Configure Sensor Collector

This article outlines the steps to configure a Sensor Collector using the Provider Connectivity Assurance user interface.

To access Sensor Collector creation and choose a type:

1. Navigate to Sensors > Collectors > Sensor Collector.

2. Click the + button on the right to begin creating a new Sensor Collector.

3. Select a sensor collector type based on the time series data you intend to ingest:

   • Gateway Sensor Collectors are required for Telemetry Collector and Assurance Sensor software agent data sources.

   • CSV Sensor Collectors are used for hardware Assurance Sensor data sources.

4. Click Configure sensor collector to proceed.
    

Depending on your specific requirements, follow one of the two distinct configuration procedures below:

• Configure a Gateway Sensor Collector

• Configure a CSV Sensor Collector

Configure a Gateway Sensor Collector

The Gateway Sensor Collector type is required for any data that is incoming from a Telemetry Collector or a software Assurance Sensor (referred to as a sensor agent).

To configure a Gateway type Sensor Collector:

1. Assign a unique name to your Sensor Collector.
   Note: The name must not contain spaces and must be distinct from all other Sensor Collectors within your tenant.
   Best Practice Tip: Create a name that incorporates the incoming data type, the server's name where it will be deployed, and the Provider Connectivity tenant's name.

   For example, PM_mobility_<server_name>_<tenant_name> helps easily locate the Sensor Collector in inventory, especially when managing many collectors.
   

2. Select the Metric configuration that corresponds to your data source. This is either a sensor-agent for software assurance sensors or a telemetry-collector.

   
   

   The following configuration fields are presented:

3. Populate the Availability zone field with a unique value. This is a unique identifier that tells Provider Connectivity Assurance which configuration to push to the Sensor Collector.
   Notes: For Gateway and CSV Sensor Collectors, there is a one-to-one mapping of Availability Zone to the Sensor Collector. It is not possible to push a single configuration to multiple Sensor Collectors.
   The recommended best practice is to use the same value you assigned as the Sensor Collector name (for example, if the name is "my-new-sensor-collector", set the zone to "my-new-sensor-collector").
   

4. (Optional) Use the Session Filter feature to filter out unwanted data before it is ingested into Provider Connectivity Assurance. For more information, see Session Collector Session Filter.

5. Set up the metrics and management ports:

   Note: You can retain the default Port field values for Docker deployments. However, if you are deploying to Kubernetes, you must update these values, because the defaults fall outside the permitted range for most Kubernetes clusters.

   1. Metrics gateway port: The default port for data transfer is 55888. This default is not valid in Kubernetes environments; if you intend to deploy to a Kubernetes environment, this port must be changed to a value that is valid (typically 30000-32767).

   2. Management Proxy port: The default port for pushing configuration to the Sensor Agent/Telemetry Collector and receiving health and status updates is 55777. This default is not valid in Kubernetes environments; if you intend to deploy to a Kubernetes environment, this port must be changed to a value that is valid (typically 30000-32767).

IMPORTANT: The values configured for the Metrics Gateway port and Management Proxy port must precisely match the provisioning in your Sensor Agent or Telemetry Collector configuration. The management proxy port is set during the Docker Compose or Helm installation. In contrast, the Metrics Gateway port is defined in the Sensor Agent or Telemetry Collector  user interface found under Sensors > Agent > [Your Agent Name]  > Configuration.

6. (Mandatory) Upload the TLS certificate and private key.

   Notes: Only PEM-formatted files are supported.

   The Sensor Collector requires a secure TLS connection to communicate with the associated Sensor Agent or Telemetry Collector.

   The TLS certificate serves as the Sensor Collector’s digital identity to establish trust, while the private key enables the necessary cryptographic handshake to generate secure encryption keys.

   The Sensor Agent or Telemetry Collector acts as the validator and initiator. By verifying the Sensor Collector’s certificate, the agent guarantees it is communicating with the correct entity.

   By using the Sensor Collector’s public key to facilitate the handshake, the Sensor Agent or Telemetry Collector ensures all subsequent WebSocket data is encrypted and secure from interception.

7. Save your configuration settings by clicking the checkmark in the top-right corner.

Once configured, your Sensor Collector will appear in the inventory list under Sensors > Collectors > Sensor Collector. You are now ready to deploy the collector in either a Kubernetes or Docker environment.

Configure a CSV Sensor Collector

The CSV Sensor Collector type is required for any data that is incoming from a hardware Assurance Sensor.

To configure a CSV type Sensor Collector:

1. Assign a unique name to your Sensor Collector.
   Note: This name must not contain spaces and must be distinct from all other Sensor Collectors within the tenant.
   Best Practice Tip: Include the incoming data type, the server's name, and the Provider Connectivity tenant's name. For example, PM_mobility_<server_name>_<tenant_name> helps facilitate future identification.
   

2. Populate Availability Zone with a unique value.
   Note: For consistency, it is recommended to use the same value as the Sensor Collector name.
   

3. Populate the CSV file path field with the full path to your CSV data file.
   The remaining fields in the pop-up window can be left as their default values.
   

4. Save your configuration settings by clicking the checkmark in the top-right corner.

Note: The Session Filter profile can be used to filter out unwanted data and prevent it from being delivered to Provider Connectivity Assurance. For more information, see Session Collector Session Filter.

Once configured, your Sensor Collector will appear in the inventory list under Sensors > Collectors > Sensor Collector.

You are now ready to deploy the collector in either a Kubernetes or Docker environment.