Managing IoT devices

Managing IoT devices is a fundamental aspect of BMC Helix Edge. Integrating your devices into BMC Helix Edge involves various tasks and operations. This section outlines the key actions related to IoT device management. After you create a device profile, the next step is associating the IoT devices to the profile. In this section, you learn how to register a device and assign the device profile to the device.   

Workflow for registering an IoT device and observing data 

Workflow for creating a device profile June 7 (3).png


Before you begin

Task 1: To register an IoT device

  1. Open a web browser and enter the URL or IP address of BMC Helix Edge.
  2. On the BMC Helix Edge user interface, log on with your user credentials. See Accessing BMC Helix Edge.
  3. In the BMC Helix Edge user interface, select Device management > Devices.
  4. In the Devices panel, click New device.

  5. In the New device panel, enter the following information:

    Field name

    Description

    Name

    Enter a custom name or a descriptive name to identify the device. Make sure the device name is alphanumeric characters and underscores (_). This field represents the user-defined name or label for the IoT device. This name also helps users identify and refer to the device in the system. 

    (Optional) Description

    Use this optional field to add more information about the IoT device. The description might include device specifications, usage notes, or any other relevant information that helps understand the purpose or function of a device.

    Node

    Select a node responsible for collecting the data from the list. Use this option to assign the device to a particular node. This field refers to a specific edge node or device gateway with which the IoT device is associated. In many IoT systems, especially those by using edge computing, multiple nodes might exist, each responsible for managing a set of devices. 

    Note:

    Contact your system administrator if you do not find a node in the list.

    When you select a node from the list, the system displays the host ID of the node next to the node ID.   

    Device service

    Select the device service from the list. You must assign the correct device service to make sure integration and data exchange.

    The field specifies the device service or communication protocol the IoT device uses to interact with BMC Helix Edge. Device services handle the communication, data collection, and control functions for specific types of devices.

    After you add a new device service to your environment, the new device service displays in the list. See Device-services.

    Profile

     Select a device profile from the list to assign to the device. This field associates the IoT device with a predefined device profile or template you created in Managing-device-profiles. The device profile defines a specific device type or model's capabilities, configurations, and behavior. Make sure that you manage the devices with similar characteristics consistently.

  6. Click Add.

    Important:

    BMC Helix Edge displays device details, including rules, tags, protocol, and parameters. Do not modify these fields, as BMC Helix Edge enforces them and is essential for device integration and operation.

Task 2: To adjust the device attributes

After adding a device, you must adjust the attributes you created in Managing-device-profiles to make sure the information is accurate and current.

Important:

Device attributes are characteristics or properties associated with IoT devices. When you add a device attribute to a profile, you define a specific trait or detail that devices with that profile must possess or record. For instance, if you add a device attribute named Temperature, you specify that devices associated with this profile must record the temperature data. This attribute is a standard feature across all devices sharing the same profile. When you associate these attributes with the device profile, the attributes are available for configuration when adding or editing individual devices. Users can enter values for these attributes, customizing each device's settings according to the defined attributes in the profile.

  1. In the Device attributes tab, click Edit next to Location to select an attribute.
  2. In the Device Location panel, enter the location to map the device location. For example, enter Factory Assembly Line.   
    Compete other information such as City, State, Country, Pin code, Latitude, and Longitude in the attribute panel. 
  3. Click Save.
  4. In the attribute field you created while creating a device profile, do one of the following:
    1. Enter an appropriate value in the field. For example, enter a device serial number or software version.
      For more information, see Configuring the device attributes.
    2. Click Set default to use the default value you used in the device profile.
Note:

You need not perform any steps in the Contextual Attributes tab. BMC Helix Edge integrations automatically handle these attributes.

Task 3: To add data collection events

After configuring device attributes, the next step is to set up data collection events. You can configure data collection events for an IoT device, specifying what data to collect, how often to collect, and in what units. This data is crucial for monitoring and analysis.

  1. On the Edit Device page, click the Data collections tab.
    In the Data collections tab, you manage the data metrics associated with this device.

  2. To edit the list of metrics, enter the following information:

    Field name

    Description

    Metric

    Select a metric or data points to collect from the device. For example, list this metric if the device measures temperature, humidity, and pressure.

    Interval

    Specify a frequency at which the device must collect data. This field is the time interval between data readings. For example, enter 60 to set the interval to collect data every one minute. The default value is 30 seconds. 

    Units

    Indicate the interval to collect data. You can choose the interval in milliseconds, seconds, minutes, or hours. 

  3. To add more data collection events, click Add data collection event.

Task 4: To associate child devices

After configuring data collection events, you must associate child devices with the parent device. A child device is a component of a device. In the IoT management system, you can filter profiles by device type or label and select child devices based on specific attributes, simplifying associating a child device with a parent device.

  1. On the Edit Device page, click Associations.
  2. To associate a new child device with this parent device, click New.

  3. In the Add child device association panel, enter the following information:

    Field name

    Description

    Filtered devices by

    Specify to filter child devices. You can filter the child device either by Profiles or Labels.  

    Select a profile or Select tags

    Select a device profile or a label to which you have attached to the child device from the list. For example, if you have associated a child device with a profile, select the attached device profile from the list. 

    Selected child devices

    Click the checkboxes to select one or more child devices. Each checkbox represents a child device you intend to associate with the parent device. The selection of child devices depends on your specific use case and requirements. For example, you select multiple child devices because they share a common purpose or location and manage them collectively as part of the parent device ecosystem.

  4. Click Add.

Where to go from here

Device-services

 

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