Let’s talk a little bit more about Universal Data Relay (UDR), and exactly what it can do. Here is the function overview again. We will expand on each functional area for you. The arrows illustrate the flow of data through the application. Incoming data flow begins in the lower left corner.
RAW MACHINE DATA
On the lower left, you see an arrow pointing upwards towards `RAW MACHINE DATA`. This is the DATA SOURCES side of UDR. Data sources can be anything that transmits data, with nearly any protocol. UDR Sources can be set up as TCP servers, TCP clients, UDP listening ports, and as a Mail Server. Support for ODBC database connections is coming mid 2017. If you need to connect to any hardware, software, or server system – Universal Data Relay can do it. You might be wondering why UDR has a mail server option…UDR can receive email notifications without going through an email server. Email notifications are widely used in many hardware systems. UDR acts as a mail server so that you can utilize the email notifications internally to your network. There is no overhead or time issues related to using typical email services that are located on the internet.
TRANSLATE & FILTER
Following the arrows, you see that after the data is received, it can be translated and filtered. Translation is done by using simple CSV (comma separated) files. You can build a library in excel, export it to CSV. After exporting, drop the CSV file into the LIBRARIES folder, and now all raw data can be translated. To facilitate translation, Universal Data Relay features both simple filtering and a powerful scripting engine. You add a simple filter to sift out trash, or lookup something from a library. Alternatively, you can use the scripting engine to build up readable sentences, or things even more powerful. You can create SQL strings, HTML snippets and formatted data sets. The only thing limiting you is your imagination. The scripting engine comes with a built in development environment, which embodies a contextual point and click interface. Even people without programming experience can write powerful scripts.
LOGIC BASED ROUTING
Following the arrows, you see that after the data has been filtered and conditioned how you want it – it enters the routing phase. Universal Data Relay will route information to one or more destinations as you require. So – you can take data from one place, translate it, then send it on to a destination. Or you can take data from one place, translate it, and send it to MANY other destinations. You use logic to route data. You can send EVERYTHING to a destination, or you can examine each data set for specific occurrences. For example, you might send EVERYTHING to a transactions file on a computer somewhere, but then send a special data set (containing a specified name, action, whatever) to a managers computer.
THE SENTINEL SYSTEM
Universal Data Relay’s unique ‘sentinel system’ allows you to utilize trends to manage notifications. Sentinels are fully programmable and they allow you to set up actions based on your own trend analysis of incoming data. As an example, lets say you have a Point of sale server sending transaction data. You want to monitor the OPEN CASH DRAWER, NO SALE event. However, this is expected a few times every hour as customers require change, etc. You can program a SENTINEL to monitor precisely the OPEN CASH DRAWER, NO SALE event frequency. If it happens more than 5 times an hour – Universal Data Relay sends a message. Sentinels can count events, monitor duration of an event, and monitor the frequency of an event.
Once an Sentinel “comes to attention”, it means that it has noticed the beginning of a monitored trend. Once the trend breaks the threshold you have set – a message is sent out. Since Universal Data Relay can send messages out in multiple formats – you could send an email, control a relay, or even call a function on a connected system (if that system supports incoming messaging).
LAN/WAN DESTINATIONS
Following the arrows, you see that data is finally forwarded to one or more Destinations. Universal Data Relay Destinations can be any network connected device, computer, or hardware component that exists anywhere in the world. Supported Destination types include; TCP servers, TCP clients, UDP listening ports, SMTP and database clients (coming mid 2017). Destinations can be local or over the wide area network. Universal Data Relay is not limited to any particular protocol or method. Data can be moved to multiple destinations, under multiple protocols. Universal Data Relay also features a built in web server which can serve your data to a local intranet, or even on the internet. The web server acts as a destination, supporting multiple web browsers connecting from anywhere on the network. The web server is HTML 5 compliant, and fully supports JavaScript. Fully featured web pages can be developed and hosted, which would enable specialized delivery of information – delivered right to a web browser. It is possible to create multiple web portals – for example, one web portal could serve sales related data to a web browser in the sales office, which another sends order information to a browser in the kitchen, and finally another sends alarm notifications to the security department!
Universal Data Relay can even send data to itself. This enables powerful recursive transformation of data. The remote monitoring possibilities are endless.
PROGRAMMABLE ACTIVE MONITORING
One of the features not shown in the diagram above, is the active monitoring window. Universal Data Relay can be set up to receive and display streaming information from any device, server or computer. Using the Active Monitoring Rules engine, you can specify color, size, font and other visual cues for specific information. For example, your monitor streaming device messages can be set up to use large red letters for particular messages.
CONCLUSION
Universal Data Relay is the swiss army knife of network connectivity. Any source, any format, any destination is supported. Universal Data Relay is the first user programmable communication infrastructure that can join a diverse set of systems together into a single super solution.
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