Example: Dashboard

We've been asked by several clients how to monitor devices on several locations (e.g. how to create a dashboard) so here are the thoughts we have gathered over the years:

How to create a Dashboard

A dashboard has two parts: data gathering and data visualisation. For a dashboard, one gathers data from one or several sources then the data is processed (e.g.: filtered or transformed) and finally presented in a nice, well disposed way.

On this guide we will focus on data gathering and we'll leave the data visualisation apart as your choice.

Gathering the data

There are basically two ways to gather the data from the readers: actively and passively.

Active data acquisition

The active way involves connecting to the device to gather the data. This requires access to the device from outside the installation, which is usually presents some inconvenients and isn't suggested from a security standpoint. For this AdvanNet offers two options:

• 1. For status data: REST request http://ip:3161/status this will return a summary of the device's status

  2. For device read data: Connect to the device's TCP port 3177, this will yield all read data and events in XML format

Passive data acquisition

The passive way involves setting up a server and configuring the readers to send data to this server. For this AdvanNet has 3 services you can take advantage from:

• 1. HTTP Service: You can set it to send both read data or device status. For read data configure TAG_READ as event, for device status SYSTEM_XMINUTE_TIMER family of events. For this one you need to set up an HTTP server integrated with your dashboard application.

  2. MQTT Service: Same as HTTP, this time instead of an HTTP server a MQTT message broker is needed. MQTT is better for installations with poor quality connections and allows for better persistence of messages in case of service outages.

  3. SQL Service: Useful for storing data, not so much for getting real time data, it doesn't support SYSTEM_X_MINUTE_TIMER family of events.