1.37 Release Notes

Server Enhancements

Large Language Model/AI Support

The Vantiq platform now supports interactions with Large Language Models (LLM) to develop AI powered applications. It also offers a Semantic Search capability which combines the use of LLMs and a vector database to support asking questions about application specific content (this is used to implement the new AI Documentation Search feature outlined below). This feature introduces two new system resources:

• llms – represents a specific LLM which can be used to perform actions based on its type:
  • embedding – used to create vector embeddings for Semantic Search.
  • generative – used to generate responses based on user input.
• semanticindexes – represents a collection of user provided content over which Semantic Searches can be performed.

Visual Service Event Handlers

• The Notify Activity Pattern has a new option called “firstResponseFilter” which is a WHERE clause for the firstResponse event. If specified, the firstResponse event will only be raised if the response passes the filter.
• All reservoirs for the Analytics pattern now accept Reals. Existing apps may need to cast the results to Integers.
• Escalations have been reintroduced with the Escalate pattern.
• The Submit Prompt and Answer Question activity patterns were added to support use of the new AI features.
• The Assign Activity Pattern has a new roleType called result which supports assigning a value to an arbitrary result property in the current collaboration.

VAIL

Added the following built-in services:

• io.vantiq.text.Template – generates text from templates and substitution values.
• io.vantiq.ai.LLM – facilitates LLM interactions.
• io.vantiq.ai.SemanticSearch – perform semantic searches and manage optional conversation state.

Edge Nodes

• Nodes that are defined using the WebSocket scheme along with the vqs option for back-communication (typically from cloud to edge) now support the reconnect property.
• Catalogs can now support edge nodes and VQS connections. See here for information on enabling this for catalogs. See here for information on connecting as an edge node.
• The CLI can now be downloaded from the Edge edition, using the Help -> Developer Resources menu/link.
• Added Edge Vision server setup documentation.

Kubernetes Management and Deployment

• Configurations may now include items of type hardAffinity. The annotation and label items may now include the targetResource property. See Deploying a K8s Installation for details.
• The Vantiq system may enhance K8sInstallations deployed to the self cluster with hardAffinity and/or label specifications. See Using the self Cluster for details.
• Service connectors deployed via Kubernetes support additional properties (see link for details).

Sources

REMOTE

• Support for sending multipart messages has been added. See REMOTE Source.
• Support for asFullExchange option in SELECT WITH clause to help troubleshoot HTTP request/response exchange.

AMQP

• The AMQP source now allows offset to be considered when reconnecting to Azure service bus via AMQP, using the selector AMQP configuration option. See documentation at Azure Event Hubs partition offset.

User Authorization

• Email invites can now specify the subject line. See namespace invitations.

CLI

• New command “run” and “stop” have been added for running tests and testsuites. You can also run procedures using the run command. See CLI Reference Guide.
  

  The “execute” command for invoking procedures is deprecated and may be removed in a future release.

• New commands to support loading content into a semantic index and support backup and restore of index content. See CLI Reference Guide.

UI Enhancements

Modelo

• The Design Modeler can now use Vantiq’s Generative AI features to generate a Design Model from a natural language description of the application to be built. See the Quickstart Tutorial for an example of how to use the Design Modeler’s AI Design Assistant.
• AI Documentation Search, found under “Help”, provides a floating dialog in which you can ask questions about the Vantiq platform. It uses Vantiq’s Generative AI features to search Vantiq documentation to answer the questions. The results will also show links to the specific documents that were used to provide the answer.
• When setting the configuration properties for certain Tasks in an Event Handler you may now enter a natural language description of how the various properties within the Task should be set and Generative AI will be used to set the properties accordingly. Not all Tasks currently support this feature.
• The JavaScript editor used in the Client Builder can now use Vantiq’s Generative AI features to provide code samples. The AI Code Assistant will generate code from your comments. Enter a single-line comment with a description of the code you require then use either Ctrl-Enter or Cmd-Enter to activate the AI Code Assistant. For example,

  // change widget property

  // upload file

• The JavaScript editor in the Client Builder is now the Monaco Editor.
• Project auto-save feature: projects no longer need to be explicitly saved. Once a project has been given a name & saved, the Save button disappears and projects are automatically saved whenever they are changed. The auto-save occurs after roughly 2 seconds. The auto-save feature can be turned off in the IDE Settings dialog, if desired. To rename a project, use the “Rename Current Project” menu item or the “Manage Projects” dialog.
• Catalogs may now use VQS (VantiQ Scheme protocol) to allow Vantiq Edge Nodes to subscribe to and install Catalog resources. When connecting to a Catalog, use the Connect using VQS checkbox to communicate using VQS. When creating a new Catalog in a Namespace, use the Allow Edge checkbox to allow connections to the Catalog to use VQS communications.
• Service Procedures generated by Vantiq may be shown or hidden by using the Generated checkbox in the Procedures section header in the Service Builder’s Implement tab.
• Client Page Templates are another flavor of a Client resource that allow the reuse of Client pages. Page Templates are created using the Save Page As Template menu item associated with a Client page under the Client Builder’s Edit tab. A new Client page from a Page Template is created using the Add Page From Template menu item associated with a Client under the Edit tab.
• The Client Builder contains two new Data Input widgets: Currency and Decimal.
• The Client Widgets that can accept data from a DataStream now support a new event called “On Data Consumed”. This complements the existing DataStream event “On Data Arrived”. This allows you to intercept and modify data as it flows into a specific Widget (rather than the DataStream itself).
• DataTable Widgets now support the declaration of a new type of “Derived” Column. This will show a column which is not bound to actual data in the DataStream. Instead you will need to use the DataStream’s “On Data Arrived” event or the Widget’s “On Data Consumed” event to compute the value and save it in the data object. This allows you to have the DataTable display values which are computed or derived from other values in the actual data.
• The “client” object now supports Text-to-Speech with the addition of the client.speakText() and client.cancelSpeaking() methods.
• The Active Resource Control Center now lists Assemblies. The status of an Assembly can be active, inactive or partially active. Activate/deactivate of an Assembly unifies the active status of all resources within the Assembly.