In the Zoho IoT application, datapoints, commands, and alarm rules are collectively referred to as the metrics of a module. These metrics are classified as sourced or related based on their creation process and their association within the modules.
Source Metrics
When a metric is configured as a template in a model, then instances created based on the model will have the templates as source metrics.
For example, if you add a datapoint template called "Engine Temperature," a command template "On/Off," and an alarm rule template "Temperature High" to an asset model named "DG Main," and then create an instance called DG-1 based on this model, the datapoint, command, and alarm rule in this instance are called source datapoint, source command, and source alarm rule, of DG-1.
Managed entity instances can be linked to other managed entity instances using the system-defined lookup fields: Parent Asset, Located At, Connected Gateway. When such connections are established, the source metrics of one instance become the related metrics of the other.
For example, suppose there's an instance named DG-1 created from the DG Main asset model, and another instance named FT-1 from the Fuel Tank asset model. If DG-1 is set as the parent asset of FT-1, then datapoints like Fuel Level from FT-1 become related datapoints of DG-1. Essentially, any instance listing DG-1 as the parent asset will have its datapoints as related datapoints with DG-1.
Metrics from instances selected in the system-define lookup fields will be considered as related metrics of the instance where the field is applied, allowing for organized and structured data management across different IoT entities.
Source and related datapoints have an added advantage where related datapoints can be used in configuring new source schedule KPI datapoints.These related datapoints can be used to create scheduled KPI (Key Performance Indicator).
For example, consider a diesel generator parent-child asset relation ship, with a Diesel Generator instance being the parent asset while two assets Fuel tank and Engine are two child assets respectively. Now the Fuel Tank has a source datapoint "Fuel Consumed" and Engine has a source datapoint "Power Generated". These two datapoints become the related datapoints of the Diesel Generator Instance.
Based on the two related datapoints "Fuel Consumed" and "Power Generated" a new schedule KPI datapoint called "Power to Fuel Ratio" can be created as the source datapoint in the Diesel Engine Instance.