Integrate EMQX Broker with EMQX Tables
EMQX Tables is a fully managed, built-in time-series database service in the EMQX Cloud, designed for efficient ingestion, storage, and analysis of MQTT data. It natively integrates with EMQX Broker via the rule engine and supports InfluxDB Line Protocol, enabling seamless data flow from device to database.
This document explains the architecture, integration process, and benefits of using EMQX Broker with EMQX Tables.
Architecture Overview
EMQX Tables is integrated with EMQX Broker through data integration, allowing MQTT messages to be written directly into EMQX Tables with minimal setup. This removes the need for third-party databases, pipelines, or middleware.
- No external database required
- No extra connectors or services
- All managed within EMQX Console
Typical Workflow
- Devices send MQTT data to EMQX Broker: Telemetry data such as temperature, power, and GPS.
- Rules process messages: A rule matches incoming messages, optionally transforming payloads, extracting fields, and formatting data.
- Data is ingested into EMQX Tables: Use Line Protocol via a rule action.
- SQL queries: Retrieve the data for dashboards, alerts, or analytics.
Benefits of the Integration
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Native Integration | One-click setup inside EMQX Cloud Console. No need for third-party databases or connectors. |
| No Schema Setup Required | Tables infer structure automatically. No schema definition or migration. |
| High Throughput + Compression | Optimized for high-ingest workloads. Storage is compressed to reduce cost. |
| Powerful Rule Engine | Filter, transform, enrich, or route data before storage. |
| SQL Support | Use standard query languages to retrieve and analyze data. |
| Secure Private Networking | When a Broker and a Tables deployment are in the same cloud platform and region and share the same network, they communicate over a low-latency private connection with no additional infrastructure required. |
| Line Protocol Compatible | Reuse existing InfluxDB workflows. Data is written using the familiar Line Protocol format. |
| Fully Managed | No infrastructure to manage. Scaling, backup, monitoring, and upgrades are handled for you. |
Integration Flow
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| 1. Deploy Together | Create both Broker and Tables in the same cloud platform and region, and associate them with the same network during deployment creation. This enables private connectivity between them. If they are in different regions or networks, a NAT Gateway is required for public internet access. |
| 2. Create Connector | Add a connector to EMQX Tables using auto-generated credentials. |
| 3. Define Rule | Use SQL to extract data from MQTT topics. |
| 4. Configure Action | Format data using Line Protocol and forward it to Tables. |
| 5. Query + Visualize | Use built-in SQL editor or tools like Grafana to analyze data. |
For step-by-step integration setup instructions, see: Ingest Data into EMQX Tables.