# Glossary ## Glossary ### 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) A second verification step added to the login process (e.g., a code from an authenticator app) on top of username and password, used to increase account security. ### ACL (Access Control List) A permission mechanism that uses tags to restrict or grant access to specific assets or areas of the platform. For example, a user with a specific tag can only see assets that share that tag. ### Aggregation A statistical summary of raw time-series data over a defined time interval. Available methods include Average, Sum, Minimum, Maximum, and Time Weighted Average (TWA). ### Alarm A message generated automatically by the platform when a rule condition is satisfied — indicating a non-standard state of an asset attribute. Alarms range from informational to critical depending on the rule priority. ### Analytics A graphical visualization of asset data over time, built using charts and other visual elements. Analytics can be embedded in Reports or viewed independently. ### App A microservice-based extension that connects BuildingPro Suites with an external third-party system (e.g., ABB free\@home, KNX, Microsoft 365). Apps automatically create assets, sync data bidirectionally, and may add extra functions such as booking or SSO. Apps are installed via the Marketplace. ### Asset The central organizing unit in BuildingPro Suites. An asset is a container for data points and metadata, representing a physical or conceptual object — such as a sensor, room, floor, building, or machine. ### Asset Type (Asset Template) A reusable blueprint that defines which attributes an asset will have. Asset Types are created once in Engineering and applied when creating new assets to ensure consistent structure across the platform. ### Attribute A named data point or property that belongs to an asset, such as `temperature`, `humidity`, or `occupancy`. Attributes hold live values collected from connected systems and can be monitored, written to, or calculated. ### BIM (Building Information Model) An interactive 3D virtual model of a building within the platform. Assets can be placed on building components and their live data can be viewed in context. ### Calculator A formula engine within an attribute's settings that computes a derived value from other attributes of the same asset using mathematical expressions. ### Connector A protocol-level interface (e.g., MQTT, Webhook, RESTful, Apache Kafka, OPC UA) used to pipe raw data from external devices into BuildingPro Suites. Unlike Apps, connectors require manual format configuration and do not automatically create assets. ### Custom Widget A user-built widget assembled from individual visual modules (e.g., Trend chart, Donut, Heatmap). Custom Widgets can combine data from multiple assets and attributes and are placed on Dashboards. ### Dashboard (Live Cockpit) A configurable graphical interface composed of Widgets where users view live values, trends, alarms, and controls. Multiple dashboards can be created per user or shared across the platform. ### Digital Twin / PhotoReal Twin An interactive visual representation — built from photos or technical drawings — of a device or system, linked to one or more assets. Live data values are overlaid on the representation and settings can be written back through it. ### Edge Node A hardware device or software component installed close to field devices that collects, pre-processes, and forwards data from sensors and building systems (via BACnet, Modbus, KNX, etc.) to BuildingPro Suites over standard protocols. ### Escalation The automated process of notifying one or more users via external channels (email, SMS, Slack, Google Chat) when an alarm is triggered. Escalations are configurable by recipient, channel, time schedule, and message template. ### Format A mapping configuration used in the connectivity pipeline to decode raw incoming device payloads and assign the parsed values to the correct asset attributes. ### GAI (Global Asset Identifier) Abbreviation for **G**lobal **A**sset **I**dentifier. A unique identifier that must be assigned to every asset in BuildingPro Suites. The GAI is used to reference the asset unambiguously across the platform, in APIs, and in scripts. ### Heap The internal store that holds the most recent (current) value of every asset attribute. Scripts, rules, and the platform UI read from and write to the heap to access or update live data. ### Marketplace The in-platform repository of official, verified apps that can be installed and configured to extend the platform's integration capabilities. ### Module A targeted functional component within a Suite, designed to address a specific use case (e.g., energy metering, wayfinding). Also used to refer to the individual building blocks composable inside a Custom Widget. ### Offset A static value permanently added to all incoming measurements for an attribute. Used to maintain data continuity when a meter is replaced and the new device starts counting from a different value. ### Ontology A structured, formal framework of terms, classes, and relationships used to organize and integrate building data in a machine-readable and semantically consistent way. BuildingPro Suites supports Brick, Haystack, and RealEstateCore ontologies. ### POI (Point of Interest) A named pin placed on a floor plan linked to an asset. The pin can display live attribute values and change color based on configured value mapping. ### Polygon A highlighted area drawn on a floor plan whose fill color changes dynamically according to the value mapping of a linked asset attribute (e.g., room occupancy or temperature zone). ### Tenant A logical scope within a System that groups assets, dashboards, rules, and roles together. Tenants can represent buildings, regions, or any organizational unit and can be structured freely. ### Report An automatically generated document that compiles data from assets and can include Analytics. Reports can be scheduled and sent by email to defined recipients on a recurring basis. ### Role A named set of granular read, write, and manage permissions assigned to users to control what they can see and do in the platform. Roles can be scoped to the entire system or to a specific tenant. ### Rule A condition applied to an asset attribute that, when met, automatically triggers an Alarm. Rules define the threshold, priority, alarm text, and the attribute being monitored. ### Rule Chain A visual, node-based automation workflow that connects triggers (data changes, schedules, events), logic nodes, and actions (write values, create tickets, send notifications) to automate platform behavior without coding. ### Script Engine A tool in Engineering that executes scheduled Python or SQL scripts on the platform's data, enabling complex transformations, resets, plausibility checks, and integration with machine-learning models. ### Smart Assist A curated entry point that combines multiple Smart Views and Slider Groups into a single interface for building users, typically shown on a fixed lobby screen or accessed via a personal device. ### Smart View A simplified, read-oriented view intended for building users. Smart Views display data in a clean format with deliberately limited interaction options, distinct from the full Dashboard experience. ### Slider Group A set of Smart Views configured to cycle automatically through each view at a defined time interval — useful for lobby displays or public screens. ### Suite A domain-focused bundle of related Modules — for example, covering energy, operations, comfort, asset health, space, or grid interaction. Suites allow you to license and activate exactly the functional area you need. ### Subtype A classification label applied to an attribute to distinguish its role. Common subtypes are `input` (data received from external systems), `output` (values written back to devices), and `status`. ### System The top-level environment in BuildingPro Suites that you authenticate against when logging in. A System can contain one or more Tenants, and users are visible across all tenants within it. ### Tag A color-coded label that can be applied to assets, users, or rules to categorize and filter content. Tags are also used by ACL rules to control which users can access which assets. ### Ticket A work order in the Service Desk, linked to an asset or alarm, that assigns responsibility for resolving an issue to a specific user or team. ### Trend A time-series chart showing how an attribute's value has changed over a selected time period. Available as a module inside Custom Widgets and in the Analytics tool. ### Twig Templating A templating language (Twig.js) used to generate dynamic message content for escalation notifications and ticket communications, supporting variables, conditions, and loops. ### Value Mapping A configuration that translates raw numerical or boolean attribute values into human-readable text labels and optional colors for display in widgets, floor plans, and Smart Views. ### Wayfinding A floor-plan-based indoor navigation feature that guides building users to a selected destination using the floor plans stored in the platform. Activated by scanning a QR code. ### Widget A self-contained visual element placed on a Dashboard or Smart View that displays data from one or more assets. Both preconfigured widgets (e.g., Alarm Overview) and fully Custom Widgets are available. ### White Labeling The ability to replace the BuildingPro Suites branding — including logo, colors, and product name — with a partner's or customer's own brand. Typically used by OEM and reseller deployments. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.buildings.ability.abb/collection/preface/glossary.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. 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