Analytics Manager Concepts
ThingWorx Analytics Manager provides a framework for the execution of computations in external applications based on events and data from devices connected to ThingWorx Foundation. This section describes the concepts and terms used by Analytics Manager.
The following table provides information about the important terms that you must understand while working with the Analytics Manager framework:
Term
Description
Example
Analysis tools
External applications that execute specific computations.
Microsoft Excel
Analysis providers
Resources configured in the application that provide services for the execution of computations in external applications. An analysis provider provides a standard method of communicating with an external application, manages the models for a provider, and manages the jobs to be executed within an external application.
To use the Excel application for computations, you must first create the Excel analysis provider and then configure at least one instance of the Excel application to be available for computations. After the analysis provider is created and connected to at least one instance of the application, you can access the Excel compute engine. For more information, see Working with Analysis Providers.
Analysis models
They take inputs, perform computations, and generate results.
An Excel workbook can be created to calculate physical stress, strain, or deflection values in a structure based on load applied to the structure. An analysis model can be created from this Excel workbook to perform these calculations based on real-time values of the structure. Enabling this analysis model allows application developers to add this computation and the computational results to connected applications. This enables users of the connected application to use complex computation models from external applications to provide insight into the behavior and conditions of connected assets. For more information, see Working with Analysis Models.
User Roles and Profiles
The Analytics Manager framework involves the following user roles and their profiles:
Role
Description
Tasks
Analysis Specialist
Responsible for the creation of analysis models for products. Highly skilled and a subject matter expert for their analysis domain.
An analysis specialist performs the following tasks:
Builds and validates analysis models.
Defines the inputs and results of an analysis model.
Updates analysis models.
The analysis specialist has no direct role in the Analytics Manager framework but provides the foundation IP to be used. In some cases, this user could also be a business administrator.
IT Administrator
Responsible for the administration and configuration of ThingWorx servers.
An IT administrator performs the following tasks:
Supports ThingWorx application and system resources.
Installs and configures analysis providers and agents.
Connects analysis tools with ThingWorx.
Sets up the technical architecture that is required for analysis tools.
Reports usage and cost of system resources.
Manages system resources.
Tracks the uptime and usage of analysis providers.
Business Administrator
Responsible for determining what analysis providers and models are necessary in an organization.
A business administrator performs the following tasks:
Coordinates with analysis specialists on analysis tools and analysis models to be used.
Configures the system for runtime use of the installed architecture of analysis connectors and analysis providers.
Approves the use of the analysis model in production.
Application Developer
Responsible for building applications using analysis models.
An application developer performs the following tasks:
Develops ThingWorx applications.
Uploads analysis models and prepares the necessary input and results data shapes.
Tests the analysis models with its analysis provider.
Configures the analysis model so that it can be triggered on an event.
Maps data from the digital twin to the analysis inputs, and vice versa.
Incorporates specific analysis invocations in the applications.
Provides interactive or event-based execution of the analysis from applications.
Provides visual artifacts to review analysis results.
Publishes applications.
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