Brightlayer Software Suite

Remote Data Gateway Deployment Guide

Release 7.0.0

November 2023

Version 5
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 Contents
Contents ........................................................................................................................................................ 4
1. Overview ................................................................................................................................................... 5
2. RDG Server Installation ............................................................................................................................. 7
RDG Server Overview ........................................................................................................................ 7
BLSS RDG Package Details ................................................................................................................. 7
RDG Server Preparation ..................................................................................................................... 7
RDG Server Installation ...................................................................................................................... 8
Check RDG Server Status ................................................................................................................... 8
Restart RDG Server ............................................................................................................................ 8
3. RDG Client Installation ............................................................................................................................ 10
RDG Client Overview ....................................................................................................................... 10
RDG Client Preparation.................................................................................................................... 10
System Specification for VM Server Deployment .................................................................... 10
System Specification for Raspberry Pi Deployment ................................................................. 10
RDG Client Installation ..................................................................................................................... 11
Installing the RDG Client on VM Server/Raspberry Pi .............................................................. 11
Check RDG Client Status ........................................................................................................... 12
Restart RDG Client .................................................................................................................... 12
Change Configuration of RDG Client ........................................................................................ 12
4. TLS certificate .......................................................................................................................................... 14
5. Manage RDG Server and RDG Client ....................................................................................................... 15
Add RDG server................................................................................................................................ 15
6. Device Monitoring................................................................................................................................... 18
SNMP Trap ....................................................................................................................................... 18
7. Uninstall the RDG Server and Client ....................................................................................................... 20
Uninstall RDG Server........................................................................................................................ 20
Uninstall RDG Client......................................................................................................................... 20

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1. Overview
This document provides detailed instructions for RDG installation and configuration.

Remote Data Gateway (RDG) greatly extends the standard BLSS Master + Probes architecture to reach
far and reach deep into remote edge computing nodes/sites and/or behind firewalls. RDG deploys the
Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) technology with the support of multiple read and write
monitor/control protocols, including but not limited to: SNMP Get, SNMP Set, SNMP Trap, Firmware
Upload, etc.

RDG server communicates with and transfers messages between RDG client and BLSS probe server using
the MQTT protocol. There is a one-to-many relationship between the BLSS probe server and RDG
servers, and RDG server and RDG clients, which means one BLSS probe server can connect with multiple
RDG servers and one RDG server can connect with various RDG clients. We support auto-start when
users reboot the RDG server and RDG client instance.
RDG server can be either installed on a BLSS probe server, a BLSS all-in-one server, or as a standalone
server but the port 443, 80 should NOT be used. It is recommended to install RDG Server on a
standalone server.

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A typical RDG deployment includes the following steps:

1. Install RDG server

2. Install RDG client
3. Synchronize device information and configuration
4. Working with BLSS probe server

Note:

The RDG server MUST NOT be installed with the Master server at the same place.

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2. RDG Server Installation
RDG Server Overview
RDG server consists of the MQTT broker and data service. The MQTT broker listens to port 443,
configured while deploying the RDG server, allowing many RDG clients to connect to it dynamically. The
data service oversees subscribing to messages sent by RDG clients, identifying the model of the device,
reconstructing messages, and publishing data to the BLSS probe server. Subscriptions from any BLSS
server are supported after installing the RDG server.

BLSS RDG Package Details

Item Description
Name of Install File RDG Client: RDGC-7.0.0-Container-Installer-230525-
e8c16614928007e7b0ae208f6be3a85e.tar
RDG Server: RDGS-7.0.0-Installer-230520-
231a39d6f6b1d0a734e35829d3a73748.tar
Type of Install File Install
MD5 Checksum RDG Client: e8c16614928007e7b0ae208f6be3a85e
RDG Server: 231a39d6f6b1d0a734e35829d3a73748
Release Date May 2023

RDG Server Preparation

The basic requirements for setting up a system are described in the following table. Before provisioning
your equipment, an architect should review the technical requirements and confirm sizing for the
servers to be used for the implementation of the application in your environment.

*The network is required for installing the RDG Server.

Requirement Type Component and Version

Operating System Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.6, 7.7, 7.8, 7.9 and 8.x (64 bit)
CentOS Linux 7.6, 7.7, 7.8, 7.9 and 8.x (64 bit)
Oracle Linux 8.7
Please follow the OS Installation instructions to ensure the proper OS packages and
configurations are installed. See note regarding OS upgrades.

Disk Space 50 GB* is minimum

CPU 4 CPU/Cores* are minimum. Each CPU/Core must have a passmark rating of 12,000 or
above: https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_list.php

Memory 4GB* is minimum.

* If your memory is less than 6G, please contact the Eaton support.

Swap Space At least 1GB

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 RDG Server Installation
The following steps are required prior to the installation of the RDG server. If your server installation
uses different folder names, please update the commands based on your naming conventions:

1. Create the /opt/INSTALL directory on the server.

mkdir /opt/INSTALL

2. Download the RDG server installation file and place the installation file in the directory
/opt/INSTALL

3. Confirm the MD5 Checksum of the installation file matches the MD5 Checksum listed in the
Release Notes for the version to be installed.
md5sum /opt/INSTALL/[installation filename]

4. Extract the install package.

tar xvfj /opt/INSTALL/[installation filename] -C /opt/INSTALL

Note: You do not have to decompress this installation file as the tar command automatically
decompresses it.

5. Install the RDG server. It will have a message “Install RDG Server Successfully” after install
successfully and RDG client will be started automatically.
bash /opt/INSTALL/[installation filename]/install -S RDG_Server_IP
Install Parameter Description
-S The RDG Server IP

6. The installation log is /var/tmp/.install_history.install*

Check RDG Server Status

Users can check the status of the RDG server as below. It should have two processes running for RDG
server.

ps -ef | grep rdg

Restart RDG Server

Users can use the following command to restart the RDG process if needed:

a. Stop the RDG server process:

systemctl stop rdg-server

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b. Start the RDG server process:
systemctl start rdg-server

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3. RDG Client Installation
RDG Client Overview
RDG client is an agent that collects and receives data from end devices and publishes data to the RDG
server. Besides that, it allows users to upload the firmware for devices and control them. RDG client
lacks a detailed database and is only on a need-to-know base. It is distributed in the container format
and can be deployed on either Virtual Machine (VM) or Raspberry Pi appliance.

RDG Client Preparation

The RDG client can be installed on nearly any Linux machine, either physical or virtual. The installation
packages can be used to install on either Virtual Machine (VM) or Raspberry Pi. The basic requirements
for setting up a system are described in the following table. Before provisioning your equipment, an
architect should review the technical requirements and confirm sizing for the servers to be used for the
implementation of the application in your environment.

System Specification for VM Server Deployment

Requirement Type Component and Version

Operating System Oracle Linux 8.7

Disk Space 50 GB* is minimum

CPU 4 CPU/Cores* are minimum. Each CPU/Core must have a passmark rating of 12,000 or
above: https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_list.phparch:x86_64

Memory 8GB* is minimum

Swap Space At least 1GB

System Specification for Raspberry Pi Deployment

The Raspberry Pi should install the tar/podman/crontab before installing the RDG Client. The installing
command is:

yum -y install tar podman crontabs

Note, for this step, the network connection is necessary.

Requirement Type Component and Version

Model Raspberry Pi 4B

Operating System Raspbian GNU 9, 10

Oracle Linux 8.4, 8.5, 8.6, 8.7
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8

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Disk Space 32 GB* is minimum

CPU 4 CPU/Cores* are minimum. Each CPU/Core must have a passmark rating of 12,000 or
above: https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_list.phpaarch: aarch64

Memory 4GB* is minimum

Swap Space At least 1GB

RDG Client Installation

Installing the RDG Client on VM Server/Raspberry Pi
The following steps are required prior to the installation of the RDG client on VM Server/Raspberry Pi. If
your server installation uses different folder names, then please update the commands based on your
naming conventions:

Below are the steps to install RDG client on a Pi Device server.

1. Create the /opt/INSTALL directory on the server.

mkdir /opt/INSTALL

2. Download the RDG client installation file and place the installation file in the
directory/opt/INSTALL

3. Confirm the MD5 Checksum of the file matches the MD5 Checksum listed in the Release Notes
for the version to be installed.
md5sum /opt/INSTALL/{installation filename}

4. Extract the file to install directory with command:

tar xf /opt/INSTALL/{installation filename} -C /opt/INSTALL/

Note: You do not have to decompress this file as the tar command automatically decompresses
it.

5. Install the RDG client.

bash /opt/INSTALL/{installation file extraction path (directory)}/install -S RDG_Server_Host -N
Client_Name [-C Company_Name/Department_Name] [-r Retire_Date_in_YYYY-MM-DD] [-s
SOCKS4/SOCKS5/HTTP] [-P Proxy_Server_Host_Name:Port] [-u Proxy_Server_User_Name] [-p
Proxy_Server_User_Password]

* Parameters in [] is optional

For example:

bash /opt/INSTALL/RDGC-7.0.0-Container-Installer-230525-
e8c16614928007e7b0ae208f6be3a85e.tar/install -S demo.hostname.com -N Client1 -C
Company/Department -r 2025-10-21 -s HTTP -P proxy.com:80 -u user -p pwd

Install Parameter Description

-S The RDG Server Host Name/IP. This parameter is mandatory to fill.

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 *If RDGS is installed on Azure server, you must enter the RDG server host
name here.
*If RDGS is not installed on Azure server, please enter the RDG server IP here.
-N The RDG Client name. This parameter is mandatory to fill.
-C The RDG Client Company/Department name. This parameter is optional to fill.
-r The RDG Client retire date that is displayed on the DCIM RDG server list page.
The accepted date format should be YYYY-MM-DD. This parameter is optional
to fill.
-s The RDG Client proxy protocol, including SOCKS4/SOCKS5/HTTP. This
parameter is optional to fill.
-P The RDG Client proxy server host name and port. This parameter is optional
to fill.
-u The RDG Client proxy server username. This parameter is optional to fill.
-p The RDG Client proxy server password. This parameter is optional to fill.

6. The installation log is /var/tmp/.install_log.install

Check RDG Client Status

Users can use the following commands to check the status of the RDG client.

a. Check the Status of container. Once you see the words “Up xx ago”, it indicates a normal status.
You can also get the container ID in the output.
podman ps -a

b. Access the container

podman exec -it [container ID] bash

c. Enter to container and check the status of the RDG client process:
ps -ef | grep rdg

Restart RDG Client

Users can restart the RDG client as below.

1. SSH to the RDG client as root

2. Stop RDG client:

podman stop RDGC or podman stop [container ID]

3. Start RDG client:

podman start RDGC or podman start [container ID]

Change Configuration of RDG Client

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The following data of the RDG Client can be changed in the configuration file after install. The
configuration file is /opt/VDC/rdg-client/conf/application.properties.

• Proxy
• RDG Server IP Address
• Company
• Department
• Retire Date

After change the configuration, it will need to restart the RDG client.

1. SSH to the RDG Client as root

2. Stop RDG Client:

podman stop RDGC

3. Start RDG Client:

podman start RDGC

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4. TLS certificate
RDG server and client supports TLS 1.2 and TLS 1.3 certificate. The TLS certificates are in
/etc/nginx/cong.d on the RDG server.

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5. Manage RDG Server and RDG Client
The BLSS probe server oversees subscribing to messages from the RDG server, decoding them, receiving
the traps, saving the monitoring values, and generating alerts. After receiving the topic response from
the monitored devices, the BLSS probe server adds these devices to the discovery device list. Users can
then add these devices to the system.

The following sections defines the processes of the configuration and monitoring activation of the RDG
server in the BLSS probe server.

Add RDG server

The RDG Servers submenu of the BLSS Web Interface allows users to manage (list/add/remove) the RDG
server. Its access can be found under the Monitoring menu.

The BLSS probe server manually connects a new RDG server and subscribes to heartbeat and monitoring
points topics.

RDG supports the communication between the RDG Client and RDG Server via WebSocket. The only
allowed network communication originated from the RDG Client with destination to the RDG Server’s
TCP port 443.

1. Enter the Remote Data Gateway Menu Item under the Monitoring Menu Group.

2. Click the New button at the top right corner. Fill in all required fields.

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3. Click the RDG Clients tab. This tab displays the RDG clients’ info connected with the RDG server.
The table list contains the following fields:

Fields Description
Client Name Displays the RDG client’ name. This field is editable.
Container ID Displays the container ID.
RDG Server Displays the corresponding RDG server’s name.
Probe Displays the probe name.
Status Displays the status of the RDG client. Options are Normal/Unreachable. If the status
is Normal, the filed will also displays the information of RDG Client uptime, RDG
Client CPU load, RDG Client file system usage.
Company Displays the company of the RDG client.
Department Displays the department of the RDG client.
Retire Date Displays the retire date of the RDG client.
Devices # Displays the number of devices discovered by this RDG client.
Details Displays three lines - Probe Machine ID, RDG Server Machine ID, RDG Client
Container Machine ID in a popup window.
Execution History Displays the following information in a popup window:
• Execution Start Timestamp
• Execution Stop Timestamp
• User – Because only the system level script can be sent to the RDG client,
the only user available here is “System”.
• Script Name – The system level script name, starts with an underscore.
• Results
Download Detailed Log – A link for users to download the package sent from the
RDG client for the execution details.
Table List Buttons Description
Submit Updates the Client Name field when users edit the information. This button is only
accessible when this field is edited.
Delete Deletes the selected RDG client.

4. The Devices tab displays all devices discovered by all RDG clients connected with the RDG
server. The table list contains the following fields:
Fields Description
Device Name Displays the device name.

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IP Address Displays the IP address of the device.
Type Displays the device’s type.
Manufacturer Displays the device’s manufacturer.
Model Displays the device’s model.
RDG Client Displays the RDG client name that discovers the device.
Data Points (Active/Total) Displays the active and total discovered data points.
Last Updated Displays the date and time of last update.
Table List Buttons Description
Validate Validates the selected device.
Remove Remove the selected device.

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6. Device Monitoring
1. Create or open a device in the Devices Menu Item.

2. In the Monitor Function Tile – Monitor Config panel, select the probe server first if you have
more than one probe. Then select the RDG server, and then the RDG client.

If users select a RDG client prior to a RDG server, the RDG server that corresponding to the RDG
client will be automatically filled.

Once a RDG client is selected, monitoring protocols on the right side will be updated. Only SNMP
and Modbus protocols will be shown. Users just need to configure the SNMP/Modbus
monitoring configurations on the device, and the system will automatically convert the
monitoring to MQTT on the backend and generate a JSON file for the device with all monitoring
information.

Note, the “Verify” button verifies data via the SNMP/Modbus monitoring protocol, not the RDG.

3. Apply a monitoring template or configure a monitoring attribute for this device follows the
normal steps.

4. Once the selection of the RDG client is cleared, and the change is submitted, the device’s
monitoring will move to BLSS application to process.

5. If users want to upload firmware, please click the “Firmware” button at the top right
corner.

SNMP Trap

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SNMP trap can also be received by RDG client, and it will be published to the BLSS probe server. It
matches devices and attributes according to the BLSS trap workflow. If it is a SNMP v3 trap, users need
to set the SNMP v3 trap configuration on the RDG client.

Parameter Description
user_name Username of SNMP v3 trap.
Auth_protocol The authorization protocol for the SNMP v3 trap. Options are
MD5/SHA/SHA224/SHA256/SHA384/SHA512.
password Auth password of SNMP v3 trap.
Privacy_protocol The privacy protocol for the SNMP v3 trap. Options are
DES/AES/3DES/AES192/AES256.
Privacy_password The privacy password for the SNMP v3 trap.
Engine_id

The configuration file is as below on the RDG client directory: /opt/RDGC/conf/snmptrapv3.json. The
JSON file is as below.

[
{
"user_name": "",
"auth_protocol": "",
"password": "",
"privacy_protocol": "",
"privacy_password": "",
"engine_id": ""
}
]

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7. Uninstall the RDG Server and Client
For both VM Server and Raspberry Pi, need to follow up below steps:

Uninstall RDG Server

To uninstall previous RDG Server, please stop the RDG Server by running the command:

systemctl stop rdg-broker

systemctl stop rdg-server

Check if broker and rdgs process have been stopped by running the command:

ps -ef|grep rdg

Then remove the rdgs folder by running the command:

cd /opt/VDC
rm -rf rdgs

Uninstall RDG Client

1. Remove cronjob data

a. Check all cronjob file

crontab -l

b. Edit cronjob file

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 crontab -e

c. Add # before all cronjob file

2. Check if the RDG Client has been stopped with Exited status by running the command:

podman ps -a

To uninstall previous RDG Client, please stop the RDG Client by running the command:

podman stop [container ID]

And remove the RDG Client by running the command:

podman rm [container ID]

3. To uninstall previous RDG Client, running the command:

rm -rf /opt/VDC/bin/snapshot
rm -rf /opt/RDGC/

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