Location Tracking Engine Integration

Description

Location Tracking Engine Integration provides real-time location data required by all asset tracking services. The system integrates with external location providers to receive:

• WiFi device locations (smartphones, laptops)

• BLE tag locations (beacons, sensors)

• Coordinates (X/Y or lat/lng)

• Zone detection (which zone contains the device)

Supported Providers:

• Aruba Central - Cloud-based location analytics

• Aruba ALE (Analytics and Location Engine) - On-premises solution

• Meraki CMX - Cisco Meraki cloud location services

• Cisco Spaces - Cisco cloud location platform

• Ipera Location Engine (ILE) - Ipera's proprietary location engine

• Huawei iMaster - Huawei cloud campus solution

When to Use

• Customer has existing location tracking infrastructure

• Customer wants to use their current WiFi/BLE infrastructure

• Customer needs to integrate with specific vendor solution

• Customer wants real-time location data for assets

Dependencies & Requirements

• External Location Engine: One of the supported providers must be configured

• Network Infrastructure: WiFi access points or BLE gateways from provider

• API Credentials: Provider API keys, base URLs, and authentication

• Network Access: Provider must be able to send data to Starling platform

Configuration Steps

Step 1: Select Provider

1. Identify which location engine provider customer is using

2. Verify provider is in supported list:

   • Aruba Central

   • Aruba ALE

   • Meraki CMX

   • Cisco Spaces 

   • Ipera Location Engine (ILE)

   • Huawei iMaster

Step 2: Configure Provider in Starling

1. Navigate to Settings > Location Analytics > Location Engine

2. Select provider type from dropdown

3. Configure provider settings:

   • Base URI: Enter provider API endpoint URL

   • API Key/Token: Enter authentication credentials

   • Webhook URL: Enter Starling's webhook endpoint (provided by system)

   • Polling Interval (if applicable): Set how often to poll for data

4. Test connection to verify credentials work

5. Save the configuration

Step 3: Configure Provider to Send Data

1. For Webhook-based providers (Cisco CMX, Meraki, Aruba ALE, etc.):

   • Log into provider's management console

   • Configure webhook to send data to Starling's endpoint:

     • Cisco CMX: /api/v1/location-analytics/cisco-cmx

     • Meraki: /api/v1/location-analytics/meraki-cmx

     • Aruba ALE: /api/v1/location-analytics/aruba-ale

     • Aruba Central: /api/v1/location-analytics/aruba-central

     • Cisco Spaces: /api/v1/location-analytics/dna-spaces

     • ILE: /api/v1/location-analytics/ipera-location-engine

   • Enable webhook notifications

   • Configure data format (JSON)

2. For Streaming providers (Cisco Spaces):

   • Configure persistent HTTP connection

   • Ensure continuous data stream to Starling

Step 4: Verify Integration

1. Check that location data is being received:

   • Navigate to Asset Tracking Dashboard

   • Verify assets appear with coordinates

   • Check location updates are happening in real-time

2. Check logs for any errors:

   • Review location analytics logs

   • Verify webhook is receiving data

   • Check for authentication errors

Integration Methods by Provider
Provider	Method	Description
Cisco CMX	HTTP Webhook	Vendor POSTs data to Starling endpoint
Meraki CMX	HTTP Webhook	Real-time webhook notifications
Aruba ALE	HTTP Webhook	Webhook-based location updates
Aruba Central	HTTP Webhook	Cloud webhook integration
Cisco Spaces	HTTP Streaming	Persistent HTTP connection
ILE	HTTP Webhook	Ipera Location Engine webhook
Huawei iMaster	HTTP Webhook	Huawei cloud webhook

 

Troubleshooting

Issue: No location data received

• Check: Provider credentials are correct

• Check: Webhook URL is accessible from provider

• Check: Provider is configured to send data

• Check: Network connectivity between provider and Starling

• Check: Provider's webhook is enabled

Issue: Incorrect coordinates

• Check: Floor mapping is correct in provider

• Check: Coordinate system matches (X/Y vs lat/lng)

• Check: Floor IDs match between provider and Starling

Issue: Authentication errors

• Check: API key/token is valid and not expired

• Check: API key has correct permissions

• Check: Base URI is correct

Use Cases

1. Multi-Vendor Support: Support different location engines based on customer infrastructure

2. Real-time Tracking: Receive continuous location updates for assets

3. Zone Detection: Automatically determine which zone contains tracked devices

4. Historical Analysis: Store location data for analytics and reporting