AggreGate Platform
| Developer(s) | Tibbo |
|---|---|
| Initial release | October 10, 2002 |
| Stable release |
5.31.10
/ November 16, 2016 |
| Development status | Active |
| Written in | Java |
| Operating system | Cross-platform |
| Available in | English, Russian, Romanian, Chinese |
| Type | Internet of Things, Device management, Machine-to-Machine, Remote monitoring |
| License | Proprietary EULA |
| Website | http://aggregate.tibbo.com |
AggreGate IoT Platform[1][2][3] 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.
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"[4]) 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 addresses. 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 (such as managing open-source programmable time recorders[5]) till 2008. The first public release of AggreGate was published in February 2008.[6] In summer 2008 Tibbo released AggreGate Network Manager (7th place in WindowsNetworking.com Readers' Choice Awards for 2011[7]), 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.
Since its inception in 2002, AggreGate has got through several descriptions as device management technologies evolved: Device Management Framework, Remote Monitoring and Service Platform, Intelligent Device Management Platform, Machine to Machine Platform and, finally, Internet of Things Platform. Currently, it's mostly known as an IoT Platform[8][9] with some focus in industrial verticals and applications, such as Industry 4.0.[10]
Solutions
There are currently several end-user products based on AggreGate Platform:
- AggreGate Network Manager[11][12] – for monitoring and managing IP networks
- AggreGate SCADA/HMI[13][14][15] – industrial control and automation system
- AggreGate Data Center Management - umbrella data center management solution
- AggreGate Incident and Situation Management - situation center management solution
- AggreGate Time and Attendance [16] – corporate employee attendance management solution
- AggreGate Access Control [17] – physical access control system
- AggreGate Building Automation – for smart building infrastructure management
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.[18][19]
The underlying platform provides a high level of flexibility for creating derived solutions. However, the system is often criticized for its complex user interface.[20]
See also
- Intelligent device management
- Machine-to-Machine
- Remote monitoring and control
- Internet of Things
- SCADA
- Industry 4.0
- Machine to machine
- Comparison of network monitoring systems
External links
References
- ↑ "Tibbo has been named as one of the world's 25 most promising IoT solutions providers by the APAC CIOoutlook magazine.".
- ↑ "Future trends for the Industrial Internet of Things - Interview for www.automation.com".
- ↑ "An In-Depth Look at the Tibbo AggreGate IoT Platform Concept".
- ↑ "Discovering Tibbo AggreGate - Elettronica In".
- ↑ "AggreGate Software - ProgrammableTerminal.com".
- ↑ "Tibbo Launches AggreGate - pr.com".
- ↑ "WindowsNetworking.com Readers' Choice Awards for 2011".
- ↑ "A list of IoT and M2M platforms".
- ↑ "Tibbo now is a member of the Internet of Things Council".
- ↑ "Industry 4.0 discussion at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum".
- ↑ "AggreGate Network Manager - ServerWatch".
- ↑ "AggreGate Network Manager - Voted WindowsNetworking.com Readers' Choice Award Winner - Network Monitoring".
- ↑ "AggreGate SCADA - Linux SCADA systems".
- ↑ "AggreGate SCADA/HMI - SCADA World".
- ↑ "Fourth-Gen SCADA System: AggreGate SCADA/HMI".
- ↑ "AggreGate Time and Attendance".
- ↑ "A&S Magazine #123 Cover Story".
- ↑ http://rfid.ctu.edu.tw/tibbo/ch11.pdf
- ↑ "AggreGate was introduced at the biggest Professional Education knowledge competition in America, The Knowledge Olympic Games SENAI-SC 15".
- ↑ "AggreGate Network Manager editor's review - Free Downloads Center".