AosEdge Overview
AosEdge is an edge orchestration platform for managing software-defined functionality across connected Units.
It helps OEMs, Service Providers, Fleet Owners, and administrators operate connected products after they are released into the field. The primary audience is the OEM, because the OEM owns the product ecosystem and controls how Units are managed. Service Providers and Fleet Owners are also important beneficiaries because AosEdge gives them a structured way to participate in deployment, operation, and monitoring workflows without losing governance boundaries.
AosEdge is designed for environments where edge systems are distributed, long-lived, resource-constrained, and difficult to access physically.
What AosEdge is
AosEdge connects cloud-side orchestration with edge-side execution.
It consists of two main parts:
- AosCloud is the cloud-side management layer. It is used for fleet management, deployment orchestration, user and role management, monitoring, verification, and operational control.
- AosCore is the runtime layer installed on a Unit. It receives instructions from AosCloud, applies them locally, manages Deployable Items, reports state and telemetry, and enforces runtime constraints on the Unit.
Together, AosCloud and AosCore create a managed feedback loop between the cloud and the edge.
AosCloud defines what should happen across Units and fleets. AosCore applies those instructions locally and reports what actually happened.
Who uses AosEdge
AosEdge supports several types of users and organizations.
OEM
The OEM owns or controls the connected product ecosystem. In an automotive context, this may be a vehicle manufacturer or another organization responsible for the product architecture and lifecycle.
The OEM uses AosEdge to manage Units and fleets, define operational governance, coordinate Service Providers and Fleet Owners, monitor field operation, and keep visibility across the product lifecycle.
Service Provider
A Service Provider delivers software-defined functionality into OEM-managed environments.
The Service Provider uses AosEdge to prepare Deployable Items, participate in verification workflows, and monitor the state of delivered functionality where access is permitted by the OEM.
Fleet Owner
A Fleet Owner operates a set of Units assigned by the OEM.
The Fleet Owner uses AosEdge to monitor Units, manage assigned fleets or Unit Sets, participate in deployment workflows, and support day-to-day operation.
Admin
An Admin manages organizations, users, access, and platform-level configuration.
Exact permissions depend on the configured role and access model. For role-level details, see Roles and Responsibilities.
What AosEdge helps with
AosEdge helps manage the lifecycle of software-defined functionality on connected edge systems.
It supports:
- Deployment of Deployable Items to connected Units
- Grouping of related delivery content into Deployment Bundles
- Controlled rollout across fleets and Unit Sets
- Verification before broader deployment
- Monitoring of Unit health, deployment state, resource usage, logs, and alerts
- Operation of heterogeneous Units that may contain one or more Nodes
- Collaboration between OEMs, Service Providers, Fleet Owners, and Admins
- Access control across organizations and roles
- Reduced need for physical access after Units are deployed
AosEdge is especially useful when an OEM needs to manage many connected Units over time while keeping deployment control, operational visibility, and ownership boundaries clear.
How AosEdge works at a high level
AosEdge works through a cloud-to-edge feedback loop.
- AosCloud defines the target state for Units or fleets.
- AosCore receives instructions on the Unit.
- AosCore applies the target state locally.
- The Unit reports its actual state, telemetry, logs, alerts, and deployment results back to AosCloud.
- Operators use this feedback to monitor, verify, troubleshoot, and plan further changes.
This loop allows the platform to manage distributed Units while keeping the cloud side aware of what is actually happening at the edge.
For a deeper explanation of this model, see Platform Model.
Where to go next
Start with Key Concepts to understand the terms used across AosEdge documentation.
Read Typical Use Cases to see common OEM, Service Provider, and Fleet Owner scenarios.
Read Roles and Responsibilities to understand who uses AosEdge and what each role is responsible for.
Use Glossary as a terminology reference.
For cloud-side management, continue with AosCloud documentation.
For Unit-side runtime behavior and integration, continue with AosCore documentation.
For procedures, use How-to documentation.
For exact APIs, configuration, and data model details, use Reference documentation.