IoT Tips

  Hi everyone,   If you’ve been curious about Solution Central, our new cloud tool for application management and deployment, and wondered how it can help your existing apps, then get ready because we have a feature for you! Our initial release of Solution Central focused on deploying apps built on 8.5 or later. Today, whether big or small, round or square, red or blue, built by PTC or by you, all apps can be deployed using Solution Central. Using Operator Advisor 8.4? We got you covered. Using an old extension? No worries. Using an app built on 7.2? Not a problem. Solution Central can deploy all apps.   This ability to deploy any app, regardless of which version it was created on, is just one of the many improvements we’re releasing to help you accelerate your deployment. You can take advantage of this latest capability in ThingWorx 8.5.3 and Solution Central 1.0.3. Try it out today!   We’re not stopping there, though.   We have a lot that we’re working on and wanted to share a quick glimpse of what you can expect in the very near future: ability to manage solution lifecycle through deletion of solutions and their versions ability to secure and manage connected environments through improved activation and deactivation services advanced administrative capability to withdraw and re-initiate deployment requests   The above functionality, along with additional enhancements, are targeted for TW8.5.5 and SC1.1.0 in early April.   These improvements will help to maximize the time savings and overall value you derive from Solution Central’s unique deployment services.   As always, stay connected, Kaya

Hi,   I launched version 2.1.0 of the ThingWorx GitBackup Extension on Github, in the following repository: https://github.com/vrosu/thingworx-gitbackup-extension This release contains a few UI fixes and experimental support for proxy.   "The GitBackup extension is updated on a best-effort basis and accepts community fixes, that are best done through GitHub. Please report any troubles via GitHub's Issue system.   Important notice: As you might be aware, we have just launched ThingWorx 8.5 and with it a new solution called Solution Central, which is a brand-new cloud-based service to help you package, store, deploy, and manage your ThingWorx applications.   This service is supported by PTC and it contains features that seem to be similar to the GitBackup extension, but they are not. They are different type of tools: Git is a source versioning tool, while Solution Central is an artifact repository. When deploying applications between ThingWorx instances you should use Solution Central, while if you want to version your entities during development you can use the GitBackup extension"  

  After months of development, hours of user interviews and countless coffees, ThingWorx Solution Central is here!   I posted a few weeks ago introducing the new cloud solution management portal, but just as a reminder, ThingWorx Solution Central is a brand-new set of cloud services offered to help you more efficiently manage and deploy your solutions—ow ow!   ThingWorx Solution Central automatically identifies and packages up your dependencies so you can slash your time to deploy. Once you develop your solution in ThingWorx (using the Projects feature), ThingWorx Solution Central will then automatically package up all the artifacts and dependencies required for your solution to run, and then you can publish your “package” up to the cloud, where it will be ready to be deployed to your specified environment(s).     Ready to get started? Request access to ThingWorx Solution Central here and you’ll be on your way to easier solution deployments in no time.   And if you happen to run into any trouble, see the ThingWorx Solution Central Help Center.   Happy deploying!   Stay connected, Kaya

ThingWorx Foundation Flow Enable customers using Azure to take advantage of Azure services Access hundreds of Azure system connectors by invoking Azure Logic Apps from within ThingWorx Flow Execute Azure functions to leverage Azure dynamic, serverless scaling and pay just for processing power needed Access Azure Cognitive AI services for image recognition, text to voice/voice to text, OCR and more Easily integrate with homegrown and commercial solutions based on SQL databases where explicit APIs or REST services are not exposed Automatically trigger business process flows by subscribing to Windchill object class and instance events Provide visibility to mature PLM content (such as when a part is released) to downstream manufacturing and supply chain roles and systems Easily add new actions by extending functionality from existing connectors to create new actions to facilitate common tasks Inherit or copy functionality from existing actions and change only what is necessary to support new custom action Azure Connector SQL Database Connector Windchill Event Trigger Custom Action Improvements Platform Composer: Horizontal tab navigation is back!  Also new Scheduler editor. Security: TLS 1.2 support by default, new services for handling expired device connections New support for InFlux 1.7 and MSSQL 2017 * New* Solution Central Package, publish and upload your app with version info and metadata to your tenancy of Solution Central in the PTC cloud Identify missing dependencies via automatic dependency management to ensure your application is packaged with everything required for it to run on the target environments Garner enterprise-wide visibility of your ThingWorx apps deployed across the enterprise via a cloud portal showcasing your company’s available apps, their versions and target environments to foster a holistic view of your entire IIoT footprint across all of your servers, sites and use cases Solution Central is a brand-new cloud-based service to help enterprises package, store, deploy and manage their ThingWorx apps Accelerate your application deployment Initially targeted at developers and admins in its first release, Solution Central enables you to: Mashup Builder 9 new widgets, 5 new functions. Theme Editor with swappable Mashup Preview Responsive Layout enhancements including new settings for fixed and range sizes New Builder for custom screen sizes, new Widget and Style editors, Canvas Zoom Migration utility available for legacy applications to help move to latest features Security 3 new built-in services for WebSocket Communications Subsystem: QueryEndpointSessions, GetBoundThingsForEndpoint, and CloseEndpointSessions Provide greater awareness of Things bound to the platform Allow for mass termination of connections, if necessary Can be configured to automatically disconnect devices with expired authentication methods Encrypting data-in-motion (using TLS 1.2) is a best practice for securely using ThingWorx For previous versions, the installer defaulted to not configuring TLS; ThingWorx 8.5 and later installers will default to configuring TLS ThingWorx will still allow customers to decline to do so, if desired Device connection monitoring & security TLS by default when using installer   ThingWorx Analytics Confidence Model Training and Scoring (ThingWorx Analytics APIs) Deepens functionality by enabling training and scoring of confidence models to provide information about the uncertainty in a prediction to facilitate human and automated decision making Range Property Transform and Descriptive Service Improves ease of implementation of data transformations required for common statistical process control visualizations Architecture Simplification Improves cost of ownership by reducing the number of microservices required by Analytics Server to reduce deployment complexity Simplified installation process enables system administrators to integrate ThingWorx Analytics Server with either (or both) ThingWorx Foundation 8.5 and FactoryTalk Analytics DataFlowML 3.0.   ThingWorx Manufacturing and Service Apps & Operator Advisor Manufacturing common layer extension - now bundling all apps as one extension (Operator Advisor, Asset Advisor, Production KPIs, Controls Advisor) Operator Advisor user interface for work instruction delivery Shift and Crew data model & user interface Enhancements to Operator Advisor MPMLink connector Flexible KPI calculations Multiple context support for assets   ThingWorx Navigate New Change Management App, first in the Contribute series, allows a user to participate in change request reviews delivered through a task list called “My Tasks” BETA Release of intelligent, reusable components that will dramatically increase the speed of custom App development Improvements to existing View Apps Updated, re-usable 3D viewing component (ThingView widget) Support for Windchill Distributed Vaults Display of Security Labels & Values   ThingWorx Azure IOT Hub Connector Seamless compatibility of Azure devices with ThingWorx accelerators like Asset Advisor and custom applications developed using Mashup Builder. Ability to update software and firmware remotely using ready-built Software Content Management via “ThingWorx Azure Software Content Management” Module on Azure IoT Edge. Quick installation and configuration of ThingWorx Azure IoT Hub Connector, Azure IoT Hub and Azure IoT Edge SCM module.   Documentation ThingWorx Platform ThingWorx Platform 8.5 Release Notes ThingWorx Platform Help Center ThingWorx 8.5 Platform Reference Documents ThingWorx Connection Services Help Center   ThingWorx Azure IoT Hub Connector ThingWorx Azure IoT Hub Connector Help Center   ThingWorx Analytics ThingWorx Platform Analytics 8.5.0 Release Notes Analytics Server 8.5.1 Release Notes ThingWorx Analytics Help Center   ThingWorx Manufacturing & Service Apps and ThingWorx Operator Advisor ThingWorx Apps Help Center ThingWorx Operator Advisor Help Center   ThingWorx Navigate ThingWorx Navigate 8.5 Release Notes Installing ThingWorx Navigate 8.5 Upgrading to ThingWorx Navigate 8.5 ThingWorx Navigate 8.5 Tasks and Tailoring Customizing ThingWorx Navigate 8.5 PTC Windchill Extension Guide 1.12.x ThingWorx Navigate 8.5 Product Compatibility Matrix ThingWorx Navigate 8.5 Upgrade Support Matrix ThingWorx Navigate Help Center     Additional Information Helpcenter ThingWorx eSupport Portal ThingWorx Developer Portal PTC Marketplace The National Instruments Connector can be found on PTC Marketplace  

Challenge: Complex Deployments -Today deployment of twx apps is challenging due to manual dependency management; little visibility into apps and environments; complexity and slow speed of deployment Feature Solution Central: -Automated dependency management -Centralized app management portal Value: Rapid scalable deployments -Accelerate application deployment -Simple UI-based environment and solution management -Site-wide visibility of apps and environments Steps involved: -Develop projects locally -Package artifacts and dependencies -Publish App to Cloud -Deliver to your ThingWorx environments -> -Update to latest ThingWorx -Connect to Solution Central -Begin Publishing -No additional licensing   Q: Does it also package up prerequisite extensions? A: It doesn’t package or build them, but they are identified as dependencies before publish/deployment. Multiple solutions building modular structure through dependencies Q: Each published project is packaged as an extension? A: That is correct Q: Is it also possible to manage deployment of collection permissions & OOTB entities permission/configuration through Solution Central ? A: Whatever can be member of the project can be packaged and published Q: Can we package locally without publish to cloud A: Yes. Just don't register to Solution Center Q: How to install a solution offline ? A: One can package locally and install them as extensions Q: Is Solution Central a Cloud only application? A: Yes, but the packaging capability is available in ThingWorx Q: Do all customers have access to this solution or do they need to have a cloud contract? A: All customers can access as part of their ThingWorx license Q: Will customers be able to install their own on-prem implementationn of the Solution Central Web? Is using our cloud required? A: The Solution Central portal will only be available in the PTC Cloud, but the ability to package is part of the platform and can be done on prem.