Skip to main content

RetroCapture

RetroCapture is a standalone application used to sync data from offline loggers to Capture Cloud. Previously, this was known as the Service Tool, which is no longer supported. The application can run on devices with or without Capture.Edge installed. It supports both InfluxDb and TimescaleDb.

[Prerequisites]

RetroCapture requires .NET 8.0 to be installed on your system. Not immediatly syncing live from target/offline database? -> influxdb / timescaledb needs to be installed.

Modes​

RetroCapture supports two modes of operation:

  • Live Syncing From Database: Connect to an offline device via Ethernet/LAN and sync the captured data in real-time to Capture Cloud. This mode requires the device running RetroCapture to have an active internet connection.
  • Syncing From Backup: Create a backup of the offline database from the offline device. You can then sync this backup from your own device to the cloud at a later time.

Installation​

RetroCapture is a standalone executable. The only dependency is the installation of .NET 8.0.

Usage​

The process involves configuring the source and target databases, optionally creating and restoring a backup, and finally syncing the data to Capture Cloud.

Step 1: Choose an Operating Mode​

Start RetroCapture and select your desired mode:

  • Sync live from a database.
  • Take a new backup to sync later / Use an existing backup to sync.

Step 2: Configure Source Database​

Next, provide the connection details for the source database (the offline logger).

  1. Database Type: Select InfluxDb or TimescaleDb.
  2. Address: Enter the host and port of the offline database on the target device.
  3. Username & Password: Provide the credentials for the database.

Click Set Variables. If the settings are correct and the database is reachable, you will be prompted to select the database you wish to sync.

Choose a database


Backup Mode Only: Provide the name of the database in case you have already a backup

Step 3: Backup and Restore (Backup Mode Only)​

If you are using the backup mode, you need to configure settings to create a local copy of the offline database.

  1. Backup Path: A valid folder path where the backup can be stored (doesn't need to be empty).
  2. Db Executable: Path to the database executable. This is often pre-filled correctly.
    • InfluxDb: Path to influxd.exe. If Capture Edge is installed, this is typically C:\Program Files (x86)\Capture\Influx\influxd.exe. Otherwise, you can install InfluxDb via the Capture Edge installer.
    • TimescaleDb: Path to the folder containing PostgreSQL executables, typically C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\$version$\bin. If not installed, you can download PostgreSQL (version 17 is recommended).
  3. Local Database Address: The host and port for your local database instance. This must match the type of the source database.
  4. Username & Password: Credentials for your local database.
  5. Custom Start Time (InfluxDb only): Optionally, you can set a custom start time for the backup by disabling "Sync all data".

Click Backup & Restore to create a backup and restore it to your local database. You can choose to automatically delete the backup files after the restore is complete.

If the restore is successful, the new temporary database will be automatically selected for the sync.

Tip: if you want to sync later, you can select the ‘Live From Database’ mode at that time and choose your localhost 127.0.0.1 as the target device.

Step 4: Sync to Capture Cloud​

Finally, configure the settings to sync the data to Capture Cloud.

  1. Capture URL: The URL of the Capture Cloud instance. Default: https://capture-vintecc.com/.
  2. Path to Syncer executable: This is usually pre-filled.
  3. Alternative Syncer Port: Choose an unused port (e.g., 5011).
  4. Min Points to Sync: The minimum number of data points required to start a sync.
  5. Points Per Request: The number of data points to send in each batch. Default: 10,000.
  6. License: A valid license file is required for authentication.
    • If Capture Edge is running on the device, you can use its cloud manager license.
    • Otherwise, follow the steps in the License section to obtain a license file.
  7. [Advanced] Convert data in case of type mismatch: Enable this if you encounter type mismatch errors during syncing.
  8. Extra debug logs: Enable to view detailed logs of the syncing process.

Click Start Syncing to begin uploading data to Capture Cloud.

License​

If Capture Edge is not installed on your device, you need to download a license to authenticate the Syncer with Capture Cloud.

New Frontend​

  1. Navigate to the "Devices" page and click "Add Device".

  2. Select "Add an offline device".

  3. Fill in the device details.

  4. Find the CloudManager UI of the offline device (port 5004) and copy the displayed GUID.

  5. Paste this GUID into the "Activation UID" field in Capture Cloud.

  6. Download the license file.

Old Frontend​

  1. Go to the "Offline Devices" page.

  2. If this is your first time, add an offline device.

  3. Find the CloudManager UI of the offline device (port 5004) and copy the displayed GUID.

  4. Paste this GUID into the "Activation UID" field.

  5. Download the license.

(*)