ZenAlert, The Thing Care Platform - Why you need it and how it works -

ZENALERT WHITEPAPER

WHY YOU NEED IT AND HOW IT WORKS

ZenAlert.com - WhitePaper - Ver. 0.7

www.zenalert.com - [email protected]

Index

Why do I need ZenAlert? 3 How it works: the Vital Signal 4 Vital Signal: the code 5 How it works: the Event Signal 6 Event Signal: the code 7 Console: manage things 8 Console: alerts 9 Case Study #1: Monitor hundreds of PCs 11 Case Study #2: Preserve food in restaurants and shops 12 Case Study #3: Improve CRM for a technical support company 13 Useful links 14



WHY DO I NEED ZENALERT?How can I be sure that my program or my computer is doing what it should do exactly when it should do it? !This is one of those questions that we have always asked ourselves in information technology. !The most common solution is to write other programs, or add other computers, to check the ones we need to check. We then typically add additional safety systems such as Uninterruptible Power Supply groups and backup communication lines. The security thus improves a little, but then we often start worrying about the security of the controller: indeed, who controls the controller? !The advent of the "Internet of Things" further complicates the scenario. When we have to deal with "stupid" objects distributed in space or on the go, the "old ways" are really hard or impossible to implement. !Our intuition was to turn the model inside out. !ZenAlert uses the impossibility to communicate as its first ally in spotting problems.



HOW IT WORKS: THE VITAL SIGNALYour object, be it software, server, device or a "thing", will at regular intervals make an HTTP or HTTPS call to ZenAlert's platform. These calls are the object's heartbeats. We have dubbed them the "Vital Signal”. !Should ZenAlert not receive a call during a set time interval (by default, 5 minutes) the platform will send a notification to inform you.

everything is OK the fridge is not communicating anymore



The implementation of the Vital Signal is very simple. Please take a look at this pseudo-code example.

while (TRUE) { make_HttpCall("https://api.zenalert.com/signal? code=alive& thing_id=13DB5B6B-95C5-4D22-B0B5-BDEA5E22DC04& api_key=970872FB-B5FE-40EE-A609-A5C4204ECD69& description=I am alive") ! wait(5 minutes) }

code is the “alive” Vital Signal thing_id is the unique id that identifies your object api_key is your unique security key description is the message/text you can fill in

VITAL SIGNAL: THE CODE



Your items can also send the platform HTTP or HTTPS calls related to a specific event. We have called these HTTP calls "Event Signals". !When the platform receives an Event Signal from one of your objects, it will send you a notification.

HOW IT WORKS: THE EVENT SIGNAL

everything is OK the toaster is communicating an event



The implementation of an Event Signal is also very simple. Please take a look at the pseudo-code example.

if (the_event_occurs) { ! make_HttpCall("https://api.zenalert.com/signal? code=warning& thing_id=13DB5B6B-95C5-4D22-B0B5-BDEA5E22DC04& api_key=970872FB-B5FE-40EE-A609-A5C4204ECD69& description=hey, the_event has occurred!") !}

code is an Event code thing_id is the unique id that identifies your object api_key is your unique security key description is the message that you will receive in your notification

EVENT SIGNAL: THE CODE



Call strings can be copied directly from the ZenAlert console https://www.zenalert.com and pasted into your code.

CONSOLE: MANAGE THINGS

create a new thing

vital signal string

event signal string



CONSOLE: ALERTS

Map controls

Mark alert as “solved”

vital signal missing

vital signal back

event signal

Filter alerts “by thing” and “by

code”

Automatic and manual reload of

alerts

You can manage your active alerts and keep an eye on the status of your "things" in the “Alerts" section of the console.



APPLICATION EXAMPLES



MONITOR HUNDREDS OF PCsProblemA company provides a digital signage service, i.e. a service that plays in-store music through media-player PCs for a retailer with more than a hundred stores. The schedules of the programs are generated in the central office and are then synchronized in real time with local stores throughout the national territory. How can the company be sure about the correct functioning of both the synchronization of the playlists and of the actual airing of the music? !Solution The technical staff of the company developed a simple application that places calls via HTTP (Vital and Event signal) to ZenAlert's platform in order to monitor all the hardware equipment and the software involved in the distribution chain, 24/7. !Results The adoption of ZenAlert allowed the company to automate the process of monitoring and sending alarm messages to promptly report critical events, allowing technicians to intervene before the playlist broadcast is compromised. ZenAlert integrates with any programming language thanks to ZenAlert's HTTP API. This means that the developers wrote the software they needed using the development tools they were already using, which made things simpler and more cost-effective.



PRESERVE FOOD IN RESTAURANTS & SHOPS

Problem Restaurants and grocery stores use refrigerators to store and preserve food. If a power failure occurs when the restaurant is closed food can go bad resulting substantial economic losses. How can they be alerted of a power failure? Solution A simple Arduino Ethernet Board (http://arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoBoardEthernet) programmed with ZenAlert Health Monitor (open source code http://ow.ly/yr1C9), connected to the to the local network in the premises is all that is needed to perform this task by sending an HTTP call (Vital signal) to ZenAlert's platform. !Results As ZenAlert is free forever for the first thing you connect, the only cost incurred by the business is an Arduino board. In the event of a power failure, the owner of the business receives an alarm notification and can intervene before the food in the fridges goes bad.



IMPROVE CRM FOR A TECHNICAL SUPPORT COMPANY

Problem An IT company provides technical assistance to professionals and businesses for ordinary maintenance issues of their PCs (full HDs, backup tools etc.) which are easy to predict but which, once they happen, can cause serious problems and waste precious time. Is it possible to monitor hundreds of PCs to improve the service and step in before the problems occur? !Solution Using the ZenAlert's client or implementing simple applications to be installed on their customers’ PCs, the IT company can develop a system of notifications which are sent directly to their technical team. !Results The IT company can improve the quality of the service they offer by being able to intervene before their customers experience issues. The IT company can also collect information that allows their technicians to assist their customers even remotely.



USEFUL LINKS

Ask us a question at: https://zenalert.zendesk.com

Quick Start with GithubFind useful scripts based on the ZenAlert Platform published by our team and other users. https://github.com/zenalert

LinkedIn Company PageFollow our LinkedIn Company Page to stay updated on our services and IOT News. https://www.linkedin.com/company/zen-alert-inc

Follow us on Twitter…… and join the conversation. https://twitter.com/zenalert

Technology

ZenAlert, The Thing Care Platform - Why you need it and how it works -