This glossary defines the terms used across the Hermetry documentation. Terms are in alphabetical order; a term in italics in a definition has its own entry. Each entry links to the page that explains it in full.
A
Access policy. A rule that narrows what members may see or do beyond their role and groups, down to single devices. Its deny always wins. Owner-only. Access policies
Access token. A 32-character secret a device uses to log in: the MQTT username, or the HTTP bearer token. Device credentials
Acknowledge. Marking an alarm as taken by someone. Its status becomes Acknowledged; it stays open until it clears. Working with alarms
ADR (adaptive data rate). LoRaWAN mechanism by which the network server tells a device which data rate and power to use. ADR, data rates and MAC commands
Aggregate. A summary of numeric readings over a bucket: sum, count, min, max and last, from which avg, increase and the others are computed. Aggregates and rollups
AI firewall. The part of Hermetry that scores sign-ins, API and MCP traffic and records incidents. Today it observes only; its actions are in development. The AI firewall
Alarm. A record that a condition on a device is abnormal, with a severity, a status (open, acknowledged, resolved) and a timeline. One active alarm per device and type. Alarms
Alarm rule. A rule on a device profile that opens and clears alarms from its devices’ readings, or when a device goes offline. Alarm rules on device profiles
API key. A credential for programs calling the REST API, with chosen permissions, an expiry and optional allowed networks. Authentication
Asset. A place or thing in your site tree: a site, building, floor, room, area, line, machine or a kind of your own. Asset hierarchy
Attribute. A named value kept on a device that is not a time series: client, shared or server scope. Attributes
Audit log. The hash-chained record of who did what in your organisation. Audit log
Auto mode. The normal state of a place for the Rules card: rules run. See Manual mode. Manual and auto modes
B
Backfilled. The mark on an alarm opened from late or buffered readings. Nobody is paged for the past. Clear conditions and late readings
Basics Station. The protocol LoRaWAN gateways use to connect to Hermetry’s network server over a secure WebSocket. Connect a Basics Station gateway
Baseline. A named set of setting values applied to many licensed devices by a settings job. Remote device settings
Bell. The in-app notification feed at the top of the console. The bell
Block. One step of a flow, such as Change, Save telemetry or Notify. The flow editor
Board. A dashboard: pages of cards. Dashboards
Bucket. A time interval over which readings are summarised: a minute, an hour or a day. Aggregates and rollups
C
Camera minute. One minute in which a camera is pulled because someone watches it; viewers of one camera count once. Camera limits and privacy
Canary. The first, small wave of a firmware rollout (1 %, 1 to 10 devices). Rolling out firmware in waves
Card. One element on a board: a chart, a value, a table, a map, a control. Also called a widget. Widgets
Catalog (command catalog). The list of commands a device profile offers, with their parameters and tiers. Sending commands to devices
*`cfg.`.* Shared attributes* that hold a device’s desired configuration. Reserved keys and attributes
Child device. A device that a gateway reports for; it does not connect itself. Devices behind a gateway
Claim. Taking a licensed device into your organisation with its serial and claim code. Adding and claiming devices
Class A, Class C. LoRaWAN device classes. Class A receives only after it sends; Class C listens all the time. Class B is not supported. Device classes
Client attribute. An attribute the device reports about itself. Attributes
Codec. A table that turns a LoRaWAN device’s bytes into named values. Codecs overview
Command. A request sent to a device, for example a reboot or a set-point, with a state from Queued to Successful. Also called RPC in some API names. Sending commands to devices
Compute script. A short sandboxed script on a card that reshapes the card’s data before it is drawn. Compute scripts
CONNACK. The MQTT broker’s answer to a device’s connect; its code says why a login was refused. MQTT
Cooldown. The time during which a flow’s Notify block does not repeat the same reason to the same person: 10 minutes by default. Notifications from rules and flows
D
Dampening. Holding an alarm open while it flaps, so it does not open and clear many times. Debounce, hysteresis and dampening
Data point. One key’s value in one record. Plans limit data points per minute. Message quota and usage
Debounce. Requiring a condition for several readings (or seconds of device time) before an alarm opens or clears. Debounce, hysteresis and dampening
Default root flow. The root flow every organisation starts with: it runs alarm rules and stores telemetry and attributes. Hosts, the root flow and profile root flows
DevAddr. The short network address of a LoRaWAN device; fixed for ABP, assigned at join for OTAA. Add an ABP device
DevEUI. A LoRaWAN device’s unique 16-hex-digit identifier. Add an OTAA device
Device profile. The template of a kind of device: how it connects, its keys, limits, alarm rules, commands and firmware settings. Device profiles
Display link. A link that shows a shared board on a screen without signing in, valid 1 to 365 days. Sharing dashboards
Downlink. Data sent to a device; for LoRaWAN, raw bytes on an FPort. Sending downlinks
Duty cycle. The share of time a LoRaWAN radio may transmit in a sub-band; Hermetry plans gateway downlinks within it. Regions and frequency plans
E
Edge (Hermetry Edge). Software on licensed gateways and routers that connects field equipment to Hermetry. Licensed gateways and Hermetry Edge
Emergency stop. Pausing every flow of the organisation at once. Protections and failed messages
Endpoint (protocol endpoint). A box Hermetry polls, such as an SNMP agent or a camera recorder, with its address and credentials. Protocol endpoints
Entity parameter. A board parameter that holds devices or assets, so one board serves many of them. Data sources and parameters
EU868. The LoRaWAN frequency plan for Europe; the only region Hermetry supports. Regions and frequency plans
F
Failed messages. Messages a flow could not run, kept for replay. Protections and failed messages
Flapping. An alarm that opens and clears faster than dampening allows. Debounce, hysteresis and dampening
Flow. A program of connected blocks that reacts to messages, schedules or webhooks. Flows
FPort. The port number of a LoRaWAN application frame (1 to 223 for downlinks). Sending downlinks
Frames log. The live list of LoRaWAN frames of the last day. The frames log
G
Gateway. A device that reports for other devices (child devices), or, in LoRaWAN, a radio that forwards frames to the network server. Gateways and devices behind a gateway, Add a gateway
Group. A set of permissions added on top of a member’s role. Groups and permissions
H
High impact. A command that may restart a device or end its session; it asks for confirmation. Sending commands to devices
Home (Rules card). The place a Rules card belongs to; its rules act on devices in its scope. The rules engine
Host. The part of Hermetry that runs flows of one kind: IoT (device messages) or General (schedules, webhooks, events). Hosts, the root flow and profile root flows
Hysteresis. A margin the value must move back past before an alarm clears. Debounce, hysteresis and dampening
I
Inactivity timeout. How long a device may send nothing before it counts as inactive. Connection status and activity
Incident. A finding of the AI firewall. The AI firewall
increase. The aggregate for counters: how much a value rose per bucket, counting a drop as a restart. Aggregates and rollups
IoT add-on. The part of a plan that holds the IoT modules, in the tiers Starter, Growth and Scale. Plans and the IoT add-on
IoT message. One telemetry or attribute message a device sends, or one poll result; counted against the monthly allowance. Message quota and usage
J
JoinEUI. The LoRaWAN identifier a device names when it joins (formerly AppEUI). Add an OTAA device
Join. The LoRaWAN exchange by which an OTAA device gets its session keys. How a device joins
K
Key. The name of a telemetry value or attribute, such as temperature. Telemetry keys
Key filter. A board filter that narrows an entity parameter by values, for example devices with temperature above 30. Data sources and parameters
L
Late message. A device message processed more than its time-to-live (5 minutes by default) after it arrived; it is stored but outbound blocks skip it. Timestamps, late and duplicate readings
Licensed device. A gateway, router or controller with a factory identity that you claim into Hermetry; it gets certificates, remote settings and the router panel. Licensed devices
Live view. Watching a camera’s picture in Hermetry while someone watches; nothing is stored. Live view
M
Manual mode. A place in which Rules card rules do not run, except those marked Also runs in Manual. Manual and auto modes
Manifest. The description of a licensed device model’s settings, used by remote device settings. Remote device settings
MCP. The protocol AI assistants use to call tools; Hermetry offers read-only IoT tools through it. AI assistants and MCP
Mute. Silencing a device’s alarm notifications for up to 90 days; alarms are still recorded. Muting a device for maintenance
N
Network server. Hermetry’s LoRaWAN server, which handles joins, frames, ADR and downlinks. How LoRaWAN works in Hermetry
O
Online rule. What “online” means for a profile’s devices: Live connection, Recent message or Last seen only. Connection status and activity
Organisation. Your company’s own space in Hermetry, with its members, devices and data; also called a tenant or workspace in some messages. Organisations and tenants
OTA. Firmware updates over the air. Firmware updates (OTA)
OTAA, ABP. The two ways a LoRaWAN device gets its session: by joining (Over-The-Air Activation) or with fixed keys (Activation By Personalisation). Add an OTAA device, Add an ABP device
P
Pairing mode. A LoRaWAN window in which unknown devices with the profile’s shared AppKey can join and wait for approval. Pairing mode
Panel session. A time-limited tunnel to a licensed router’s own web panel. Remote access to a router’s panel
Parameter. A value or entity a board’s cards read, chosen in the filter bar or set by a link. Data sources and parameters
Passkey. A phishing-resistant sign-in with a fingerprint, face, PIN or security key; it counts as a second factor. Two-factor sign-in and passkeys
Permission. The right to one kind of action, with a minimum role. Permissions reference
Persistent command. A command kept queued while the device is offline, until it is delivered or given up. Sending commands to devices
Placement. Putting a device in an asset; it decides site status, rule scope and what views offer. Placing devices
Polled device. A device Hermetry reads on a schedule (SNMP, cameras) instead of one that sends by itself. Polling intervals, back-off and quota
Process drawing. A SCADA diagram of symbols, pipes and cables bound to live data. The SCADA designer
Profile root. A root flow that serves the devices of one device profile instead of the organisation’s root. Hosts, the root flow and profile root flows
Q
Quarantine. The holding state of a self-registered device until an administrator activates it; its data is dropped meanwhile. Quarantine
Quiet hours. Hours in which push, SMS and chat notifications are held back unless critical. Your preferences
R
Rate limit. The most messages, data points or calls allowed per second or minute; over it, messages are dropped or calls answered 429. Limits and quotas
Raw (key). The key under which a non-JSON body is stored as text. Telemetry keys
Raw command. A command method outside the profile’s catalog; owners only. Sending commands to devices
Ready solution. One of five complete IoT applications made of profiles, assets, boards and flows. Ready solutions
Region. The deployment your organisation lives in: EU, US or Türkiye. In LoRaWAN, a frequency plan. Regions and data residency
Relation. A typed link between assets and devices, such as Contains, Manages, Feeds or Monitors. Relations
Retention class. How long your organisation’s readings are kept (7, 30, 90, 365 or 1,095 days), with raw readings kept at most 90 days. How long data is kept
Rollup. An hourly or daily aggregate derived from minute aggregates. Aggregates and rollups
Root flow. The flow every device message enters on the IoT host; it stores the data. Hosts, the root flow and profile root flows
Rules card. A dashboard card with simple “when, only if, then” rules for the devices of a place. The rules engine
Runbook. Instructions on an alarm rule that tell the operator what to do. Alarm rules on device profiles
RX1, RX2. The two receive windows after a LoRaWAN uplink in which a Class A device can receive a downlink. Device classes
S
SAML. The standard for organisation single sign-on with your identity provider. Single sign-on
SCADA. In Hermetry, live process drawings and 3D views on dashboards. SCADA
Script block. A flow block that runs your own JavaScript, limited in CPU and memory and counted by plan. The script block
Server attribute. An attribute only the platform and people see, for example a per-device limit. Attributes
Settings job. A change of remote device settings applied to many devices in waves. Remote device settings
Severity. How serious an alarm is: Critical, Major, Minor, Warning or Info. Alarms
Shared attribute. An attribute set in the cloud and sent to the device, for example a desired setting. Attributes
Signing key. A public key against which firmware images are verified. Firmware updates (OTA)
Site. The top asset of a location; its status rolls up from everything placed under it. Site status and the status key
Soak time. The wait after a firmware wave passes before the next starts. Rolling out firmware in waves
Status key. The telemetry key (by default status) that gives a device’s own status for site views. Site status and the status key
Step-up. Asking for a second factor again before a high-impact action. Two-factor sign-in and passkeys
Storm. More alarm notifications in a minute than the storm threshold (20 by default); the rest go out as a digest. Alarm notifications in depth
Symbol. A drawn piece of equipment in a process drawing, from the core set or an industry pack. Symbols and industry packs
T
Telemetry. Time-stamped readings a device sends, such as temperature. How readings are stored
Template. A ready board or flow you copy and adapt. Templates and board files, Flow templates
Tier (command). The class of a command, Basic, Privileged or Critical, which decides who may send it. Sending commands to devices
Tier (plan). The size of the IoT add-on: Starter, Growth or Scale. Plans and the IoT add-on
Trusted device. A browser that skips the second factor for up to 30 days. Sessions, lockout and trusted devices
ts. A reading’s time stamp in milliseconds since 1970, UTC. Timestamps, late and duplicate readings
U
Uplink. Data a device sends. Troubleshooting uplinks and downlinks
Usage pack. An add-on that raises one monthly quota, monthly or as a top-up. Usage and quotas
V
View. A process drawing or 3D design shown for a device, a site or a profile. One drawing for many places
W
Watchdog. A flow block that fires when a key stops arriving for a set time. Counters, statistics and watchdogs
Wave. One step of a firmware rollout or settings job; each wave must pass its gate before the next starts. Rolling out firmware in waves
Webhook. An HTTPS call Hermetry sends to your system when an event happens, or a URL that starts a flow. Webhooks