Glossary

Asset Manager

The Asset Manager tool is a web-based tool in Niagara Community which provides a means of managing users, organizations, and devices in preparation for interacting with any of the Niagara Cloud Services. Additionally, the Asset Manager provides automated software maintenance management and notifications.

BaaS

Backup as a Service (BaaS), the first cloud-based service provided by Niagara Cloud Services. provides seamless, secure, and scalable backups of the device from Niagara stations to the Niagara Cloud.

CSRF

Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) is a type of attack that occurs when a malicious web site, email, blog, instant message, or program causes a user's web browser to perform an unwanted action on a trusted site for which the user is currently authenticated.

Device Manager

One of three roles (i.e. permission sets) which may be assigned to users of the Asset Manager tool. A Device Manager performs device management activities including adding devices, device registration, and device backup. May submit business affiliation requests.

GUID

A globally unique identifier (GUID) is a system ID number assigned to a device during the device registration process in the Asset Manager tool.

Niagara Cloud application

This term refers to a web application that is running within the Tridium-provided Azure cloud space. A few examples are: Niagara Cloud Device Registration, Niagara Cloud Backup Service, and Niagara Cloud Device Details.

Niagara Cloud Services

Niagara Cloud Services is a collection of user-facing (and some non-user-facing) web applications, running within the Tridium-provided Azure cloud space, providing a known set of service features.

Niagara Community

Niagara Community is a portal for the cloud-based services and tools available at: http://www.niagara-community.com.

Organization Manager

One of three roles (i.e. permission sets) which may be assigned to users of the Asset Manager tool. An Organization Manager performs both user and organization management activities. Adds users, assigns user role(s), adds organization affiliations, adds devices (single or multiple), provides approvals (affiliation and user) via notifications.

registered device

This term refers to an embedded JACE controller registered with the Asset Manager tool and assigned a global identifier for purposes of tracking software maintenance management and authenticating with Niagara Cloud Services.

SaaS

The term "software as a service" (SaaS) is part of the nomenclature of cloud computing. SaaS is a software distribution model in which software is licensed on a subscription basis and is centrally hosted. It is sometimes referred to as "on-demand software". SaaS is typically accessed by users using a thin client via a web browser.

the Cloud

Simply put, the term refers to a type of Internet-based computing that provides shared computer processing resources and data to computers and other devices on demand. It is a model for enabling on-demand access to a shared pool of resources (e.g., computer networks, servers, storage, applications and services). Cloud computing and cloud storage solutions provide users and enterprises with capabilities to store and process their data in third-party data centers.

In traditional computing systems, users run software applications installed on a physical computer or corporate server. Cloud computing enables users to access the same kinds of applications through the Internet, paying a subscription fee for individual services, thereby paying only for what they use. If an organization quickly needs access to more resources, it can scale quickly in the cloud. If it needs to scale down resources, it can do so just as easily.