@MattFox

What exactly is involved to use an automated scripting datasource?

If you cannot tag devices themselves, what guarantee is there that the list of available watchlists will differ than what I am experiencing now? What I am trying to do is not that special; I want to allow multiple users to use tempalted watchlists, trend graphs and dashboards and only be able to see those they have permission to see - list included. How do most people achieve this?

When it comes to permissions in versions <= 3.7, there is still some reliance on the old V2.X UI. I set the datapoint permissions using the old user interface but this only affects the datapoints and not the folder name which is where the problem lies I think. If I am to start using tags instead of folders then I assume you can tag devices separately from data points ? If a query were based on a device tag permission then I can see the list only being populated with the right values.

So is there a high-level UI function which allows me to set tags on the device level or is this where manipulating the JSON data come in? Some concrete examples of the most pragmatic way to do this considering I have hundreds of datasources would be appreciated.

I'm not sure if that image upload feature is working so here's what that screen would show:

RQL: eq(deviceName,{{dn.name}})&eq(readPermission,string:true)&sort(deviceName,name)&limit(200)

The part which doesn't work is the (readPermission,string:true) which was populated by the watch list builder using the value true.

Our sites date back 14 years so they are understandably folder-centric. This particular Mango enterprise server hosts a few hundred datasources, each representing a customer site. For this residential application there is only one Modbus PLC per site so we're dealing with approximately 75 datapoints for each site using a naming convention where both the datasource and the device are the same. At this time we are still using good old fashioned "server-mode" polling so each site has a Modbus-TCP gateway, port forwarding and DDNS as the means of allowing Mango to communicate with them. Here would be an example:

Folder_Name=CName
Datasource=CName,
Device=CName, Slave_ID=100
Point=Buffer_Tank_Temp, analog R/O
Point=Outdoor_Temp, analog R/O
Power, Binary R/W
Point=Operating_Mode, Multi-State R/W
Target_Temp, analog R/O
Input_power, analog R/O
Output_Power, analog R/O
COP, analog R/O

Hope that explains our repetitive data structure. Like I mentioned in my original post, I have my watchlists, trend graphs and dashboards are working well using the dynamic point query except for the fact that all the device names are visible to each user - even though they can't actually see the datapoints for the other clients. I was really hoping I could use a 2nd query expression to reduce the list using the read permissions. I was using the watch list builder to do it but simply don't know the syntax to use. Below is a screen capture of my pseudo-code attempt to make the query:

Thanks guys for your initial feedback. Whether it makes any difference or not, what would be correct syntax be for making the statement I was trying to make? What's the best source of relevant information for learning the correct syntax or scripting to use within Mango 3.7?

I know that Mango has been working away from using Folders and that tags are the answer but have not had a chance to learn how to use them yet. To do what I want would I require one or two querys to generate a list of devices that the user had read permissions?

Hi, I've recently learned how to create dynamic watch lists and dashboards using parameters in a point query. In my application there are hundreds of sites reflected in a folder hierarchy where site and device name are the same. I have been successful in creating a device list which populates my watchlists, trend graphs and dashboards. However, I am trying to filter the device list so that only those the user has read permissions will show up since at the moment everyone can see everyone else's device names. I am pretty sure the way to do this is to add a 2nd query which selects devices who's read permissions are true. Since I am not that familiar yet with the coding syntax needed, I would appreciate some help with the correct Value to use in the Query Expression which goes like this:

Property Operation Value

Read Permission Equal true (where true is replaced with correct expression)

I tried it in Chrome and it worked great. I then tried it back in Firefox and it locked-up. However, once I updated to the latest version it seemed to be working fine, albeit a little slower than in Chrome. Sorry for the false alarm.

I've finally started playing around with the new V3 UI since we received our latest batch of MangoES and noticed immediately that the most used Watch List function is more or less unusable since trying to load more than one point causes the UI to freeze-up and die. Is this a problem anyone else has run into and is it going to be addressed soon?

We're using a Modbus-TCP datasource. This kind of problem has been reported to us a few times over the last couple years by our customers but this is the first time I've experienced it. Like I said in the original post, I think it has something to do with time zones getting messed-up.

Once in a while I notice that a datapoint isn't showing-up in the same time frame as other points from the same device and datasource. For example the attached screeenshot shows a compressor call which is out of sync with the call duration and energy used by the compressor. I plotted three related points to determine that the binary compressor call variable is the one out of sync by being 30 minutes behind. It could be a time zone related issue since we are in Newfoundland which has a 30 minute head start compared to the rest of Atlantic Canada but both the server and device time zones are in Newfoundland as is the admin user account I use.

Has anyone seen this before and know how to fix it?

I checked out the configuration import / export and tried it out but it doesn't include any data - only the definitions.

Jeremy

There are only about 113 data points at this time but that's more than I would want to export and import one at a time. I find it odd that you can't simply export an entire datasource's history at once or be given an option on how many days worth to export. Alternately there should be some way to save or copy a backup file from within Mango. Once business resumes again next week I expect I'll get a copy of the ES password back from Infinite Automation so I can copy the backup to my PC so I can restore it on the new ES but thought there might be some way to do it from within Mango that I had overlooked.

I've got an ES with a compromised file system and many modules which aren't working. Luckily the main datasource seems intact and I would like to back it up onto my PC so that I can restore it later onto a replacement ES that Infinite Automation was kind enough to send me. I had no trouble exporting the datasource definition in XML or CSV and saving that but I was wondering what the best way is to backup and/or export all the data. What makes this task even more challenging is that I currently don't have the password for SSH or Webmin so I am trying to accomplish this purely from Mango.

Jeremy

If you look at my initial reply you'll see that I also advocated the use of a slave I/O device. However, in the next post Desmond informed us that he had purchased some of iSquared's PLC's and was already programming them. The thread then went into a discussion regarding the conflicts encountered when using ControlCore and Mango at the same time since only one master device or gateway can exist at any time.

There are a number of incremental NoSQL backup files but before I start deleting some are the original ones not needed to restore future ones?

In the root of databases dir there are three mah2* files of which the largest file is only 331 MB. Is this where most of the historical data is stored? Given that there are only 113 points with 4 months history and nothing more frequently stored than every minute I would think that this is all the data. We should therefore have no problem cleaning up a few gigs.

One of our ES units has used 100% of its disk space and has only about 50 MB free and dropping every minute. I've purged as much data as I am willing but this had no apparent effect on disk space. Any ideas on how to check the file system to see what else could be taking up space?

Glad to see you have already become familiar with iSquared's products. The issue you've already discovered about not being able to monitor and update or communicate is one we've wrestled with and solved several different ways. The solution you found for using COM2 for monitoring and COM1 for programming will also allow you to use some of iSquared's more advanced or PRO version peer to peer communications over COM1 while still being able to monitor the iMod6 over COM2 with Mango. The only limitation is that you need to map out any points on the COM1 subnet to the iMod6 so that you can see them from Mango on COM2.

We came up with a clever solution which allows us to switch a TCP gateway adapter from COM1 to COM2 by using a DPDT relay which is controlled by a DO on the iMOD6 and which toggles the RS-485 connection to the gateway through the two poles of the relay. The default NC connection uses COM2 for the gateway and is called monitoring mode and the NO connection is used to enter into Update mode by switching to COM1 and disabling the SCAN block on the iMod6 so that Peer to Peer communications ceases while program updates are being made.

In our commercial projects where we have more $ to play with we have started introducing iSquared's INet embedded server appliance which acts as a Modbus router which enables both peer to peer communications and gateway operation to Mango simultaneously. One nice feature is that it offers a virtually unlimited program page on the embedded device which can be used for running supervisory programs and writing to various Modbus devices.

Desmond

You have two different options to easily solve your issue. If you only have very few I/O points as you have suggested in your post then purchasing a simple Modbus slave I/O module which supports your sensors or replaces them would be the easiest route since you would only need to connect them to the ES over RS-485 and then add the slave device's relevant registers to your datasource. There are many remote temperature transmitters out there along with a number of flow meters which support Modbus. If you are interested in using ECM circulators in your application many of them also offer Modbus or BACnet support and provide flow values.

The alternate route would be to use a PLC with more than enough I/O and program it using whichever building automation protocol they support. One good source for inexpensive and easily programmable controllers would be www.isquared.ca. With their iStat6 PLC and the free version of their ControlCore software it would take no time to create a Modbus device which supports the I/O points you mentioned.

Thanks Joel, I now understand that the datasource needs to be exported to CSV, imported to Excel and then edited as required before importing. I'll give it a try in the morning and see how it works. I assume that new points are imported and old ones updated? Is there also a way of using this to delete points as well?

Joel, this video explains how to use, create and update templates but only makes reference to another future video when it comes to exporting or importing.