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Create, edit, and use Reports

Beijer Electronics
Updated

Data that is logged with Cloud Logging can be visualized in the CloudVPN Portal, exported as CSV, requested from our API, or periodically e-mailed to you in the form of a PDF report. This article focuses on the latter.

With Report Generator you can:

  • Create multi-page report templates of your machine data.
  • Schedule a report to be sent to you periodically, in PDF format.
  • Manually send a report to yourself or other users, in PDF format.

Please follow the steps below to get everything set up:

Additionally, you can:

Activate Report Generator

If you do not have a (company-wide) Report Generator license yet, please contact your CloudVPN account manager or CloudVPN distributor.

  • Activate Report Generator at Admin > Licenses > Add new license.
    • This enables the feature for ALL devices in your company.

Create a report

Reports are created in the Studio, linked in the Fleet Manager, and used in the Portal. If you are already familiar with Device pages, then you are already largely familiar with how reports work.

  • Create a new report at Studio > Reports > Add new report and open it.
    • You can also use an existing report as starting point by creating a duplicatemore_vert.svg Studio > Reports.
    • The report Name is only displayed in the Studio. The report Title is displayed in the Portal and in the PDF report e-mails.
    • Changes are automatically saved as a draft. Don't forget to Publish the report when you're done to effectively start using your latest changes in the Portal. If you're unhappy with your changes, you can also revert to the published versionmore_vert.svg.
  • Select a device for previewarrow_down.svg and add componentsadd_card.svg  to the page.
    • You can add up to 64 components per page (click below for an overview) and you can add as many pages as you like.
      Component overview
      Component Description
      Info components:
      Device Info General information about the device, serial number, firmware version, and the groups to which the device belongs.
      Event Log An event log that includes what each user did and when. Including search and export options.
      Data components:
      Data Table
      (historical only)      		 Table component. Requires Cloud Logging.
      Gauge
      (live and historical)      		 Gauge component. Component options: custom color-coded scaling. Requires Cloud Logging.
      Line Graph
      (live and historical)      		 Line graph component. Component options: separate left and right Y-axis. Requires Cloud Logging.
      Multiple Status
      (live and historical)      		 Status component that translates multiple data tags' value into custom and more descriptive values (e.g. boolean true = status "Machine running"). Requires Cloud Logging.
      Multiple Values
      (live and historical)      		 Shows multiple values. Component options: data aggregation (max, mean, etc) and color rules. Requires Cloud Logging.
      Period Barchart
      (historical only)      		 Bar graph component. Component options: data aggregation (max, mean, etc) per sub-period (bar), automatic or static period size. Requires Cloud Logging.
      Single Value
      (live and historical)      		 Show a single value. Component options: data aggregation (max, mean, etc) and color rules. Requires Cloud Logging.
      Status
      (live and historical)      		 Status component that translates a single data tag's value into custom and more descriptive values (e.g. boolean true = status "Machine running"). Requires Cloud Logging.
      Statusbar
      (historical only)      		 Horizontal bar that depicts color-coded status over a period of time. Translating a single data tag's value into custom and more descriptive values (e.g. boolean true = status "Machine running"). Requires Cloud Logging.
      Tank
      (live and historical)      		 Water tank component. Component options: custom color-coded scaling. Requires Cloud Logging.
      Layout components:
      Image Image component.
      Report Footer Footer shown at the bottom of each report page, showing the time period presented by the report and also showing the report page number.
      Report Header Header shown at the top of each report page, showing the company name and logo, report name, and date and time of the report.
      Text note Text component using markdown formatting. Also allows for using dynamic text that adjusts to the device.
      Data component options
      Setting Description
      Aggregator

      The time period displayed on a page generally contains more than one logged value. Some components, like a Single Value component, contain an aggregator setting to determine which value to depict. The following aggregators are available:

      First Shows the first logged value in the displayed time period.
      Median Shows the middle logged value in the displayed time period.
      Last Shows the last logged value in the displayed time period.
      Min Shows the minimum logged value in the displayed time period.
      Mean Shows the average of all the logged values in the displayed time period.
      Max Shows the maximum logged value in the displayed time period.
      Sum Shows the sum of all the logged values in the displayed time period.
      Mode Shows the value that occurred most often in the displayed time period.
      Count Shows the amount of values logged in the displayed time period.
      Range Shows the difference between the minimum and the maximum logged value in the displayed time period.
      Difference-Last Shows the difference between the last value in the previous time period and the last value in the displayed time period.
      Decimals Enter the amount of numbers you want to display after the decimal point. Optional.
      Unit

      Enter the unit you wish to show behind the value. Optional.

      This only applies to the current component. To apply the same unit in every component, enter the unit at Fleet Manager > Devices > Your device > Your data source > Variables > Your variable > Edit. Once entered, this unit will be automatically applied when you add the variable or corresponding data tag(s) to a component.
      Factor

      Enter the value you wish to apply to the logged value. May be used to translate grams to kilograms for example. Optional.

      This does not change the logged value. It only affects the displayed value and only in the current component. To apply the same factor in every component, enter the factor at Fleet Manager > Devices > Your device > Your data source > Variables > Your variable > Edit. Once entered, this factor will be automatically applied when you add the variable or corresponding data tag(s) to a component.
    • You can move (drag), resize (click and drag), copy & paste (right-click), and remove (right-click) components. Tip: you can also copy a component from one page and paste it onto another page.
    • When displaying a boolean in a component, use 0 instead of FALSE and 1 instead of TRUE in the component settings and rules.
  • The report's time period determines which period is shown in data components. You can select a default time period and either show or hide time period controls. The time period controls enables users to select a custom time period when manually sending the report from the Portal. This is unadvised if the report name and its contents are tuned to a specific time period (e.g. a week, a month).
    mceclip0.png
  • To preview what the report would ultimately look like in PDF format, click Send report to immediately receive an e-mail with the PDF report.
    • The latest version will be e-mailed, regardless of whether it is published or not.
  • Don't forget to Publish the report to effectively start using your latest changes in the Portal.

Link a report to a device

Reports are linked to a device in the Fleet Manager and used in the Portal.

  • Add a report to your device under Fleet Manager > Devices > Your device > View > Reports.
    • The Access category determines which users can use the report in the Portal (set a schedule or send the report manually) and which users don't. More information can be read here.
    • Reports can be re-arranged (drag and dropdrag_indicator.svg. The order is directly reflected in the Portal.
    • A report can be linked to multiple devices. Click here for tips and information about creating dynamic pages that automatically adjust to the device.

Send a report

Reports can be scheduled to send a report to your mailbox periodically or they can be sent manually when needed.

  • Open a device's Reports page at Portal > Devices > Your device > Reports.
  • Schedule a report to be sent to you periodically. Reports can only be scheduled for yourself, not for other users. Other users will need to set a schedule for themselves.
  • You can also send the report manually to yourself or others.

Reports take time to generate. As a result, live data may be from a slightly later moment than when you scheduled the report. For time-critical data analysis of the PDF report it is therefore recommended to use historical data instead. The historical data's timestamps will always accurately display the time when the data was logged.

Manage reports

Reports can be managed from the Studio.

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