Agent Deployment Options

You choose where the Mirox-Agent runs — physically at the plant or in the cloud beside Mirox-Cloud — so you can match performance, network access, and security to each site's reality.

Overview

The Mirox-Agent collects data from renewable energy plants, and there are fundamentally two approaches to where the agent itself runs:

1. On-Site Deployment — the agent runs locally at the plant.
2. Cloud-Based Deployment — the agent runs in the cloud and reaches the plant over a VPN tunnel.

Each approach has distinct advantages and trade-offs to weigh against your requirements. You are not locked in: a plant can switch between models at any time.

On-Site Deployment

In this deployment model:

• Agent runs locally at the installation site
• Direct network access to all equipment
• Standard internet connection to Mirox-Cloud
• Local operations continue during internet outages

Description

In the on-site deployment model, the Mirox-Agent runs on hardware physically located at the renewable energy installation. The agent has direct network access to all monitored equipment (inverters, meters, sensors) and communicates with the Mirox-Cloud via the internet.

Advantages

Low Latency

• Direct communication with equipment eliminates network delays
• Near real-time data collection with minimal latency
• Immediate response to device queries and commands

Network Independence

• No dependency on VPN reliability or cloud connectivity for data collection
• Agent continues to collect and buffer data even during internet outages
• Local operations unaffected by external network issues

Security Benefits

• No need to expose local equipment networks to external access
• Minimal firewall configuration (only outbound connections required)
• Physical security of agent hardware under local control

Network Segmentation

• Proper network segmentation with isolated networks for different equipment types (inverter network, metering network, building automation, security systems, sensor network)
• Dedicated VLANs for each equipment category
• Better security isolation compared to a single VPN connection where all equipment would be accessible through one tunnel without proper isolation

Simplified Network Architecture

• No VPN tunnels or complex routing required
• Standard firewall rules (outbound HTTPS)
• Direct access to all local devices without network address translation

Autonomous Operation

• Can function independently during cloud connectivity loss
• Local buffering ensures no data loss during outages
• Critical monitoring continues even if internet fails

Optimal Performance

• Full bandwidth available for local communication
• No VPN overhead or encryption impact on data collection
• Efficient use of local network resources

Reduced Network Traffic

• Agent performs compression, batching, and optimization before transmission to Mirox-Cloud
• Significantly lower internet bandwidth usage compared to cloud deployment
• Particularly beneficial when internet connection has data traffic limits or metered billing
• Pre-processed data reduces cloud-bound traffic volume

Challenges

Distributed Infrastructure

• Multiple agent instances to monitor across installations
• Varying local network configurations per site
• Different internet connectivity quality at each location

Initial Setup Coordination

• Network configuration at each location
• Coordination with local IT or facility management
• Site-specific firewall and network policies

Best Suited For

On-site deployment is ideal when:

• Installations have reliable physical infrastructure
• Low latency data collection is critical
• Internet connectivity may be unreliable
• Network security policies restrict external access to equipment networks
• Autonomous operation during outages is required
• Standard renewable energy parks with adequate space and power

Cloud-Based Deployment with VPN

In this deployment model:

• Equipment remains at the installation site
• VPN tunnel provides secure connectivity
• Agent runs in the cloud alongside the Mirox-Cloud
• All data flows through the encrypted VPN connection

Description

In the cloud-based deployment model, the Mirox-Agent runs on cloud infrastructure (same data center as the Mirox-Cloud or nearby) and accesses the renewable energy equipment remotely via a VPN tunnel to the installation site.

Advantages

Centralized Management

• All agents run in controlled cloud environment
• Unified monitoring and management
• Consistent configuration and updates
• Simplified troubleshooting and diagnostics

No On-Site Hardware

• Eliminates need for edge devices at installations
• No physical space requirements at site
• No local power consumption
• Reduced hardware procurement and management

Simplified Deployment

• No site visits required for agent installation
• Remote setup and configuration
• Faster onboarding of new installations
• Reduced coordination with local facilities

Easier Maintenance

• Software updates deployed centrally
• No hardware failures at remote sites
• Troubleshooting in controlled environment
• Consistent execution environment

Resource Flexibility

• Agent resources can be scaled dynamically
• Easy to allocate more capacity as needed
• No hardware upgrade site visits
• Efficient resource sharing

High Availability

• Cloud infrastructure redundancy
• Automatic failover capabilities
• No single points of failure at remote sites
• Professional data center environment

Cost Efficiency (for some scenarios)

• No hardware procurement per site
• Reduced field service costs
• Centralized infrastructure management
• Potential savings for many small installations

Challenges

VPN Dependency

• Entire system depends on stable VPN connectivity
• VPN failures prevent data collection
• Network issues affect all monitoring capabilities
• VPN maintenance and troubleshooting required

Network Latency

• Communication delay through VPN tunnel
• Potentially slower response to device queries
• Impact on real-time monitoring capabilities
• Variable latency based on internet quality

Bandwidth Constraints

• All communication flows through VPN tunnel
• Limited by site's internet upload bandwidth
• Potential bottleneck for high-frequency polling
• Bandwidth costs for high-volume data transfer

VPN Infrastructure Requirements

• VPN endpoint needed at installation site
• Firewall configuration for VPN access
• Network security considerations
• VPN maintenance and monitoring

Security Considerations

• Remote access to equipment network via VPN
• Broader attack surface through VPN connection
• Need for robust VPN security configuration
• Compliance concerns for some regulated installations

Internet Dependency

• Complete reliance on internet connectivity
• No data collection during internet outages
• No local buffering capability
• Monitoring blind spots during connectivity loss

Site Network Access

• Requires cooperation from local IT teams
• May face network security policy restrictions
• Firewall rules and VPN configuration complexity
• Potential conflicts with existing security policies

Best Suited For

Cloud-based deployment is ideal when:

• Installations have reliable, high-bandwidth internet
• VPN infrastructure already exists or is easily deployed
• On-site hardware deployment is impractical or prohibited
• Centralized management is a priority
• Multiple small installations need monitoring
• Temporary monitoring or pilot deployments
• Installations with limited physical space
• Situations where site access is difficult or restricted

Decision Factors

When choosing between deployment options, consider:

Technical Factors

• Internet Reliability: Stable, high-bandwidth connectivity favors cloud deployment
• Network Architecture: Complex local networks may make on-site deployment simpler
• Latency Requirements: Real-time needs favor on-site deployment
• Equipment Connections: Some device connections perform poorly over VPN latency

Operational Factors

• Physical Access: Difficult site access favors cloud deployment
• IT Resources: Limited local IT support favors cloud deployment
• Management Preference: Centralized management favors cloud deployment
• Scale: Many small sites may benefit from cloud deployment

Security Factors

• Network Policies: Strict policies may prevent VPN access
• Compliance Requirements: Regulations may dictate deployment location
• Data Sovereignty: Some jurisdictions require on-site data handling
• Attack Surface: Risk tolerance affects VPN acceptability

Economic Factors

• Hardware Costs: Cloud deployment eliminates edge device costs
• Bandwidth Costs: High data volumes may favor on-site deployment
• Service Costs: Consider ongoing VPN and cloud hosting costs
• Total Cost of Ownership: Evaluate long-term costs of each approach

Hardware Options (for On-Site Deployment)

When on-site deployment is chosen, there are two hardware options:

mrxnode (Standard)

The mrxnode is the standard edge device for Mirox-Agent deployment. It is pre-configured, tested, and automatically managed with all microservice updates. For detailed specifications, see mrxnode.

Customer-Provided Hardware

Organizations can provide their own compatible hardware (Linux-based system with container platform support).

Requirements:

• A container runtime is required
• Customer must maintain microservice updates independently
• Linux-based system meeting resource requirements

Note: Virtual Machine deployments are not supported.

Migration Between Deployment Models

Installations can migrate between deployment strategies if requirements change:

On-Site to Cloud-Based:

• Establish VPN connectivity
• Deploy cloud-based agent
• Validate data collection
• Decommission on-site hardware

Cloud-Based to On-Site:

• Deploy on-site hardware
• Configure local agent
• Validate operations
• Remove VPN dependency

The Mirox platform supports both models, giving you the flexibility to choose the best approach for each plant and to change strategies as circumstances evolve.

Recommendations

Choose On-Site Deployment when:

• Installation has adequate physical infrastructure
• Internet connectivity is unreliable
• Network security policies restrict VPN access
• Autonomous operation during outages is critical
• Latency-sensitive applications are involved

Choose Cloud-Based Deployment when:

• Installation has reliable high-bandwidth internet
• VPN infrastructure is available or easily deployed
• Physical space or hardware deployment is problematic
• Centralized management is a high priority
• Monitoring many small distributed installations
• Site access is restricted or difficult

Consider Hybrid Approaches when:

• Requirements are complex or evolving
• Maximum reliability is essential
• Different installations have different constraints
• Optimizing for both cost and performance across a portfolio

The architecture supports both deployment models, so each organization can pick the approach that best fits its operational, technical, and business requirements.

Related Features

• Mirox-Agent Overview — what the edge agent does at each plant
• Data Scraper — the vendor-specific adapters that collect plant data
• mrxnode — the recommended on-site hardware platform
• VPN — the secure tunnels behind cloud-based deployment
• Mirox-Cloud Overview — where the cloud-hosted agents run