How to Find Which PI Vision Displays Use a PI Tag
To find which PI Vision displays use a PI tag, you need an inventory of each display's data sources. Search that inventory for direct PI Point references and for AF attributes that resolve to the tag. Opening displays one at a time is possible, but it becomes impractical when there are hundreds of them.
This usually comes up when someone wants to rename a tag, retire an AF attribute, or troubleshoot a display that points to the wrong server.
What makes this harder than it sounds?
A PI Vision display can reference a PI Point directly or reference an AF attribute that points to a PI Point. Two displays can show the same underlying signal while storing very different-looking source references.
There is also the asset context to consider. A reusable display can resolve different elements and points as users change the context. Collections and asset comparison tables make a simple saved-reference inventory less complete.
A practical way to investigate
1. Identify the PI Point and its Data Archive, or the full AF attribute path and database.
2. Inspect any known display using that source to understand whether it references the point directly or through AF.
3. Create or export an inventory of PI Vision display data sources. Include display name, server, data-reference type, PI Point name, and AF path.
4. Filter for exact PI Point and AF matches. Where an AF attribute points to the tag, join that AF mapping to the display inventory.
5. Review contextual and dynamic displays separately before claiming the list is complete.
Don't rely on a tag name alone. A display pointing to a development archive rather than production may look correct until a server is retired or a connection fails.
Use the results for more than troubleshooting
Once you can answer which displays use this tag?, you can assess the blast radius of a rename, find legacy DEV references, prepare for PI Vision migration, and review which displays need testing after a change.
Osprey helps PI teams inspect and export discovered PI Vision and AF references. Instead of manually opening every screen, administrators can start with an inventory and spend their time checking the exceptions.
Frequently asked questions
Can I export all PI tags used by PI Vision displays?
A structured display-source export can provide that inventory. Include direct sources and referenced AF attributes; for full tag resolution, also consider how AF data references are configured.
Will a display inventory catch collection and asset-context references?
Not always. Saved-state references may need additional resolution to cover all runtime contexts.
Can I find displays still pointing to a DEV PI server?
Yes, if the server name is captured in the source inventory. Review AF-resolved references as well as direct point references.