What is Fleet Provisioning API?

Fleet Provisioning API is part of AWS IoT Core that simplifies the process of provisioning large numbers of IoT devices. Fleet Provisioning allows you to automate the process of registering and configuring IoT devices securely and at scale. It reduces the need for manual intervention when onboarding new devices into your IoT infrastructure.

Key Concepts

1. Provisioning Templates:
   • JSON templates define how new devices are provisioned.
   • Templates specify resources like device certificates, policies, and thing attributes.
   • Templates can be reused to consistently provision similar types of devices.
2. Fleet Provisioning APIs:
   • CreateProvisioningTemplate: Define a new provisioning template.
   • DescribeProvisioningTemplate: Get details about a specific provisioning template.
   • DeleteProvisioningTemplate: Delete an existing provisioning template.
   • CreateProvisioningClaim: Request a temporary claim that allows a device to provision itself.
   • RegisterThing: Register a new IoT device using the provisioning template.
3. Device Provisioning Process:
   • Bootstrap: The device requests a provisioning claim using its initial bootstrap credentials.
   • Provisioning Claim: The device uses the claim to call the RegisterThing API, providing required parameters (e.g., device serial number, hardware ID).
   • Certificate Generation: A unique certificate is generated for the device.
   • Policy Attachment: The certificate is attached to an appropriate policy.
   • Thing Creation: A new thing (device) is created in the IoT registry.

Steps to Provision a Device

1. Create a Provisioning Template:
   {
"templateName": "MyProvisioningTemplate",
"description": "Template for provisioning IoT devices",
"templateBody": {
"Parameters": {
"SerialNumber": {
"Type": "String"
}
},
"Resources": {
"certificate": {
"Properties": {
"DeviceCertificate": {
"Type": "AWS::IoT::Certificate",
"Properties": {
"CertificateMode": "SNI_ONLY"
}
}
}
},
"policy": {
"Properties": {
"PolicyName": "MyIoTPolicy"
}
}
}
}
}

2. Provision the Device:
   • Step 1: Device boots up and requests a provisioning claim.
   • Step 2: Device uses the claim to call RegisterThing with necessary parameters.
   • Step 3: AWS IoT Core provisions the device according to the template and returns the device certificate and keys.
3. Use the Device Certificate:
   • The device uses the provisioned certificate for secure communication with AWS IoT Core.

Benefits

• Scalability: Efficiently provision thousands or millions of devices.
• Security: Ensures devices are securely onboarded with unique certificates and policies.
• Automation: Reduces manual effort and potential for human error in device registration.
• Consistency: Ensures all devices are provisioned with consistent configurations.

Use Cases

• Manufacturing: Automatically onboard new devices coming off the production line.
• Consumer Electronics: Simplify the setup process for end-users by pre-configuring devices to connect to your IoT platform.
• Smart Home: Seamlessly integrate new smart home devices with minimal user interaction.

AWS IoT Fleet Provisioning API is a powerful tool for automating the onboarding of IoT devices, ensuring security, and reducing operational overhead. By leveraging provisioning templates and claims, it enables scalable and consistent device management.