ShopDB knew what a bay SHOULD have and nothing about what it DOES. Adding the observed half makes a rollout a review instead of a typing exercise: the floor reports itself in, you look, and you adopt. The collection uses the mechanism that already exists rather than a new one. POST /api/collector/printers dispatches to the printers plugin's apply_collector_payload, the same ADR-006 hook the computers and backups plugins implement. New client script, new plugin-owned table, no new transport and no new credential. OBSERVED AND ASSIGNED STAY APART, and that is the point rather than a detail. A collector report can never write an assignment row: _reconcile_edges is the only function that writes usesprinter/defaultprinter, it has two call sites, and both are authenticated routes a human calls. If a drifted bay's own state were allowed to become what it is told to install, every configuration error would become permanent the next time that PC checked in. Seeding an assignment from observed state is explicit - POST /assignments/seed-from-observed - because a rollout adopts many machines at once. It routes through the same _reconcile_edges as the editor, so there is one write path with two doors, and a queue matching no known printer is REFUSED rather than guessed into an assignment. That last rule is the lesson from the measuring tools: adopting on a weak key produced 43 duplicate instruments. Two fixes on top of what the agents built. The replace deleted a host's previous rows by exact case-folded name while the read path treats a short name and its FQDN as one machine, so a PC that changed spelling appeared to hold every queue twice - which reads as drift that is not there. And the client sent 'reportedat' where the declared schema said 'observedat'. Also here: the legacy loader now imports machines.printerid, the classic system's record of each machine's default printer, which it silently dropped - the production import would have lost every one. And Set-ShopdbPrinters.ps1 finally registers the per-user logon task, staging Apply-ShopdbDefaultPrinter.ps1 to C:\ProgramData first because the share it lives on is mounted only during the enforcement cycle and the task runs at logon when it is gone. VALIDATED ON WINDOWS 11 (build 26200), not just on Linux pwsh, which parses these scripts happily and executes none of the spooler branches. The reporter: posts a correct payload with the X-API-Key header; resolves BaseUrl and CollectorKey from HKLM when given no arguments; suppresses the virtual queues by port; resolves port addresses; and reads the CONSOLE USER's default out of HKU rather than SYSTEM's own, which is a different and usually wrong answer. Two results matter more than the rest. With the spooler stopped, both the cmdlet and the CIM path fail and the script posts NOTHING - verified against a capture server that recorded zero requests, where an empty list would instead have erased that host's observed rows and read as a bay that lost its printers. A genuinely empty host still posts [], because that is a real and different fact. The logon task registers as the Users group at Limited, and falls back to the well-known SID S-1-5-32-545 when the group name will not resolve, as it will not on localised Windows. It was then run with the source directory RENAMED AWAY, to stand in for the share being unmounted, and it still moved the user's default - which is the whole reason the script is staged to C:\ProgramData rather than run from where it lives. The guarantees against damage were re-checked rather than assumed: an empty assignment changes nothing, an unreachable server changes nothing, -WhatIfOnly leaves no queue, no task, no staged file and no registry value behind, and a drifted queue is repointed IN PLACE with Set-Printer so whoever has it as their default keeps it. Not covered by any of this: the driver-staging path, which needs a real vendor package rather than the class drivers a VM ships with.
45 KiB
Collector integration (PC auto-update)
How the shopfloor PC fleet pushes inventory into shopdb-flask, replacing the
classic ASP api.asp?action=updateCompleteAsset path. The generic collector
contract is defined in ADR-006; this doc is the operational reference for wiring
a real caller (the GE-Enforce fleet agent) to it.
- Server code:
shopdb/core/api/collector.py - Computers schema + upsert:
plugins/computers/plugin.py(get_collector_schema/apply_collector_payload) - Printers schema + replace (observed print queues):
plugins/printers/plugin.py(same two hooks) - Contract rationale:
docs/adr/ADR-006-collector-contract.md
1. How it works now
Auth model (header-only, env keys, fail-closed)
- The API key travels in the
X-API-Keyrequest header. Nothing else is accepted. The old?api_key=<key>querystring fallback has been removed on every collector endpoint (see the breaking-change section below). - Keys come from environment variables (never the database, never a file the app
serves):
COLLECTOR_API_KEY_<PLUGINNAME>- per-plugin override, uppercased plugin name (e.g.COLLECTOR_API_KEY_COMPUTERS).COLLECTOR_API_KEY- shared fallback used when no per-plugin key is set.- Resolution order per request: per-plugin key first, then the shared key
(
_plugin_api_keyincollector.py).
- Fail-closed: if neither variable is set server-side, the endpoint returns
HTTP 500
Collector API key not configuredand rejects every request. An unconfigured server never silently accepts unauthenticated data. - A caller that sends the wrong key (or no key) gets HTTP 401
Invalid API key. - In addition to the env keys, a managed API token scoped to
collector.ingestis accepted as a collector credential on every collector endpoint. See "Managed collector tokens" below; env keys remain the fallback.
Managed collector tokens (recommended)
Alongside the env keys, every collector endpoint (/api/collector/<plugin>,
/pc, /apps, /heartbeat, /bulk, /status) also accepts a managed API
token (PAT) scoped to the collector.ingest permission. The env keys stay
supported as a bootstrap/legacy fallback - nothing breaks - but a managed token
is the preferred credential because it can be minted, rotated, and revoked from
the UI (Settings > API Tokens) and its use shows up in lastusedat and the
audit log.
What makes a token a collector service token: it is scoped to ONLY
collector.ingest. That scope authorizes the collector ingest API and NOTHING
else. The existing scoped-token machinery contains it automatically - a scoped
token passes require_permission only for its listed permissions and is denied
on every role-gated (require_role) endpoint and on import mode, and
collector.ingest gates no normal route. So a collector token that leaks cannot
be used to read or write anything through the regular API; it can only submit
collector payloads.
Both wire transports are accepted (send whichever is convenient; GE-Enforce
sends X-API-Key today, so that stays ergonomic):
POST /api/collector/computers
X-API-Key: shopdb_pat_<40 hex>
or
POST /api/collector/computers
Authorization: Bearer shopdb_pat_<40 hex>
An unscoped PAT, or a PAT scoped to some other permission, is NOT a collector
token and is rejected (401) - only collector.ingest in the scope list counts.
A revoked or expired token is rejected (401) on both transports.
How to mint one (admin flow)
The simplest contained flow: an admin mints the token, scoped to
collector.ingest. Because the token is scoped, the admin-role bypass is
suspended for it, so the token is contained to the collector API even though its
owner is an admin - it cannot act with admin authority anywhere.
- Settings > API Tokens > New Token.
- Check Restrict permissions, then in the permissions grid tick only
Submit collector payloads (fleet reporting) (the
collector.ingestpermission under the Collector category). Name it (e.g.fleet-collector), optionally set an expiry, Create. - Copy the
shopdb_pat_...secret (shown once) and deploy it to the fleet the same way as the env key: thecollectorApiKeyfield in per-sitesite-config.json(see "Delivering the API key to clients" below). The client sends it inX-API-Keyexactly as it sends an env key today - no client code change.
Service identity (documented, not built): if you prefer a non-admin owner,
create a dedicated low-privilege user (e.g. svc-collector) whose role holds
only collector.ingest, plus apitokens.create if that user is to mint its own
token. The scope ceiling then caps any token it mints at collector.ingest.
The admin-minted route above is simpler and equally contained, so it is the
recommended default.
Rotation
Managed tokens rotate without a fleet re-image:
- Mint a new collector token (steps above).
- Deploy it via
site-config.json(collectorApiKey) - update the one per-site value. - Confirm the new token is in use: watch its
lastusedatclimb in Settings > API Tokens (and the old token'slastusedatgo stale). - Revoke the old token once traffic has moved. Revocation is immediate.
Generic endpoint contract: POST /api/collector/<plugin>
One dynamic route serves every enabled plugin that returns a collector schema.
For the PC fleet that is POST /api/collector/computers.
Request flow inside generic_collect:
- Look up the plugin's schema. Unknown / disabled plugin -> HTTP 404
No collector registered for plugin <plugin>. - Resolve and check the API key (per-plugin then shared, as above).
- Parse the JSON body. Missing or non-object body -> HTTP 400
No data provided. - Identity-field resolution: the schema names an
identityfield(hostnamefor computers). If that field is missing or blank in the payload, HTTP 400<identityfield> is required. - Idempotent upsert: the plugin's
apply_collector_payloadfinds the existing asset by identity and updates it, or inserts a new one. Same identity on a later submission updates the same row - re-imaging a PC does not duplicate it, and existing asset relationships are preserved. - Audit logging: every accepted submission writes an
AuditLogrow (action= created/updated, entityCollector,details = collector:<plugin> action=<action>), then commits.
Response body (HTTP 200), wrapped in the standard envelope
{status, data, message, meta}, with the collector result under data:
{
"status": "success",
"data": {
"status": "ok",
"action": "created",
"assetid": 12345,
"identityvalue": "SHOPPC2335",
"warnings": ["unknown operating system: Microsoft Windows 11 Enterprise 23H2 (build 22631)"]
},
"message": "computers collector created",
"meta": { "timestamp": "...", "requestid": "..." }
}
action is created, updated, or noop. warnings is a list of soft
problems (unmapped pc-type, unknown OS, unknown app, un-stored pcsubtype) that
did NOT fail the request - the row was still written.
Error responses
Errors use the same envelope with status: "error" and the detail under
data.error:
{ "status": "error", "data": { "error": { "code": "UNAUTHORIZED", "message": "Invalid API key" } }, "meta": { } }
The plugin can raise ValueError for controlled validation failures; its message
is returned verbatim (HTTP 400). Any other exception is caught, logged
server-side, the transaction is rolled back, and the caller gets a generic
HTTP 500 Internal error processing collector payload with no internal detail
(by design - check the server log to see what actually failed).
Schema discovery: GET /api/collector/_schemas
Returns the collector schema for every enabled plugin. This route is JWT-protected (an interactive/admin token), NOT API-key protected - it is for humans and tooling introspecting what payloads are accepted, not for the headless collectors themselves.
Legacy endpoints (computers-only, predate ADR-006)
These still exist for the older PowerShell callers and all require the same
X-API-Key header:
| Endpoint | Purpose |
|---|---|
POST /api/collector/pc |
Update one PC matched by hostname (lastboot, user, serial). |
POST /api/collector/apps |
Update installed apps for a PC (known apps only). |
POST /api/collector/heartbeat |
Record check-in for one or many hostnames. |
POST /api/collector/bulk |
Update many PCs in one call. |
GET /api/collector/status |
Liveness + endpoint list. |
New integrations should target POST /api/collector/computers, not these. Per
ADR-006 the legacy /pc path is deprecated and slated for removal before v1.0.
Computers plugin field mapping
Payload naming follows the project convention (lowercase concatenated). The
identity field is hostname. All other fields are optional; an omitted field
leaves the existing value untouched (patch-style), so a bare report never blanks
a column.
| Payload field | Type | Server behaviour (apply_collector_payload) |
|---|---|---|
hostname (required) |
string | Identity. Matches Computer.hostname (case-insensitive), then falls back to Asset.assetnumber. New asset created if no match. |
machinenumber |
string | Identifies the MACHINE this PC drives, never the PC. A new PC always takes assetnumber = hostname, and an existing PC's assetnumber is left alone. The number resolves a machine asset and builds a PC -> machine controls relationship; an unknown number warns rather than creating a machine. The placeholder 9999 and empty string link nothing. See "Machine links" below. |
pctype |
string | gea-shopfloor-* imaging type -> Computer.computertypeid via the configurable pctypemap settings. Unmapped value -> warning, not error. |
pcsubtype |
string | Accepted but not stored yet -> warning. |
serialnumber |
string | Asset.serialnumber. |
loggedinuser |
string | Computer.loggedinuser. (currentuser is also accepted as a legacy alias.) |
lastboottime |
ISO-8601 datetime | Computer.lastboottime. Unparseable -> warning. |
lastcheckin |
ISO-8601 datetime | Accepted (heartbeat semantics). lastreporteddate is set server-side on every call regardless. |
ipaddress |
string | Primary Communication row (isprimary=True, type IP). Updated in place or created. |
vendorname |
string | Computer.vendorid. Vendor row auto-created if missing (free vocab). |
modelnumber |
string | Computer.modelnumberid, scoped to the vendor when known. Model row auto-created if missing. |
osname |
string | Computer.osid. Controlled vocab: looked up in operatingsystems, NOT auto-created. Unknown value -> warning (row still written, osid left unset). |
installedsoftware |
array of {name, version} |
ComputerInstalledApp rows for applications shopdb already tracks. Unknown app name -> warning, skipped. |
defaultprinter |
string | The default printer's identifier (windows name / share / hostname / port IP). Resolved to a printer asset and linked PC -> printer as a defaultprinter relationship. Unresolved -> warning. |
printers |
array of strings | All installed network printer identifiers. Each resolves to a printer asset and is linked PC -> printer as a connectedto relationship (the default is skipped here since it already links as defaultprinter). Unresolved entries -> warning. |
Schema source of truth: get_collector_schema in plugins/computers/plugin.py.
If you change the payload, change it there and re-check this table.
PC -> machine links, and part markers
The reported machinenumber says which machine the PC drives. It is not the
PC's own identifier, and writing it as one is a defect this contract used to
describe: assets.assetnumber is uniquely indexed and the machine already holds
that value, so the insert failed and the bay got a 500 on every report, forever.
A PC takes its hostname as its asset number and keeps it.
- Link: PC -> machine as
controls, taggedassetrelationships.label = 'collector:machine'. Only tagged rows are ever archived by a push, so a link made by hand is never touched. - Unknown number: warns and links nothing. A machine is never invented, because a mistyped number would create equipment nobody can account for.
- A second PC reporting a machine another PC holds is a CLAIM, not a handover.
A PC imaged for a machine carries that number before it reaches the floor, so
the PC currently running the machine keeps the link while it is still alive -
reporting within 24 hours (
MACHINE_CLAIM_QUIET_HOURS) and stillIn Use. The challenger is recorded as a dormant link, which also marks the claim as already announced so it does not alert every cycle. - Handover completes on its own once the incumbent has been quiet past that
window, or immediately when someone moves it off
In Use- which is the one-step way to force a swap at the moment it happens. The old link is archived, never deleted, so "which PC ran this machine in June" stays answerable. The retired PC's STATUS is deliberately not changed: the collector cannot tell shelved from broken from re-imaged. - Alerts for handover and contested claims are gated on the
computers_machinelink_alertssetting, which ships OFF. A site may run several PCs on one machine number legitimately, and there the alerts fire on correct data. Warnings ride in the collector response either way.
The part-marker case below is one instance of a general pattern - several
devices under one parent. docs/ASSET-COMPOSITION.md covers when to use it,
what propagation buys you, and how to declare a new device type without a code
change.
A PC reporting pctype = gea-shopfloor-partmarker is handled differently,
because several markers can serve one machine number and an operation holds any
number of them. Such a PC gets its own Part Marker machine asset
(<HOSTNAME>-PARTMARKER), controls it, and the marker is filed partof the
operation the PC reported. Both links are tagged collector:partmarker. The PC
does NOT claim the operation directly: controls propagates through partof,
so control still follows from controlling the marker, without two markers
contesting a link only one can hold. Backups from a marker PC file against the
marker rather than the operation.
PC -> printer relationship sync
When a payload carries defaultprinter and/or printers, the collector syncs
AssetRelationship rows so a PC page shows its printers and a printer page shows
the PCs that use it (both render in the shared Relationships card).
- Resolution: each identifier is matched, first hit wins, against the printer's
windowsname,hostname,sharename, its asset number/name, then any active printer communications IP. Case-insensitive except the IP (exact). An identifier that resolves to nothing adds a warning and is skipped; it never fails the whole push. - Link types: the default printer links with
defaultprinter(directional, PC is the source); every other reported printer links withconnectedto(symmetric). A printer that is both default and inprinterslinks only as the default. - Idempotent: re-reporting the same set creates no duplicate rows (an existing matching row is reactivated if it was archived, otherwise left as is).
- Stale-link archive: on every push, collector-created links to printers no
longer reported are set inactive. Collector-created rows are tagged in
assetrelationships.label = 'collector:printers'; only tagged rows are ever archived, so links you create by hand in the UI are never touched. A payload that omits BOTH printer keys leaves all existing printer links untouched (report an emptyprinters: []to clear the auto links instead). - Response: the collector response carries
printerlinkcountand aprinterlinkslist of{assetid, relationshiptype}for the links kept.
pc-type mapping (configurable per site)
pctype (e.g. gea-shopfloor-cmm) maps to a shopdb Computer Type through
pctypemap_<pxetype> settings. The "Collector PC Types" settings page is
retired (ADR-012): pc-type-to-Computer-Type handling now lives in GE-Enforce
(each imaging PC type is a manifest scope with its own computertypeid). The
built-in defaults in plugins/computers/pctypemap.py are still seeded on plugin
install and the collector still reads them, so existing enrollment keeps
working. Unmapped pc-types produce a warning, not a failure.
Classic api.asp field mapping (for porting the PowerShell reporter)
The fleet's classic-ASP reporter posts form fields to
api.asp?action=updateCompleteAsset. Map them to the collector JSON as follows:
Classic updateCompleteAsset form field |
Collector field |
|---|---|
hostname |
hostname |
machineNo |
machinenumber |
pcType |
pctype |
serialNumber |
serialnumber |
loggedInUser |
loggedinuser |
lastBootUpTime / lastBootTime |
lastboottime |
manufacturer |
vendorname |
model |
modelnumber |
osVersion |
osname |
installedApps |
installedsoftware |
Not carried over (no current home in the computers schema): warranty fields, DNC
config, multi-NIC detail beyond the single primary IP, VNC/WinRM flags. The
classic reporter posts a full networkInterfaces array; the collector accepts
only one ipaddress, so pick the corp/routable NIC (see the corp-range gate in
the PowerShell below).
Printers plugin field mapping (observed print queues)
POST /api/collector/printers. The other half of the printer story. ShopDB has
always known what a bay SHOULD have - GET /api/printers/for-host/<hostname>,
applied by Set-ShopdbPrinters.ps1 - and has never known what it actually has.
This payload is that missing half. Same dispatcher, same auth, same audit row as
the computers collector; only the payload and the plugin differ.
- Schema + apply:
get_collector_schema/apply_collector_payloadinplugins/printers/plugin.py. - Client:
plugins/printers/client/Report-PrintersToShopDB.ps1(SYSTEM context,Type=PS1/ DetectionMethodAlwaysmanifest entry, logs toC:\Logs\Shopfloor\report-printers-YYYYMMDD.log, always exits 0). - Storage:
printerobservedqueues, one row per observed queue, owned by the printers plugin. It is a separate table from the assignment on purpose - see "Observed is not assigned" below.
The identity field is hostname. Unlike the computers payload this one is NOT
patch-style: queues is required, and the reported set replaces everything
previously recorded for that host.
| Payload field | Type | Server behaviour (apply_collector_payload) |
|---|---|---|
hostname (required) |
string | Identity of the report. COMPUTERNAME or its FQDN; matched case-insensitively. Rows are keyed by the NAME, so a bay that reports before its PC record exists still records everything - the report resolves to an asset the moment that record appears. An unknown hostname is a warning, never an error. |
queues (required) |
array of objects | Every real print queue on the host. This REPLACES the host's previous set. An empty array is a valid report meaning "this bay has no queues" and clears the host's rows. A missing key is rejected (400), because one client bug that dropped the field would otherwise erase the fleet's observed state host by host. |
queues[].queuename (required) |
string | Windows printer name. A queue with no name is skipped with a warning; a repeated name within one report is dropped with a warning (Windows cannot hold two queues of one name). |
queues[].drivername |
string | Driver name verbatim, as the INF spells it. Compared against the assignment's driver to detect drift. |
queues[].portname |
string | Windows port name. Also tried as a match key, since a port created outside the client is usually named after the host address. |
queues[].portaddress |
string | PrinterHostAddress of a TCP/IP port - an IP or FQDN. The PRIMARY key for matching a queue to a printer asset. Omit it for a non-TCP port (USB, WSD, redirected); such a queue is still worth reporting and matches on name alone. |
queues[].isdefault |
boolean | True on the one queue that is the user's default. If several arrive true, the first is kept and the rest are cleared with a warning - a bay has exactly one default, and keeping both would leave a seed picking one at random. |
queues[].isshared |
boolean | True when the queue is shared off this PC. Recorded, not acted on. |
observedat |
ISO-8601 datetime | Accepted and ignored, as is any other client timestamp. The server stamps observedat at ingest, one value for the whole report, so a bay with a wrong clock cannot report itself fresh or stale. |
Response data is the standard collector shape: action is always updated
(this endpoint replaces rows and creates no asset - calling an identical
re-report noop would hide that the bay is still checking in), assetid is the
resolved PC or null, extra.queuecount is how many rows were stored, and
warnings carries the soft problems above.
Schema source of truth: get_collector_schema in plugins/printers/plugin.py.
If you change the payload, change it there and re-check this table.
POST /api/collector/printers
X-API-Key: SECRET
Content-Type: application/json
{
"hostname": "WORKSTATION01",
"queues": [
{
"queuename": "Bay Label Printer",
"drivername": "Generic / Text Only",
"portname": "IP_192.0.2.40",
"portaddress": "192.0.2.40",
"isdefault": true
},
{
"queuename": "Office Laser",
"drivername": "HP Universal Printing PCL 6",
"portname": "IP_192.0.2.41",
"portaddress": "192.0.2.41",
"isdefault": false
}
]
}
The latest report replaces the previous one
This is CURRENT STATE, not history. Each report deletes every row previously recorded for that hostname and writes the reported set in its place, inside the dispatcher's transaction. Nothing accumulates, "what does this bay have" is never a question about time, and a queue removed from a bay disappears from ShopDB on the next cycle without anyone tidying up.
That has one sharp edge, and it belongs to the client: an empty queues array
is a legitimate report that wipes the host's rows. A client whose enumeration
FAILED must therefore send nothing at all rather than an empty list. Reporting
nothing loses one cycle; reporting [] after a WMI hiccup deletes real state
and reads as a bay that lost its printers. Report-PrintersToShopDB.ps1 tracks
this with an $enumerated flag and exits without posting when both the cmdlet
and the WMI fallback failed.
Observed is not assigned
Stated plainly, because it is the whole point of keeping two tables:
A collector report NEVER becomes an assignment. Nothing on this path writes
a usesprinter or defaultprinter row. The moment a drifted bay's observed
state is treated as correct, enforcement stops meaning anything - a bay that
installed the wrong printer would make itself right simply by reporting it.
Observed state becomes assigned state only when a person asks for it, through
POST /api/printers/assignments/seed-from-observed/<assetid> (requires
printers.edit), after reviewing the comparison. That route refuses rather than
guesses: it will not seed from an ambiguous host, will not seed queues that
match no printer unless told to, and will not write an empty set.
Matching, and what "unknown" means
Nothing is matched at ingest - the raw observed strings are stored as reported, and resolution to a printer asset happens at READ time, so a printer added to ShopDB tomorrow matches yesterday's report without the bay reporting again.
At read time each queue is matched by PORT ADDRESS first (an IP or FQDN names
one device unambiguously), then by queue name. There is no fuzzier fallback: a
queue that matches nothing is reported as unknown rather than guessed, because
a wrong match seeds a wrong assignment, which is worse than no assignment.
Reading it back
| Endpoint | Purpose |
|---|---|
GET /api/printers/observed/<hostname> |
What the host last reported, every queue classified against the assignment it resolves to (matching, drifted, extra, missing, unknown), with observedat, a summary, and a seedcandidate preview. Read-only. Needs printers.view. |
POST /api/printers/assignments/seed-from-observed/<assetid> |
The one path from observed to assigned, human-triggered. Needs printers.edit. Normally posted against the MACHINE, so the assignment survives a reimage. |
Key delivery for the printers reporter
The reporter reads its server and its key from the registry the enforcement
client already provisions (HKLM:\SOFTWARE\GE\ShopDB, values BaseUrl and
CollectorKey), or from -ApiUrl / -ApiKey in the manifest entry's Args.
Nothing is baked into the script or the manifest JSON on the share - the same
rule as the computers reporter, for the same reason.
Server side, the key resolves per-plugin first: set COLLECTOR_API_KEY_PRINTERS
if you scope keys per collector, or rely on the shared COLLECTOR_API_KEY. A
site that has scoped the computers key per-plugin and set no printers key gets
401 on this endpoint until one of the two is in place. A collector.ingest
managed token works here exactly as it does for computers.
2. Breaking change: querystring api_key removed
The API key must now be sent in the X-API-Key header. The ?api_key=<key>
querystring form has been removed on every collector endpoint
(/api/collector/<plugin>, /pc, /apps, /heartbeat, /bulk, /status).
Querystring keys leak into web-server access logs, proxy history, and browser
history. Header-only keeps the secret out of those logs.
Before (no longer works - the key is ignored and the request is rejected 401):
POST /api/collector/computers?api_key=SECRET
Content-Type: application/json
{ "hostname": "SHOPPC2335", "machinenumber": "2335" }
After (correct):
POST /api/collector/computers
X-API-Key: SECRET
Content-Type: application/json
{ "hostname": "SHOPPC2335", "machinenumber": "2335" }
PowerShell before/after:
# BEFORE (broken)
Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "https://$SiteHost/api/collector/computers?api_key=$key" `
-Method Post -Body $json -ContentType 'application/json'
# AFTER (correct)
Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "https://$SiteHost/api/collector/computers" `
-Method Post -Body $json -ContentType 'application/json' `
-Headers @{ 'X-API-Key' = $key }
Any caller still putting api_key in the URL must move it to the header.
3. GE-Enforce implementation guide
GE-Enforce is the SYSTEM-context fleet agent that runs every enforcement cycle on each shopfloor PC (scheduled task, at-logon + periodic). It lives OUTSIDE this repo. The facts below are drawn from the real scripts so the payload matches what the PC already knows:
playbook/shopfloor-setup/common/GE-Enforce.ps1- the enforcement pass. At the end of each run it writes a status JSON to<share>\_outputs\logs\<hostname>\status.json(interim transport; the fleet dashboard reads those files). It logs viaWrite-EnforceLogtoC:\Logs\Shopfloor\enforce-YYYYMMDD.log. Its machine-number resolution is: registryHKLM:\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\GE Aircraft Engines\Dnc\GeneralthenHKLM:\SOFTWARE\GE Aircraft Engines\Dnc\General, propertyMachineNo, skipping the9999placeholder, thenC:\Enrollment\machine-number.txtas fallback. hostname is[System.Environment]::MachineName(live NetBIOS name, not$env:COMPUTERNAME, which goes stale after a post-image rename).playbook/shopfloor-setup/gea-shopfloor-collections/Report-AssetToShopDB.ps1- the existing HTTP reporter that POSTs to the classic ASPapi.asp?action=updateCompleteAsset. It runs every cycle as aType=PS1manifest entry (DetectionMethodAlways) under the SYSTEM task, logs toC:\Logs\Shopfloor\report-asset-YYYYMMDD.log, always exits 0, and reads the same machine number (reg, thencmm\cmmid.txt, thenmachine-number.txt) plus BIOS serial, OS caption, make/model, logged-in user, and corp-NIC IP from WMI. The function below is the direct-to-flask analogue of this reporter.playbook/shopfloor-setup/Shopfloor/lib/Update-MachineNumber.ps1- keeps the regMachineNoandC:\Enrollment\machine-number.txtin sync when a tech reassigns a bay, so both sources agree.
Paste-ready reporter
Drop this in as a Type=PS1 / DetectionMethod Always manifest entry (mirroring
Report-AssetToShopDB.ps1), or dot-source Send-ShopdbCollectorReport from
GE-Enforce.ps1 and call it at the end of the pass. It reads the machine number
exactly the way GE-Enforce already does, builds a payload matching the computers
collector schema, and POSTs with the X-API-Key header over TLS 1.2. Every
field name below was checked against get_collector_schema in
plugins/computers/plugin.py.
The X-API-Key value can be EITHER a COLLECTOR_API_KEY[_COMPUTERS] env key OR
a managed token scoped to collector.ingest (a shopdb_pat_... secret; see
"Managed collector tokens"). The script is identical for both - it just carries
whatever collectorApiKey the site-config supplies - so switching a site from an
env key to a managed token (and rotating it) is a config change, not a script
change.
# Send-ShopdbCollectorReport.ps1
# Reports this PC's identity to shopdb-flask via POST /api/collector/computers.
# Runs as SYSTEM from the GE-Enforce cycle. Always exits without throwing;
# failures are logged, never fatal.
function Get-ShopdbCollectorApiKey {
# NEVER hardcode the key in this script (it lives on the share). Read it
# from a per-site value the SYSTEM/machine account can already reach.
# Preferred: a field in the site-config.json GE-Enforce already parses.
# Fallback: a machine-local file staged at imaging, ACL'd to SYSTEM.
$key = ''
$siteCfg = 'C:\Enrollment\site-config.json'
if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $siteCfg) {
try {
$cfg = Get-Content -LiteralPath $siteCfg -Raw | ConvertFrom-Json
if ($cfg.collectorApiKey) { $key = "$($cfg.collectorApiKey)".Trim() }
} catch {}
}
if (-not $key) {
$keyFile = 'C:\Enrollment\collector-api-key.txt'
if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $keyFile) {
try { $key = (Get-Content -LiteralPath $keyFile -First 1 -ErrorAction Stop).Trim() } catch {}
}
}
return $key
}
function Get-ShopdbMachineNumber {
# Same resolution GE-Enforce.ps1 / Report-AssetToShopDB.ps1 use:
# eDNC registry (skip 9999 placeholder) then C:\Enrollment\machine-number.txt.
$machineNumber = ''
foreach ($rp in @(
'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\GE Aircraft Engines\Dnc\General',
'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\GE Aircraft Engines\Dnc\General'
)) {
if ($machineNumber) { break }
if (Test-Path $rp) {
try {
$v = (Get-ItemProperty -Path $rp -Name MachineNo -ErrorAction Stop).MachineNo
if ($v -and "$v".Trim() -ne '9999') { $machineNumber = "$v".Trim() }
} catch {}
}
}
if (-not $machineNumber -and (Test-Path 'C:\Enrollment\machine-number.txt')) {
try {
$v = (Get-Content 'C:\Enrollment\machine-number.txt' -First 1 -ErrorAction Stop).Trim()
if ($v -and $v -ne '9999') { $machineNumber = $v }
} catch {}
}
return $machineNumber
}
function Get-ShopdbCorpIPv4 {
# Pick the corp/AESFMA NIC IP. Same allowed-range gate as
# Report-AssetToShopDB.ps1 - update the ranges if the site re-VLANs.
$allowedRanges = @(
@{ Network = '192.0.2.0'; PrefixLen = 24 },
@{ Network = '198.51.100.0'; PrefixLen = 26 }
)
function ConvertTo-Uint32([string]$ip) {
$bytes = ([System.Net.IPAddress]::Parse($ip)).GetAddressBytes()
[Array]::Reverse($bytes)
return [BitConverter]::ToUInt32($bytes, 0)
}
try {
$ips = Get-NetIPAddress -AddressFamily IPv4 -ErrorAction Stop |
Where-Object { $_.IPAddress -notmatch '^169\.254' -and $_.IPAddress -ne '127.0.0.1' }
foreach ($ipo in $ips) {
$ipInt = ConvertTo-Uint32 $ipo.IPAddress
foreach ($r in $allowedRanges) {
$netInt = ConvertTo-Uint32 $r.Network
$mask = [uint32]([math]::Pow(2, 32) - [math]::Pow(2, 32 - $r.PrefixLen))
if (($ipInt -band $mask) -eq ($netInt -band $mask)) { return $ipo.IPAddress }
}
}
} catch {}
return ''
}
function Send-ShopdbCollectorReport {
param(
[string]$SiteHost = 'shopdb.example.net',
[string]$ApiKey = (Get-ShopdbCollectorApiKey),
[int]$TimeoutSec = 30,
[string]$LogFile = ('C:\Logs\Shopfloor\collector-{0}.log' -f (Get-Date -Format 'yyyyMMdd'))
)
$logDir = Split-Path -Parent $LogFile
if (-not (Test-Path $logDir)) {
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $logDir -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Out-Null
}
function Write-CollectorLog([string]$msg) {
$ts = Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss'
"$ts $msg" | Tee-Object -FilePath $LogFile -Append | Out-Null
}
Write-CollectorLog '=== Report to shopdb-flask collector ==='
if (-not $ApiKey) {
Write-CollectorLog 'ERROR no collector API key (site-config.json / collector-api-key.txt) - skipping.'
return
}
# PowerShell 5.1 does not always negotiate TLS 1.2 by default.
try { [Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [Net.SecurityProtocolType]::Tls12 } catch {}
# --- Gather identity (matches the computers collector schema) ---
$hostname = [System.Environment]::MachineName
if (-not $hostname) { $hostname = $env:COMPUTERNAME }
$machineNumber = Get-ShopdbMachineNumber
$ipAddress = Get-ShopdbCorpIPv4
$serialNumber = ''
try {
$serialNumber = "$((Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_BIOS -ErrorAction Stop).SerialNumber)".Trim()
} catch { Write-CollectorLog "WARN BIOS serial read failed: $($_.Exception.Message)" }
$vendorName = ''; $modelNumber = ''; $loggedInUser = ''
try {
$cs = Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_ComputerSystem -ErrorAction Stop
$vendorName = "$($cs.Manufacturer)".Trim()
$modelNumber = "$($cs.Model)".Trim()
# UserName is COMPUTERNAME\user or DOMAIN\user; keep the bare username.
if ($cs.UserName) { $loggedInUser = ($cs.UserName -split '\\')[-1].Trim() }
} catch { Write-CollectorLog "WARN ComputerSystem read failed: $($_.Exception.Message)" }
$osName = ''; $lastBootTime = ''
try {
$os = Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_OperatingSystem -ErrorAction Stop
$osName = "$($os.Caption)".Trim()
$dv = ''
try { $dv = (Get-ItemProperty 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion' -Name DisplayVersion -ErrorAction Stop).DisplayVersion } catch {}
if ($dv) { $osName += " $dv" }
if ($os.BuildNumber) { $osName += " (build $($os.BuildNumber))" }
$osName = $osName.Trim()
# ISO-8601 so the server's datetime parse accepts it.
try { $lastBootTime = $os.LastBootUpTime.ToUniversalTime().ToString('yyyy-MM-ddTHH:mm:ssZ') } catch {}
} catch { Write-CollectorLog "WARN OS read failed: $($_.Exception.Message)" }
$pcType = ''
if (Test-Path -LiteralPath 'C:\Enrollment\pc-type.txt') {
try { $pcType = (Get-Content -LiteralPath 'C:\Enrollment\pc-type.txt' -First 1 -ErrorAction Stop).Trim() } catch {}
}
$pcSubType = ''
if (Test-Path -LiteralPath 'C:\Enrollment\pc-subtype.txt') {
try { $pcSubType = (Get-Content -LiteralPath 'C:\Enrollment\pc-subtype.txt' -First 1 -ErrorAction Stop).Trim() } catch {}
}
# --- Installed printers (Win32_Printer). The Default flag marks the one
# default printer. We report each printer's port name (an IP or a queue
# host for network printers) and fall back to the share/printer name, which
# the collector resolves flexibly against printer windowsname/hostname/IP. ---
$defaultPrinter = ''
$printerIds = @()
try {
$printers = Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_Printer -ErrorAction Stop
foreach ($p in $printers) {
if ($p.Local) { continue } # skip local-only (XPS/PDF/OneNote)
# Prefer the port name (IP or queue host); fall back to ShareName,
# then the printer Name.
$identity = $p.PortName
if (-not $identity) { $identity = $p.ShareName }
if (-not $identity) { $identity = $p.Name }
if (-not $identity) { continue }
$printerIds += $identity
if ($p.Default) { $defaultPrinter = $identity }
}
$printerIds = @($printerIds | Select-Object -Unique)
} catch { Write-CollectorLog "WARN printer read failed: $($_.Exception.Message)" }
# --- Build payload. Field names MUST match get_collector_schema exactly. ---
$payload = @{ hostname = $hostname }
if ($defaultPrinter) { $payload['defaultprinter'] = $defaultPrinter }
if ($printerIds.Count) { $payload['printers'] = $printerIds }
if ($machineNumber) { $payload['machinenumber'] = $machineNumber }
if ($pcType) { $payload['pctype'] = $pcType }
if ($pcSubType) { $payload['pcsubtype'] = $pcSubType }
if ($serialNumber) { $payload['serialnumber'] = $serialNumber }
if ($loggedInUser) { $payload['loggedinuser'] = $loggedInUser }
if ($lastBootTime) { $payload['lastboottime'] = $lastBootTime }
if ($ipAddress) { $payload['ipaddress'] = $ipAddress }
if ($vendorName) { $payload['vendorname'] = $vendorName }
if ($modelNumber) { $payload['modelnumber'] = $modelNumber }
if ($osName) { $payload['osname'] = $osName }
$payload['lastcheckin'] = (Get-Date).ToUniversalTime().ToString('yyyy-MM-ddTHH:mm:ssZ')
# installedsoftware is optional; add an array of @{ name=..; version=.. }
# here if the manifest introspection is wired to real Application names.
$uri = "https://$SiteHost/api/collector/computers"
$json = $payload | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 5
$headers = @{ 'X-API-Key' = $ApiKey }
Write-CollectorLog ("POST {0} host={1} machineNo={2} pcType={3} serial={4} ip={5}" -f `
$uri, $hostname, $machineNumber, $pcType, $serialNumber, $ipAddress)
try {
$resp = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $uri -Method Post -Body $json `
-ContentType 'application/json' -Headers $headers `
-TimeoutSec $TimeoutSec -ErrorAction Stop
$d = $resp.data
Write-CollectorLog ("OK action={0} assetid={1} identity={2} warnings={3}" -f `
$d.action, $d.assetid, $d.identityvalue, ((@($d.warnings)) -join '; '))
} catch {
$code = $null
try { $code = [int]$_.Exception.Response.StatusCode.value__ } catch {}
Write-CollectorLog "ERROR POST failed (http=$code): $($_.Exception.Message)"
}
}
# Entry point when run as a standalone manifest PS1 entry:
Send-ShopdbCollectorReport
Where the call slots into the GE-Enforce run
Put the POST at the END of the enforcement pass, after the enforcement scopes are processed and the PC identity is settled. Two placements, pick one:
- Preferred - a sibling manifest entry, mirroring
Report-AssetToShopDB.ps1: addSend-ShopdbCollectorReport.ps1as aType=PS1, DetectionMethodAlwaysmanifest entry incommon\manifest.json. It runs every cycle under the SYSTEM task, keeps GE-Enforce.ps1 untouched, and gets its own log file. This matches the established pattern the classic reporter already uses. - Alternative - inline: dot-source the function and call
Send-ShopdbCollectorReportinside GE-Enforce.ps1's status-write-backtryblock (right afterstatus.jsonis written, near the end of the pass). Use this only if you want the HTTP push to share GE-Enforce's own log and lifecycle.
Either way, run it ALONGSIDE the existing status.json share write (and
alongside the classic Report-AssetToShopDB.ps1) during rollout - do not remove
the share write until the HTTP path is proven.
Delivering the API key to clients
Do NOT hardcode the key in the script - the script itself lives on the SFLD share, so a literal key there is effectively published to everyone with share read. Two viable options:
- Per-site value the machine account already reads. GE-Enforce already parses
C:\Enrollment\site-config.json(its local copy of the per-site config on the share). Add one field,collectorApiKey, populated per site. The script reads it with the machine/SYSTEM identity it already runs as. Rotation = update the one config value at the site, no re-image, no script redeploy. - Baked at imaging into a machine-local file (
C:\Enrollment\collector-api-key.txt) or an HKLM value, ACL'd to SYSTEM/Administrators, written by the enrollment pipeline. Tighter blast radius (the key never sits on the share at all), but rotation requires touching every PC or re-imaging.
Recommendation: use option 1 (collectorApiKey in the per-site config), matching
how GE-Enforce already sources its share paths and mirroring how SFLD credentials
are provisioned per site. It keeps the secret out of source control and off the
script, sits at the same trust boundary as everything else the SYSTEM agent
already reads, and supports rotation without a fleet touch. Get-ShopdbCollectorApiKey
above already prefers this and falls back to the imaging-baked file, so a site
can start on option 1 and tighten to option 2 later with no code change. The
server side pairs this with COLLECTOR_API_KEY_COMPUTERS (per-plugin) so the PC
fleet's key is scoped to the computers collector only.
Staged rollout
- Keep everything as-is:
status.jsonshare write + classicReport-AssetToShopDB.ps1continue running. ProvisioncollectorApiKeyper site and setCOLLECTOR_API_KEY_COMPUTERSon the shopdb-flask server. - Add
Send-ShopdbCollectorReportas a new manifest entry on a handful of pilot bays (one per pc-type: collections, cmm, keyence, waxtrace, ...). It logs toC:\Logs\Shopfloor\collector-YYYYMMDD.logand cannot break enforcement (it never throws, exits cleanly). - Verify on the server: pilot PCs appear/update in shopdb-flask,
actioniscreated/updated, warnings are understood (map any unmappedpctype, add any missing OS strings to theoperatingsystemsvocab). Cross-check the collector log'sOKlines against the audit log. - Roll the manifest entry out fleet-wide (it deploys from
common\, so every pc-type gets it). Continue running both the share write and the HTTP POST. - Once shopdb-flask is the system of record and stable across a full imaging
cycle, retire the classic
Report-AssetToShopDB.ps1and, if desired, thestatus.jsonshare write.
4. Troubleshooting
| Symptom | HTTP | Cause / fix |
|---|---|---|
Invalid API key |
401 | The X-API-Key header is missing or wrong. Confirm the client key matches COLLECTOR_API_KEY_COMPUTERS (or the shared COLLECTOR_API_KEY) on the server. Check the key is being read (Get-ShopdbCollectorApiKey returned non-empty). Remember the querystring form no longer works. |
Collector API key not configured |
500 | Fail-closed: neither COLLECTOR_API_KEY_COMPUTERS nor COLLECTOR_API_KEY is set in the server environment. Set one and restart the app. This is a SERVER config gap, not a client problem. |
No collector registered for plugin computers |
404 | The computers plugin is disabled or not loaded on that instance. Enable it. |
hostname is required / No data provided |
400 | Empty body, non-JSON body, or missing identity field. Check -ContentType 'application/json' and that hostname is set. |
Internal error processing collector payload |
500 | Generic by design - the server does not leak the cause to the caller. The real error (DB, unexpected exception) is in the server log (Collector upsert failed for computers). Check there. |
No collector registered for plugin printers |
404 | The printers plugin is disabled or not loaded on that instance. Enable it. A lean site without it simply does not collect observed queues. |
queues is required; send an empty array for a host with no queues |
400 | The printers payload omitted queues entirely. Absent and empty are not the same thing here - see "The latest report replaces the previous one". |
| A bay's observed queues all vanished | 200 | It reported queues: [], which legitimately clears the host. Check the client log for posting NOTHING (a failed enumeration correctly sends nothing) versus reporting an empty set. If the bay really has queues, the enumeration on that host is the thing to fix. |
Observed queues show as unknown |
200 | The queue matched no printer asset by port address or by name. Add the printer to ShopDB (with its IP) and re-read - matching happens at read time, so the bay does not need to report again. Never seeded automatically, by design. |
warnings present but action is created/updated |
200 | Soft issues only; the row WAS written. Common: unmapped pctype (fix the pctypemap setting), unknown osname (add it to the operatingsystems vocab), unknown app name, pcsubtype not stored. No action needed unless the warning matters to you. |
Client-side log for the fleet reporter: C:\Logs\Shopfloor\collector-YYYYMMDD.log;
for the printer-queue reporter: C:\Logs\Shopfloor\report-printers-YYYYMMDD.log.
Server-side: the Flask app log (the collector logs upsert failures and per-plugin
schema failures there).