Groups Tab
This page / section pertains to BrightSign Network (often abbreviated BSN), our legacy cloud platform. Our latest cloud platform is BSN.Cloud. Development of BSN has largely ceased and the platform will eventually be deprecated and replaced with BSN.Cloud.
Groups allow you to distribute presentations to a specific set of BrightSign players. You can monitor the health and scheduling of all your networked players from one convenient page.
Groups
General Managers, Network Managers, Publishers, Viewers
When using BrightAuthor Classic to set up players for the BrightSign Network (BSN), you must choose a group for each device. However, you can always move a device to a new group from the Groups tab in the WebUI.
The BrightSign Network includes the “Default” and “LocalTest” groups by default. The Groups list displays the following information:
- Name: The name of the group, followed by the number of devices it contains in parentheses.
- Status: The status of players in the group:
- Healthy: A green check indicates that the player is connected to the network; the presentation is active.
- Connection Lost: A yellow pause indicates that the player has missed its last scheduled status update, or the player is part of the Disabled Players group.
- Inactive: A red square indicates that the player is not functioning and/or not connected to the network. There can be several reasons for an inactive player; please see this FAQ for a full list of causes.
- Disconnected: A grey question mark indicates that the player has no subscription, or its subscription has expired.
- Properties: Details and scheduling information about the group. See the Group Properties and Device Properties sections below for more details:
- Presentation: A dropdown list showing all presentations scheduled for the group. This list includes presentations that are scheduled but not currently playing.
Check the Show Deleted Devices box in the bottom right to view devices that have been deleted from your account. You can then restore deleted devices if needed.
Each BSN account features two default groups:
- Unassigned: If a group is deleted, any players within that group will be moved to the Unassigned group. You can schedule presentations for the Unassigned group, ensuring that orphaned players will always display some content.
- Disabled Players: If you disable a player using the Disable button in the Device Properties window, it will be moved to the Disabled Players group. By default, this group is scheduled with the Disabled Players presentation, which displays a notice stating the player is disabled.
Viewing Players in a Group
To see what players are in a group:
- Log in to BSN.com
- Go to the Groups tab
- Select the group
- Open Tags Playback in the pop-up (as shown in the image at right). This will display the players in the group.
Group Properties
General Managers, Network Managers, Publishers, Viewers
To view information about a group, click the Properties link next to the group name and status. This will bring up the Group Properties window, which provides the following information:
- Name: The name of the group
- Scheduled firmware upgrades: Use the dropdown menus to send firmware updates to certain player models in the group. Once you have selected the desired update(s), click the Save button. The specified player models will then download and run the firmware update the next time they check in with the BrightSign Network.
- Autorun Version: The autorun version to which all players are upgraded when they are first assigned to the group
- Serial Debugging: The setting for serial debugging
- System Log Debugging: The setting for system log debugging. The debugging options allow you to get additional information about a player’s status using the serial port, Telnet, or SSH.
- Devices: A list of all players in the group. The serial number and name of each player is displayed.
- Delete: Click this button if you would like to delete the group. Players that are part of the deleted group will be moved to the “Unassigned” group.
Device Properties
General Managers, Network Managers, Viewers
Expand a group list and click on the Properties link beneath a player name. This will bring up the Device Properties window, which includes the General, Advanced, Downloads, Remote Snapshot, and Tags tabs.
General
The General tab provides the following sections:
Device Overview
- Unit ID: The serial number of the player
- Unit Name: The player name, which is designated during the player-setup process
- Model: The model number of the player
- Target group: The group that has been assigned to the player
- Target time zone: The time zone that has been assigned to the player
- Reported group: The group assignment that was last reported by the player
- Reported time zone: The time zone that was last reported by the player
Since there is often a delay between changes to groups/players in the WebUI and the corresponding player updates, the target status and reported status will sometimes be different.
- Firmware: The current firmware version installed on the player
- Autorun ver. (standard): The current autorun version of the BrightAuthor Classic presentation assigned to the player.
- Autorun ver. (custom): The current autorun version of the custom-built presentation assigned to the player. Visit this this How-to... to learn how to distribute custom autorun scripts using the BrightSign Network.
- Remote Snapshot: The status of the Remote Snapshot setting on the player. It can be one of the following:
- Unsupported : The scheduled presentation(s) do not support the Remote Snapshot feature because they were created in an older version of BrightAuthor Classic.
- Disabled : The scheduled presentation(s) support the Remote Snapshot feature, but the feature was not enabled during the player setup process.
- Enabled : The scheduled presentation(s) support the Remote Snapshot feature, and the feature was enabled during the player setup process.
- IP address: The IP address of the player
- Card Size: The total capacity of the SD card installed in the player
- Card Realized Size: The sum of the assets in the supplied asset collection/sync spec (it does not assess the actual contents of the SD card). If the asset collection or sync spec is empty, or contains only assets of zero size, the return value will be zero.
- Subscription type: The type of BrightSign Network subscription assigned to the player
- Subscription status: The current status of the BrightSign Network subscription assigned to the player
Name Specification
- Name: Edit the player name.
- Description: Edit the description for the player.
Unit Configuration
- Enable diagnostic web server: Check this box to enable the Access the Remote DWS. You can include a User Name and Password in the text fields below for added security.
- Content Check Frequency: Specify how often the player should communicate with the BSN servers to determine if there is new scheduled content to download.
- Update Health Frequency: Specify how often the player should send health status updates to the BSN servers. This determines how up-to-date the Player Status colors are.
Logging
- Enable playback logging: Check this box to record playback start and end times, zone names, media types, and file names.
- Enable event logging: Check this box to record timestamps, state names, zone names, event types, and event data.
- Enable state logging: Check this box to record current and last state names, timestamps, and media types.
- Enable diagnostic logging: Check this box to record timestamps, firmware and script versions, and the current presentation.
- Enable Variable logging: Check this box to record the current and default values of all User Variables in the presentation.
- Upload logs: Check either of the following:
- On startup: Uploads log files each time the player is powered on.
- At specific time each day: Uploads log files daily at the specified time. Use the dropdown lists to pick a time.
Network Settings
- Enable Wireless: Check this box to connect the player to the local network using a wireless connection. In order to use a wireless connection, you must purchase a Wireless Module for your BrightSign player. If the player is connecting to a secured network, enter the following:
- SSID: Enter the SSID of the wireless network.
- Security key: Enter the password for the wireless network.
- Network Connection Priority : Choose to prioritize either the Wired or Wireless connection. The BrightSign player will always attempt to download and upload using the first option, and will only use the second option if the first is unavailable.
- Time zone : Edit the time zone where the player is located.
- Time server : Edit the server (and protocol) that the player should use to synchronize its clock. Players use the BrightSign Network time server by default.
- Use Proxy: Check this box if you want the player to use a proxy server.
- Address: Enter the address of the proxy. If you need to provide a user name and password for the proxy, use this format: :@ (e.g. “admin:[email protected]”).
- Port: Enter the port number of the proxy.
- Limit content downloads: Check this box to restrict player content downloads to a certain time of day. This is helpful if you want to limit network traffic during peak hours.
- Start of Range: The beginning of the time frame during which content downloads can occur.
- End of Range: The end of the time frame during which content downloads can occur.
- Limit health updates: Check this box to limit when the player sends health updates to the BrightSign Network. This is helpful if you know a player will be powered off or otherwise disabled during a certain time of day.
- Start of Range: The beginning of the time frame during which health updates can be sent.
- End of Range: The end of the time frame during which health updates can be sent.
Advanced Wired Network Settings
- Data Types Enabled: Use these check boxes to determine the data types that can be transferred using the Ethernet connection. You can enable/disable downloads (Content, Text Feeds, Media Feeds), as well as uploads (Health, Log Updates).
- Connection Settings: Specify whether the IP address is auto-generated (via DHCP) or static. If you’re using a static IP address, enter the parameters in the fields.
- Rate Limit Network Download Traffic: Set rate limitations for downloading content. The options are divided into three categories:Outside content download window, During content download window, and During initial downloads. The "content download window" described by the first two options corresponds to the Limit content downloads interval set in the Network Settings section.
- Unlimited download rate: Sets no limit on downloads.
- Default limit: Sets the default limit (2000 Kibit/s) on downloads.
- Specify limit: Sets a customized limit. Enter a limit in the text field (in Kbit/s).
Advanced Wireless Network Settings
- Data Types Enabled: Use these check boxes to determine the data types that can be transferred using the WiFi connection. You can enable/disable downloads (Content, Text Feeds, Media Feeds), as well as uploads (Health, Log Updates).
- Connection Settings: Specify whether the IP address is auto-generated (via DHCP) or static. If you’re using a static IP address, enter the parameters in the fields.
- Rate Limit Network Download Traffic: Set rate limitations for downloading content. The options are divided into three categories:Outside content download window, During content download window, and During initial downloads. The "content download window" described by the first two options corresponds to the Limit content downloads interval set in the Network Settings section.
- Unlimited download rate: Sets no limit on downloads.
- Default limit: Sets the default limit (2000 Kibit/s) on downloads.
- Specify limit: Sets a customized limit. Enter a limit in the text field (in Kbit/s).
GPS Coordinates
Player coordinates are used to generate values for the GPSLatitude and GPSLongitude player tags. The player automatically approximates its latitude and longitude using its public IP address. If you want to specify more accurate coordinates, enter the latitude and longitude of the player in the GPS Latitude and GPS Longitude fields.
Device Actions
- Save: Saves any changes you've made to player settings in the General tab. The player will update itself with these changes the next time it checks the BSN servers for content (i.e. the speed at which the player updates itself is determined by the Content Check Frequency).
- Disable: Moves the player to the Disabled Players group. The player will have a yellow status and display the presentation scheduled for the Disabled Players group, which is by default a notice stating that the player is disabled.
- Enable: Moves the player from the Disabled Players group to the Unassigned group. If the player is still communicating with the BSN servers, the player status will return to green.
- Delete: Removes the player from the BrightSign Network.
- Restore: Restores a player that has been deleted from the BrightSign Network. Deleted players can only be viewed by clicking the Show Deleted Devices box.
Advanced
The Advanced tab provides the following functionality:
- Unit Control: This section allows you to send commands to a player:
- Reboot Unit: Check this box to have the player reboot the next time it checks in to the BrightSign Network.
- Upload Logs: Check this box to have the player upload its logs to the BrightSign Network the next time it checks in.
- Recovery – reformat: Check this box to place the player in recovery mode. The player will also reformat its storage card.
- Recovery – don’t reformat: Check this box to place the player in recovery mode. The player will download the latest Autorun script to the storage card without reformatting it.
A player will not carry out a Recovery command until the Reboot Unit command is sent as well.
- Device Error Log: This section provides detailed information about the last five reported errors. If the player is operating normally, the error list will be blank. Click the Refresh button to update the error list.
Downloads
The Downloads tab allows you to monitor the player synchronization process. Here you can view the progress of individual file transfers. Click the Refresh button to update the status of the file transfers
Remote Snapshot
The Remote Snapshot tab allows you to view screenshots of presentation playback on the player. This tab is only available if the Remote Snapshot feature has been enabled during player setup and the scheduled presentation(s) use an autorun that supports Remote Snapshot. You can use the Settings button to modify the Remote snapshot settings:
- Enable Remote Snapshot: Check this box to enable or disable the Remote Snapshot feature on the device. Note that Remote Snapshot must first be enabled during player setup to be enabled here.
- Capture Interval (min): Specify how often the player should take a snapshot of the presentation display.
- Image Quality (%): Determine the quality level (and thus the file size) of each image file.
- Local Count Limit: Specify how many JPEG images can be stored on the local storage of the player (100 image maximum).
- Screen Orientation: Determine whether the snapshots should be Landscape or Portrait oriented.
Tags
The Tags tab allows you to add tags to your player. You can use player tags to conditionally filter media in Tagged Playlists on a player-by-player basis. Follow these steps to add tags to a player:
- Use the System and Users buttons to switch between system tags and user tags:
- System tags have values that are defined by the hardware and configuration data on the player (such as the device name and model number); you cannot edit the title or value of these tags.
- User tags have customizable titles and text values.
- If creating user tags, enter the Tag Name and optional Tag Value for the tag(s) you wish to add to the player.
- When finished, click Save to apply the tags to the player.
Note the following when adding player tags:
- Omitting tag values: The Tag Value is not required for user tags. If you create tags without values, you will be able to match media tags that also have no values.
- Adding new tags: A new tag is added to your BSN account if the specified tag Name is currently not in use by any other player on the account. The Add Tags window will state when you are adding new tag(s) to your account.
- Autocompleting names/values: If a similar Name or Value is already in use with another player tag, a type-ahead dialog will appear listing names/values that match what you've typed so far.
- Tagging capitalization: You cannot use similar tag names with variant capitalization (for example, if "City" is already in use as a tag name, a new tag named "city" will default to "City" instead). On the other hand, tag values with variant capitalization are allowed.
Create Group(s)
General Managers, Network Managers
To create a new group, select the Groups tab and click the Add Group button. Specify the following in the Create Group window:
- Name: Enter a unique name for the group.
- Firmware: Specify minimum firmware versions for different model lines that can be added to the group. If you add a player to the group and the player is using firmware below this minimum version, it will download and run the applicable firmware update the next time it checks in with the BrightSign Network servers.
- HDx10: Select the minimum firmware version of HD210w, HD1010, and HD1010w players assigned to the group.
- HDx20, LS22: Select the minimum firmware version of AU320, HD220, HD1020, LS322, and LS422 players assigned to the group.
- XD: Select the minimum firmware version of XD230, XD1030, and XD1230 players assigned to the group.
- 4K: Select the minimum firmware version of 4K242, 4K1042, and 4K1142 players assigned to the group.
- XDx32: Select the minimum firmware version of XD232, XD1032, and XD1132 players assigned to the group.
- XDx33,XTx43: Select the minimum firmware version of XD233, XD1033, XT243, and XT1143 players assigned to the group.
- XDx43,XTx44: Select the minimum firmware version of XD234, XD1034, XT244, and XT1144 players assigned to the group.
- HDx22: Select the minimum firmware version of HD222 and HD1022 players assigned to the group.
- HDx23/LSx23: Select the minimum firmware version of HD222, HD1023, and LS423 players assigned to the group.
- HSx4/HDx4/LSx4: Select the minimum firmware version of HD224, HD1024, and LS424 players assigned to the group.
- Serial Debugging: Choose whether to enable or disable Serial Debugging for players in the group.
- System Log Debugging: Choose whether to enable or disable System Log Debugging for players in the group.
The debugging options allow you to get additional information about a player’s status using the RS-232 serial port, Telnet, or SSH.
Click Create when you are finished configuring the group or Cancel if you want to undo the group creation process. You can now add players to the group using BrightAuthor Classic or the WebUI (as described in the following section).
Move and Remove Players
General Managers, Network Managers
You can move a player to another group by following these steps in the Groups tab:
- Expand the group that the player is currently in.
- Select the player and click Move Device To…
- Select the new group from the list and click Move.
You can also move a player to another group by dragging and dropping the player icon from one player list to another.
If you would like to remove a player from the BrightSign Network, expand a group list and click on the Properties link beneath a player name. This will bring up the Device Properties window. Click the Delete button to remove the player from the Network.
You can also delete a player in the Manage > Status tab in BrightAuthor Classic scheduling functionality. Deleted players can be recovered using the Restore button.
Schedule Presentations
General Managers, Publishers
Follow these steps to add a presentation to a group:
- Expand a group and click Add Presentation to open the Schedule Presentation window. Alternatively, you can access this window by accessing group Properties, selecting the Presentations tab, and clicking the Add button at the bottom of the window.
- Select a Presentation from the dropdown list.
- Check the Active All Day Every Day box if you would like the presentation to play at all times. This disables all other scheduling options in the Schedule Presentation window.
- Use the Event Time fields to specify a time range for the presentation.
- Use the Event Date field if you want the presentation to play during one day only. Use the Calendar menu to select a specific date.
- Check the Recurrence box if you want the presentation to play on a repeating schedule during a specific date range. Check All Days or specify certain days of the week. It is necessary to specify a Start Date and End Date if the Recurrence box is checked.
- Click Submit once you have finished configuring the schedule.
The scheduling process will fail if it conflicts with another schedule that is already assigned to the group. Follow these steps to edit a schedule or remove it from the group:
- Click the Properties link next to the group name and status.
- Select the Presentations tab. You will find a list of presentations that are scheduled to play on the current day.
- Mouse over a presentation to Edit or Delete it.
Presentations that are scheduled for dates other than the current day will not be listed. In order to find these presentations, select the appropriate date in the Show presentations at field.
Copy Tags
General Managers, Network Managers
You can use the Copy Tags feature to speed up the process of tagging players. Follow these steps to copy tags:
- Select a player that has tags you wish to copy.
- Click the purple Copy Tags button.
- Select one or more players to copy tags to. The players can be in the same or different groups.
- Click Save to complete the copy.
Important: Copying tags to a player will overwrite any tags currently associated with that player.