5. Add a demo integration
OpenApp is for controlling real-world equipment—door openers, lights, and similar building hardware. That world is heterogeneous: devices come from different manufacturers and may use different protocols and APIs (for example MQTT, KNX, or a vendor’s cloud). In OpenApp, a provider is the piece that knows how to talk to one such external system. An integration is the configured link between your org and a provider. Examples include real systems (Shelly, MQTT, Home Assistant, KNX, PalGate) and a Virtual Demo Devices provider that simulates hardware while you learn.
For a first pass, create Virtual Demo Devices:
- In the dashboard, open Integrations and add a new integration.
- Pick Virtual Demo Devices.
- Save the integration.
Once you are comfortable with the flow, you can follow the same pattern with hardware you own—the resource model is unchanged, and only the integration differs (your real provider instead of the demo one).
Details vary by integration; use the links inline and the Integrations catalog for provider-specific fields. Not sure which provider matches your building? Read Choosing access control architecture for trade-offs (price, connectivity, scale, regulations, fallback) before you commit.
Virtual Demo Devices is now attached to your org. The dashboard still has no Demo door or Demo light to try; the next step creates those names step by step so the virtual panel can show open/closed and on/off.