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"createOutput"

The JSON Edge API "createOutput" action creates a new FairCom Edge integration

Abstract

createOutput creates and new integration.

The "createOutput" action creates a new integration.

Things to know

  • An integration connects data in the server to an output plugin that delivers tags from the server to external systems, such as connecting the integration table populated by OPC UA to the ThingWorx connector.

    • The data source for an output definition is an integration table.

    • An output plugin delivers tags from an integration table in FairCom Edge over an external protocol, such as OPC UA, to an external system, such as a device or Manufacturing Execution System (MES).

  • Each integration table can have zero or more integrations assigned to it. Thus, multiple plugins can read from the same integration table. For example, the MQTT and THINGWORX plugins can use the same integration table.

    Note

    Use "mqtt_configureTopic" to connect MQTT to an existing integration table.

Note

A tag is a piece of named data with an associated value. For example, the tag temperature 70 includes both the named data temperature and the value 70. In JSON, a tag is a JSON property, such as "temperature": 70. In a SQL table, a tag is a data field, such as a field named temperature with a value of 70.

Request examples

Minimal request example

{
  "authToken":"anAuthorizationTokenFromTheServer",
  "api":"hub",
  "action":"createOutput",
  "params":{
     "outputName":"rest1",
     "tableName":"modbusTableTCP",
     "serviceName":"rest",
     "settings":{
        "host":"127.0.0.1:1880",
        "uri":"/equipment/2/alert",
        "body":[
           {
              "propertyPath":"Temperature",
              "propertyValue":{
                 "fromSourcePropertyPath":{
                    "formatString":" <%temperature%> "
                 }
              }
           }
        ]
     }
  }
}

Maximal request example

{
  "authToken":"anAuthorizationTokenFromTheServer",
  "api":"hub",
  "action":"createOutput",
  "params":{
    "serviceName":"rest",
    "outputName":"rest1",
    "tableName": "modbusTableTCP",
    "outputFieldName": "source_payload",
    "settings":{
      "host": "127.0.0.1:1880",
      "uri": "/equipment/2/alert",
      "headers":[
        "tenantId: 99,01",
        "X-erp-module: MNT"
      ],
      "body":[
        {
          "propertyPath": "equipment",		
          "propertyValue": {"fromConstant": "0002"}
        },
        {
          "propertyPath": "description",
          "propertyValue": {
           "fromSourcePropertyPath": {
              "formatString": "Temperature is too high. Please, verify. Temperature = <%temperature%>."
            }
          }
        }
      ],
      "threshold":{
        "expression": "temperature > 60"
      }
    }
  }
}

Response example

{
  "authToken": "anAuthorizationTokenFromTheServer",
  "result": {},
  "requestId": "00000004",
  "errorCode": 0,
  "errorMessage": ""
}

"params"

The "params" property is an object that contains an action's parameters. Each action defines its own required and optional properties.

Property summary

Table 1. "params" property summaries

Property

Description

Default

Type

Limits (inclusive)

databaseName

specifies the name of a database

Defaults to the "defaultDatabaseName" value that is set during "createSession". If no default is set during "createSession", then "faircom" is used.

string

1 to 64 bytes

metadata

exists primarily for the user interface to find integration information

{}

object

May contain any number and type of user-defined properties

outputName

specifies a unique name for mapping of an integration table to an output plugin to an external system

A FairCom generated name that follows the pattern "Output #n from <databaseName>.<schemaName>.<tableName> to <pluginName>"

string

1 to 64 bytes

serviceName

specifies the name of a service that collects data from an external source and inserts it into an integration table

Required - No default value

string

1 to 64 bytes

"MODBUS"
"OPCUA"
"REST"
"THINGWORX"

settings

contains properties needed to configure the data source of the specified plugin

{}

object

settings
.body

specifies information to send to a REST server

Optional

array of objects

settings
.body
.propertyPath

specifies the name of data to be defined by "propertyValue"

Required - No default value

string

settings
.body
.propertyValue

specifies an array of properties that define the data of a named "propertyPath"

Required - No default value

object

settings
.headers

specifies additional information about the request. It is a list of elements with the key-value format

Optional

List of strings with the format key: value

settings
.host

specifies the IP or hostname of the Rest resource, including port

Required - No default value

string

settings
.threshold

specifies properties that define the threshold for sending a REST command

settings
.uri

specifies the identifier name of the REST resource

Required - No default value

string

outputFieldName

specifies the field that the MQTT Subscription engine should use as the payload when it sends the payload to subscribers

"source_payload"

string

"source_payload"
"t1"
"t2"
"t3"
"t4"
"t5"
"t6"
"t7"
"t8"
"t9"

tableName

specifies the name of a table

Optional - No default value

string

1 to 64 bytes



"databaseName"

The "databaseName" property is an optional string that specifies the database that contains the tables. It defaults to the database name supplied at login.

Note

In the API Explorer, "defaultDatabaseName" is set to "ctreeSQL" in the "createSession" action that happens at login.

Things to know:

  • A zero-length "databaseName" is invalid.

  • Its limits are from 0 to 64 bytes.

  • If the "databaseName" property is omitted or set to null, the server will use the default database name specified at login.

  • If no default database is specified during "createSession", "defaultDatabaseName" will be set to the "defaultDatabaseName" value that is specified in the services.json file.

"metadata"

The "metadata" property is an optional JSON object. It exists primarily for the user interface to find integration information. By default, it is an empty JSON object.

Things to know:

  • It contains a flexible set of properties.

  • It typically contains tags and description properties.

Example

{
  "description": "",
  "tags": [""],
  "yourOwnProperties": "usage, purpose, notes, location, etc.",
}

"settings"

Property summary

Table 2. "settings" property summaries

Property

Description

Default

Type

Limits

"host"

contains the IP or hostname of the Rest resource, including the port

Required - No default

string

"uri"

contains the identifier name of the REST resource

Required - No default

string

"headers"

contains additional information about the request. It is a list of elements with the key-value format

Optional

List of strings with the format key: value

"body"

contains information to send to a REST server.

Optional

array of objects

"body"."propertyPath"

specifies the name of data to be defined by "propertyValue".

[Required]

No default

string

"body"."propertyValue"

contains an array of properties that define the data of a named "propertyPath".

[Required]

No default.

object

"threshold"

contains properties that define the threshold for sending a REST command



"body"."propertyValue"

This is a required object that contains properties that define the data values of a "propertyPath". It is required and has no default value.

The data values specified in the "propertyValue" object can be a string or an object.

  • "fromConstant" indicates the value is a string. For example —

    "propertyValue": {"fromConstant": "0002"}

  • "fromSourcePropertyPath" indicates the value is an object. For example —

    "propertyValue": {"fromSourcePropertyPath": { "formatString": "Temperature = <%input_temp%>" }}

    Characters in the "formatString" value that are enclosed by "<%" and "%>", specify the name as an input property that will be replaced by an input property value.

    Here is a REST command example for the "propertyPath" named "description", that received an input_temp value of 103:

    {  description: "Temperature = 103."}

    If the input value is not found, it is replaced with NULL:

    {  description: "Temperature = NULL."}

"outputFieldName"

The "outputFieldName" property is an optional string that contains the name of a field from an integration table. It defaults to "source_payload".

"tableName"

The "tableName" property is a string containing the name of an integration table. In FairCom Edge, you can use "createInput" to collect data from a device, and FairCom Edge will store the data in the specified integration table. You can also use "createOutput" to connect an integration table to an output so FairCom Edge will push inserted data to external systems, such as REST endpoints and ThingWorx.

Things to know:

  • A table name may contain up to 64 ASCII characters and must not start with a number.

  • You must specify a non-empty string for an integration table name.

  • When creating an integration table, specify a non-empty string for a table name.

  • FairCom Edge and FairCom MQ automatically create an integration table for each new MQTT topic they process. The first characters in the table name are "mqtt_msg_" followed by the topic name. Because an MQTT topic can be 65500 bytes and a table name can be 64 bytes, the server may abbreviate the topic name.

  • To better identify the data it holds, rename an integration using the "tableName" and "newTableName" properties of the "alterIntegrationTable" action.

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