OpenIndustrial Documentation
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Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to common questions. Can't find what you need? Ask Azi.

Getting Started

How do I get started with OpenIndustrial?

Follow the Quickstart guide. In about 10 minutes, you'll:

  1. Create a data connection
  2. Connect data to a surface
  3. Build a query with Azi
  4. Get your API endpoint
  5. Connect any MCP-native AI

What data sources can I connect?

Currently supported:

  • Azure IoT Hub - Device telemetry
  • Azure Event Hub - Event streaming
  • Simulator - Test data (built-in)

More connections are planned. Check the roadmap for updates.

Do I need Azure to use OpenIndustrial?

Yes, OpenIndustrial works with your Azure data infrastructure. Your data stays in your Azure tenant—we don't copy or store your telemetry data.

Data & Connections

How do I delete a device?

Devices are managed in your Azure IoT Hub, not in OpenIndustrial. To delete a device:

  1. Go to Azure Portal
  2. Navigate to your IoT Hub
  3. Delete the device from the device list
  4. The device will stop appearing in OpenIndustrial queries

Where does my data live?

  • Telemetry data: Your Azure IoT Hub / Event Hub
  • Query configurations: Your Azure tenant (managed by OpenIndustrial)
  • Results: Queried on-demand from your data

Can I connect multiple data sources?

Yes. Create separate connections for each source, then link them to surfaces. You can query across multiple connections within a single surface.

Queries & API

What is a "warm query"?

A warm query is a saved KQL query with its own API endpoint. It's called "warm" because:

  • It's saved and ready to execute
  • It has a defined schema and output format
  • It returns fresh results on each call

Compare to:

  • Cold data: Archived, historical data
  • Hot data: Real-time streaming
  • Warm queries: On-demand queries with known structure

How do I access my queries via API?

Every warm query gets a REST endpoint. After creating a query:

  1. Get the API endpoint from the query details
  2. Use your API key for authentication
  3. Call the endpoint: GET /queries/{name}/execute

See REST API Reference for details.

Why is my query slow?

Most common causes:

  1. No time filter - Query scans too much data
  2. Wide time range - Reduce from days to hours
  3. Complex aggregations - Simplify or pre-aggregate

Quick fix: Always add a time filter first:

| where timestamp > ago(1h)

Azi & AI

Who is Azi?

Azi is your AI collaborator in OpenIndustrial. She can:

  • Propose queries based on natural language
  • Suggest configurations for connections and surfaces
  • Help troubleshoot issues
Thinking Tip:

Azi proposes—you decide. Nothing happens without your explicit approval. This is the "governed AI" principle.

Does Azi have access to my data?

Azi can read your data schema and query results to make intelligent suggestions. However:

  • Proposals wait for your approval
  • You control what Azi can see and do
  • Nothing changes without your explicit decision

Can I use other AI tools with OpenIndustrial?

Yes! That's the "Bring Any AI" principle. After completing the quickstart, you can:

  • Connect Claude Desktop via MCP
  • Connect VS Code Copilot via MCP adapter
  • Connect any MCP-native AI to your governed data

See Connect Any AI to get started.

Security & Permissions

How are secure keys stored?

Connection credentials are:

  • Encrypted at rest
  • Stored in your Azure tenant
  • Never exposed in logs or API responses

We use Azure Key Vault patterns for credential management.

How do I manage team access?

Roles:

  • Viewer - Read-only access to surfaces and queries
  • Editor - Create and modify queries
  • Admin - Full workspace management

To invite someone:

  1. Go to workspace settings
  2. Add team member by email
  3. Assign appropriate role

Can I transfer this to my own infrastructure?

OpenIndustrial is designed for independence:

  • Your data is already in your Azure tenant
  • Query configurations can be exported
  • The "fire us, keep running" principle means you're never locked in

Contact your account team to discuss self-hosted options.

User Interface

Where is the Inspector panel?

The Inspector panel is in the right sidebar. If you don't see it:

  1. Check if the sidebar is collapsed
  2. Look for the Inspector icon in the panel switcher
  3. Use keyboard shortcut to toggle panels

What's the difference between Save and Commit?

Thinking Tip:

Save = draft your changes locally. Commit = make them permanent and tracked.

ActionWhat It DoesWhen to Use
SaveSaves draft locallyWhile working on changes
CommitCommits to version historyWhen ready to finalize

Best practice: Commit small, named changes. This makes it easier to track what changed and when.

Why don't my commits have names?

If commits show generic names like "Update query", you can add descriptive names:

  1. Before committing, add a commit message
  2. Describe what changed and why
  3. Good names: "Added temperature threshold alert"

Can I rollback changes?

Currently, rollback is not available. To mitigate:

  • Make small commits with clear names
  • Test changes before committing
  • Keep notes on what each commit contains

Rollback is on the roadmap.

Troubleshooting

Why isn't my data showing?

See No Data Showing for a complete diagnosis guide.

Quick checks:

  1. Is the connection status "Connected"?
  2. Is the source actually sending data?
  3. Is the time window correct?

Why is my query returning empty?

See Query Returns Empty.

Quick checks:

  1. Does data exist? Try YourTable | take 10
  2. Is the time filter too narrow?
  3. Are field names spelled correctly (case-sensitive)?

I can't connect to my IoT Hub

See Can't Connect.

Quick checks:

  1. Using Hub connection string (not device string)?
  2. Policy has ServiceConnect permission?
  3. Firewall allows the connection?

Still Have Questions?

Can't find your answer?

  1. Check Common Issues for error messages
  2. Browse Troubleshooting by Component
  3. Ask Azi in the chat panel
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