Direct Device API
Is there a way to retrieve water consumption data directly from the device? Or must the web/cloud based API be used? (I recognize that any device API would be more limited in functionality than a web based API, but there are certain compensating benefits that would be useful in my application.)
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Official comment
There is no way to directly query the device to retrieve water consumption data. In order to access the data, you must use the cloud based servers. We do have a public API available that is currently in beta - if you are inerested, please visit the following address: developer.streamlabswater.com.
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Thanks for the info. Several follow on questions:
- 1) I occasionally lose internet access. Does the device have any provision for uploading water consumption data gathered during an internet outage, once network connectivity is restored?
- 2) What kind of SLA do you provide for your web service? (Uptime, API call limits, latency of data gathering, etc.)
- 3) What steps does your company take to ensure the privacy of water consmption data? (I'm concerned about this from a security point of view.... lower water consumption is a good way to detect an empty home.)
- 4) What happens to the device if your company (or an acquirer, etc.) decides to discontinue the cloud service? Will it still be useful?
I'm interested in buying two or three of these devices. A direct API makes it an easy sell. (I already have local control and monitoring software I've written running on site.)
Thanks,
MIke
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Hi Mike,
I apologize for the delayed response.
1) Yes, StreamLabs devices store up to 3 hours of your most recent usage history.
2) The Streamlabs API is currently in Beta and we do not have an SLA specific to it. It is currently covered by the same Streamlabs Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy that the App and Monitor are covered under. We plan to release an SLA specific to the API for the official launch of that feature.
3) We are currently working on a detailed and transparent article on our security practices as a supplement to our privacy policy which will answer common questions about how we transmit and store your data. We take data privacy and security extremely seriously and use industry standard TLS 1.2 end-to-end encryption wherever possible including from the Monitor to the Server and from the Server to the Streamlabs App. We host our platform using AWS infrastructure and inherit their compliance to certifications found here: https://aws.amazon.com/compliance/. We also intentionally collect only the minimum amount of personal information necessary to provide our water usage service (email, password, and zip-code if you provide it). StreamLabs does not share any of your information unless you give us permission to do so.
4) Currently, the StreamLabs Monitor requires communication with the StreamLabs servers to operate. The StreamLabs Control can still be operated manually via the physical buttons (opening and closing the shut-off valve) without communication to our services, but the rest of its functionality would be lost. However, we are seeing requests for a direct API and it is possible that we may add that feature in a future release.
Hopefully we were able to answer some of your questions with the information provided above. Please let me know if you have any further questions.
Thanks!
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I'm also curious if there has been any update on the direct device API feature? This device looks perfect for my needs, but I'm not willing to rely on a cloud API and paid subscription to use it. In fact I just gave a talk at a conference about how home automation tools shouldn't rely on an internet connection, so I'm really hoping there's a way to talk directly to this device.
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Hi Rachel,
A direct API would indeed be enabling for my application, which would probably have hundreds of sites in a municipality.
It is critical for my application to collect water flow data with time resolution small enough to tell when the feed pipe from the water main in the street has been refreshed from the water main, and thereby determine how long it has sat in that feed pipe. The sort of time resolution I see crawling across my screen of my phone app would probably suffice, hourly just doesn't come close, every minute is really not enough either.
I could collect the data directly from your device, if you made it available. I could collect it from your cloud to put it in mine to relieve streamlabs from keeping large quantities of data. It would be great you could just fork it.
You have an easily deployable unit which measures information we need to know, much cheaper to install than an invasive flow meter. It is ready made (I don't have to develop hardware), at what sort of volume would you consider supplying units programmed to use our cloud servers instead of yours? The householder would not be paying for, or installing these units.
Although I am reluctant to be explicit about the application at this time, it is fairly obvious if you are aware of the municipal water supply news over the last few years. It is an application of which you could be quite proud, and could potentially get news mention with.
Thanks.
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