Requirements
- Signed images, verified by the device before use.
- Rollback: keep the previous version and return to it if the new one fails.
- Atomic updates, so a power cut mid-update cannot leave a half-written device.
- Version checks, to stop downgrade attacks.
Rolling out
- Test on a bench and on a small internal group.
- Release to a small share of the fleet and watch health.
- Widen in stages; pause automatically on failures.
- Keep the ability to stop an update quickly.
Plan for the field
Devices have weak or intermittent links, low battery and limited storage. Make downloads resumable, schedule them for safe moments and report status back.
Sources and further reading
- IETF RFC 9019. A Firmware Update Architecture for Internet of Things. rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9019.
IICTP is a new independent credential and is not ISO/IEC 17024 accredited.