In Need of an INTERNET HTML MASTER GURU (Parallax Internet Netburner)

Comments

• Chris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406

  2007-01-09 16:45 edited 2007-01-09 16:45

  It would seem using UDP to send continuous messages (every 5 seconds?) to the logging server would be the most efficient. You could incorporate some sort of checksum to ensure packets are intact and if you’re not getting packets, alert you via e-mail or text message or something. Take care.
  
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  Chris Savage
  Parallax Tech Support
• Robert Kubichek Posts: 343

  2007-01-09 17:25 edited 2007-01-09 17:25

  altitudeap said...
  Well, This jurney into bits and bites, 1's and 0's has been a huge learning experience over the last year or more. I have now come to a new hurdle that needs to be overcome. I am using several pink modules that will be install all over the state. They are being used in a Data acquisition system and there will be 17 variables displayed on an HTML page that is hosted by the pink module. I have another server that is hosted at Startlogic that i want to be my data Recording hub. Because the Pink module will most likely be behind firewalls, i will not be able ping them from the webserver at startlogic. So here is my question, The Pink has a couple of different protocols that it can use. SMTP(for sending Email), UDP, and FTP(but i think that the ftp is just for writing pages to the pink?) Is there a way to have a script on the HTML page that will send its information to the Server at startlogic? I dont even know if i am asking this right. I have a page up right now on a pink. Static data and not behind a firewall right now at 68.2.125.98:81 . I need the values on the pink to be sent to the Server at Startlogic at least once a day, but more frequently would be better.
  
  Any thoughts would be appreciated. I know that the Pink will have to initiallize the contact because of the firewall. How is the part i dont know.

  
  You said that each "PINK" would be behind a firewall???
  You need to find out what type of, and how powerfull of a firewall, as not all are the same..
  Could you set up a VPN on the firewalls?? Or a DMZ????
  A VPN would be the most secure and best way...
  A DMZ would leave your PINK's open for any one to see the data/web page..
  
  You need to decide how secure you want your data to be, and go from there...
  With the above 2 options, your "SERVER" can poll the sites for data...
  
  
  Bob
• Harrison. Posts: 484

  2007-01-09 17:59 edited 2007-01-09 17:59

  You could write a server application that goes through a list of ips and polls the remote PINK modules. You could also write a udp daemon that sits on your server and waits for udp messages from remote PINK modules. There are many ways to do this, but the best solution will be heavily reliant on what kind of server you have (shared hosting, vps, dedicated, etc).
  
  What kind of startlogic server / account do you have? Do you have one of their VPSes, dedicated servers, or shared hosting accounts? Is it a windows or linux based server? I have used startlogic before and have found their servers to be highly inadequate and their tech support to be extremely rude.
  
  Harrison
• Kevin Wood Posts: 1,266

  2007-01-09 18:08 edited 2007-01-09 18:08

  Do you need the PINK for this?
  
  For example, assuming that there is a Basic Stamp (or similar) connected to the PINK that does the actual data acquisition, you could retrieve the info from the BS2 (serial/usb) and send it via a script of some sort. Then a script on your Startlogic server could process the info as needed.
  
  You should be able to use any web friendly scripting language, such as PERL, Python, Tcl, etc. Of course, your Startlogic account would need to support scripting, too.
• Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514

  2007-01-09 18:35 edited 2007-01-09 18:35

  You'll likely have the least amount of trouble with your firewall if the PINK can initiate contact with your server, rather than vice-versa. If the local network shared by each Stamp module includes a PC, it might be even easier, since there are many PC resources available that could intermediate the transfer of data to your server. (I'm actually working on one that FTPs data from a serially-connected BASIC Stamp, but it won't talk to an Ethernet-connected Stamp.) In a setup like this, FTP is probably the simplest, but you could also POST the data to a CGI program running on your server — assuming your hosting company allows custom CGI.
  
  -Phil
• Brian Carpenter Posts: 728

  2007-01-09 21:56 edited 2007-01-09 21:56

  Thank you for all your comments. The micro that will be communicating trough the Pink will be an SX48. Because of the nature of the product, i do not have the ability to request any static or DMZ,Vpn from the IT people. I need to rely on the SX and Pink sending the data to the server. The idea of a UDP daemon is kind of the rout i was thinking of also, although i dont understand any of how to set that up. Although i will begin my Google serching now.
  
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