How to use Datasources to keep air quality monitoring data organized.
What is a Datasource?
A Datasource is a continuous stream of air quality measurements. It's connected to a source Device - a Clarity Node or a Reference Monitor - which feeds the measurements into the stream. Each Datasource is organized with Annotations - such as names, groups, and tags - to help identify and categorize the data. Accessing this data stream requires a Subscription.
Why are Datasources useful?
Datasources add a layer of flexibility to air quality monitoring by supporting:
- Device Replacement: You can preserve a continuous data stream from a site, even when devices are swapped out due to wear or malfunction. This ensures long-term monitoring data remains unified, regardless of device changes.
- Device Relocation: When you move a device to a new site, you can choose to either continue feeding data into the existing Datasource or start a new one. This allows you to keep data from different sites separate and organized.
Running Datasources
A Running Datasource is a Datasources with a Node currently streaming measurements to it. Each row in the running Datasources table holds the Datasource ID, its name/group/tags, its current source Device information, the expiration date for the Subscription granting your Organization access to its data, and its latest measurement for the parameter selected at the top of the page.
Stopped Datasources
A stopped Datasource is a Datasource without a Node currently streaming measurements to it. It acts an archive of historical measurements, and can be resumed when desired.
How do I manage my Datasources?
Datasources are managed indirectly, as a consequence of your Node management actions. Here's how to handle different scenarios:
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Starting a new Datasource: Configuring a Node from your inventory automatically generates a new Datasource. It appears in the "Running Datasources" table, ready to stream data in real time.
- Archiving a Datasource: Performing the "Stop recording data" action on a Node stops its associated Datasource. This Datasource then moves to the "Stopped Datasources" table, where it keeps historical data available for future reference without active monitoring.
- Moving monitoring to a new site:
- Starting fresh with a new Datasource: To create a new data stream for a different site perform the following actions:
- On Dashboard, Stop recording data for the Node you plan to relocate.
- On the field, retrieve the Node. As you do that, make sure to unplug the solar panel or power adapter to turn off the Node and avoid depleting its battery. If needed, charge the Node battery overnight before relocating it. Finally, install the Node at the new monitoring site.
- On Dashboard, reconfigure the Node at the new location.
- Starting fresh with a new Datasource: To create a new data stream for a different site perform the following actions:
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- Continuing with the same Datasource: If you are tuning a Node's location at the same monitoring site, or if you're relocating a Node but want to maintain the same Datasource, simply edit the Node's configuration. The data stream will continue without interruption in the "Running Datasources" table.
- Resuming monitoring at a previous site: To resume monitoring at a previously monitored site, navigate to the “Stopped Datasources” table and select the Datasource corresponding to the site. Click on the "Resume" action, then choose either the original Node or a different one from your inventory for activation. Upon selection, the Datasource will move from "Stopped Datasources" to "Running Datasources," and the chosen Node will become configured and begin streaming fresh data to it automatically.
- Replacing a Node while continuing monitoring at a site: To replace a Node due to faults or end of its operational life while maintaining a continuous stream of data, utilize the "Replace Node" action. This procedure ensures that data from the site continues to flow to the same Datasource, seamlessly swapping out the monitoring Node.
- Reference Monitor Datasources: Clarity Cloud automatically manages these. When a Reference Monitor near your Node becomes available, its Datasource is integrated into your organization, enhancing your data collection capabilities.
Other Datasource Actions
To perform an action, select a Datasource by clicking on a table row and click on the Blue Actions button. Most of the actions below can also be performed on a batch of Datasources. To do that, just select multiple Datasources in the table by clicking on the checkmarks.
About Datasource
Clicking on About Datasource navigates to a page where you can see everything there is to know about the datasource:
- Licensed indicates that you are the owner of the Subscription
- Shared indicates that another Organization is sharing the data with you
- If a Datasource is shared, you can see who is sharing the data or who you are sharing the data with
- Source of measurements indicates which Clarity Node or Reference Station is currently generating the measurements
- Open data reflects whether the data is visible on OpenMap
- Organization Admins who own the data subscription are able to make the Datasource visible on OpenMap
View Measurements
Clicking on View Measurements navigates to a page where you can visualize recent measurements and see some useful statistics.
Edit Name, Group, Tags
Clicking Edit Name, Group, Tags opens a modal that allows you to modify Datasource annotations. Keep annotations up to date to make it easier to search for Datasources across your organization
Note: please avoid naming Datasources the ID of the Clarity Node, as it will create confusion in case of Node replacement.
Download Measurements
Clicking on Download Measurements allows you to download Datasource measurements as described here.