Zerotouch Installation

12min
Note: Zerotouch Installation is available for Manufacturing Connect Edge version 3.5.2 and later. 
Zerotouch provisioning allows you to pre-define a Manufacturing Connect Edge configuration and use it to deploy edge devices on-site with no additional human input. This provides you an efficient and reliable strategy to install hundreds or thousands of edge devices. It also enables a simple experience for on-site users. 
There are three stages for zerotouch:
Prepare a bootable USB drive that can be used to install Manufacturing Connect Edge. The USB drive includes the Manufacturing Connect Edge installer and your custom zerotouch configurations. 
Use the USB drive within your production / assembly facility to install Manufacturing Connect Edge on hundreds or thousands of edge devices. The zerotouch configurations will also be copied from the USB drive into the edge device. After installation, ship the edge devices to your users on-site. 
On-site users can boot up the edge device. Manufacturing Connect Edge will start running, and the zerotouch configurations will be automatically applied. 
﻿Before You Begin﻿
You will need the following:
IMG file of the version of Manufacturing Connect Edge you want to install. You can request it from your account executive. 
The edge-zerotouch command-line interface (CLI) tool for generating zerotouch files. You can request it from your account executive. 
A Linux computer for running the edge-zerotouch tool. Ubuntu 20.04 or above is recommended. It also needs Docker installed. Internet connection is also needed for signing. 
A signing key, as an input into the edge-zerotouch tool, for signing the zerotouch files. You can request this key from customer support.
A USB drive.
Prepare USB installer with Zerotouch Configuration
Complete the following steps to prepare a bootable USB drive that will be used to install Manufacturing Connect Edge. The USB drive includes the Manufacturing Connect Edge installer and your custom zerotouch configurations. 
Step 1: Create Bootable USB with Manufacturing Connect Edge IMG File
Burn the Manufacturing Connect Edge IMG file onto a USB drive that you will be using for the installation. You can use free tools like Balena Etcher and Rufus.
Later, you will copy the zerotouch files into the USB drive as well. 
Step 2: Create Zerotouch Files
This step will help you to create the zerotouch files that will be used during installation. 
Step 2a: Define Config File
You will need to create a config file to define all the docker applications that you would like to be installed on the edge device as part of the zerotouch provisioning process. The config file will be in JSON format. 
When creating the file, keep the following in mind:
run-cmd allows you to define a "docker run" command for your application. The parameters {{.ApiKey}} and {{.ImageName}}, if defined, will be automatically populated at run time. 
{{.ApiKey}}will be automatically populated with a REST API token of the Manufacturing Connect Edge. This allows your application to access the Manufacturing Connect Edge's REST API. 
{{.ImageName}} will be automatically populated with the value defined for "name". 
Refer to the following sample file. 
JSON
{
    "images" : [
        {
            "name" : "hello-world", 
            "run-cmd" : "docker run -e APIKEY={{.ApiKey}} {{.ImageName}}"
        },
        {
            "name" : "eclipse-mosquitto",
            "run-cmd" : "docker run -d -p 1883:1883 -p 9001:9001 -e APIKEY={{.ApiKey}} {{.ImageName}}"
        },  
        {
            "name" : "mongo",
            "run-cmd" : "docker run -d -e \"WebApi:ApiKey\"=\"{{.ApiKey}}\" {{.ImageName}}"
        }
    ]
  }
{
    "images" : [
        {
            "name" : "hello-world", 
            "run-cmd" : "docker run -e APIKEY={{.ApiKey}} {{.ImageName}}"
        },
        {
            "name" : "eclipse-mosquitto",
            "run-cmd" : "docker run -d -p 1883:1883 -p 9001:9001 -e APIKEY={{.ApiKey}} {{.ImageName}}"
        },  
        {
            "name" : "mongo",
            "run-cmd" : "docker run -d -e \"WebApi:ApiKey\"=\"{{.ApiKey}}\" {{.ImageName}}"
        }
    ]
  }
﻿
Step 2b: Use Edge-zerotouch CLI Tool to Generate Zerotouch File
After creating the config file, you will use the edge-zerotouch tool to generate the zerotouch file. This zerotouch file will later be copied into the USB key to be used during the installation process. 
The edge-zerotouch tool needs to be run inside a Linux environment that has Docker installed and a connection to internet. 
Command to Generate Zerotouch Archive
Text
./edge-zerotouch-amd64-linux generate -cfg=files/cfg-sample.json -sign-key=${signing_apikey}
./edge-zerotouch-amd64-linux generate -cfg=files/cfg-sample.json -sign-key=${signing_apikey}
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Sample Output of Command
INFO[02-14|23:06:27] using config file                     cfg=files/cfg-sample.json
INFO[02-14|23:06:27] output directory is not specified 
INFO[02-14|23:06:27] using output directory                output=/tmp/zerotouch
INFO[02-14|23:06:40] Done! 
Sample Output of File and Directory Structure
The final file will have the following format: zerotouch-1.0.0.tar.gz
The file is an archive that includes the docker images for your applications. It also includes a signature that will be used for authenticity verification during the installation process. 
Example of what's inside the archive:
$ tree /tmp/zerotouch
/tmp/zerotouch
├── eclipse-mosquitto.tar
├── hello-world.tar
├── manifest.sig
├── manifest.yaml
└── mongo.tar
Step 3: Copy Zerotouch File into USB
Copy the file zerotouch-1.0.0.tar.gz into the USB drive under the folder zerotouch_preboot.
The USB drive is now ready to be used to install Manufacturing Connect Edge on a device. 
Install Manufacturing Connect Edge from USB with Zerotouch Config
Within your production or assembly facility, use the USB drive (prepared above) to install Manufacturing Connect Edge on hundreds or thousands of edge devices. The installer will also copy the custom zerotouch configurations from the USB drive into the edge device. 
After installation, the edge device is powered off and ready to be shipped for on-site deployment.
To install Manufacturing Connect Edge from the USB:
Insert the USB drive into the device you want to install Manufacturing Connect Edge
Power on the device.
After the device initiates the installer, respond to the questions in the terminal user interface (TUI).
Welcome to Operating System Installer. Are you installing over Serial (for advanced users)? Yes/No :
Enter No, and then press ENTER.
The Zerotouch Preboot message displays.
Press ENTER for Ok. 
Zerotouch Preboot message
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Select Install Operating System, and then select OK. 
Use the arrow keys to navigate to selections. 
Install Operating System option
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From the Select Partition and Install dialog box, select the correct installation location, navigate to Ok, and press ENTER. 
Confirm the selected location and select Yes. 
Confirm selected location
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Confirm that the selected device will be erased during the formatting process. Select Yes. 
Warning message for installatio
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Select Yes to power off the device.
Power off notification
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The device is now ready to be shipped for deployment.
On-site Bootup
At the site of deployment, you can boot up the Manufacturing Connect Edge device. 
Manufacturing Connect Edge will start running. The terminal window displays the URL that must be used to access the device using the Web UI. If several URLs are displayed, use the first one. See Access the Manufacturing Connect Edge Web UI﻿ the manufacturing connect for more information. 
On first boot, the zerotouch configurations will be automatically applied. The container applications specified in the zerotouch config will start running. 
Note: After the first boot, any docker images and associated containers specified in the zerotouch configuration file may take some time to display in the Manufacturing Connect Edge UI. ﻿
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