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Services

Reach the web interfaces and remote desktops of the devices of a product from the console, through the device connection, without opening ports.

Feature2 min read

The Services tab of a product publishes a web interface or a remote desktop that runs on, or next to, each device of the product. The console opens it through the IOTMP connection of the device, so you reach it without a public IP, a VPN or open ports on the device network.

YOUR BROWSERPLATFORMDEVICE NETWORKConsoleopens the servicefrom the device menuHTTPSThinger.io serverchecks the permissionto open the serviceand relays the trafficIOTMP connectionweb · VNC trafficopened by the deviceno public IP, no VPN, no open portsDeviceIOTMP, e.g. the Linux clientNode-RED · Web Service127.0.0.1:1880 the device itselflocal networkPanel PC · VNC Remote Desktop192.168.1.20:5900 same networkEach enabled service shows in the menu of every device of the product.The target address is seen from the device. Only connected IOTMP devices.
Product services through the device connection

When to use it ​

  • To open the local web interface of a gateway, a PLC or a router, such as Node-RED on port 1880.
  • To control the desktop of an industrial PC or a panel over VNC.

The device must be connected over IOTMP, for example with the Linux client. The target address is seen from the device: 127.0.0.1 is the device itself, and another address reaches a machine of its local network.

Add a service ​

YOUR_SERVER is iot.thinger.io on the free Cloud account, or the domain of your private instance. YOUR_PRODUCT is the product ID.

Console

  1. Open the Services tab

    Open the product, go to its Services tab and click Add.

  2. Set the target

    Set the Service Identifier and choose the Service Type: Web Service or VNC Remote Desktop. On the configuration tab, set the Target Hostname, the Target Port and, if the target uses TLS, SSL/TLS. For VNC, VNC Settings sets View Only Mode, Auto Scale, Shared Desktop, the Compression Level and the Image Quality.

    New Service modal of a product with a Web Service that targets 127.0.0.1 on port 1880
    Web Service of a product

  3. Set the security and save

    On Security, turn on IP Filtering and set the Timeout Minutes if you need them. On Settings, set the Name shown in the device menu, leave Enabled on and click Create.

API

PUT/v1/users/{user}/products/{product}/services/{service}API reference
bash
curl -X PUT "https://YOUR_SERVER/v1/users/YOUR_USER/products/YOUR_PRODUCT/services/node_red" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "type": "web",
    "name": "Node-RED",
    "enabled": true,
    "target": { "address": "127.0.0.1", "port": 1880, "secure": false }
  }'

"type": "vnc" adds a vnc object with viewonly, scale, shared, compression and quality. GET .../services lists them.

CLI

The CLI cannot manage product services. Use the console, the API or an agent.

AI

Ask your AI agent

Add a web service called Node-RED to the product YOUR_PRODUCT that opens port 1880 of each device.

The agent uses thinger_resource_create with the product_service type. See MCP tools.

Open a service ​

Each enabled service appears as an entry in the menu of every device of the product, with the Name of the service (a VNC service without a name shows as Desktop: followed by its ID). Click it to open the web interface or the desktop inside the console. Opening a web service or a remote desktop needs its own permission, so you can grant it to some project members only.

Limits ​

  • Services work only with IOTMP devices, while they are connected.
  • The target must be reachable from the device.
  • Removing a service, or disabling it, removes its entry from the devices.
ProductsDefine a product once, with its properties, buckets, flows, API resources, script and dashboard, and apply it to a whole fleet of devices.LinuxBuild the Thinger.io IOTMP client for Linux, connect a Raspberry Pi or any Linux computer, and run it as a service with remote terminal and files.Remote toolsOpen a shell, browse files and read the log of a connected device from the Thinger.io console, without VPNs or open ports.