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The MetaFi Agent serves as the smart edge of the solution to allow field service personnel and/or fixed readers to capture and act on inventory levels even when operating in a location that does not have local network connectivity and/or when not connected to the MetaFi Server. |
In order to adapt to the appropriate environment and use case, the MetaFi Agent is designed to run on a single board computer as well as on mobile devices/phones. The MetaFi Agent is essentially a lightweight version of the MetaFi Server and includes the following components:
UI Applications
UI Applications present the web user interface to the users of the system – typically field service or sales personnel. The scope of the data is limited to the specific agent and to the readers attached to it.
Web Services
Web Services are versions of the backbone services at the MetaFi Server that coordinate the configuration, entity, location data caching and persistence, events, policy execution and actions for the local agent. Agents can cache tag events, agent and reader configuration, and entity data locally to insulate it from network delays and outages and to operate in a sometimes-on environment. This cache may be full-fledged database or a simplified in-memory cache, depending on the implementation of the agent and its runtime environment (e.g. handheld, phone, PC, finished reader).
Reader Engine
Reader Engine is a core module that interacts with readers and interfaces with local agent Web Services. The reader engine implements inventory and access control behavior, performs actions requested by the web services, and reports events to the Web Services.
External APIs
External APIs similar to APIs at the MetaFi Server, these are REST APIs for adapters to use to integrate controls and third-party applications with the Agent Web Services. Third-party integration at the MetaFi Agent level typically includes other sensors, LDAP directories or locking mechanisms.
Handheld Agent
Handheld Agent refers to software running on a phone or handheld device that connects to a built-in or connected reader
- Handheld UI presents the graphical interface to enable users to synch phones with the MetaFi Server for automatic policy, location and configuration updates as well as to allow the user to locally read and monitor inventory levels and then automatically send inventory totals (when connected to a cellular network).
- Simple Engines – These are trimmed-down versions of the web services/engines that the handheld uses to coordinate the configuration, entity, location data caching and persistence, events, policy execution and actions for the handheld agent.
- Reader Engine – This is the module that interfaces to either the built-in reader or a reader connected via Bluetooth to the handheld and interfaces back to the MetaFi Server. The reader engine translates all of the “digital” MetaFi information into “physical” interaction with tagged physical goods and people.