How to Calculate Global Capacity Points in a Niagara 4 Station
Niagara 4 Global Capacity licenses a station by proxy points (and, on some licences, devices). Check usage in the station's Resource Manager and size licences with headroom.
Every Niagara 4 controller and supervisor is licensed for a certain capacity, and running out of it stops new points working, usually at the worst moment of a project. This guide explains what Global Capacity is, exactly what counts and what does not, how to see how much a station is using, how to estimate capacity for a new project, and what to do when you approach the limit.
What is Global Capacity?
Global Capacity is the licensing mechanism Niagara 4 uses to limit how much a host can integrate. It appears in the host's licence file as a globalCapacity feature, with limits such as:
- points: the maximum number of proxy points across all drivers in the station
- devices: on licences that include it, the maximum number of devices across all drivers
The limits apply to the station as a whole, regardless of which driver the points come from. That is why it is called global: a 500-point licence can be 500 BACnet points, 500 Modbus points, or any mix.
Where a licence has both a device limit and a point limit, whichever limit you reach first applies.
What counts towards Global Capacity?
Counted
- Proxy points under driver networks: BACnet, Modbus, LonWorks, KNX, SNMP, MQTT, LoRaWAN, third-party drivers and so on. Each proxy point counts as one, whether it reads a temperature, a status or a setpoint.
- Devices under driver networks, where the licence has a device limit.
- Onboard I/O on controllers that have it. On an IONA controller, each onboard I/O point used counts as one point of its licence.
Not counted
- Niagara network devices and proxy points (station-to-station connections are licensed separately on the supervisor through Niagara network connections)
- Niagara virtual points, which provide live data for graphics without creating proxy points
- Control and kit components that are not proxy points: logic blocks, numeric and boolean writables used for setpoints and calculations, schedules, folders
- Extensions on points such as alarm and history extensions (they do not add to the point count, although they use memory and other resources)
A simple example
| Item in the station | Quantity | Global Capacity points |
|---|---|---|
| BACnet VAV controllers, 12 proxy points each | 40 devices | 480 |
| Modbus energy meters, 8 proxy points each | 10 devices | 80 |
| LoRaWAN CO2 sensors, 4 values each | 25 devices | 100 |
| Logic, schedules and setpoint writables | many | 0 |
| Niagara network link to supervisor | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 660 |
This station needs more than a 500-point licence; a 1,250-point licence gives comfortable headroom.
How to check Global Capacity usage
The Resource Manager
The quickest way is the station's Resource Manager view:
- Connect to the station in Workbench.
- Right-click the station in the Nav tree and choose Views > Resource Manager.
- Look for the global capacity entries, which show current usage alongside the licensed limits for points (and devices where applicable).
The Resource Manager also shows memory figures such as Heap Max and heap used, which are worth checking at the same time (see managing memory allocations).
Counts update automatically
Niagara recounts Global Capacity periodically, roughly every ten minutes, and in Niagara 4 the recount happens without a station restart. If you have just deleted points and the count has not dropped yet, wait for the next recount.
The licence file
The licence itself shows the limits. In Workbench, open Platform > License Manager for the host, or open the licence file in the host's licences folder with a text editor. The globalCapacity feature line shows the licensed limits. Never edit a licence file; any change invalidates its signature.
How to estimate Global Capacity for a new project
Work from the points list, not from the number of devices.
- List every device type and the points you actually need from each, not every point it offers. A VAV controller may expose 60 objects; the BMS may need 10.
- Multiply by quantities and add them up across drivers.
- Add onboard I/O if the controller is an IONA.
- Add 20–30% headroom for points requested after handover, extra meters and future sensors.
- Check device limits if the licence type has them.
- Choose the licence tier above the total.
| Licence tiers | JACE 9000 | IONA |
|---|---|---|
| Base licences | 100, 250, 500, 1,250, 5,000, 10,000 points | 100, 250, 500, 1,250, 2,500, 5,000, 10,000 points |
| Upgrades | 500, 1,250, 2,500-point packs | Upgrades available from 50 points |
An IONA licensed for fewer than 150 points is classed as a Niagara Edge device. Under Tridium's Edge licensing scheme, introduced in Niagara 4.10, an Edge-class device counts as one tenth of a standard Niagara network connection on a supervisor, so up to ten such devices use the same supervisor connection as one JACE. This can make a big difference to supervisor licensing on estates with many small sites.
Ways to use fewer points
Points cost money twice: once in licence capacity and again in engineering and polling load. Before buying an upgrade, check whether the station is integrating more than it needs.
- Integrate only useful points. Remove proxy points nobody looks at, trends or alarms.
- Use Niagara virtual points for graphics on supervisors, instead of creating proxy points for values only displayed.
- Avoid duplicates. The same device integrated twice, or the same value read through two drivers, doubles the count.
- Do calculations in logic, not by integrating extra derived values from devices.
- Clean up after commissioning. Engineers often add every discovered object during testing; delete what is not in the final points list.
What happens when you exceed Global Capacity?
When a station reaches its licensed limit, points or devices added beyond it will not operate, and the station reports that the global capacity limit has been exceeded. Existing points keep working. The fixes are:
- remove unnecessary points, or
- buy a capacity upgrade, which Tridium issues as a new licence for the host's Host ID, then install it through the License Manager.
Plan upgrades before commissioning, not on handover day: licence changes need the Host ID, an order and processing time.
Global Capacity on supervisors
A Niagara Web Supervisor is licensed differently: mainly by the number of Niagara network connections (JACEs, IONAs and other stations it connects to) and by any devices or points it integrates directly through its own drivers. Points that come from controllers through the Niagara network do not consume the supervisor's point capacity, but each controller uses a Niagara network connection (or one tenth of one for Edge-class devices).
Worked example: sizing a supervisor estate
An estate has one Web Supervisor, four large buildings with a JACE 9000 each, and twelve small plant rooms.
- The four JACE 9000s each integrate 900–1,100 BACnet and Modbus points, so each takes a 1,250-point licence with headroom.
- The twelve plant rooms need 40–120 points each. IONA controllers licensed below 150 points fit, with onboard I/O covering the local plant. As Edge-class devices they count as one tenth of a supervisor connection each.
- The supervisor therefore needs Niagara network connections for 4 JACEs plus 12 Edge-class devices. Twelve Edge devices use 1.2 connections' worth, so the supervisor needs capacity for 4 + 2 = 6 connections (rounding the Edge devices up to whole connections of ten).
- Points imported into the supervisor through the Niagara network do not use supervisor point capacity.
Without the Edge licensing scheme, the same estate would need 16 connections on the supervisor. Licence structure makes a real difference to cost on estates with many small sites, so model it before choosing controllers.
Planning for growth
Capacity needs grow after handover. Typical sources of growth:
- new tenants or fit-outs adding fan coil units and meters
- sub-metering programmes for net zero reporting
- wireless sensors (each LoRaWAN value is a point)
- analytics projects that need extra plant data
- integrating systems that were previously stand-alone (lighting, access, lifts)
Plan licence tiers with this in mind, and review capacity usage at each annual maintenance visit so upgrades are budgeted rather than emergencies.
What else a Niagara licence controls
Global Capacity is only one part of a licence. When reviewing or ordering, check all of it:
| Licence element | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Global Capacity | Points (and devices where limited) across all drivers |
| Features and drivers | Which drivers and services are enabled, for example BACnet, Modbus, analytics, third-party drivers |
| Niagara network connections | On supervisors, how many stations can connect (Edge-class devices count as one tenth) |
| Edge platform flag | Whether a small device counts as an Edge device on the supervisor |
| SMA expiry | Which Niagara versions can be installed |
| Brand | Which branded software the licence works with |
A licence can have plenty of point capacity but still block a project because a driver feature is missing or the SMA has expired. Check every element before commissioning.
Common questions during audits
"The Resource Manager says we use more points than our schedule." Look for leftovers from commissioning, duplicate devices, and points under disabled networks or devices, which may still be counted.
"We have spare points but new devices still fail." Check whether the licence has a device limit that has been reached first.
"The count has not dropped after deleting points." Wait for the next automatic recount.
"Do histories count?" History extensions do not add to the point count, but large numbers of histories use memory and storage. Archive to a supervisor.
Frequently asked questions
What are Global Capacity points in Niagara 4?
They are the licensed limit on proxy points (and on some licences devices) across all drivers in a Niagara 4 station.
Do Niagara network points count towards Global Capacity?
No. Niagara network devices and proxy points are excluded; station-to-station connections are licensed separately on the supervisor.
Do Niagara virtual points count?
No. Virtual points provide live values for graphics without consuming proxy point capacity.
How do I see how many points my station uses?
Open the station's Resource Manager view in Workbench (right-click the station, Views, Resource Manager) to see current global capacity usage against the licensed limits.
Do logic blocks and setpoints count as points?
No. Only proxy points (and devices, where limited) count. Kit control components used for logic, setpoints and schedules do not.
How do I upgrade a licence's point capacity?
Order a capacity upgrade for the controller's Host ID. Tridium issues an updated licence, which you install through the License Manager.
Does an IONA's onboard I/O use licence points?
Yes. Each onboard I/O point used counts as one point of the IONA's licence.
Can I move licence capacity between controllers?
Licences are tied to Host IDs, so capacity does not move freely. Special arrangements exist in some cases, such as Tridium's JACE 8000 to JACE 9000 licence transfer promotion.
Does exporting points as BACnet objects use capacity?
Exporting existing points does not create new proxy points. Capacity is consumed by the proxy points that bring data into the station.
Do LoRaWAN sensors count towards Global Capacity?
Yes. Each decoded value brought into the station as a proxy point counts. A sensor reporting temperature, humidity, CO2 and battery uses four points if all four are integrated.
Do disabled points still count?
They can, depending on how they are disabled. Delete proxy points you no longer need rather than leaving them disabled.
Is Global Capacity the same on JACE and IONA?
The principle is the same. IONA additionally counts each onboard I/O point used, and an IONA licensed below 150 points is classed as an Edge device.
Need help from a Niagara engineer?
If this guide has not solved the problem, contact the Tyrrell Products technical team on 01942 732819 or [email protected]. Tell us the controller or host type, its Niagara version and what you have already tried, and we will help you get the system running.