AggreGate Platform
Encyclopedia
AggreGate Device Management Platform is a software framework
used for monitoring
and managing
diverse hardware devices. Though often used in OEM
projects, AggreGate offers several out-of-box solutions in areas such as network management
, industrial and building automation
, physical access control
, and attendance monitoring.
Such a generic hardware management platform has become possible because device management and remote monitoring systems in diverse arenas share much common functionality. For example, alerting, reporting, role-based access control and failover clustering are common for both SCADA
and network management
systems.
Typically, device management project involves three stages:
. Beginning with v3.0 (released 2006), the system was able to parse and process device data. V3.0 also introduced centralized configuration data storage and delayed writes, allowing batch setup of devices that have unstable or periodic server connections.
The system was used only in OEM projects till 2008. The first public release of AggreGate was published in February 2008. In summer 2008 Tibbo released AggreGate Network Manager (7th place in WindowsNetworking.com Readers' Choice Awards for 2011), the first fully packaged product based on the platform. A year later, in 2009, the AggreGate Time and Attendance product was released, followed by AggreGate SCADA/HMI later this year.
Other solutions based on AggreGate include remote monitoring, fleet management
, vending machines management, sensor network control
, automatic meter reading
, people/vehicle counting, digital signage
, mobile device management
, event management
and home automation
. It was also used as a base of some educational projects.
The underlying platform provides a high level of flexibility for creating derived solutions. However, the system of often criticized for its complex user interface.
Software framework
In computer programming, a software framework is an abstraction in which software providing generic functionality can be selectively changed by user code, thus providing application specific software...
used for monitoring
Remote monitoring and control
Remote monitoring and control refers to a field of industrial automation that is entering a new era with the development of wireless sensing devices. Initially limited to SCADA technology, remote monitoring and control refers to the measurement of disparate devices from a network operations center...
and managing
Intelligent Device Management
Intelligent device management is a term used for enterprise software applications that allow equipment manufacturers to monitor and manage remote equipment, systems and products via the Internet...
diverse hardware devices. Though often used in OEM
OEM
OEM means the original manufacturer of a component for a product, which may be resold by another company.OEM may also refer to:-Computing:* OEM font, or OEM-US, the original character set of the IBM PC, circa 1981...
projects, AggreGate offers several out-of-box solutions in areas such as network management
Network management
Network management refers to the activities, methods, procedures, and tools that pertain to the operation, administration, maintenance, and provisioning of networked systems....
, industrial and building automation
Building automation
Building automation describes the functionality provided by the control system of a building. A building automation system is an example of a distributed control system...
, physical access control
Access control
Access control refers to exerting control over who can interact with a resource. Often but not always, this involves an authority, who does the controlling. The resource can be a given building, group of buildings, or computer-based information system...
, and attendance monitoring.
Such a generic hardware management platform has become possible because device management and remote monitoring systems in diverse arenas share much common functionality. For example, alerting, reporting, role-based access control and failover clustering are common for both SCADA
SCADA
SCADA generally refers to industrial control systems : computer systems that monitor and control industrial, infrastructure, or facility-based processes, as described below:...
and network management
Network management
Network management refers to the activities, methods, procedures, and tools that pertain to the operation, administration, maintenance, and provisioning of networked systems....
systems.
Details
The system's core concept is device data normalization. Any device may be represented using variables, functions and events. By reading/writing variables, calling functions and subscribing to events, any device can be controlled. Thus, AggreGate uses software device drivers and hardware protocol converters ("Agents") to normalize device data and inject it into the live system. Device data and metadata is cached in the database to provide instant access that doesn't involve any I/O with the hardware.Typically, device management project involves three stages:
- Developing device drivers for the hardware
- Creating custom data processing and presentation tools (report templates, widgets, alerts, etc)
- Configuring third-party systems to work with AggreGate APIs
History
AggreGate was initially called LinkServer, since its first versions could only route raw data between hardware devices located across LANs. At the time, the system facilitated firewall penetration, obviating static "white" device IP addressesIP address
An Internet Protocol address is a numerical label assigned to each device participating in a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. An IP address serves two principal functions: host or network interface identification and location addressing...
. Beginning with v3.0 (released 2006), the system was able to parse and process device data. V3.0 also introduced centralized configuration data storage and delayed writes, allowing batch setup of devices that have unstable or periodic server connections.
The system was used only in OEM projects till 2008. The first public release of AggreGate was published in February 2008. In summer 2008 Tibbo released AggreGate Network Manager (7th place in WindowsNetworking.com Readers' Choice Awards for 2011), the first fully packaged product based on the platform. A year later, in 2009, the AggreGate Time and Attendance product was released, followed by AggreGate SCADA/HMI later this year.
Solutions
There are currently five end-user products based on AggreGate Platform:- AggreGate Network Manager – for monitoring and managing IP networks
- AggreGate SCADA/HMI – industrial control and automation system
- AggreGate Time and Attendance – corporate employee attendance management solution
- AggreGate Access Control – physical access control system
- AggreGate Building Automation – for smart building infrastructure management
Other solutions based on AggreGate include remote monitoring, fleet management
Fleet management
Fleet management is the management of a company's vehicle fleet.Fleet management includes commercial motor vehicles such as cars, vans and trucks. Fleet management can include a range of functions, such as vehicle financing, vehicle maintenance, vehicle telematics , driver management, speed...
, vending machines management, sensor network control
Wireless sensor network
A wireless sensor network consists of spatially distributed autonomous sensors to monitor physical or environmental conditions, such as temperature, sound, vibration, pressure, motion or pollutants and to cooperatively pass their data through the network to a main location. The more modern...
, automatic meter reading
Automatic meter reading
Automatic meter reading, or AMR, is the technology of automatically collecting consumption, diagnostic, and status data from water meter or energy metering devices and transferring that data to a central database for billing, troubleshooting, and analyzing.This technology mainly saves utility...
, people/vehicle counting, digital signage
Digital signage
Digital signage is a form of electronic display that shows television programming, menus, information, advertising and other messages. Digital signs can be found in public and private environments, such as retail stores, hotels, restaurants and corporate buildings.Digital signage Displays are most...
, mobile device management
Mobile device management
Mobile Device Management software secures, monitors, manages and supports mobile devices deployed across mobile operators, service providers and enterprises...
, event management
Event management
Event management is the application of project management to the creation and development of festivals, events and conferences.Event management involves studying the intricacies of the brand, identifying the target audience, devising the event concept, planning the logistics and coordinating the...
and home automation
Home automation
Home automation is the residential extension of "building automation". It is automation of the home, housework or household activity. Home automation may include centralized control of lighting, HVAC , appliances, and other systems, to provide improved convenience, comfort, energy efficiency and...
. It was also used as a base of some educational projects.
The underlying platform provides a high level of flexibility for creating derived solutions. However, the system of often criticized for its complex user interface.
See also
- Intelligent device managementIntelligent Device ManagementIntelligent device management is a term used for enterprise software applications that allow equipment manufacturers to monitor and manage remote equipment, systems and products via the Internet...
- Machine-to-Machine
- Remote monitoring and controlRemote monitoring and controlRemote monitoring and control refers to a field of industrial automation that is entering a new era with the development of wireless sensing devices. Initially limited to SCADA technology, remote monitoring and control refers to the measurement of disparate devices from a network operations center...