Release Process¶
Prerequisites¶
In order to release and publish your device, several prerequisites have to be fulfilled:
- You are an official Device Builder (DEVICE_BUILDER-Role assigned at the IEH).
- The Industrial Edge runtime is integrated to your device (see integration section).
- Device Type is created (see Device Type section).
- Device Type is tested (IEDK Test Suite).
- Device is compliant with Device Security Guidelines.
- Quality check for device passed.
If you finished developing your device and the Device Type was created successfully the onboarding process can be started. Therefore please sync with the Industrial Edge Ecosystem Team to coordinate the next steps in the onboarding process.
In consultation with us Siemens Ecosystem team will publish your device type to our testing stage, where the Ecosystem team will do our technical and commercial onboarding checks (Ecosystem Review). After your device successfully passed all these checks, Ecosystem team get in touch with you to publish your device globally.
Release process general¶
Analog to the release of applications the release process for devices is split in two stages.
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Release on Partner Stage: On the Partner Stage, all relevant Industrial Edge features incl. IEDK are deployed 6 weeks in advance of deployment to the Live Stage. Giving Device Builders the chance to get hands on IEDK 6 weeks earlier. After integration of IEDK Device Builder can release on the Partner Stage first to ensure that also Application Providers can test against the new firmware.
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Release on Live Stage: After the IE version components stayed for 6 weeks on the Partner Stage with no issues the deployment to the Live Stage is initiated.
Release process new Hardware-based devices¶
An exception to the above process is given when a device builder is newly bringing a device to the Industrial Edge Ecosystem.
De facto the manufacturing initiation of the devices can only be started when the Device Builder can be assured that onboarding of their devices works on the Live Stage.
Before the device is getting manufactured no Application Provider can test against the new hardware.
Release process for new Hardware releases
For the very first release of a hardware the Partner Stage is skipped. Ecosystem Team will do the Ecosystem Review to give the Device Builder more security with additional testing before finally releasing on the Live Stage. Please get in contact with the Ecosystem Team with your Release Candidate Hardware and deliverables.
Release process for firmware updates and software-defined devices¶
For firmware updates of Hardware-defined devices and for initial releases of software-defined devices (e.g. IEVD) the regular process is valid. Just that it is decoupled from the release cycles of Industrial Edge Platform deliveries. Device Builders can get IEDK in RT n-1 and release in decoupled the Partner Stage e.g. in RT n+1. The firmware should stay on the Partner Stage for 3 weeks to give Application Providers the change to test and find issues in the device. Also this timespan is taken to conduct the Ecosystem Review.
