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Required modules and hardware

Required hardware: You will need a SecureEdge Pro to be able to run Edge Apps.

Required module: Edge App Management. Check your modules at Admin > Licenses. This module is necessary to be able to manage Edge Apps in the Portal without installing them manually on the SecureEdge Pro. To obtain it, contact your IXON account manager or IXON distributor.

Prerequisites

To dive into this topic, a basic knowledge of Docker technologies and Docker Desktop or related tools is assumed.

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Pay attention to the device's processor architecture!

When creating your own image, keep in mind that the SecureEdge Pro uses an ARM64 (linux/arm64v8) processor architecture, therefore the image you will use must be compatible with it.

Definition

Edge Apps are containerized applications that run locally on the SecureEdge Pro, enabling machine builders to deploy custom or standard software for low-latency processing, offline operation, and machine-specific functionality. Furthermore, it is possible to customize your software according to your needs.

If the Edge App has a HTTP web interface, then you can easily access it from the Portal using HTTP EasyControl.

How to install an Edge App

There are two ways to install Edge Apps:

Directly on one SecureEdge Pro

By navigating to the Marketplace, pick an Edge App of your choice (for example Grafana) and follow the instructions in the "How to install" section. Often, these will redirect to the IXON's public Github repository, where the project's README.md file will contain a step-by-step installation guide. Follow them to start using your app.

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Before you start...

Make sure to check out the Running custom Docker applications on the SecureEdge Pro support article to learn how to set up your Docker environment properly and to get more information about manual installation of Edge Apps.

Scalable via Edge App Management

Thanks to Edge App Management, you will be able to install Edge Apps by deploying an Edge App once to your IXON Cloud company and install it plug-and-play on multiple devices afterwards. For this solution, you will need to use the Edge App Management Workspace. To start using it, follow the instructions in the Getting Started section.

Please note that this method requires you to have the Edge App Management module active in your company.

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Using private registries

In case you are using a private registry, you have to configure the registry both locally and in the IXON Cloud following these steps:

1. Set up the Private container registry credentials locally.
2. Configure the registry in the IXON Cloud by navigating to Studio > Developer > Edge Apps and pressing the Cogwheel icon on the top right. You will have to set up the same credentials that you have set up locally.

How to install an Edge App with Edge App Management

Before moving on to the next steps, make sure to validate your Edge App by running the command found in the Validating your Edge App section.

After this, you can start following the steps to upload an Edge App to your device:

1. Navigate to Studio > Developer > Edge Apps.

2. Press the Add new Edge App button and provide the name of the Edge App.

   
   

3. Copy the Public ID of the Edge App and navigate to the config.json file found in the Edge App Management Workspace and replace it in the edgeApp field as explained in the Uploading your Edge App to IXON Cloud section.

   
   

   

   
   

4. Repeat this step with the Company ID of the company you want to deploy the Edge App in.

5. The same section of the README.md file mentions the creation of a .accesstoken file. Follow the instructions and create the file in the root folder of the workspace.

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   Expiration of the .accesstoken

   From the moment the user signs up to the IXON Portal page where the .accesstoken is taken from, the token will be valid for 30 days.

   This token is only needed when deploying a custom Edge App to the IXON Portal. Its expiration will not affect the app's functionality; the app will continue to work in the IXON Cloud.

6. Finally, run the upload command found in the section mentioned in step 3. Make sure to pick the command that's compatible with your Operating System.

7. Your Edge App should be now visible in the Studio. This is confirmed if the Published date and Published by columns are populated.