Add a Module as an Edge App Type

Introduction

This article describes how to add a module as an edge application type. All the types are described in the Manage an Edge Application article. This is a series of articles. You will likely follow them in this order.

1. Edge Application Overview
2. Manage an Edge App Image
3. Manage an Edge Application
   • Add a Module as an Edge App Type - You are here!
   • Add a Container as an Edge App Type
   • Add a Virtual Machine as an Edge App Type
4. Deploy an Application Instance

Prerequisites

• You have the SysManager role in your enterprise.
• Ensure the application details are stored in a place the edge node can access. Check Data Stores for details.
• An Edge App Image is required.

Configure the identity

1. Log in to the ZEDEDA GUI.
2. Hover over Marketplace on the left side nav and click on Edge Apps.
3. Click on the icon + to create a new edge app.
4. Select Modules as Edge App Type.
5. Fill in the Identity section.
   1. Name: This value can't be changed later.
   2. Title: This value is for flexibility. You can change it at any time.
   3. Description: You can use this to help other admins understand the purpose of the app or any important details about the app.
   4. Category: Select the category that best describes the app. If no category describes the app, you can type one of your own and that category is created.
   5. Version: Provide the version of your edge application.
   6. Enable CPU Pinning: Bind specific virtual CPUs to a particular application or workload. This can enhance performance by ensuring that the app constantly runs on the same CPU cores, which reduces context switching and cache misses for latency-sensitive tasks.
   7. Azure runtime Module = Yes: Indicates that your edge application is designed to leverage Azure services or functionalities, such as remote management or data processing.
      • $edgeAgent:
        • This is a module responsible for managing the deployment and lifecycle of other modules on the IoT Edge device. It downloads, starts, stops, updates, and monitors the status of other modules as defined in the IoT Edge deployment manifest.
        • For orchestrating modules on the edge device and ensuring that the specified modules are running as expected.
      • $edgeHub:
        • This module acts as the local IoT Hub on the edge device. It handles communication between edge modules, provides connectivity to the IoT Hub in the cloud, and enables offline functionality by caching messages when the device is offline.
        • For secure data transfer, message routing between modules, and maintaining data flow to the cloud when connectivity is restored.
6. License: Helps users understand the terms under which they can use, modify, or distribute the application. It can also affect how the application interacts with other components in the ZEDEDA ecosystem.
7. Continue on to configure the drives.

Configure the drives

1. After you configure the identity, configure the drives.
2. Choose an existing image or upload one as instructed in Edge App Images
3. Continue on to configure the container options.

Configure the container options

1. After you configure the drives, configure the container options.
2. Configure the Container Options Template for module containers at runtime. This includes control over resource access and networking configurations.
3. This is often in JSON or YAML. The syntax will depend on the specific settings you want to configure for Azure IOT Edge Module, based on how to configure container create options for IoT Edge modules.
4. Continue on to configure module deployment details.

Configure the module deployment details

1. After you configure the drives, configure the module deployment details.
2. Configure the Module Deployment Template: You can deploy modules on Azure IoT devices using a deployment manifest, which allows for multiple routes and environment variables in a single setup. Each module has a settings section with the module image, container image address, and startup configuration options.
   
   JSON Example

   {
     SendData: true,
     SendInterval: 5
   }

   
   
   1. 1. Routes: You can specify routes and declare routes for communication between modules, the IoT Hub, and leaf devices. Routes with the same priority are processed in the order they arrive. Routes without a specified priority get the lowest priority. 
         1. 1. Name: Name of the route you defined in the Azure IoT Hub Routes tab.
            2. Details: Value you defined for the route name in the Azure IoT Hub Routes tab. 
      2. Environment Variables: You can define key-value pairs to configure settings and parameters for your application at runtime, rather than hardcoding them.
3. Continue on to configure developer info.

Configure the developer info

1. After configuring the module deployment details, configure the developer info. Note the following fields.
   1. Agreement: A place to include specific agreements about services offered or standards complied with.
   2. Support Description: Add relevant support contacts or instructions.
2. Click the Add button to add the container edge application.
3. Verify your new addition by checking for it in the ZEDEDA Marketplace.

Next steps

This is a series of articles. You will likely follow them in this order.

1. Edge Application Overview
2. Manage an Edge App Image
3. Manage an Edge Application
   • Add a Module as an Edge App Type - You are here!
   • Add a Container as an Edge App Type
   • Add a Virtual Machine as an Edge App Type
4. Deploy an Application Instance