App.AutoLogOff

[ErikBouthillier]

I need to log everyone off all the ViewX clients at the end of every shift change. How can I do this. I tried to use the scheduler to trigger a System command but still would not work. Any suggestions would be great.

[Hardin4019]

You could use the User Object > Security Tab > Inactivity Logout to automatically log the user off if they (or the next shift) are not moving the mouse around. Has the added side effect of logging them out mid shift if they are not active during the shift if Inactivity Logout time is too short. And also the down side of not working if the work station is occupied by the next shift (24 hour 365 day a year operations in my case). 

I ran into some interesting details when I wanted to do something similar. I wanted to keep the controllers from forgetting to logout and the next controller from using the previous controller's account on the same workstation, so the Inactivity method wouldn't work for me. So I needed some kind of notification if someone was logged in for more than 12.5 hours (slightly more than a typical shift). And I wanted a way to ensure that at the beginning of the shift, the sound on the work station was tested. 

I ended up making a simple Function Block Diagram and 2 internal points for each user to accomplish this. Unfortunately I have never found a way of successfully logging off a user who did not logoff themselves and their work station is still in use. But having the FBD update a point and cause an alarm if a user has been logged in for too long, at a minimum should get the controller on the next shift to realize they may be using the wrong account and to login to their account. And playing a test sound after a new user login ensures that the previous controller did not turn the sound off or down to super low.

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

You can do this by setting .AccountEnabled to False (then set it back to True if you want them to be able to log in later). You might want to check .IsLoggedIn is going False before re-enabling, to make sure the change has gone through.

[BevanWeiss · Accepted solution]

@Anonymous user 

To build on what Jesse has said, my recommendation would be to have a set of User Groups for each 'shift'.

Then you can have a schedule which will trigger some ST logic.  The ST logic would enumerate through all of the users within that Shift, and Disable the Accounts.  Other logic could enable the accounts for the next appropriate Shift.

This way only the people 'on shift' would be able to log into Geo SCADA Expert.

[Hardin4019]

@BevanWeiss That is an interesting idea and could be quite useful. For me, I think I will avoid the disabling the account until they are on shift just due to the nature of the controllers rotating 28 day schedules with so many daylight shifts and so many night shifts during the 28 days, and coverage for vacations and sick days etc where a controller works a non scheduled day. But still quite a useful idea.