Working with Messages

Working with messages is query messages, view and filter them, and delete them.

Request Messages from Server

The request is formulated in the Messages, in top left corner of the window. You specify the following parameters:

1. Select a unit for execution. The dropdown list contains not all the units available to you, but only the units from the work list of monitoring panel. In case the work list is empty (when dynamic work list is used or when units have been deleted from the work list manually), the units to which you possess the corresponding rights will be displayed. Spanner shaped button situated to the right of the dropdown list serves to summon up a Unit Properties dialog.

2. Specify time interval to show messages for. The principle of interval adjustment is the same as in reports (see Query and View Reports). The second and fourth steps can be united into one if you choose one of the 'quick intervals' (the buttons Today, Yesterday, Week, and Month).

3. Select message type from the dropdown list (each type is described in detail below):

• Data messages
• SMS messages
• Sent commands
• Registered events
• Log

4. At the end, press the Execute button. A table will be generated in the right part of the window. To clear table (and map), press Clear.

Note.

There are alternative ways to query messages:

• from the Monitoring panel;
• from a table or chart of an online report.

Note that in order messages track to be displayed on the map you should check if the corresponding layer icon in the main menu is active.

Viewing Messages

Messages of any type are displayed in the form of a table.

If a large time interval is selected, there will be probably many messages. In this case they will be presented in several pages. Use navigation panel (blue arrows) to move through the pages, or enter page number manually and press to display certain page. Apart from that, you can set the number of messages to be displayed on one page: 25, 50, 100, 500, 1000.

The width of the columns is also customizable. To change it, drag column edge with the mouse in the required direction. To reset columns width, push Set column auto width button in such a way that A letter appeared there. In this case, column width will be set per contents in the cells. To save columns width when moving to other page of messages, make the button inactive. Note that if loading many messages (500, 1000 per page), it is better to disable column auto width because it can considerably slow down the loading process especially if the number of parameters differs from one message to another.

Table's content is adjustable. It is possible to hide and show back any column. To choose columns to be displayed, place the cursor over table's header. Near each column name there is a button to show the dropdown list where you can choose what to display. Note that all columns cannot be hidden simultaneously. If sensors are displayed, each of them has its own column that can be enabled or disabled. By default, only visible sensors are displayed (the rest can be enabled manually).

Messages Filter

To quickly find a necessary message, use a special filter. Data messages (with parameters shown as raw data) can be filtered by parameter names and parameter values, SMS messages and registered events — by message/event text, sent commands — by additional parameters' values, log — by description of the action. The filter is disabled for data messages with parameters shown as sensor values.

Details instructions for filter usage were given above. You can use wildcard characters (* or ?) or input your query without them. For example, to find all messages with images input “image”. Other available parameters depend on device type used.

To apply the filter, press or the Apply button on the right of the filer. At that, messages corresponding to your query will be displayed. To remove filtration and show all available messages again, clear filter text field and apply the filter again. If the filter is applied, the number of found (filtered) messages is displayed on the left.

Attention! The filter affects only the current page. However, while leafing through pages, the filter is applied to each new page automatically.

Deleting Messages

Deleting a message can be applied when you think the message is invalid and can badly affect reports, tracks, etc. Deleting messages is available only if you have enough access to the unit.

In the last column of the table, tick messages to be deleted (one or more). Then press the Delete button and confirm your intentions. If the checkbox at the head of the table is ticked, all messages on the current page will be selected.

After the operation, the newly deleted messages remain on the table, however, the delete checkbox for such messages is dimmed which indicates that the messages are deleted. Next time when you load messages, the deleted messages will be completely removed from the table.

Note. Deleting last incoming message or last message with position (valid coordinates) is impossible. That is why the delete checkbox for these messages is always dimmed.

Data Messages

If you request data messages, the table of messages will contain information about time, speed, coordinates, location, as well as parameters. Besides, resultant information will be given in statistics. You can observe messages in in the form of a table or as a chart.

The way to display parameters can be one of the following:

• Raw data: all parameters are displayed in one column, in one line in their initial form.
• Sensor values: each sensor has its individual column in the table, and the values are given per the calculation table. By default, only visible sensors are displayed but you can enable other sensors manually (see Viewing Messages).

The table of messages has the following columns:

• Time when the message was received.
• Speed registered at that point. It is calculated as the distance traveled between the previous message and the current one divided on time between these two messages (in km/h or mph depending on unit's properties).
• Coordinates: latitude and longitude, in the brackets the number of satellites locked is displayed.
• Altitude: elevation over sea level. If there are only zeros, it may mean your device does not detect altitude (in meters or feet depending on unit's properties).
• Location: country, city, street, etc. (per user's settings).
• Parameters (if available) can be given in one row (if raw data is selected) or separate column for each parameter (if sensors values is selected). You can filter messages by parameters.
• Media (if available): the button to display a picture or a video made by unit and sent with the message.
• Delete (if allowed): checkboxes to delete messages.

Red rows in the table mean alarm messages registered by the system.

Note. Measurement system (either metric or U.S.) used to display speed, altitude as well as statistic information depends on unit's properties.

Statistics

In the Statistics section the general information about the request is given:

• Total messages: the number of messages for the whole period;
• Total time: the interval between the first and the last message in the selected period;
• Distance: the distance traveled by the unit within the indicated time interval. Mileage in messages can sometimes differ from mileage in reports (if there are invalid messages within the interval). In such cases, more accurate mileage is provided in reports.
• Average speed: the average of all speed values registered during the period;
• Maximum speed: the maximum speed registered.

Using the Map

The track for the chosen period is displayed on the map. It is generated together with the table. Click on any message in the table to move to this point on the map. The map is centered on this point and a blue marker is set there.

By default, track color is blue, but you can adjust settings to paint the track depending on speed or sensor value. This is set in unit properties dialog on the Advanced tab.

Besides, to get information about track points, hover mouse cursor over and see information in a tooltip (time, address, speed, altitude, coordinates, satellites, sensor values). Note that messages are searched in the radius of 50 pixels from the cursor.

Note. If after the Messages panel you switch to Map or Reports panel, map layout and all track lines are preserved. To remove unnecessary graphics, go back to the Messages panel and press the Clear button. More…

Charts

Besides tables, some data can be presented in the graphical form. To switch between the modes, use and buttons correspondingly.

In the graphical mode, parameters charts are available. When you switch to the graphical mode, the Chart legend panel opens on the left. There you tick parameters to be displayed in the chart. Several parameters can be selected simultaneously. Then the chart will contain several curves. For your convenience, they will by drawn with different colors.

The chart can be zoomed with the help of a mouse. Select the necessary section holding the left mouse button. Place the mouse pointer over a point to get the precise value at the point in a tooltip.

SMS Messages

SMS messages can be sent by unit while executing a command, generating an alarm or in other cases, which depend on device type. A table generated for this request will consist of three columns: time when message was received, message text, and SIM card number embedded into unit. Messages can be filtered by text.

Sent Commands

Commands sent to the unit by user(s) are displayed for this request. There is a special button in the monitoring panel to send commands to units. The resulting table includes:

• Time: time when the command was sent to the unit.
• User: login name of the user who performed the command. If there is a dash in this cell, it means you have no access to this user, that is why the login name is hidden.
• Command name: command name as it is written in unit properties.
• Command type: command type (see the list).
• Parameter: for those commands that require additional parameters (like message to driver, input activation/deactivation, report period, custom message, etc.).
• Execution time: time when the command was executed. If execution failed due to billing limitations (e.g., you ran out of SMS messages), this cell will contain only dashes.
• Channel: channel type used to transmit the command (TCP, UDP, Virtual, SMS).

Registered Events

Different types of events can be registered in unit history automatically or manually.

Automatic registration is adjusted with the help of notifications (delivery method must be Register event for unit, Register as violation, or Register unit status). In such a manner, you can control geofence visits, connection loss, idling, service intervals, etc.

Manually an event can be registered in the special registrar in the monitoring panel. With this method, you can register fuel fillings, maintenance, unit statuses, and any custom event.

Traffic counter reset and routes statuses can be saved as events.

• time when the event was detected (automatic registration) or registered (manually by user);
• type: event (traffic counter reset, events from notifications, some custom events, route control statuses), violation (violations from notifications, some custom events), maintenance (registered manually).
• event text which is taken from notification text or from description entered while registering manually.

Unit Log

Any manipulations with unit properties or its database are logged in the system automatically. In addition, records can be added to unit log manually — through event registrar. To see unit log or add messages to it, you should have not only Query reports or messages access but also Manage log.

Any changes in Unit Properties dialog are logged as well as import, export, and removal of messages, assignment or reset of a driver and others.

Unit log contains the following information:

• Time: date and time when the change was done (saved).
• User: name of the user who did it.
• Action: description of the change performed. Messages can be filtered by text in this description.
• Host: the address of the computer from which the user did the change or it can be 'job' or 'notification' if the action was automatic.
• Delete: buttons to delete records.

Unit log is also presented as a report.

Export/Import Messages

Messages can be imported and exported. It concerns only messages of the first type that is data messages.

Attention! Size limit for an imported file/archive is 64 MB, which, in case of archive, is approximately 3.5 million messages.

Export

Open the Export Messages tab in the left section of the window. Select destination format and push Export.

Depending on your browser configuration settings, you will be offered to open or save the file. The resulting file can be compressed. For this, leave the flag Compress file.

The supported formats are:

• OziExplorer track(.plt): Ozi Explorer format that stores track as a list of coordinates of track's points.
• NMEA messages (.txt): National Marine Electronics Association text file, communications protocol used in sea navigation equipment. Attention! Parameters (sensors) are not stored when exporting to this format.
• Google Earth (.kml): an XML-based format used in Google Earth to transmit three-dimensional geospatial data.
• G4L messages (.wln): a format to be used with G4L software
• G4L binary messages (.wlb): a binary format to be used with G4L software.

Import

Select the Import Messages tab in the left section of the window.