Wireless Developing Wireless Monitoring and Control devices
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- Aidan Venn developed a system using Zabbix, Raspberry Pis, sensors, and actuators to remotely monitor and control 7 research and development sites to save energy, time, and money. - Key objectives were to make the system scalable, have central control, be plug-and-play, have minimal overhead, be cost-effective, resilient, and prove the concept. - Initial results showed 99% time savings from remote rebooting of frozen devices and energy savings from adjusting boiler temperatures based on sensor data. - Challenges included passing macros to scripts for reusable commands and using macros in item keys for sensors.
![R & D - Actuator
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "writeSERIALnewD.py", line 120, in <module>
Ser.write(ans[0:9] + "O")
NameError: name 'Ser' is not defined](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/21faccd9-a252-4545-8ee4-db6c61025cc1-161123130509/85/Wireless-Developing-Wireless-Monitoring-and-Control-devices-22-320.jpg)
![References
• Bolton, P. (2010) Energy price rises and fuel poverty [Internet]. House of Commons Library
Research. Available from:
<http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons/lib/research/key_issues/Key%20Issues%20Ene
rgy%20price%20rises%20and%20fuel%20poverty.pdf> [Accessed 3rd June 2012].
• http://openvpn.net/index.php/open-source/documentation/miscellaneous/79-management-
interface.html
• http://blog.zabbix.com/multiple-servers-for-active-agent-sure/858/
• https://www.zabbix.com/documentation/2.0/manual/config/macros/usermacros
• https://www.zabbix.com/documentation/2.2/manual/web_interface/frontend_sections/administrat
ion/scripts](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/21faccd9-a252-4545-8ee4-db6c61025cc1-161123130509/85/Wireless-Developing-Wireless-Monitoring-and-Control-devices-46-320.jpg)
Wireless Developing Wireless Monitoring and Control devices
- 1. – Developing and Monitoring ? ZABBIX
- 2. Bio • Name: Aidan Venn • Zabbix irc & Forum: avenn • Experience: 17 years in IT - networking • Company: ObservIT Ltd
- 3. Unique? site facts • 7 R & D sites x Various sensors & actuators • Unique In house designed Chinese Components • Concept works • Soon to come out of Beta stage v23.4
- 4. Background – Energy Costs “The cost total has more than doubled over the last 10 years. Energy price rises have been proportionately higher for industry and have direct impacts on costs and competitiveness…” “There is little prospect of a sustained reversal in these trends. It is more likely that price increases will continue into the medium term at least.” Key Issues for the New Parliament 2010, Paul Bolton
- 5. Background – Reduce Travel • In parallel with this was the desire to reduce/eliminate the need to reboot remote/local devices that had “frozen” with out travelling “for hours” to site. • In particular “frozen” remote routers with the obvious question - How do we reboot if the internet connection is gone?
- 6. Overall Aims • To save energy • To save time To save Money
- 7. General Objectives • Scalable - Zabbix – 1000s of sensors and sites • Central control as much as possible • As Plug ‘n’ Play as possible – less site time • Minimal Overhead – Network – Processing – contradictory in certain contexts • Cost Effective – Zabbix • Resilient – Zabbix proxy • Proof Of Concept – saves time & money
- 8. Initial Results • Devices & Zabbix gave time savings for remote unmanned sites as in reboot frozen device of 99% • Temperature monitoring allowed boilers at various sites to be adjusted – come on later turn off earlier – saving energy consumption and money
- 9. Research • A few off the shelf products • Developing own to reduce long term costs, gain Unique Selling Point and tailor to our and customer needs. Points to Note: – Initial significant higher costs – Challenging – time consuming – Rewarding knowledge – Correct decision in the medium to long term
- 10. Brainstorm • Brainstorming led to the following devices: • Server – Store, View and Process data • Remote Hub – Collate data, send to sever • Sensors – Acquire environmental data • Actuators – Remotely switch devices on/off
- 11. Why • Proven Track record • Continual development • Scalable, Flexible, Reliable • Professional & community support • Our previous experience ZABBIX ?
- 12. Pi-Fi Hub • Raspberry Pi model B v2 • Zabbix 2.x Proxy & Agent • 12v or Solar Power • Encrypted Serial RF up to 2km* Pi-Fi Hub www.mvdigital.co.uk
- 13. Sensor - PiFiMon • 3.3v, solar or 2 year lithium bat* • Encrypted Serial RF up to 2km* • temperature, humidity, light • tilt, vibration, contact • analog and digital reading etc. Sleep/Active/Sleep profile PiMon www.mvdigital.co.uk
- 14. Actuator - PiFiKontrol • 5v or Solar • Switch 12v power • Encrypted Serial RF up to 2km* • Awake/Passive profile www.mvdigital.co.uk Pi-FiKon
- 17. Monitoring • During the journey it became apparent that Zabbix monitoring would be in three areas: – Research and design – Infrastructure – Sensors & Actuators • 30 mins to briefly discuss each one • One challenge from each and how we are currently tackling/overcoming them.
- 20. R & D Example • To aid R & D we needed to record various operational events including: • Receiving values from sensors (PiMon) • Sending commands to actuators (PiKontrol) • Simple reliability test example: – Send switch OFF command – TEST : Successful Coms or/and command execution
- 21. R & D - Actuator 1. Switch OFF command sent Zabbix sender – command sent – count key = sendOFF 2. ACK as Expected - yes or no? Zabbix sender – expACK = yes – count key= expACKyes Zabbix sender – expACK = no – count key = expACKno Aim for and expect sendOFF count = expACKyes count = COMMS AND STATUS APPEARS OK
- 22. R & D - Actuator Traceback (most recent call last): File "writeSERIALnewD.py", line 120, in <module> Ser.write(ans[0:9] + "O") NameError: name 'Ser' is not defined
- 23. Infrastructure
- 24. Infrastructure Example - OpenVPN ZABBIX Agent ZABBIX Server Dedicated Server running OpenVZ Containers OpenVPN Use ObservIT OpenVPN setup for example of how we monitor parts of the virtual infrastructure. 3G / ADSL Links ZABBIX Agent Remote Site
- 25. OpenVPN • Separate Templates for Client, Server & Overall • Parse Log Files for keywords –”reset” etc • Scripts – ps aux – extract – RSS & VSZ • Zabbix Sender • Telnet! – OpenVPN Management Interface – Use Comman Names (CN) and commands such as “status”
- 26. OpenVPN – Challenge 1 Many Physical Hosts OpenVPN Server One Zabbix Agent ZABBIX Agent ZABBIX Server Many Physical Hosts to One Agent to Many Hosts to Many Templates Host 1 Host 2 Host 3 One Zabbix Server Client Template VPN Server Server Template OpenVPN Template OpenVZ Containers
- 27. OpenVPN – Challenge 1 Server Template ClientTemplate Double the number of items for needed values https://www.zabbix.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42265
- 28. OpenVPN – Challenge 1 Pass a list of clients (denoted as numbers) that we want values for rather than one pass per client. Back to a one to many situation A More suitable Solution:
- 29. Actuators – PiKon & Sensors - PiMon
- 30. ZABBIX SERVER Pi-Fi Hub Pi-Fikon OpenVPN Pikon Actuators - PiKon ZABBIX Agent Serial RF Zabbix Hosts 3G/SMS/Tweet
- 31. Actuator - Serial RF Command aAVxxxxxxON Unique PiKon Device ID Actuator/Switch Command ON or OFF
- 32. Actuators - PiKon • Agent on PiFiHub – Remote Command Script – allowing the sending of serial RF actuator/switch command to PiKon - on/off of CONNECTED host – Can be automated if no response in 5mins etc the send SMS etc to reboot.
- 33. Challenge 2 • Each site may use many and different PiKon device ids in commands. • To reduce duplication we wanted to reuse actuator switch script by passing appropriate device id host level macro. • Client 1 Example: – {$DEVID} = AA – /externalscripts/writeSERIAL.py {DEVID} ON
- 34. Challenge 2 The link for macro is the hostname /externalscripts/writeSERIAL.py {DEVID} ON Pi-Fikon: AA
- 35. Challenge 2 • At present it appears that the passing of host level macros to the script is not possible. • HOWEVER… all is not lost… Look what Zabbix 2.2 will do: “Starting with Zabbix 2.2, user macros are supported in script commands.” • https://www.zabbix.com/documentation/2.2/manual/web_inte rface/frontend_sections/administration/scripts
- 36. Challenge 2 • At present we store (in a text file) the unique site commands at the PiFiHub (Zabbix Agent) and have “standard” script commands with parameters Example: Script/Remote Command Line Number Line Content externalscripts/writeSERIAL.py 1 ON 1 AA externalscripts/writeSERIAL.py 1 OFF 1 AA externalscripts/writeSERIAL.py 3 ON 3 AB externalscripts/writeSERIAL.py 4 OFF 4 Etc…. • Issue: All scripts available for all host group – Which One to pick etc.
- 37. Sensor - Serial RF Value aAVTMPA23.50 Unique Device ID Zabbix Key Value Type Sensor Number
- 38. Sensors - PiMon ZABBIX Agent Pi-Fi Hub ZABBIX SERVEROpenVPN PiMon PiMon Serial RF Zabbix Items Item Values
- 39. Sensors - PiMon • PiMon wakes up at programmed intervals and sends back values to PiFiHub • Script on PiFiHub reads every second Serial Coms and parses for keys & values • Zabbix Sender sends keys and values back to the server.
- 40. Challenge 3 • Wanted to use host macros for: – Device ID – Type – Sensor • Then apply to PiMon/sensor template as keys for zabbix trapper items. • However: “user macros (variables) are supported in item key parameters, not as replacement for item keys themselves” https://www.zabbix.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42239&highlight=macros+keys
- 41. Challenge 3 • In this instance we didn`t look for a workaround as time was pressing so we added each item individually.
- 42. Challenge 3
- 43. Any ideas?
- 44. Future Paths • Research API Wishlist • Macros as keys
- 45. Speak Later • If you need to speak to me after I look like this:
- 46. References • Bolton, P. (2010) Energy price rises and fuel poverty [Internet]. House of Commons Library Research. Available from: <http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons/lib/research/key_issues/Key%20Issues%20Ene rgy%20price%20rises%20and%20fuel%20poverty.pdf> [Accessed 3rd June 2012]. • http://openvpn.net/index.php/open-source/documentation/miscellaneous/79-management- interface.html • http://blog.zabbix.com/multiple-servers-for-active-agent-sure/858/ • https://www.zabbix.com/documentation/2.0/manual/config/macros/usermacros • https://www.zabbix.com/documentation/2.2/manual/web_interface/frontend_sections/administrat ion/scripts