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Azure Event Hub Integration

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ThingsBoard PE Feature

Only Professional Edition supports Platform Integrations feature.
Use ThingsBoard Cloud or install your own platform instance.

Overview

Azure Event Hub Integration allows to stream data from Azure Event Hub to ThingsBoard and converts device payloads to the ThingsBoard format.

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Create IoT hub using the Azure portal.

First, sign in to the Azure portal.

Create IoT Hub in Azure

For now, you need to create IoT hub. Here you will create devices and do some other operations. Let’s do this step by step:

  • In the Azure portal, click on the “Create a resource” button;
  • In the search field, type “IoT Hub” and select the matching item from the list;
  • Click “Create”;
  • On the configuration page, click “Create new”, specify the resource group and IoT hub name, then click “Review + create”;
  • On the next page, click “Create”;
  • Wait for the deployment process to complete, and then click “Go to resource”;
In the Azure portal, click on the "Create a resource" button;
In the Azure portal, click on the "Create a resource" button;
In the search field, type "IoT Hub" and select the matching item from the list;
In the search field, type "IoT Hub" and select the matching item from the list;
Click "Create";
Click "Create";
On the configuration page, click "Create new", specify the resource group and IoT hub name, then click "Review + create";
On the configuration page, click "Create new", specify the resource group and IoT hub name, then click "Review + create";
On the next page, click "Create";
On the next page, click "Create";
Wait for the deployment process to complete;
Wait for the deployment process to complete;
Click "Go to resource".
Click "Go to resource".

Create device in IoT Hub

After completing the first step, follow these instructions to create a new device:

  • Navigate to the “IoT devices” page from the context menu;
  • Click the “+ New” button;
  • In the pop-up window, enter the “Device ID” and click “Save”.

Great! You have successfully created your new device.

Navigate to the "IoT devices" page from the context menu;
Navigate to the "IoT devices" page from the context menu;
Click the "+ New" button;
Click the "+ New" button;
In the pop-up window, enter the "Device ID" and click "Save";
In the pop-up window, enter the "Device ID" and click "Save";
Great! You have successfully created your new device.
Great! You have successfully created your new device.

Add Azure Event Hub integration

1. Basic settings.

Go to the “Integrations” page of the “Integrations center” section. Click “plus” button to start adding new integration. Select type “Azure Event Hub” integration and click “Next”;

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2. Uplink data converter.

Uplink is necessary in order to convert the incoming data from the device into the required format for displaying them in the ThingsBoard.

In the function decoder field, specify a script to parse and transform data. For our example, use the default decoder function (or use your own configuration). Then, click “Next”;

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You can always change the decoder function after creating it.


3. Downlink data converter.

At the step of adding a downlink converter, you can also select a previously created or create a new downlink converter. But for now, leave the “Downlink data converter” field empty. Click “Skip”;

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4. Connection.

Retrieve the Event Hub-compatible Endpoint in the Azure portal:

  • Navigate to the “IoT Hub” resource;
  • Open the “Built-in endpoints” page from the context menu;
  • Locate and copy the “Event Hub-compatible endpoint” value.

This value will be used to integrate with ThingsBoard services.

In the Azure portal, navigate to the "IoT Hub" resource, and open the "Built-in endpoints" page from the context menu;
In the Azure portal, navigate to the "IoT Hub" resource, and open the "Built-in endpoints" page from the context menu;
Copy and save the "Event Hub-compatible endpoint" value.
Copy and save the "Event Hub-compatible endpoint" value.


To find the container name:

  • In the Azure portal, click the “Storage account”;
  • Go to the “Containers” page of the “Data storage” section.

Here you will find the container. Save its name.

In the Azure portal, click the "Storage account";
In the Azure portal, click the "Storage account";
Go to the "Containers" page of the "Data storage" section. Here you will find the container. Save its name.
Go to the "Containers" page of the "Data storage" section. Here you will find the container. Save its name.


To find storage connection string values:

  • In the Azure portal, click the “Subscriptions”;
  • Go to the “Access keys” page of the “Security + networking” section.

Here you will find the connection string.

In the Azure portal, click the "Subscriptions";
In the Azure portal, click the "Subscriptions";
Go to the "Access keys" page of the "Security + networking" section. Here you will find the connection string.
Go to the "Access keys" page of the "Security + networking" section. Here you will find the connection string.


In ThingsBoard:

  • Paste in the “Connection String” field copied “Event Hub-compatible endpoint”;
  • Enable persistent checkpoints to resume processing from the last checkpoint after an integration restart, and fill in the fields “Storage connection string” and “Container name” with the appropriate values. Disable to always start from the latest event;
  • [Optional] Click on “Check connection” button to check connection to check correctly copied connection string;
  • Finally, click “Add” button to create the integration.

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Test it up!

For now, we ready to test our integration. So we have to go to Rule Chain (tab in Thingsboard menu), choose one of your rule chains and do next steps:

1) In field Search Nodes type ‘gen’ and find in the menu generator. Drag it on the Canvas. In pop-up specify name of Generator, number of messages and generate function, you can use our example. Next click ‘Add’

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var msg = {
    "devName": "TB-D-01",
    "msg": {
        "temp": 42,
        "humidity": 77
    }
};
var metadata = { data: 40 };
var msgType = "POST_TELEMETRY_REQUEST";

return { msg: msg, metadata: metadata, msgType: msgType };

2) This is a time to find device Primary key. Go to azure portal, tap on Iot Devices , tap on your device and see Primary key field. Copy it

3) Now we need to find another rule node. So type in Search Nodes ‘iot’ and choose azure iot hub in menu. Drag it to the Canvas. In pop-up you need to specify a name, instead of type your device name, same Device ID and add to credentials Primary Key that we have copied. Also, if you need to see events - click on Debug mode.

4) If it looks like on the photo - nice. Click Add and go on

5) Last steps: connect generator to azure iot hub. Click on the gray circle of generator and drag it to left gray circle of azure iot hub. In pop-up menu you need to choose ‘Success’, click Add and smile

6) All ready, lets save Canvas and go to the integration.

Looks nice if you see type ‘Uplink’ in ‘Events’ of your integration and message that we have typed looks same as here

Downlink uses for send a message to device. For example information that message from device have been received.

1) At first, lets find IoT Hub name:

  • Open the Azure portal and navigate to the “IoT Hub” resource;
  • Go to the “Built-in endpoints” page from the context menu;
  • Find and copy the value of “Event Hub-compatible name” — this represents the IoT Hub name.
Open the Azure portal and navigate to the "IoT Hub" resource. Go to the "Built-in endpoints" page from the context menu. Find and copy the value of "Event Hub-compatible name" — this represents the IoT Hub name.
Open the Azure portal and navigate to the "IoT Hub" resource. Go to the "Built-in endpoints" page from the context menu. Find and copy the value of "Event Hub-compatible name" — this represents the IoT Hub name.


2) To add the Downlink data converter to the Azure Event Hub integration, follow these steps:

  • Navigate to the “Integrations” page, select the Azure Event Hub integration to open its details, and click the “pencil” icon to enter editing mode;
  • Provide a name for the downlink data converter and click “Create new converter”;
  • Paste the required script into the Encoder function section. Click “Add”;
  • In the advanced settings, add the “IoT Hub name” in the corresponding field;
  • Click “Apply changes” to save the configuration.
Navigate to the "Integrations" page, select the Azure Event Hub integration to open its details, and click the "pencil" icon to enter editing mode;
Navigate to the "Integrations" page, select the Azure Event Hub integration to open its details, and click the "pencil" icon to enter editing mode;
Provide a name for the downlink data converter and click "Create new converter";
Provide a name for the downlink data converter and click "Create new converter";
Paste the required script into the Encoder function section. Click "Add";
Paste the required script into the Encoder function section. Click "Add";
In the advanced settings, add the "IoT Hub name" in the corresponding field. Click "Apply changes" to save the configuration.
In the advanced settings, add the "IoT Hub name" in the corresponding field. Click "Apply changes" to save the configuration.

The Downlink converter used in this example:

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var result = {

    contentType: "JSON",

    data: JSON.stringify(msg),

    metadata: {
            deviceId: 'TB-D-01'
    }

};

return result;
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NOTE If you used another name of device (not TB-D-01) you have to specify in the Downlink converter your device name for deviceId field.

Ok, downlink converter ready, integration ready, Let’s test it:

1) After test of uplink, integration have created the device inside Thingsboard, and we need to know for which Rule Chain it connected. Just go to the Device groups in Thingsboard menu choose All and find the device with the name that we have used in the uplink.

2) Find the name of necessary rule chain in Rule Chain tabs of Thingsboard menu.

3) In the “Search nodes” field type ‘down’ and choose in the menu integration downlink, drag it to the Canvas. In pop-up you need to specify the name of rule node and choose our integration

4) Click on left gray circle of message type switch node and drag it to gray circle of our downlink rule node. Here choose Attributes update and click ‘Add’

5) Great. Save Canvas and lets go to ‘Device groups’ -> ‘All’ and choose our device. Switch to Attributes in ‘Entity attributes scope’ list choose Shared attributes. Tap on ‘plus’ to create new. Specify in pop-up the key of attribute, type of value and some value.

6) Tap ‘Add’ and go to the Integration to check the result of downlink.

How you can see, we have a message that Downlink successfully received by Integration and sent to Azure Event Hub. To check it in Azure IoT Hub we need to go to Azure Portal, choose IoT devices menu tab and see Cloud to Device Message Count number.

There is a simple explanation how to see your downlinks in Azure IoT Hub Integration. Just look this images to understand how we make simple downlink check for Azure Event Hub

You can familiarize with Azure Iot Hub using next Link: Azure IoT Hub Integration

Conclusion

That’s it! Good luck in configuring of you IoT devices and dashboards!

Next steps