Introduction

In short - the qbee.io documentation

The documentation is structured as follows:

  • in "Getting started" we present a quick-start guide to on-boarding and bootstrapping devices
  • in "Start without hardware" we show you how to create a virtual agent with one single docker command.
  • in "Functions" we present all the features and menu items for qbee
  • in "Configuration" we give you an overview over all device management and device automation functions.
  • In "Examples" we expand different features such as a how to manage docker containers
  • The qbee-connect tool enables remote access to any port on the edge devices. Use our dynamic VPN and map any port to a localhost port allowing you to access web applications, databases, ssh and much more.

Discover the swift and efficient way to configure your embedded Linux devices with qbee, a robust and secure device management platform for industrial grade applications. With qbee, you can seamlessly manage your entire fleet through the life cycle. Effortlessly update software, execute scripts remotely, orchestrate docker containers, and collect metric data while also tracking device inventory such as software, docker containers, processes, and ports. Furthermore, qbee integrates a highly secure VPN for remote access, making it an excellent solution for safeguarded embedded Linux fleet management. The qbee agent is released under the Apache License Version 2.0 as open source. The image below shows the main application screen:

qbee device management dashboard

The qbee.io mission:

Empower your organization to manage, secure, and orchestrate large fleets of new and legacy (embedded) Linux IoT devices with ease. Take control of the Internet of Things using a server automation mindset and advanced technology built specifically for embedded devices. With our powerful tool, you'll gain unprecedented control and insight into your devices, without needing a seasoned system administrator. The open source agent provides you with full code insight such that you understand what runs on your devices.

Below you will find an example of a configuration setup for a docker container. We strive to make complex Linux operations simple, repeatable and auditable.

docker configuration example

qbee.io is designed to operate efficiently, utilizing minimal CPU and memory resources, thanks to the use of a RAM disk and compression of metric and inventory data. With qbee.io, you can access devices and servers located behind multi-level firewalls, NAT routers, and even mobile networks. Additionally, the state-based configuration management is accessible through a user-friendly GUI, while the qbee-connect tool seamlessly integrates qbee.io with Ansible.

The qbee.io agent is pull-based, initiating a secure connection to the central server at preset intervals. The default is 5 minutes. This enables the system to update large fleets of devices within 5 minutes. No matter if you have 10 devices or 10 million, all will be provided with updates within this window in contrast to push based systems which can build up large queues. Our agent uses only port 443 (https), both for OTA and configuration as well as for the remote access VPN. This simplifies deployment and usage. All traffic is TLS encrypted under transport and all agents have individual public private key pairs making end-to-end encryption possible. The main qbee agent and the VPN part are separated such that the VPN can be dynamically enabled or disabled. If you are interested to learn more you can check out the source code here.

Once a new configuration is available, the agent downloads and converges towards the indicated state, which is consistently monitored and maintained. This mechanism allows offline devices to immediately conform to the current configuration when they come online again, even after long periods of inactivity.