We recently added a new page to the Embedded Linux Resources that discusses how containers on embedded Linux systems help automate deployment pipelines and increase overall development and deployment efficiency.
Despite what you may have heard about the forthcoming wave of the Internet of Things, embedded devices are already pervasive. However, many out in the wild are running out of date and insecure firmware and software (for various reasons). As more hardware architectures get released and introduced into embedded device fleets, security becomes even more complex.
Keeping IoT systems up to date and secure requires a standardized method for updating the firmware and software. One way to achieve this is with open source technology like containers to implement modern and automated software development practices like DevOps to more efficiently manage device fleets.
Our new article, Mastering Containers on Embedded Linux added to the embedded resources section uncovers why you need modern technology like containers. It also does a survey of the embedded container solutions on the market today and describes how they differ from one another.
This article discusses the following topics:
Docker, VMs vs. Linux containers on embedded systems
This section discusses the main differences between Docker, VMs, and Linux containers and why lightweight Linux containers are good options for embedded Linux devices.
Challenges working with embedded Linux systems
Embedded systems have a unique and specific set of challenges. This section goes into why cloud technologies can not be directly applied to embedded devices and how they need to be adapted for embedded engineers to reap the full benefits of DevOps and other modern engineering strategies in use today by cloud developers.
Comparing IoT containerization solutions
Here, we compare the main differences between the implementations in the marketplace that offer containers today: Mender, Foundries, Balena, Toradex, and Pantavisor.
How Pantavisor implements containers
This section details how Pantavisor implements containers and manages transactional updates through our SaaS and API Pantacor Hub.
Final Thoughts
In this post, we introduced a new page to our website’s Embedded Linux Resources section. This section plans to expand it with many more broad topics on embedded Linux devices and their challenges.
Questions or Comments?
Pantavisorleverages containers to build modular containerized embedded Linux systems that are fully customizable and easily managed using DevOps and standard open source technologies. The portability of containers simplifies the lifecycle management of embedded Linux firmware and applications across IoT fleets. In addition, virtualization at both the system and application levels allows embedded Linux engineering teams to adopt agile strategies and architecture such as microservices and other automation strategies to update and secure device fleets and increase time to market and innovation.
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