Connect BMS Data to a Facility Twin
Use this recipe when a facility team needs building management system data in a FactVerse facility digital twin.
The same pattern can apply to chilled water systems, AHUs, electrical meters, environmental sensors, alarms, and other facility data sources.
Outcome
At the end of this workflow, you should have:
- a BMS-related connector;
- source points browsed and previewed;
- mappings from source points to facility assets or points;
- sync history and quality checks;
- reviewed data ready for Inspector, AI Agent, BI, or facility operations workflows.
Prerequisites
Prepare:
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Facility asset model | Building, floor, zone, system, equipment, and point structure. |
| Source point list | BMS point schedule, device list, tag list, or meter list. |
| Connector details | BACnet, REST, JDBC, MQTT, or another enabled source type. |
| Units and ranges | Temperature, pressure, flow, power, energy, humidity, status, or alarm ranges. |
| Facility reviewer | Someone who understands the BMS and operating intent. |
Step 1: Choose connector type
Choose the connector that matches the customer environment.
| Source situation | Typical connector |
|---|---|
| Direct building automation protocol | BACnet |
| BMS data exposed through API | REST |
| BMS data stored in a database or historian | JDBC |
| IoT gateway publishes equipment data | MQTT |
| Offline point export or pilot import | CSV |
Use Connector Configuration to prepare source settings.
Step 2: Create and test connector
- Open
Data Integration > Connectors. - Add connector.
- Enter connection settings.
- Choose sync strategy.
- Test connection.
- Save connector.
- Start connector when ready.
For first rollout, start with a limited point set before connecting every BMS point.
Step 3: Browse and preview BMS points
Browse the source and preview candidate points.
Confirm:
- point name;
- equipment or zone;
- timestamp;
- value;
- unit;
- expected range;
- update frequency;
- source owner.
Reject points that are stale, duplicate, unexplained, or not needed for the workflow.
Step 4: Map source points to facility targets
Create mappings for reviewed points.
Examples:
| Source point | Target |
|---|---|
| chilled water supply temperature | chiller plant supply temperature point |
| AHU discharge air temperature | AHU discharge air temperature point |
| pump status | pump operating status |
| electrical meter kW | electrical meter demand point |
| zone temperature | zone temperature point |
| BMS alarm severity | alarm severity field |
Add transform expressions when source units differ from target units.
Step 5: Check quality and sync history
After sync, check:
- read count;
- written count;
- failed count;
- last sync time;
- completeness;
- timeliness;
- accuracy;
- quality trend.
If values are stale or missing, check source schedule, BMS availability, connector status, and mapping rules.
Step 6: Use in facility workflows
Reviewed BMS data can support:
- Inspector operational views;
- AI Agent facility status summaries;
- energy and operations dashboards;
- alarm review workflows;
- maintenance planning;
- Green Mark evidence preparation where the project scope includes facility evidence workflows.
Keep source timestamps visible so users understand whether values are current.
Step 7: Promote to DFS Pro when needed
Create DFS Pro datasets when the facility team needs:
- reusable signal history;
- data steward and lifecycle;
- profile and version history;
- fusion with work orders, inspections, or energy records;
- BI reporting;
- predictive maintenance preparation.
Related pages
| Page | Use |
|---|---|
| DFS Lite Connectors | Create and operate the source connector. |
| Browse and Preview | Inspect source points before mapping. |
| Mapping Source Fields | Bind BMS points to facility targets. |
| Data Quality | Validate freshness and quality. |
| DFS Pro Datasets | Promote reviewed data into governed datasets. |