Steps to a Successful Installation

This guide walks you through the hardware, virtualization, and network requirements for deploying Onboard's Edge Node at your site. Confirming these requirements before installation is the most effective way to avoid connectivity issues and ensure a smooth setup.

⚠️ If you are unsure about any of the network or connectivity requirements below, engage your building's IT/OT team early. Share this guide with them ahead of time.

🗄️ Virtualization Requirements

Onboard's Edge Node is packaged as an OVA and must be deployed on a supported x86-based virtualization platform. The following are officially supported:

VMware
- ESXi 7.0 U2 (7.0.2) or later
- Fusion 12.2.x or later
- Workstation PRO/Player 16.2.x or later

Microsoft Hyper-V is unofficially supported*.

*Hyper-V has no native OVA import, so the OVA must be converted to a VHDX first. See Installing the Edge Node on Hyper-V for the steps.

Note: VirtualBox and Proxmox have not been validated and are not officially supported.

The Edge Node requires x86_64 architecture. ARM is not supported.

🖥️ Hardware Requirements

The Edge Node runs on a dedicated machine managed by your building's IT/OT team. If no dedicated server is available, a mini PC or similar external device is acceptable.

Minimum specifications:

10 GB Storage
2 GB RAM
1 CPU Core
Ethernet port (required for external hardware

Recommended devices: Intel NUC Kit, ASUS NUC 14 Essential, Dell OptiPlex 3070 Micro, Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny, HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini, GEEKOM Mini PC.

⚠️ Configure the device BIOS to "Always ON" mode so it powers on automatically after an outage. Physically label the device "Do Not Unplug" to prevent accidental downtime.

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🌐 Network Requirements

⚠️ Critical: Overlooking these requirements will result in poor or no data collection.

DHCP or Static IP

The Edge Node supports DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), this means it is configured to automatically receive an IP address from your building’s network, so manual configuration is not required. However, if your IT team requires a static IP, this can be configured when creating a Collector in the Onboard App.

Outbound Internet Access

TCP Port 443

The Edge Node must be permitted outbound access over TCP port 443 for secure HTTPS communication with Onboard's cloud services.

If the building's firewall restricts to certain domains, please ensure the following domains are whitelisted, grouped below by what each one is used for:

Purpose	Required domains
Onboard API	`api.onboarddata.io`
Data storage (AWS S3)	`.s3.amazonaws.com` `s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com` `s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com` Includes onboard-ubuntu.s3.amazonaws.com and ob-dropbox.s3.amazonaws.com*
Remote management and monitoring (AWS Systems Manager)	`ssm.us-east-1.amazonaws.com` `ssm.us-east-1.api.aws` `ec2messages.us-east-1.amazonaws.com` `ssmmessages.us-east-1.amazonaws.com` `logs.us-east-1.amazonaws.com` `logs.us-east-1.api.aws` `monitoring.us-east-1.amazonaws.com` `monitoring.us-east-1.api.aws`
Container registry	`*.ecr.us-east-1.amazonaws.com` `pkg-containers.githubusercontent.com` `ghcr.io`
Software updates	`github.com` `archive.ubuntu.com` `security.ubuntu.com`

UDP Port 1501 (Optional - Troubleshooting Only)

This is optional and only required if the Onboard team needs to troubleshoot the Edge Node.

In that case, the Edge Node must be granted outbound access over UDP port 1501. This allows Onboard’s WireGuard (VPN) service to establish a secure connection to the Edge Node for remote troubleshooting. This secure tunnel can only be created when outbound UDP 1501 is allowed.

When enabled, please ensure your network allows outbound connections to the following addresses:

wg.onboarddata.io (DNS resolution must be function for this domain)
3.87.213.243
18.205.92.121

If this port is not open, data collection will still continue to function normally.

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📳 Connectivity Requirements

Confirm that your building's systems are accessible to the Edge Node on the network before proceeding.

BACnet

Verify that all BACnet devices and their points are discoverable on the building network. This can be confirmed through your BAS front-end or by your building's controls technician.
The Edge Node must be installed on the same IP subnet as your BACnet devices.

Modbus

Confirm all Modbus devices are accessible to the Edge Node over IP.
Onboard currently supports the following Schneider Electric Energy Meters: PM600, PM800, PM5000, CM5000.

If you do not find a Modbus template for your device, please request a new template in our Online Community by providing the Vendor Name and Model Name.

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Wrapping it Up!

Ensuring all of the above requirements are met before deploying is the foundation of a successful installation and reliable data collection. Once confirmed, you are ready to proceed with the installation process

💬 Need help verifying compatibility or have questions about your network setup? Reach out at support@onboarddata.io or post in the Online Community.