PG3 on Polisy

[TJF1960]

I have read a few post regarding PG3 and wondered if I can install and run/play with it yet? If so how can it be downloaded and how to start it?

[bpwwer]

Yes, it available with recent Polisy updates.  You'll have to install it from the ssh command line.

1. Make sure your Polisy is up-to-date

sudo pkg update
sudo pkg upgrade

2. Install PG3

sudo pkg install pg3
sudo service pg3 enable
sudo service pg3 start

Once it is installed, you can access it at https://<your polisy's IP>:3000/  

It has the standard default login of 'admin' / 'admin'

[asbril]

2 hours ago, bpwwer said:

Yes, it available with recent Polisy updates.  You'll have to install it from the ssh command line.

1. Make sure your Polisy is up-to-date

sudo pkg update
sudo pkg upgrade

2. Install PG3

sudo pkg install pg3
sudo service pg3 enable
sudo service pg3 start

Once it is installed, you can access it at https://<your polisy's IP>:3000/  

It has the standard default login of 'admin' / 'admin'

I followed your steps and did not get any error message, but I don't notice any difference from before.

This is what shows at the bottom of my Polisy Dashboard :

Version 2.2.13 Status: Connected
Frontend Version: 2.2.9-5
ISY Version: 5.3.4
Uptime: 1 Month(s) 3 Week(s) 3 Day(s) 23 Hour(s) 7 Minute(s) 54 Second(s)

[bpwwer]

It doesn't replace the existing PG2 installation.  That remains active.  It adds a second dashboard at a slightly different web address.

https://<polisy ip>:443/   ==> Your normal PG2 dashboard  (or https://<polisy ip>/)

https://<polisy ip>:3000/ ==> The PG3 dashboard

 

[asbril]

7 minutes ago, bpwwer said:

It doesn't replace the existing PG2 installation.  That remains active.  It adds a second dashboard at a slightly different web address.

https://<polisy ip>:443/   ==> Your normal PG2 dashboard  (or https://<polisy ip>/)

https://<polisy ip>:3000/ ==> The PG3 dashboard

 

THANKS !!!!   I got it.  So until all my existing Nodeservers are added to PG3, I keep using PG 2 ? 

I tried to change the username / password from admin/admin but, even though they were saved, it remains on admin/admin.

[DaveStLou]

2 hours ago, asbril said:

I tried to change the username / password from admin/admin but, even though they were saved, it remains on admin/admin.

I've been wondering the correct way to change that myself.

[bpwwer]

You can change the password but not the username.   Polyglot can only have one user account and currently PG3 doesn't allow you to change that.

[TJF1960]

@bpwwer  Thanks Bob!

You guys all have done a terrific job. Installation was a breeze, PG3 started right up, found my ISY994. After adding ISY Polisy it found it. Its all set to go. 

Again, Amazing job!

Thank you to all!

[DennisC]

19 hours ago, bpwwer said:

Yes, it available with recent Polisy updates.  You'll have to install it from the ssh command line.

1. Make sure your Polisy is up-to-date

sudo pkg update
sudo pkg upgrade

2. Install PG3

sudo pkg install pg3
sudo service pg3 enable
sudo service pg3 start

Once it is installed, you can access it at https://<your polisy's IP>:3000/  

It has the standard default login of 'admin' / 'admin'

Bob,

What about upgrading PG3 from a previous version? Will there be an announcement somewhere within PG3 that an upgrade is available? 

Would you use sudo pkg update PG3?

[lilyoyo1]

1 hour ago, DennisC said:

Bob,

What about upgrading PG3 from a previous version? Will there be an announcement somewhere within PG3 that an upgrade is available? 

Would you use sudo pkg update PG3?

I'm sure there will be. Pg3 is still in testing which is why sudo is required. 

[bpwwer]

I believe PG3 may be installed by default now with the latest updates.   Certainly, once it is installed, it can be updated using the standard pkg commands or via the Polyglot (PG2) menu items to update the Polisy.  Soon those same menu items will be available on PG3.

I've been posting announcements of updated versions (and the changes) to a Slack channel for PG3 node server developers. Seems like more people are interested in it so I'll have to start posting those here as well.

Occasionally, the updates to PG3 have broken existing PG3 installations.  I've tried hard to minimize this, but it is still a possibility. However, I don't know of any changes on the horizon that would do this.

Most of my effort going forward will be to get existing node servers ported to work on PG3.

 

[Michel Kohanim]

@bpwwer,

PG3 is still not being installed by default.

With kind regards,
Michel

[someguy]

what are the advantages or improvements or differences of PG3 vs. PG2?

[bpwwer]

2 hours ago, someguy said:

what are the advantages or improvements or differences of PG3 vs. PG2?

The primary goal for PG3 was to provide a platform that allowed for commercial node servers.  I.E. a way for third parties to publish and sell node servers.

In addition to that it has some user visible new features:

1. Ability to connect with multiple ISY's, not just one.
2. Ability to install multiple copies of a node server.
3. Sorting the node server store list by various columns. 
4. Simplified install process.
5. Automatic updates on restart (similar to what PGC does).
6. Additional control of node servers from the GUI (discover, load profile).

There has also been a lot of work to revamp the API used by node servers to interact with PG3 so that node servers work a bit better.  An example here is how configuration parameters are handled.  With the new API it is easy to set the default values for configuration parameters and handle user changes to those dynamically.  So you should no longer have node servers that say set xyz and then restart the node server.

[someguy]

@bpwwer Thank you! sounds good.  

[garybixler]

@bpwwer Hi, I have migrated from the 994 to the ISY on Polisy and installed PG3 and have a few questions. Can I point PG3 to the ISY on Polisy having both PG2 and PG3 connecting to the ISY? Will an update show up on the PG3 for a NS I have installed from PG2 or will the Node Server config on the ISY need to be changed to port 3000 first? Just wondering how the NSs can be updated to the latest versions but keep the same definition on the ISY. What will need to be changed on the NS configuration on the ISY? I have one that can be migrated at this time.

Thanks for any insight. Gary

[bpwwer]

An ISY (any ISY) can work with multiple instances/versions of Polyglot.  Each node server slot on the ISY can be "Owned" by a different instance of Polyglot.  But it's a one-to-one mapping between an ISY slot and a Polyglot.

So yes, you can have both PG3 and PG2 connect to a single ISY.

But No, PG3 cannot take over and manage a node server that was installed by PG2.  PG3  and PG2 node servers aren't interchangeable.  There is not a full migration utility/path from PG2 to PG3 at this time.

However, in some cases, it may be possible to do a backup using PG2 and restore that backup using PG3 to migrate some node servers.  This will only work if the node server name is the same for PG2 and PG3 and if the PG3 version is not free, you have to purchase the PG3 version first.  It will try to move the configuration over as well, but there is no guarantee that the PG3 version will be able to use the same configuration that the PG2 version did.

[garybixler]

@bpwwer

I was able to delete and uninstall a NS from PG2 (Wemo) and Install it from PG3. I used the same slot but does it matter in which slot it is installed? Does the ISY just go by names and not in which slot it is installed for identification? All I needed to do after that  was just resave any programs associated with that NS. 

Thanks much for you assistance. 

Gary

[dbwarner5]

@bpwwer I think I understnad the issue and goals of moving the configurations, but what happens to the nodes? For example when I move the NS Ecobee, from PG2 to PG3, will all of the nodes will become new nodes in the isy, meaning, that I will have to re-map any nodes I use in programs or scenes? If the ISY can have both reporting at the same time, then I suppose I can do Find/Replace in programs? 

 

Thanks

[bpwwer]

@garybixler @dbwarner5

How compatible a PG3 node server's nodes are to PG2's, depends on the node server and if changes where made to the node structure in the PG3 version.

For the Wemo node server, I removed the controller node as it wasn't needed in the PG3 version.  The device nodes are the same between versions.   So if the node server is restore onto PG3 from a PG2 backup, it should take over the existing nodes, except for the controller node which will end up as an orphaned node in PG3.

I don't have any insight into the Ecobee node servers so I don't know if it will be possible to migrate that one or not.

If you're not restoring from a backup,  you'll have to go through and fix programs manually so it doesn't matter which slot is used for the PG3 version.

The slot number is part of the identification of a node server node, so it does matter.  You can have the same node server installed in multiple slots and they are unique because of the different slots.

[Jimbo.Automates]

@dbwarner5 Moving the Ecobee to PG3 is next on my list, but it's a pretty complicated NS so it may take a while.  My intent would be to keep the node addresses the same so programs will still work as expected if you put it in the same slot. However, I have found that even if the node address are the same you have to update/save the program sometimes for it to function.

The only exception for all my NS's is that the Controller Node Status is now three states instead of two, now the status are  Disconnected, Connected and Failed, instead of just True and False. so any programs referencing it must be edited and updated, even though the program shows the correct status, you still have to update and save. 

Although possibly just rebooting the ISY would fix them as well, but I'm not sure about that.

[macjeff]

I have about 20 nodeservers now on pg2.  After talking to Jimbo and a couple others I am interested in trying pg3 both to get the latest nodeserver updates (due to end of life of Pg2 nodeservers) and to support the developers.

Below are some statements and questions on my plans.   Please comment!!!

1. First I need to make sure my polisy is up to date (which it is) and Install Pg3 using commands in this thread.

2. Pg2 nodeservers will work as if nothing happened.

3. Right now my polisy is on port 8443 so that will be the same but I use port 3000 for pg3 dashboard.

4.  To update Polisy (and freebsd) I use SSH commands (sudo pkg upgrade) and not the GUI version in PG2 under the system menu or can I continue doing that.    And will this update everything (anything for pg2 and pg3 as well as freebsd)

5. So lets pick a nodeserver as example-  Jimbo WirelessTag.  I disable it in pg2 and install on pg3?  If I have issues with pg3 one can I go back to pg2 version until I get the issue resolved.  Everything is working well now (knock on wood) and I dont want to mess it up (fix what aint broke!!)

6. Question- My ISY is NOT on polisy and I dont plan on moving it any time soon  because I have a VERY complex setup (see screenshot) and it would take a lot to upgrade.  So assuming I stay with the hardware ISY, can I now have more than 25 nodeservers?  The nodeserver limit is fine now but as this expands to more and more devices 25 is not going to be enough.  Depending on your answer here, I may consider running a second ISY on polisy since pg3 supports it and move over some stuff.  My issue is some of the programs run other programs and having 2 ISY instances seems like it will be hard to manage what devices are on each one assuming you cant call commands from one ISY to another  (if so I would like to learn more)

7. When I back up Polisy do I have to run one backup from pg2 and one from Pg3?

8. Some nodeservers may never be ported to pg3 so I assume pg2 will be able to run for along time and its not going away anytime soon. 

9. Anything I missed and should know.

 

Jeff

Thank you very much in advance for your help and suggestions.

[dbwarner5]

@macjeff I would consider moving the ISY first. the performance upgrade is significant. For me the hardest two area in moving was losing the Elk module and having to redo programs after adding the Elk NS on PG3, and then having to read all my z-wave devices. My system is also fairly complex, but not nearly as much zwave as you have. 

Here is a link to a posting I made of my experience. 

 

In moving the Nodeservers, there really isn't a great option on how to do this yet. @Jimbo outlines several options in one of his Nodeserver ReadMe. -->

Moving from PG2

There are a few ways to move.

Backup and Restore

The best way to move from PG2 to PG3 is to backup on PG2 and restore on PG3, but the only option is to do all your nodeservers at once. I don't have much information on this method, if you have questions please ask on the PG3 forum.

Delete and add

If you can't or don't want backup/restore then you can delete the NS on PG2 and install on the same slot on PG3. All node addresses will stay the same so all your programs should work after doing an update and save on each one, or rebooting the ISY, especially any using the Controller node since it's ST value has changed.

Add then delete

Another option is to install in a new slot then go edit all your programs and scenes that reference the nodes and switch to the new slots.

 

Good luck!

[macjeff]

28 minutes ago, dbwarner5 said:

@macjeff I would consider moving the ISY first. the performance upgrade is significant. For me the hardest two area in moving was losing the Elk module and having to redo programs after adding the Elk NS on PG3, and then having to read all my z-wave devices. My system is also fairly complex, but not nearly as much zwave as you have. 

Here is a link to a posting I made of my experience. 

 

In moving the Nodeservers, there really isn't a great option on how to do this yet. @Jimbo outlines several options in one of his Nodeserver ReadMe. -->

Moving from PG2

There are a few ways to move.

Backup and Restore

The best way to move from PG2 to PG3 is to backup on PG2 and restore on PG3, but the only option is to do all your nodeservers at once. I don't have much information on this method, if you have questions please ask on the PG3 forum.

Delete and add

If you can't or don't want backup/restore then you can delete the NS on PG2 and install on the same slot on PG3. All node addresses will stay the same so all your programs should work after doing an update and save on each one, or rebooting the ISY, especially any using the Controller node since it's ST value has changed.

Add then delete

Another option is to install in a new slot then go edit all your programs and scenes that reference the nodes and switch to the new slots.

 

Good luck!

I dont have any ELK devices.   I have as you can see in my previous post about 67 zwave.  The rest are insteon and pg2 nodeservers. 

I guess I would need a zwave stick to transfer the zwave to polisy

and second once I move over the ISY backup I was told I have to redo all the scenes.  Thats a lot of work!!!

[dbwarner5]

@macjeff Am not sure what you mean by redoing the scenes. I did not have to do anything with my scenes. Only my programs that had elk or zwave in them. But I dont have any zwave devices in scenes. All the Insteon stuff, resources, variables, etc all came over seamlessly.

The zwave had some potential short cuts in that if an original zwave device Zwave1 was in node ZW006 and now zwave 1 was in ZW008, and Zwave2 device was in ZW006, I could do a find and replace in the programs: find Zwave 2 and replace with Zwave 1.  That worked great for a lot of it. 

I got the Zoos 700 for ~$28. Works great. No problems with it at all. Plugs into the back of the polisy.