Requirements

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Niagara 4 System Requirements

Check that your station meets the following before installing Reflow.

• Reflow requires Niagara 4.10 or later, running on a Web Supervisor or JACE 8000 (or equivalent) hardware.
• Reflow’s module size is approximately 8.5 MB. We recommend 50 MB of free space on your station’s file system before installation, and keeping at least 40 MB dedicated to Reflow during use, where its configuration data is stored.
• Reflow doesn’t require additional memory or CPU. Its impact on station memory, heap size, and CPU usage should be negligible. If your station is already at maximum memory or CPU capacity, adding any module — including Reflow — may affect your system.

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Web Browser Support

Reflow’s interface runs in a web browser, on desktop, tablet, and mobile alike.

• Reflow supports all modern evergreen browsers, including the latest versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari.
• Browser version support extends two releases back from the version current when that release of Reflow shipped.
• Reflow supports all iOS browsers on iOS 14 or later.
• Reflow supports Android browsers compliant with Chrome 64 or later. We recommend the latest release of Chrome on Android.
• Internet Explorer isn’t supported.

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Security Considerations

Access to Reflow works in two layers: the permissions your station already enforces, and Reflow’s own controls over Reflow content.

• Station permissions come first. A user’s read, write, and invoke permissions carry into Reflow — if they can’t write to a point in your station, they can’t write to it in Reflow.
• Components, points, devices, and graphics a user can’t reach in the station don’t appear in Reflow either. On Niagara this is controlled by the Category Service.
• Reflow adds a second layer on top. User Profiles control which Reflow content each user can reach.
• Reflow uses Niagara’s built-in Web Service to serve all files and web requests. If HTTPS is enabled on the Web Service, requests are served over HTTPS. If the Web Service is disabled, Reflow is disabled along with it.

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Weather Data

Weather features draw on an external provider, which affects what your network needs to allow.

• Reflow uses the NiagaraMods weather API, powered by Xweather (formerly AerisWeather), for current conditions, forecasts, and live precipitation maps.
• The module on your station never connects to the weather provider directly. That connection is made from the viewer’s browser, so it has no impact on station performance.
• Your station doesn’t need an internet connection for these features, but anyone viewing the data does, and their network must allow HTTPS access to weather.niagaramodules.com.
• Current conditions and forecast data are cached for up to 15 minutes. Weather map images are cached for up to 30 minutes.

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Map Data

Maps work the same way as weather data — the provider is reached from the browser, not from your station.

• Reflow uses MapBox for the interactive maps on dashboards, building pages, and in the configuration.
• The module on your station never connects to the map provider directly. That connection is made from the viewer’s browser, so it has no impact on station performance.
• Your station doesn’t need an internet connection for these features, but anyone viewing a map does, and their network must allow HTTPS access to mapbox.com and geocode.niagaramodules.com.

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License System

How a license validates depends on its type and the hardware it’s installed on. For installing a license and how licenses are sized, see Licensing. All four types are valid for all future versions of Reflow 1.x and Reflow 2.x. The legacy types are no longer sold, but existing ones keep working.

• When an internet connection is available, ReflowService contacts api.niagaramodules.com over HTTPS once a day to keep your license current.
• Without an internet connection, licenses that carry an expiration date have to be updated manually before they expire — see Manual License Installation.