Asset Tree Connector

Overview

The asset tree connector is a configurable integration component used to import, organise and synchronise hierarchical asset structures such as companies, sites, systems, components and asset information groups into NEXUS IC from third-party systems.

The connector acts as an intermediary between client systems and NEXUS IC. It receives structured payloads and translates them into the appropriate NEXUS IC API (IC-Web) operations. This provides a consistent and well-defined interface for asset tree updates and simplifies integration.

For information about asset tree hierarchies within NEXUS IC, see Asset Tree.

Functionality

Asset Synchronisation

The connector provides a direct integration between an external data source and NEXUS IC, enabling automated synchronisation of assets and associated information.

When a change occurs in the source system, such as creating or modifying an asset, the connector can receive a JSON payload and update NEXUS IC accordingly. This ensures both systems remain aligned and reduces manual data maintenance.

For example, creating a new asset in the source system and sending its payload to the asset tree connector results in that asset being added to the correct position within the NEXUS hierarchy.

Interface

The asset tree connector is implemented as a configuration of the standard NEXUS Connector Framework.

In cloud deployments, it is accessed through a Swagger interface, where users can:

  • Select the tree connector configuration

  • Submit asset data payloads

  • Review example schemas agreed with the client

  • Follow the self-documenting API instructions

These examples define the expected structure of incoming data and help client teams interact correctly with the connector.

Capabilities

The connector supports a set of capabilities designed to automate and streamline the construction and maintenance of asset hierarchies within NEXUS IC.

External Reference ID Tracking

Assets can be linked to records in the source system using an external reference ID. When a payload is received for an existing asset in NEXUS IC, the connector updates the asset, including relocating it in the hierarchy if its parent has changed.

Full Hierarchy Construction

The asset tree connector can build an entire asset hierarchy from the ground up. Instead of manually creating the NEXUS asset tree, clients can submit a complete dataset via REST and the connector generates the structure automatically.

Automatic Generation of Missing Hierarchy Levels

The connector can be configured to create assets or grouping nodes that are missing from the source data but required in NEXUS IC. For example, if all assets need to be grouped under a top-level node such as a company, the connector can generate that parent node and ensure all incoming data is nested beneath it.

Example: SAP Integration

The asset tree connector is designed to integrate with a range of CMMS systems. While SAP is a common example, the connector supports similar approaches for other systems that provide structured asset data. The following example demonstrates how the connector aligns asset hierarchies between SAP and NEXUS IC, but the same principles can be applied to other third-party platforms.

When integrating with SAP, the asset tree connector ensures alignment between asset locations in SAP, called Functional Locations (FLOCs), and the asset locations in the NEXUS environment. In NEXUS, assets are organised within a hierarchical tree structure, where each asset’s location is represented by the Full Location field, which is derived from its parent assets.

The connector maps NEXUS Full Locations to SAP FLOCs. NEXUS provides a custom Asset Information Group (AIG) form that includes fields for storing asset attributes retrieved from SAP. The connector populates these fields, which are then used to calculate the Full Location in NEXUS. This approach allows asset trees to be constructed in NEXUS from a vertical list of components, provided that the necessary parent attributes are available to define the hierarchy.

The mapping process typically involves the following steps:

  1. Data Synchronisation

    Populate designated fields in NEXUS with asset-level information from SAP FLOCs.

  2. Tier Mapping

    Use the populated fields to determine the hierarchical tier levels required to construct the Full Location in NEXUS.

  3. Asset Creation

    For any SAP FLOCs that do not yet have a corresponding NEXUS asset (specifically for asset types such as “vessel”, “tank”, or “corrosion circuit”), create the asset in NEXUS. Its location is derived from the tier structure defined in the previous step.