FlexNet Edge Server
The FlexNet Edge Server (short: FlexNet Edge) is an optional installation, located on the customer's network, from where it must be able to communicate to the FlexNet Operations Notification Server. Its purpose is to forward requests from devices that have no direct connectivity to the Internet. End-user devices send their requests for updates to FlexNet Edge, which queues them until FlexNet Edge is able to connect to FlexNet Operations Notification Server. FlexNet Edge will then carry out the requests for updates, and relay the results back to the devices once it has retrieved the required information.
FlexNet Edge only supports communication via REST to the Notification Server. Devices will use the same REST APIs for updates whether they are communicating to the Notification Server directly or via FlexNet Edge. For information about the base URLs for the Notification Server and FlexNet Edge, see Base URLs.
Devices communicating with FlexNet Edge must be known to the FlexNet Operations system, and have account ownership before they can make update requests. This can be done manually or through a device licensing capability request (if licensing is being used). FlexNet Edge currently does not support the REST API for device registration.
Once an update has been added to FlexNet Operations it is available for download to a device. The work flow for handling an update is as follows:
FlexNet Edge Update Workflow
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FlexNet Edge returns a polling ID so that the device can periodically poll for the requested information. |
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As soon as FlexNet Edge can connect to the Notification Server, it begins to request and then poll for update information. (Note: FlexNet Edge activity can be paused by the end user, if there is a period during which devices should not update. During this pause, FlexNet Edge will not connect to the Notification Server.) |
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FlexNet Edge requests all update available information from the Notification Server, and once this has been returned, FlexNet Edge requests the manifests for each available update. |
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FlexNet Edge next obtains all download files needed for each update from the appropriate file delivery service. (FlexNet Edge caches all updates, manifests and download files. Any other devices requesting the same update information will be responded to immediately from that cache. By default, the cache is cleared once every 30 days, but this is user-configurable.) |
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Finally, FlexNet Edge returns the update information to the device. The device must then request: |
At all stages, the device can make status log updates to FlexNet Edge, which will synchronize the status log updates to FlexNet Operations via the Notification Server.
Obtaining Download Files from FlexNet Edge
A device communicating with FlexNet Edge must request all download files from FlexNet Edge, because it has no direct access to the internet. To do this, the device must:
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extract the URL for each download file from the manifest |
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calculate the MD5 sum of the file URL |
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request the file from FlexNet Edge using the REST API /uai/2.0/updates/manifests/manifest_files/{id}. |
FlexNet Edge User Interface
The FlexNet Edge User Interface (UI) is located on port 8888. The primary purpose of the this UI is to provide information to the end user, about devices in the network and the version the devices have updated to. In addition, controls are provided to the end user with which to clear and view the cache, and to pause or restart FlexNet Edge communication with the Notification Server.
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