Hub Management Improvements

Hub Management Improvements

 1.0 Introduction

The Hub Management Improvements introduces a range of powerful new features designed to enhance control, efficiency, and visibility across hubs. Key enhancements include new options for restarting services, resetting hubs, and syncing data with greater precision. Operators can now monitor real-time status updates, receive alerts for hub suspension, and track critical sync details. The hub management improvements also adds smart and full sync options for optimized data management and improved system performance, with additional safeguards to prevent sync conflicts and ensure seamless operations.

Important Note: Syncing the hub is a separate action from syncing controllers. Syncing the hub syncs the data from the cloud to the hub. Syncing controllers is a separate action and is performed independently of a hub sync and some changes require a controller sync to be manually performed, and is indicated, via the Controllers page.

 2.0 Restart Services on the Hub

You have the ability to restart all the Borealis-related services on the hub. This can be useful when troubleshooting a hub or controller communication issue directly from the UI. For example, if there was an internet disconnect when changes were being made. The services that are restarted are: the Application Server, the Gateway, the Sync Service and the hub Updater service. Restarting the hub services can be performed once every 5 minutes.

  1. From the Hubs screen, select the hub Actions menu.
  2. Select Restart Services from the list.



  3. You will see a notification that Restarting the Services can be triggered once every 5 minutes.
  4. Click the RESTART SERVICES button. 
  5. The hub status will almost immediately change to indicate that the hub services are restarting or restarted.
  6. Wait until the hub status displays Online. The Borealis-related services will then be restarted and the hub will be fully functional again. 

3.0 Reset the Hub

Note: Resetting the hub is not a commonly performed action - it is only used for technical support troubleshooting purposes.

Provides the ability to do a complete reset of the data on the hub. This action clears the current database tables on the hub and then re-populates the hub with the database information located on the cloud. The reset action then also restarts all services except for the sync service.
  1. From the Hubs screen, select the hub Actions menu. 
  2. Select Reset from the list.



  3. You will see a notification that Resetting the hub can be triggered once every 30 minutes. 
  4. Click the CONFIRM RESET button. 
  5. An additional notification will re-iterate that cardholders access may be temporarily affected. 
  6. Click the START RESET button. 
  7. The hub status will almost immediately change to indicate that the hub reset has started. 
  8. Wait until the hub status displays Online. The hub will then be reset and will be fully functional again. 

4.0 Re-sync the Hub

Note: Re-syncing the hub is not a commonly performed action - it is only used for technical support troubleshooting purposes.

Provides the ability to completely re-sync the hub. The current dataset is sent from the cloud to the hub.

Important Note Regarding PXL Controllers

If changes are made to a PXL system while the hub or controllers are offline, the controllers will not be synced when a hub sync is performed.

On a large system, syncing controllers can take a while to complete. After syncing a hub, for a PXL system, the controllers should then also be synced. Pending controller syncs will be indicated on the Controllers screen as the controllers will have pending update icons displayed next to them.



The sync action is performed via Hardware >> Controllers >> Actions >> Sync.

4.1 Smart Sync

The smart sync will only send to the hub the pending database changes which are in the cloud. This should be done if you believe the hub may have lost internet connection when database changes were being made.

4.2 Full Sync

A full sync will send all the required database information from the cloud to the hub.

Notes:

  1. If the hub is resetting, restarting, or syncing, any sync commands received during this time will retry automatically until the hub's eight-minute give-up period is complete.
  2. Server only provides sync data if:
      o Hub is not suspended
      o Hub is claimed
      o Hub has a package version that permits sync; this could be:
    - hub doesn't have a mandatory package version before sync can occur
    - Hub has a required package version based on hub-type (Keri NXT/KB, PXL or MSC, etc)
    - Hub has a required package version number on a per-hub basis.

    Notes
    The hub package contains all the required files that are used by the hub to function in Borealis. An online hub is automatically updated to a new package whenever there is an official Borealis hub update from Keri. 

5.0 Additional Hub Status Information

The following hub information can now be found on the hub status screen.

  o Last Sync with Changes Date and Time
  o Hub suspended state
  o Current package number
  o If the package is out of date and a package update is needed to restore sync - the package number required.
  o Hub suspended status
  o Additional hub real-time status' - Restarting/Resetting/Sync Started/Sync Complete

5.1 Display Additional Hub Status Columns

  1. On the Hubs screen, click on the column select icon.
  2. Scroll to the bottom of the list.
  3. Place a checkmark against the additional hub status columns that you wish to display.
  4. Click APPLY.
  5. The additional columns will now be displayed on the Hub screen.

6.0 Hub Management Lockout Periods

To avoid configuration conflicts, there is a 'lockout' period that prevents the same hub management action from being performed again until the lockout time has passed. For example; if you restart the hub services you will not be able to perform that same action again until 5 minutes has passed.
  1. Lockout time for restarting services - 5 minutes.
  2. Lockout time for hub reset - 30 minutes.
  3. Lockout time for a full sync - 15 minutes.
  4. Lockout time for a smart sync - 5 minutes.

7.0 System Suspension Notifications

  1. If a hub is suspended, all operators see a Suspend Hub warning when logging into a system. A hub will become suspended if payment has not been made for the subscription during the grace period (see the following section), or if the subscription has expired (due to payment not being received at renewal) or within the renewal grace period (30 days). 



  2. Hub Suspended warning can be disabled per system in the system settings.



8.0 New System Grace Period

New systems enter a Setup period when the system will be fully functional without payment for 7 days. Each time a user logs into Borealis they will see notification that the system is within the setup period and will state how many days remain until payment is required. 



Why the New System Grace Period Was Added:

Previously, installers were unable to complete system setup until payment was made, causing delays and inefficiencies. This grace period enables installers to bring the system online and fully operational without waiting for immediate payment, providing flexibility to coordinate with management and finalize payment during the setup process.

If payment is not made the hub will no longer sync after the expiry date (so changes will not go out to the controller network).

To clear the setup period and make the system fully active all pending subscription items will need to be paid. Refer to the Borealis payment and billing document for further information:
https://help.kerisys.com/portal/en/kb/articles/making-a-payment

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