Monitoring IOT Asset Data in Dashboards using Python

In this Code Pattern we will publish IOT Asset Data from Building Insights into Watson IOT Platform using a Python analytics function. The data will allow us to then monitor individual building energy consumption and compare the performance of different buildings. The monitoring dahsboards allow us to see energy consumption trends over time. This HTTP preload function could easily be modified to integrate to other IOT Platforms or data sources to allow you to quickly monitor your assets.

When the reader has completed this Code Pattern, they will understand how to:

• Understand how this Python function can load data into Watson IOT Platform Analytics from any REST Service
• Build a dashboard using Watson IOT Platform Monitoring Dashboard to monitor, visualize, and analyze IOT asset data from IBM TRIRIGA Building Insights
• Deploy, schedule and run this Python Functions in Watson IOT Platform Analytics to retrieve data from Building Insights every 5 minutes.

The intended audience for this Code Pattern is application developers and other stakeholders who wish to utilize the power of Watson IOT Platform Monitoring Dashboard to quickly and effectively monitor any asset to ensure availability, utilization and efficiency.

Components

• Watson IOT Platform Analytics. Sign up for an account here An IBM Software as A Service that allows you to register devices, collect IOT Data and build IOT applications.

• Building Insights:An IBM Software as A Service that allows you to manage your buildings. By using AI, Contextual Models, IoT and other sensor data, IBM TRIRIGA Building Insights consolidates, stores, and analyzes your data in real time, seamlessly improving building operations and giving you unique insights.

• Monitoring Dashboard Code free dashboards that allow you to monitor a variety of types of assets. Use out of the box cards to visualize timeseries data and other asset properties.

• BI_HTTPPreload Python functions that allow you to collect IOT asset and sensor data from other IOT Platforms or data sources that can then be used to quickly monitor your assets in Watson IOT Platform Analytics.

Flow

1. Setup your Python development environment
2. Create an Entity Type in Watson IOT Platform
3. Deploy function
4. Schedule the function to collect asset data
5. Create a Monitoring Dashboard to manage the asset
6. View the Monitoring Dashboard with Building Energy Consumption

Prerequisites

• An account on IBM Marketplace that has access Watson IOT Platform Analytics here

Steps

Follow these steps to setup and run this Code Pattern.

1. Setup your Python development environment
2. Create an entity type
3. Deploy Function
4. Update Function
5. Create a Dashboard
6. View Dashboard

1. Setup your Python development environment

Install Python

• Mac comes with Python v2.7.9 recommend using Python v3.6.5 for using DB2. Launch Terminal

Launchpad – Other – Terminal

• Install Brew which is a package manager for Mac OS

/usr/bin/ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)”

• Change directory to your virtual environment

brew install python3

• Verify version of Python

python --version

Install and Create a Virtual Environment

• Launch Terminal

Launchpad – Other – Terminal

• Install Pip. (Python Package Installer):

sudo easy_install pip

• Install virtual environment to keep dependencies separate from other projects

sudo pip install virtualenv

• Create a virtual environment

python3 -m venv /path_to_new/virtual_env

Activate Virtual Environment, Install Python Dependencies and Verify Environment

• Change directory to where you made a Virtual Environment

cd /path_to_new/virtual_env

• Activate your virtual environment

source bin/activate

• The result in Terminal should be something like:

(virtual_env) My-Mac: myuserid$

• Install dependencies in from requirements.txt file on next:

git clone
cd fun-bi
pip install -r requirements.txt

• Set PYTHONPATH to your project directory:

export PYTHONPATH="/Users/carlosferreira/Documents/workspace/fun-bi"

• Verify that you can invoke local_test_of_function.py PYTHONPATH to your project directory:

python ./scripts/local_test_of_function.py

2. Create an entity type

• Copy template.env and modify it to reflect your Building Insights Credentials

cp ./custom/template.env ./custom/.env

• Copy your Watson IOT Platform Service credentials into a credentials.json file

browse to your Watson IOT Platform Analytics service
https://dashboard-us.connectedproducts.internetofthings.ibmcloud.com/preauth?tenantid=Think-2019
Explore > Usage > Watson IOT Platform Analytics > Copy to clipboard

• Modify your .custom/function.py to reflect your PACKAGE_URL to reflect your forked function Github repository:

PACKAGE_URL = 'git+https://github.com/fe01134/fun-bi@'

# Change the class name if someone else has already published a function with the same name in your tenant function catalog.

class BIAssetHTTPPreload(BasePreload):

• Invoke local_test_of_function.py PYTHONPATH to create your Buildings Entity Type and execute your BI_HTTPPreload function to get data from Building Insights:

python ./scripts/local_test_of_function.py

3. Deploy Function

• Push function code changes to Github.

git add ./custom/functions.py
git commit -m "my function changes"
git push origin master

• Add function to your new Buildings Entity Type

Explore > Entity Types > Buildings > Add Data > Search on BIAssetHTTPPreload

• Set values for your Building Insights tenant and credentials or other IOT Device REST Service.

URL = enter your Building Insights Service tenant_ID
username	= enter your Building Insights user id
password = enter your Building Insights password
request  = Select Get from drop down

4. Update Function

• Push function code changes to Github.

git add ./custom/functions.py
git commit -m "my function changes"
git push origin master

• Update function input arguments in your Buildings Entity Type

Explore > Entity Types > Buildings > output_item > configure > next > update

5. Create Dashboard

• Import the dashboard layout file

Explore > Entity Types > Buildings > click gear top right > manage dashboards > import
Choose file  ./json/Staging-Dashboard.json

• Save changes

save

6. View Dashboard

• A new Dashboard tab should appear on each entity

Explore > Entity Types > Buildings > select an entity which is one of your buildings > Dashboard

Learn more

• Watson IOT Platform Code Patterns: Enjoyed this Code Pattern? Check out our other Watson IOT Platform Code Patterns.

• Knowledge Center:Understand how this Python function can load data into Watson IOT Platform Analytics

License

This code pattern is licensed under the Apache Software License, Version 2. Separate third party code objects invoked within this code pattern are licensed by their respective providers pursuant to their own separate licenses. Contributions are subject to the Developer Certificate of Origin, Version 1.1 (DCO) and the Apache Software License, Version 2.

Apache Software License (ASL) FAQ