Zerotouch Installation

12min
Note: Zerotouch Installation is available for Manufacturing Connect Edge version 3.16.1 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 an efficient and reliable strategy to install hundreds or thousands of edge devices in production environments. 
Zerotouch Provisioning in Manufacturing Connect Edge
The zerotouch provisioning process automates the deployment, activation, and configuration of multiple Manufacturing Connect Edge devices, including network settings, marketplace applications, and connectivity to Manufacturing Connect. 
This eliminates the need for any manual configuration, reducing the chance of human error and ensuring consistency across large-scale deployments. It also enables a seamless experience for on-site users, ensuring that devices are fully configured and operational upon first boot. 
The zerotouch installation involves three stages: 
Pre-configuration to set up USB drive: Prepare a bootable USB drive with the archive of zerotouch configuration files.
Factory Installation: Install and configure the Manufacturing Connect Edge instance using the USB drive to apply configurations automatically to devices in a production environment.
Post-installation boot up: Verify the setup to ensure that all configurations are automatically applied and the devices are ready to run. 
Before You Begin
To start using zerotouch provisioning, ensure you have the following:
The edge-zerotouch command-line interface (CLI) tool for generating zerotouch files. This tool is required to create the zerotouch configuration archive. 
A Linux computer running Ubuntu 20.04 or higher, with Docker installed. An internet connection is necessary for signing the zerotouch files.
A secure and private signing key, which you can request from Manufacturing Connect customer support. This key is required to authenticate and sign the zerotouch configuration files.
A USB drive formatted in NTFS, EXT4, or FAT32. This drive will store the installer and configuration files.
Prepare USB installer with Zerotouch Configuration
By following these steps, you can ensure that Manufacturing Connect Edge devices are automatically configured upon boot-up without requiring any manual intervention. 
Step 1: Create Zerotouch Configuration File
To begin, you will need to create a JSON configuration file. This file defines all the elements that will be pre-configured during the zerotouch provisioning process.
This JSON file includes information such as Manufacturing Connect activation details, network settings (static IP), and any containerized applications that should run on the edge device.
When creating the file, keep the following in mind:
"activation" includes details for activating the device to the Manufacturing Connect. This ensures that the device is fully integrated with LEM, which manages licenses and deployments. 
This section includes the MC URL, activation code, and an optional certificate. The certificate ensures that the connection is secure and authentic. See Activate an Edge Device﻿ for details.
"staticip" allows Manufacturing Connect Edge devices to configure their network interfaces automatically. 
The edge device will configure the eth1 interface with a static IP and gateway. 
"containers" allows you to specify which containerized applications will be deployed to the device. 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
{
    "version": "1.0",
    "activation": 
    {
          "url": "https://[www.mc-url.com]",
          "code": "xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx",
          "cert": "-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----MIIDMzCCAhugAwIBAgIUPg..."
    },
    "staticIP" : 
    {
          "interface": "eth1",
          "ip": "10.7.3.105/22"
    },
    "containers": [
    {
          "name": "redis",
          "run-cmd": "docker run -d -e \"WebApi:ApiKey\"=\"{{.ApiKey}}\" {{.ImageName}}"
    },
    {
          "name": "mongo",
          "run-cmd": "docker run -d -e \"WebApi:ApiKey\"=\"{{.ApiKey}}\" {{.ImageName}}"
    }
    ]
  }
{
    "version": "1.0",
    "activation": 
    {
          "url": "https://[www.mc-url.com]",
          "code": "xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx",
          "cert": "-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----MIIDMzCCAhugAwIBAgIUPg..."
    },
    "staticIP" : 
    {
          "interface": "eth1",
          "ip": "10.7.3.105/22"
    },
    "containers": [
    {
          "name": "redis",
          "run-cmd": "docker run -d -e \"WebApi:ApiKey\"=\"{{.ApiKey}}\" {{.ImageName}}"
    },
    {
          "name": "mongo",
          "run-cmd": "docker run -d -e \"WebApi:ApiKey\"=\"{{.ApiKey}}\" {{.ImageName}}"
    }
    ]
  }
﻿
Step 2: Generate the Zerotouch Configuration Archive 
After creating the JSON file with all the necessary configurations, use the edge-zerotouch CLI tool to generate a zerotouch configuration archive. 
This tool takes the JSON file as input, verifies its contents, and creates a compressed and signed archive that will be used during the provisioning process. 
Command to Generate Zerotouch Archive
This command points to the configuration JSON file (cfg-sample.json) and uses the signing key to authenticate and sign the archive. 
Note: You can request the Signing Key from Manufacturing Connect customer support.
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}
﻿
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
After the command is executed, the tool creates a signed .tar.gz archive, which contains all necessary configurations, including static IP settings, MC activation, and container images. 
The final file structure may look like this: 
$ tree /tmp/zerotouch
/tmp/zerotouch
├── zerotouch-1.0.0.tar.gz 
Step 3: Copying Zerotouch Configuration to the USB Drive 
Once the zerotouch configuration file has been generated and signed, the next step is to copy it onto the appropriate folder on the USB drive that will be used for installation. 
Copy the file zerotouch-1.0.0.tar.gz into the USB drive under the folder zerotouch.
The USB drive is now ready to be used for installing Manufacturing Connect Edge on a device. This configuration includes everything the device needs for setup – activation, network configurations, signing key, and container images – even if the device lacks public internet access.
Install Manufacturing Connect Edge from USB with Zerotouch Configuration
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
﻿
Select Install Operating System, and then select OK. 
Use the arrow keys to navigate to selections. 
Install Operating System option
﻿
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
﻿
Confirm that the selected device will be erased during the formatting process. Select Yes. 
Warning message for installation
﻿
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
Once the device is deployed to the end-user’s site, the final step is to boot the device and verify that the zerotouch configurations are applied correctly. 
Power On the Device
The end-user can simply power on the device. No additional setup is required at this point, as the configurations have already been pre-defined in the zerotouch file. 
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 for more information. 
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. 
﻿
Updated 24 Sep 2024
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