Solutions / Over-the-air update solution
Over-the-air update solution
Ship software updates to a fleet of Linux devices without visiting them. An update agent on each device, a cloud engine that holds releases and fleet state, and a web interface to plan and roll out updates. A pre-production version is available to evaluate in your own environment.
What it is
- Update agent: runs on the device, checks for releases, downloads, verifies and installs them, and reports the result.
- Cloud engine: stores releases, tracks which version each device runs and decides which devices receive an update.
- Web interface: plan a rollout, choose the target devices and follow progress per device.
Where it fits
- Fleets of Linux devices that cannot be reached by hand: vehicles, machines and field installations.
- Teams that need to deliver fixes without a service visit and to know which version runs where.
- Devices with limited or intermittent connectivity.
Design principles
An update system must never leave a device worse off than before the update. These four principles guide the design.
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1
Verify before installing
Updates are authenticated with digital signatures, so a device accepts only releases from your release authority.
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2
Install without risking the device
The new version is written to an inactive copy of the system. The device switches to it only after a successful write and keeps the previous version for rollback.
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3
Roll out in waves
A small group of devices is updated first. The rollout widens only while the health reports of the previous wave stay within your limit.
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4
Report and decide
Every device reports its version and health after the update. The cloud engine halts a rollout automatically when failures exceed the limit.
Rollout simulator
A simulated fleet of 40 devices updated in three waves of 4, 12 and 24. Set how many devices fail after the update and the failure limit that halts the rollout, then start it. Failed devices return to the previous version.
Illustrative simulation with sample values, not measurements from a customer fleet.
Get it your way
NDA available on request.
License it
- Pre-production version available for evaluation in your own environment
- An evaluation version first, so you can test it in your own environment
- License terms agreed to fit your requirements and budget
Have it built
- Designed around your system and your problem
- Built from scratch, or adapted from an existing solution
- Source code and IP stay with you, with documentation and a handover