Methods and apparatus to filter process control system alarms based on alarm source type and/or alarm purpose

An apparatus comprising:

• an alarm categorizer to
• assign a first subset of the process control alarms in a process control system to a first source type of the process control alarms, the first source type associated with a first subset of user roles, and
• assign a second subset of the process control alarms to a second source type of the process control alarms, the second source type associated with a second subset of the user roles, the first subset of the process control alarms different than the second subset of the process control alarms, the first subset of the user roles different than the second subset of the user roles;
• and
• a display to display alarm information associated with the process control alarms, the alarm information identifying the first source type of the first subset of the process control alarms and the second source type of the second subset of the process control alarms.

A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

• assign a first subset of the process control alarms in a process control system to a first source type of the process control alarms, the first source type associated with a first subset of user roles;
• assign a second subset of the process control alarms to a second source type of the process control alarms, the second source type associated with a second subset of the user roles, the first subset of the process control alarms different than the second subset of the process control alarms, the first subset of the user roles different than the second subset of the user roles;
• and
• display alarm information associated with the process control alarms, the alarm information identifying the first source type of the first subset of the process control alarms and the second source type of the second subset of the process control alarms.