Operational summary
The dashboard syncs via periodic snapshots and, when enabled, an event stream. Node aliases and retention policies are enforced server-side.
The tactical simulator (lab only) generates positions on the server and merges with real nodes for UI testing without field hardware.
Deep dive
An operational panel is only useful if it reflects reality live. Sentinel combines two mechanisms to achieve that: periodic snapshots of full state (ensuring consistency even if an event is lost) and an event stream when available (minimizing latency between what happens in the field and what the operations center sees).
Snapshots are a photo of the entire fleet at a moment: positions, states, active geofences, aliases. They reach the panel at short intervals and ensure any divergence (from momentary disconnect, lost stream event) is corrected periodically. The user almost never notices: the merge between snapshot and stream is transparent to the map user.
Some system parameters apply server-side and aren't negotiable from the client: node aliases, history retention policies, geofence configuration. That architectural choice ensures multiple admins don't conflict modifying the same organization's data: source of truth is backend, clients read and propose changes.
For test environments or demos without physical hardware, Sentinel includes a tactical simulator that generates server-side positions and merges with real nodes. That lets you show the UI with active fleet for trainings, customer presentations, or new-feature development. Lab only: in production we ensure the simulator is off so synthetic data doesn't pollute real operations.
Open in product