Configuration

Orb comes with local and remote configuration capabilities to control behavior.

Environment variables

The following environment variables can be set:

Name	Description	Example	Minimum Version
ORB_DATA_DIR	Sets the data directory for Orb configuration and database	ORB_DATA_DIR=~/orbdata	1.0
ORB_DB_DIR	Sets the database directory for Orb	ORB_DB_DIR=/tmp/orb/database	1.3
ORB_CONFIG_DIR	Sets the persistent configuration directory for Orb	ORB_CONFIG_DIR=~/orbconfig	1.3
ORB_FIRSTHOP_DISABLED	Disables measuring and storing first-hop latency. Should generally be utilized on devices that are acting as a router	ORB_FIRSTHOP_DISABLED=1	1.2
ORB_BANDWIDTH_DISABLED	Disables perfoming periodic content speed tests	ORB_BANDWIDTH_DISABLED=1	1.2
ORB_DEPLOYMENT_TOKEN	Sets the Deployment Token	ORB_DEPLOYMENT_TOKEN=orb-dt1-yourdeploymenttoken678	1.2
ORB_EPHEMERAL_MODE	Sets Orb measurement data storage to in-memory only. Protects flash memory from frequent writes. All measurement data stored on the Orb is lost when Orb is stopped or restarted.	ORB_EPHEMERAL_MODE=1	1.4.0
ORB_DEVICE_NAME_OVERRIDE	Sets this Orb's name which appears in Orb apps and Orb Cloud	ORB_DEVICE_NAME_OVERRIDE=MyDeviceName	1.4.1

Remote Configuration

Orb configuration can also be handled remotely via Orb Cloud. Configurations can be managed on a per-Orb basis in the Status section, or by managed Configurations in the the Orchestration section.

Modifying configuration for an Orb

To modify an individual Orb's configuration, visit https://cloud.orb.net/status, click the "..." next to the Orb, and select "Edit". Modify the "Config" text area and click "Save" when finished.

Managing Configurations

When dealing with many Orbs or groups of Orbs with different configuration needs, it is best to utilize the Configurations feature via the Orchestration section. To create a new Configuration, click "+ Create new configuration". Enter a name for your Configuration and click "Create". Your Configuration will now be available in the table. To modify the configuration, click the "..." next to the Configuration, and select "Edit". Modify the configuration and click "Save" when finished.

The Token associated with your Configuration can be used to link Orbs (see Deployment Tokens). You may later save edits to the Configuration and select the Apply option accessed from the "..." icon on the Orchestration page to push the updated configuration to all Orbs linked with that Token.

On the Status page, you can select Orbs, click "Apply Configuration", and select your named configuration to push that config to the selected Orbs.

Configuring Datasets

Orb applications and sensors are capable of producing Datasets for Scores, Responsiveness, Web Responsiveness, and Speed data. These datasets may be streamed to Orb Cloud, Orb Local Analytics, or a destination of your choice. See Datasets Configuration for details.

Configuring Collection of Identifiable Information

Orb can collect attributes of your device and network which may be considered identifiable information (e.g. public IP address, network name, or device MAC address). By default, Orb minimizes the amount of potentially identifiable information collected, collecting enough to make the experience work (like your network name) without collecting more potentially identifiable information (like your device MAC address or private IP).

Some users may want to see that extra detail in Orb Cloud, Local Analytics, or via Orb APIs to better identify their devices and networks.

Identifiable levels

Level	Description
none	Orb will obfuscate any fields that are known to potentially identify your device or network. Your experience in Orb apps and Orb Cloud may be impacted as networks and device details will be obfuscated and it may be hard to tell which device you are looking at.
minimal	(Default) Orb will not obfuscate some basic potentially identifiable information, like network name, to make the normal Orb app and Orb Cloud user experiences work. Identifiable fields not required for basic app usage, like MAC Address, will still be obfuscated.
full	Orb will not obfuscate any fields of collected data.

Configuration

Identifiable level is controlled via the orb.identifiable_level field in Orb Cloud config.

Advanced Configuration Editor

To set the identifiable level using the advanced configuration editor, add the following property to the root of your configuration JSON.

{
  "orb.identifiable_level": ["full"],
  ...
}

Enabling identifiable information in datasets

While orb.identifiable_level informs which attributes of your device and network an Orb obfuscates during collection, there is an additonal option to only obfuscate identifiable information in Datasets outputs.

This allows you to control whether identifiable information is included in Datasets sent to Orb Cloud, Local Analytics, or custom endpoints separately from what is collected. See Datasets Configuration for details.