KbA0015: CopperCube Effective Limits
Description
The purpose of this KbA is to discuss the effective limits of the CopperCube device.
What are the operational limits I need to consider when deploying a CopperCube?
The CopperCube is designed to work within reasonable limits so it can operate efficiently, operate without interruption and operate without burdening the BAS network – while still collecting the requested data in a timely manner and ensuring the data is reliably transmitted to the Kaizen servers. Users must ensure these limits are respected when planning their CopperCube deployment.
1. Number of Trend Logs
The total number of Trend Logs a CopperCube can archive is limited by its license limit. CopperCubes are available in four different sizes.
- Small (S): Up to 250 Trend Logs
- Medium (M): Up to 1,000 Trend Logs
- Large (L): Up to 2,500 Trend Logs
- Extra Large (XL): Up to 5,000 Trend Logs
2. Number of Objects
A CopperCube may collect up to 50,000 objects from all the devices included in the Device Inclusion Range. This limit arises from the desire to not burden the BAS network especially the MS/TP segments of the BAS network. The CopperCube bandwidth usage is restricted to collecting about one object/sec. Given it must collect all of the BACnet Objects within a 24-hour period (in order for Kaizen Golden Standard and Infrastructure Insights to function), and 86,400 sec/day and the bandwidth must be shared with Trend log collection – 50,000 Objects becomes the practical limit you can expect a CopperCube to achieve under good conditions. If you are using a slow Internet connection and/or slow BBMD Foreign connections then the limit will be lower.
3. Number of Sites (remote connections)
A CopperCube can support up to 50 BBMD site connections. This is a limit of the CopperCube hardware and BACnet stack. Reliable communications cannot be sustained with more than this number of connections.
Can I increase my CopperCube size?
Yes. Trend Log licenses of less than 5000 Trend Logs can be upgraded to a CopperCube-XL. This is done by obtaining a new license for your CopperCube. Please contact CopperTree Customer Solutions for help with CopperCube upgrades.
Note: Only the number of Trend Logs can be increased. The limits on the number of objects and number of connections remain, as they are imposed upon the CopperCube by external factors.
I am using my CopperCube primarily for collecting objects. Do the limits still matter?
Yes. Kaizen Infrastructure Insights and Golden Standard Insights depend upon having all objects collected daily. If the objects are not collected daily, the insights generated will be misleading as they will be based upon incomplete data. You must ensure the number of objects you are collecting is BOTH less than the 50,000 objects rule-of-thumb and that they are being collected in less than 24 hours given your available network connection speeds.
You can find out the total number of objects and the total object save time by checking the CopperCube Status/Device Monitoring Status in Kaizen.
What if I ignore these limits?
Disregarding these limits will cost you time and money. Your CopperCube will continue to function as best as it can. You may even believe your CopperCube & Kaizen set-up is fully functional, but you will encounter serious operational issues (especially with data transmission, Kaizen Insights, and Kaizen Reports) that will be very difficult to troubleshoot. Please save yourself the headaches.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact CopperTree Customer Solutions at [email protected]