Local vs Cloud Execution

SmartApps & Automations
1

In my ST setup, I have many Scenes / Manual Routines. Most of them report as running Local, but some say cloud. For example I have have two almost identical Scenes / Manual Routines. One is ‘Low power mode’ where it turns off almost everything in the house, the other being ‘Ultra low power mode’ which does the same as ‘Low power mode’ but also turns off my WIFI controlled Heat-pump.

My questions are:

  1. Does the cloud Scene / Manual Routine turn off everything from the cloud, or does it run everything local that is local, and only turn off that WIFI device from the cloud?

  2. With the same Scene / Manual Routine above, does it still control the local items even if the internet is down, just excluding that one WIFI device?

Thanks.

2

Once it runs in the cloud, it runs in the cloud. If your Internet is out, the cloud routine won’t run.

You might want to separate your local devices into their own routine, so that can run locally. It’s up to you.

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3

Any single device or action that cannot be run locally on your hub will force Routine execution from the cloud. Only devices and actions that can be executed locally on your hub will allow a Routine to be run without an Internet connection. Keep in mind that the ST Mobile App communicates to your hub through the cloud and your hub needs to check-in periodically (approx 24 hours) to operate properly.

Here is a list of some things that can cause your Routine to run in the cloud:

    Scenes that include non-local devices
    Lighting Groups
    Member Location
    Devices from cloud->cloud integrations
    Notification actions
    Weather triggers
    STHM triggers and actions
    Any Day time precondition
    Cloud virtual devices
    Devices from more than one hub

As @JDRoberts is fond of saying, even with Edge drivers and local execution, ST is still an Internet/cloud based ecosystem.

ST Architecture

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4

Thanks for the info. That seems a little silly by ST. Now I have all my drivers fixed, it seemed quite laggy running the cloud routine vs the local one.

5

Thanks for the info. It really sucks that we cannot change ‘Home Monitor’ status locally, and just as much sucks more that we cannot monitor ‘Home Monitor’ status (for pre conditions) locally either. Like turn lights on at certain time is local, but if you add condition to check if Home Monitor is set to Armed Stay, then the same routine becomes cloud.

ST needs to change this. I had a nightmare and a lot of pissed off neighbors a while back when I got home very late when the power was out (ST V2 on batteries) and the internet was out, and I had no way to disabled the alarm and screaming sirens. Normally I have a hidden local control Z-wave remote for Arm Away / Stay.

6

“Home Monitor” as a construct doesn’t live locally on your hub. In fact, I believe there are configurations where you can use it without a hub at all such as Wi-Fi sensors and/or Sirens.

They would fundamentally have to change the way STHM works so I doubt you’ll see any movement on that front. If you need a home monitoring solution that runs completely local, you should probably look at other ecosystems.

1 Like
7

I’ve seen recommendations to split Routines into the local-only components and the cloud triggering components, where possible. For example, if you need a sensor to trigger some event and you want a notification to go with it, split those actions into two different Routines so that the sensor triggered Routine will run locally (even without Internet). Hassle I know, but gives you some options.

3 Likes
8

I thought about that. My Heat-Pump I cant’s change to local, but the other cloud ones are for notifications. I already get notifications in my house with lights, so maybe I will just remove the notifications altogether. Well except my earthquake one.

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