IBM Bluemix
Using Node-RED to build the internet of things
Ever had one of those days…
•
Where the Application works! And then… •
Can we also get some data from the this whatchamacallit?
•
And send the logs off to this other server…
•
And add some additional REST endpoints…
The Problem
We need tools that make it easier for developers at all levels to bring together the different streams of events, both Physical and Digital that make up the Internet of Things
Why Node-RED?
•
The internet does not have a one-size-fits-all solution •
Every new “thing” has a new API that must be understood
•
Solutions often require pulling together several different device API’s and online services in new and interesting ways
•
Time spent pondering how to access a serial port, or complete an OAuth flow to Twitter is not time spent on creating the real time of a solution
Node-RED is
•
An application composition tool experience
•
A lightweight proof of concept runtime
•
Easy to use for simple tasks
•
Simple to extend to add new capabilities and types of integration
•
Capable of creating the back-end glue between social applications
•
A great way to try… •
“can I just get this data from here to there?”
•
“and maybe change it just slightly along the way…”
Node-RED is not
•
A fully-scalable, high-performance, enterprise-capable application runtime
•
A dashboard with widgets
•
A mobile application builder
•
The answer to life, the universe, and everything…
On the other hand…
•
Node-RED is deployed in a manufacturing production line
•
Required extra sensors --quickly--for a proof of concept
•
Built on Raspberry Pi’s + Arduinos + Sensors
•
Sensor readings and initial processing coordinated via Node-RED
•
Able to adapt and change quickly – redeploying during support phone calls!
Architecture of Node-RED •
Node.js v8-engine driven; so it’s fast
•
Event-driven, asynchronous io; it’s all about the events
•
Single-threaded eventqueue; built for fairness
•
Javascript front and back;
only one language runtime to deal with •
Built using express, d3, jquery and ws
Basic Node types
•
Inject node • •
•
Can inject events at scheduled intervals
Debug node •
•
Allows manual triggering of flows
Show message content; either payload or entire object
Template Node •
Modifies the output based on a Mustache Template
Node-RED Hello World
•
When you click on the Inject Node, it sends and event through the flow – triggering the template node and sending the result to the Debug node
Other Input Nodes
•
HTTP – Act as an HTTP endpoint; great for building RESTful services
•
IBMIOT – Receive messages from an attached IOT Foundation account
•
Also can receive from Websockets, MQTT (pick your own broker), TCP and MQ Light
Other Output Nodes
•
HTTP Response; required as the final node when the input comes from an HTTP Request
•
IBMIOT – send events out to the attached IOT Foundation account
•
Twilio – send SMS messages via the Twilio service
•
IBM Push – Send Push notifications to mobile devices
•
Also can send requests through TCP, UDP, MQLight, WebSockets.
Function Node Types
•
•
Function node •
Run user-defined node.js code on the messages going by
•
Uses vm.createScript under the covers to sandbox execution
•
Console, util, Buffer included for convenience
Switch •
Change flow to different options based on a comparison
Creating your own nodes http://nodered.org/docs/creating-nodes/first-node.html
•
Easy to wrap any npm module into a palette node
•
Each node is defined in a pair of files
•
•
.js: server-side behavior
•
.html: appearance in editor and help
Can be shared and installed via npm •
npm install node-red-node-xmpp
Online flow library Contributors add flows through Github
Node-RED on your device
Works anywhere you have node.js and npm (Raspberry Pi, Galileo, etc.)
Node-RED on Bluemix
Temperature Sensor Example Use Nick O’Leary’s MQTT library
•
Use DHT11 Temperature Sensor and Arduino Yun to send events to Node-RED
•
Send commands to the Arduino Yun from Node-RED to change AdaFruit NeoPixel
for Arduino to connect to IOT Foundation For the example
IBM Internet of Things Foundation Simple APIs Real Time MQTT REST Manage
Assemble
Connect
Collect
Build
Setting up Node-RED in Bluemix
•
•
Start with the Internet of Things Boilerplate in Bluemix (available from the Bluemix Catalog) Installs a node.js runtime with Node-RED and a Cloudant NoSQL Database for configuration
Connecting Node-RED to the Internet of Things Foundation
To gain access to device data coming from the IBM IOT Foundation, you need to connect your Node-RED runtime to an IBM IOT Service •
•
register for the IOT Foundation Trial from within Bluemix
Registering your device
• •
You will need to:
Register your device’s MAC Address (obtaining an auth token to “place” on the device) • •
Add yourself to the organization
Obtain an API Key to register Node-RED
Binding a database
•
Bind a MongoDB service to your application to store your temperature data Will need to note username, password, host and port to configure your Node-RED flow •
Storing IOT Data
• •
•
•
IOT App In connects to the IOT foundation
Check for Ardunio is a simple switch based on a property of the payload
Get and append time is a function node that gets the current time and adds it to the payload MongoStore takes the final payload and places it in the MongoDB
Building a RESTful service
•
The Data Web Service GET is an HTTP input endpoint responding to a GET on /data
•
Update Payload is a function node that changes the format of the payload to the MongoDB query format (avoiding Mongo injection attacks) •
•
MongoDB Query simply returns the result of evaluating what was in the payload (in Mongo DB query form, e.g. "payload.d.time": {$gt: x, $lt: y})
DataOutput is an HTTP Response node returning the payload as its result to the caller
Making actions happen – sending events
•
The three inject nodes simply add a predetermined payload into the IBM IOT Output node
Two approaches; different commands in the topic name, or different commands in the payload (using payload more common) •
Sources for Hardware and Examples •
Arduino Yun – available from Amazon or Radio Shack •
DHT11 and NeoPixel – available from Adafruit (www.adafruit.com) •
Nick O’Leary’s MQTT Library for Arduino -
http://knolleary.net/arduino-client-for-mqtt/ •
IBM IOT Foundation - https://internetofthings.ibmcloud.com/#/ IBM Bluemix – http://www.bluemix.net
•
JazzHub link to download examples https://hub.jazz.net/git/brownkyl/arduinoyun •
Original four-part DeveloperWorks series http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/cloud/library/cl-bluemixarduino-iot1/index.html •
