Device Hierarchy
OWL DMS uses a two-tier device structure:Papa Duck
Gateway devices that connect to the internet and relay messages to the cloud. Each Papa Duck can support multiple Mama Ducks.
Mama Duck
Mesh network devices that relay messages between end devices and Papa Ducks. Each Mama Duck must be assigned to a parent Papa Duck.
Device Table
The main table displays your Papa Duck devices with expandable rows:Table Columns
Expandable Rows
Click the expand arrow next to a Papa Duck to view its connected Mama Ducks:1
View Mama Ducks
Expand a Papa Duck row to see all associated Mama Duck devices
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Mama Details
Each Mama Duck shows the same information as Papa Ducks (name, ID, description, location, status)
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Manage Mama Ducks
Click on a Mama Duck name to view its detail page, or use the edit/delete actions
Adding Devices
Add Papa Duck
1
Click Add Device
Click the “Add Device” button in the top-right corner
2
Select Device Type
Choose “PAPA” from the device type dropdown
3
Enter Device Info
Fill in the required and optional fields:
- Name (required, 3-8 characters): Short identifier for the device
- Description (optional): Purpose or notes about the device
- Location (optional): Physical location or deployment area
4
Submit
Click “Submit” to create the Papa Duck. The system will generate gateway credentials automatically.
Papa Duck credentials (Device ID and Token) are generated automatically and can be viewed in the device details page.
Add Mama Duck
1
Click Add Device
Click the “Add Device” button
2
Select Device Type
Choose “MAMA” from the device type dropdown
3
Select Parent Papa
Choose which Papa Duck this Mama Duck will connect to (required)
4
Enter Device Info
Fill in the required and optional fields:
- Name (required, 3-8 characters): Short identifier
- Parent PAPA (required): Select the parent Papa Duck
- Description (optional): Purpose or notes
- Location (optional): Physical location
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Submit
Click “Submit” to create the Mama Duck
Editing Devices
Click the edit icon (pencil) next to any device to modify its information:Editable Fields
- Description: Update the device purpose or notes
- Location: Change the deployment location
- Parent Papa (Mama Ducks only): Reassign a Mama Duck to a different Papa Duck
What Cannot Be Changed
What Cannot Be Changed
- Device Name (set during creation)
- Unique ID (hardware identifier)
- Device Type (PAPA or MAMA)
- Gateway credentials (Papa Ducks only)
Archiving Devices
Archiving lets you hide Gateways and Nodes you no longer need to see day-to-day — test devices, decommissioned hardware — without deleting them or losing any of their history. Archived devices can be restored at any time. The Network page has two tabs:- Active — your normal, working device list
- Archived — devices you’ve hidden from view, each with its own search box
Archiving a Gateway
1
Open the overflow menu
Click the ⋯ menu on a Papa Duck row
2
Select Archive
Choose Archive. A confirmation dialog explains that the Gateway will move to Archived and stop appearing in your active network
3
Confirm
Check the box confirming you want to archive the device, then confirm
Archiving a Gateway also archives all of its connected Nodes. You can still restore individual Nodes separately afterward.
Archiving a Node
Open the ⋯ menu on a Mama Duck row and choose Archive. This only affects that Node — its parent Gateway stays active.Restoring an Archived Device
From the Archived tab, open the ⋯ menu on a Gateway or Node and choose Unarchive. A confirmation dialog appears; confirm to move the device back to Active. In the Archived tab, a Node whose parent Gateway is still active shows a Gateway Still Active badge, so you know it was archived on its own rather than as part of a Gateway archive.What Archiving Affects
Once a device is archived, it disappears from:- The home page device list
- The Gateway selector on the Map page
- The Node dropdown in the Add Device / firmware flash wizard
Device Status
Online/Offline Detection
Devices are automatically marked as online or offline based on recent message activity:1
Online Status
A device is considered online if it has sent a message within the last 5 minutes
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Offline Status
A device is marked offline if no messages have been received for more than 5 minutes
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Status Indicators
- Green dot: Device is online
- Gray dot: Device is offline
Device status updates automatically based on real-time message activity from the WebSocket connection.
Viewing Device Details
Papa Duck Details
Click on a Papa Duck name to view its detail page, which includes:- Device information (name, ID, description, location)
- Gateway credentials (Device ID and Token for cloud connectivity)
- Last seen timestamp
- Battery status (if available)
- Online/offline status
- Connected Mama Ducks list
- Recent message history
Mama Duck Details
Click on a Mama Duck name to view its detail page, which shows:- Device information
- Parent Papa Duck
- Last seen timestamp
- Battery and health metrics
- Online/offline status
- Recent message history
- GPS location history (if equipped)