database.

  1. Click the Facilities
  2. In the Navigation pane, click Connections.
  3. Depending on the amount of records you have within your database, the list may not immediately populate. To populate the list, perform one of the following actions:
    • Within the search box, type the connection group name or portion of the name and then click the magnifying glass
    • Click the Show All
  1. The Connection Group list opens. Within the list, highlight the connection to delete. There are three ways to delete a connection:
    • Within the toolbar directly above the Navigation pane, click the red X.
    • Click the Delete Connection Group link within the Actions
    • Double-click the name to open the Connection window, and within the Actions ribbon group, click the Delete
  1. Once you click Delete, a message box displays verifying that you really want to delete the connection group. Click Yes within the box to continue or No to cancel the operation.
  2. If the connection group is currently associated with any assignments, the assignments need to be deleted or re-assigned before you can delete. If there are assignments, a message box displays saying the connection group is currently in use.

Managing Connection Sites

At times, there is a need to associate a connection to more than one site. When you select a site within General information, you are associating to just one site. With the Sites ribbon group, you can select multiple sites within different levels of where the connection exists. This allows components to be assigned to the connection at any of the sites.

  1. Click the Facilities
  2. In the Navigation pane, click Connections.
  3. Depending on the amount of records you have within your database, the list may not immediately populate. To populate the list, perform one of the following actions:
    • Within the search box, type the connection group name or portion of the name and then click the magnifying glass
    • Click the Show All
  1. The Connection Group list displays. Double-click the connection name.
  2. The Connection window opens. Within the Show ribbon group, click the Sites The window displays two panes of information; the top pane displays the sites associated with the connection. The lower pane displays a list of all the sites within your database, the following read-only information is available for each site:
    • Site Name – displays the name of the site, this is the lowest level of the site tree.
    • Site Path – displays the complete path to the site. Each level is separated by a >.
    • Site Level – displays the site level name or number
    • Site Code – displays the three-digit alphanumeric site code.

Adding a Site

  1. To add a site to the connection, find the site within the list, and double-click the record, the site name now displays within the upper pane.

! Be aware that sites do not inherit the associations of their parents. You must associate each level to the connection. For example, if you associate a parent and want all the children associated you must associate all children site as well.

Deleting a Site

  1. Within the top pane, right click the record selector box just to the left of the site name to access a pop-up menu. From the menu, select Delete.
  2. Once you click Delete, a message box displays verifying that you really want to delete the site. Click Yes within the box to continue or No to cancel the operation.
  3. Once selected, CAIRS draws a line through the site; allowing you to delete multiple items at once.
  4. If you do not want to delete the site, right-click the record to access a pop-up menu and from the pop-up, click Undelete.
  5. Once you select Undelete, a message box displays verifying that you really want to keep the site. Click Yes within the box to continue or No to cancel the operation.
  6. Within the Actions ribbon group, click Save (to save and stay) to continue working with the connection, or click Save & Close (to save and exit) to return to the Connection Group list.

GPS Location

You can add GPS locations for path ranges within each connection.