Rule Engine and Alerts
Overview
The Rule Engine allows you to automate platform behaviour by defining rules that trigger specific actions when sensor conditions are met. Rules run on a configurable schedule and can publish messages to an MQTT broker when activated.
Creating a Rule
To create a rule, navigate to the Rule Engine module in the menu bar and click +. Rule creation follows a four-step wizard:
Step 1 — Name
Give your rule a name and define the trigger conditions that will activate it.
Rule Name — A descriptive identifier for the rule.
Trigger Conditions — One or more sensor conditions that must be met for the rule to fire. Click + Add condition to open the condition dialog and fill in:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Select Sensor | The specific sensor to evaluate (e.g. progressRASBCN1) |
| Select Condition | The sensor attribute to check (e.g. progress) |
| Operator | The comparison operator (e.g. =, >, <) |
| Value | The threshold value to compare against |
Multiple conditions can be added to a single rule.
Step 2 — Schedule
Set the schedule that controls which days and time window the rule is allowed to fire.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Days of the week | Select individual days or enable All days |
| Add included day | Add specific calendar dates on which the rule should always fire |
| Add excluded day | Add specific calendar dates on which the rule should never fire |
| Active 24 hours | When enabled, the rule runs at any time of day |
| Start time / End time | Define an active time window when Active 24 hours is disabled |
| Timezone | The timezone used to evaluate the schedule |
| Interval | How frequently the rule evaluates its conditions |
| Unit | Time unit for the interval (e.g. Seconds, Minutes, Hours) |
Step 3 — Actions
Choose one or more actions to execute when the rule conditions are met. Click + Add action to configure an action.
Supported action types:
- MQTT Broker — Publishes a message to an MQTT topic when the rule fires
- Webhook — Sends an HTTP request to a configured webhook URL
- API Call — Calls a configured API endpoint
- Send Command — Sends a command to a device
MQTT Broker fields:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Broker | Select an existing network broker or click + Create new network |
| Topic | The MQTT topic to publish to |
| Message | The payload to send to the topic |
Step 4 — Review
Review all configured settings before saving the rule. The review screen summarises:
| Section | Details shown |
|---|---|
| Name | Rule name and description |
| Trigger Conditions | All defined sensor conditions |
| Schedule | Active days, time window, and evaluation interval |
| Date Exceptions | Included days and excluded days set for the rule |
| Actions | Configured actions and their targets |
Once confirmed, save the rule to activate it.
What You Can Do With the Rule Engine
From the Rule Engine module you can:
- Create automated rules based on real-time sensor data
- Define precise trigger conditions per sensor and value
- Control rule scheduling by day, time window, and evaluation interval
- Publish MQTT messages to downstream systems or devices when conditions are met
- Review and edit existing rules without recreating them
- Enable or disable rules without deleting their configuration