Common settings
A North connector sends data from OIBus to a target application. This page explains how to configure and manage North connectors.
Adding a North Connector
- Navigate to the North page.
- Click the + button.
- Select a connector type and configure its settings.
- Monitor or adjust settings from the connector's display page.
General Settings
| Setting | Description | Example Value |
|---|---|---|
| Name | A user-friendly label to identify the connector's purpose. | My MQTT Connector |
| Description | Optional details about the connection, access rights, or unique characteristics. | Production broker |
| Enabled | Enable or disable the connector (from the list or its display page). | Enabled/Disabled |
A disabled North connector will not cache any data.
Specific Section
Refer to each connector’s documentation for type-specific settings.
Testing Connection
Use the Test settings button to verify your connection configuration.
Cache Settings
Trigger Conditions
Configure when data is sent to the target application:
| Setting | Description | Example Value |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule | Define how often data is transmitted. Configure using scan modes. | Every 10 s |
| Number of elements | (JSON payloads) Send data when the specified number of elements is reached, bypassing the schedule. | 1000 |
| Number of files | (Files) Send data when the specified number of files is reached, bypassing the schedule. | 10 |
Throttling
Control data transmission to avoid overwhelming the target or network:
| Setting | Description | Example Value |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum delay between transmissions | Time (in milliseconds) to wait between transmissions. | 1000 |
| Maximum number of elements | Maximum number of elements sent in a single transmission. | 10000 |
| Maximum storage size | Maximum size (in MB) for cache + error + archive. Excess data is discarded once the limit is reached. | 1000 |
Errors
Manage how OIBus handles transmission failures:
| Setting | Description | Example Value |
|---|---|---|
| Delay to wait before retry | Time (in milliseconds) to wait before retrying after a failure. | 5000 |
| Number of retry | Number of retry attempts before moving failed data to the error folder. | 3 |
| Retention duration for errored data | Duration (in hours) to retain errored data. Set to 0 to retain indefinitely. | 72 |
Some North connectors, such as the OIAnalytics North Connector, will indefinitely retry sending data for specific errors (e.g., network failures), even after the retry count is exceeded.
Archive
Enable archiving to retain transmitted data:
| Setting | Description | Example Value |
|---|---|---|
| Enabled | Toggle to enable or disable archiving. | Enabled/Disabled |
| Retention duration for archived data | Duration (in hours) to retain archived data. Set to 0 to retain indefinitely. | 168 |
If files are retained indefinitely, manually clear the archive folder periodically to avoid excessive disk usage.
Transformers
Transformers run before data is cached — they process incoming data from South connectors and determine what actually enters the North connector's cache. You can apply one or more transformers to a North connector to:
- Filter data: Include or exclude specific data points based on source type.
- Modify data: Change values, rename fields, or restructure data.
- Enrich data: Add additional context or metadata.
- Convert formats: Transform data between different formats (e.g., JSON to CSV).
Each transformer is associated with a source type (the kind of data it accepts). When adding a transformer, you select the source type first, then choose a compatible transformer for that North connector type.
Standard transformers are pre-built and available based on the source type and North connector type. These transformers cover common use cases and can be configured directly in the UI.
For advanced use cases, you can create custom transformers:
- Go to the Engine transformers section.
- Create a new transformer with your own code.
- Define configurable options for the transformer.
Your custom transformer will then be available for selection in the North connector settings.
Data Filtering
Transformers are also the mechanism for filtering which data a North connector receives. By selecting a specific source type when adding a transformer, you control what kinds of data are accepted into the cache.
Data that arrives at a North connector and is compatible with its type is cached and sent by default, even if no transformer is configured for that source type.
This default behaviour is planned to change in a future OIBus release — unmatched data will be ignored by default rather than forwarded. If you rely on implicit forwarding today, add an explicit transformer to preserve that behaviour after the upgrade.