R-COM Agents
An R-COM Agent connects your devices, such as RFID readers, barcode imagers, label printers, and sensors, to the R-COM Gateway and to other systems. It reads data from the devices, processes it close to where it is produced, and sends the result on.
Every agent has two parts:
- In the Gateway: the agent's configuration. You create, configure, and monitor all agents centrally under Agents > Manage Agents.
- On the edge host: the Agent Edgeware, the software installed on a computer near the devices, for example a PC, server, or edge controller. It runs the configuration you define in the Gateway.
What You Can Do with Agents
- Connect different devices through one platform. Device components are available for several RFID reader, imager, and printer models, plus simulators for testing without hardware.
- Process data at the edge. Filter, buffer, format, and encode data before it leaves the edge host.
- Send data where it is needed. Forward results to the R-COM Gateway or to other systems, for example through web requests, MQTT, or EPCIS.
- Manage all agents centrally. Control agents, change their configuration, and review their logs from the Gateway.
How Agents Work
Agent architecture
- Devices produce data, for example tag reads or barcode scans.
- The Agent Edgeware connects to the devices and runs one or more processes. A process defines what happens to the data: read, filter, buffer, format, and send.
- Each process sends its results to the destinations defined in its process template, for example a R-COM Gateway REST endpoint or a web service.
- Separately, the agent and the Gateway exchange status, logs, and configuration updates using the agent's connection mode.
Key Concepts
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Agent | An edge integration managed by the Gateway. Its configuration includes a name, an Access Group, connection settings, and the processes it runs. |
| Agent Edgeware | The agent software on the edge host. It applies the configuration exported from the Gateway. |
| Access Group | The group whose members can view and manage the agent. Selected as Group when you create the agent. |
| Component | A building block uploaded to the Gateway as a ZIP package. Device components connect to hardware. Service components run long-lived logic and integrations, such as read points, buffers, or MQTT clients. Function components transform, encode, or send data. Managed under Agents > Components. |
| Process Template | A reusable flow of connected components, built in a visual designer. Each save creates a new version. Managed under Agents > Process Templates. |
| Process | One version of a process template assigned to an agent. A process can override the template's variables, such as a device name or a target topic, for that agent only. One agent can run several processes, and one template can be used by many agents. |
| Agent MQTT Broker | The MQTT broker shared by all agents that use the Mqtt connection mode. Configured once under Agents > Manage Agents > MQTT Settings. |
Power, Monitoring, and Status
Each agent shows three separate values:
| Value | Set by | Values | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power | You, in the Gateway | On / Off | The desired state of the agent. A connected agent starts or stops to match it. You must switch an agent off before you can delete it. |
| Monitoring | You, in the Gateway | On / Off | Whether monitoring is enabled for the agent. |
| Status | Reported by the agent and the Gateway | For example Unknown, Starting, Running, Warning, Error | The agent's current state as known to the Gateway. |
Power is On, but Status is Unknown
Unknown means the Gateway is not receiving any signals from the agent. This is expected for a new agent whose Agent Edgeware is not yet installed, configured, or reachable. Switching Power on does not connect an agent by itself.
For every status value and the agent controls, see Create and Manage Agents.
Connection Modes
The connection mode controls how the agent and the Gateway exchange status, logs, and configuration. It does not control where device data is sent; the components in each process template define that.
Set the mode in the agent's Agent Connection Mode setting (agent Overview tab > Edit).
| Mode | How it works | Network requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Mqtt | The agent and the Gateway both communicate through the shared Agent MQTT Broker. | The edge host and the Gateway must both reach the broker's host and port. |
| ServerToAgent | The Gateway calls the agent's REST API at the configured check-in interval. | The Gateway must reach the agent's API URL. |
AgentToServer is not available yet
The connection mode list also contains AgentToServer, but this mode is not yet enabled for R-COM Gateway. Use Mqtt or ServerToAgent.
Setting Up an Agent
Complete these steps in order. The tag after each step shows where it takes place.
- Upload components (Gateway). Check that the Device, Service, and Function components your process needs are listed under Agents > Components, and upload any missing packages. See Manage Agent Components.
- Create a process template (Gateway). Under Agents > Process Templates, connect the components into a flow and save it. See Process Templates.
- Create the agent (Gateway). Under Agents > Manage Agents, select Create agent. Enter a Name and Group (both required), and optionally a description and tags.
- Configure the agent (Gateway). On the agent's Overview tab, select Edit and set the connection mode and related settings.
- Add processes (Gateway). On the agent's Processes tab, select Add process, choose a template and version, and turn on Auto start with the agent if the process should start whenever the agent starts.
- Install the Agent Edgeware (edge host). See Edgeware Installation.
- Transfer the configuration (Gateway, then edge host). In the Gateway, select Export configuration on the agent. Then apply the exported JSON file to the Agent Edgeware.
- Start and verify (edge host, then Gateway). Start the Agent Edgeware and make sure the agent is powered on in the Gateway. In the Gateway, check that the agent's Status changes from Unknown. Then review Agent Logs for agent activity and Process Logs for each process. See Log Monitoring.
Steps 3–5, 7, and 8 are described in detail in Create and Manage Agents.