> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://zededa.mintlify.site/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. > ## Agent Instructions > Use the documentation index to find relevant pages, then read the linked Markdown before answering and cite the source URL. > Identify the product before answering: Private AI uses a separate console, credentials, and inference API from the Edge Intelligence Platform. Do not apply instructions from one product to the other. > Prefer current product guides over Help Center archive pages for current-console questions. Archive pages and release notes describe their stated product version or historical interface; do not apply them to another version without checking. > Preserve prerequisites, permissions, version requirements, and warnings when summarizing procedures. Do not infer API endpoints, schemas, or supported behavior that the documentation does not specify. # Build Assets: App Images, Artifacts, Envelopes, and Secrets > Learn how the Build section stores app images, binary artifacts, patch envelopes, and GitOps secrets that you reuse across edge application deployments. ## Introduction The **Build** section in Edge Infrastructure Services is where you manage the reusable building blocks for edge deployments. Before you can deploy an application instance to a node, you define the edge application template here. When you need to deliver files or updates to running applications, you create and manage patch envelopes and binary artifacts here. ### Prerequisites * You have an active Edge Infrastructure Services enterprise. * You have the SysManager or SysAdmin role in your enterprise. See [Manage Roles](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/administration/manage-roles.md). ## How It Works The Build section contains three primary asset types, plus secrets for GitOps authentication. ### App Images App images are the templates for your edge applications. Each app image defines the image type, format, architecture, and source location for a workload. App images are reusable: you can deploy the same image as multiple application instances across different nodes. When adding an app image, you choose from four image types: * **Edge App**: a standalone workload image in Container (OCI), QCOW2, RAW, or ISO format. * **Docker Compose**: a multi-container workload packaged as a TAR archive containing a Compose file and supporting files. * **Compose Runtime**: the base QCOW2 operating system image that nodes use to run Docker Compose workloads. * **From Datastore**: registers an image file that already exists in a configured datastore, without a separate upload. ### Patch Envelopes and Binary Artifacts Patch envelopes and binary artifacts are delivery vehicles for binary content and patch data. * **Patch Envelopes** group one or more artifacts (inline base64 data or references to binary artifact images) into a versioned envelope that can be attached to application instances. When a patch envelope is in the Active state, attached instances receive the update automatically. * **Binary Artifacts** are standalone binary files (RAW, QCOW2, or container format) stored in the platform and referenced by patch envelopes or app image drives. ### Secrets Secrets store the credentials that ZEDEDA Edge Kubernetes Service uses to authenticate with private GitOps repositories. Create a secret once, then reference it in one or more GitOps repository configurations. Secrets support SSH Key Pair and HTTP Basic Auth authentication types. If your GitOps repositories are public, you do not need to create a secret. ## Key Benefits * **Separation of build and run.** Define application templates and patch content independently of the nodes and projects where they run. Updating an app image in the library propagates to all instances derived from it. * **Centralized version control.** App images and patch envelopes carry version strings, so you can track which version of a workload is running on each node and roll back if needed. * **Flexible delivery for running workloads.** Patch envelopes let you push binary updates, configuration files, or scripts to running application instances without redeploying the entire application. * **Multi-container support.** Docker Compose app images allow complex, multi-container workloads defined by a standard Compose file, reducing the need for custom orchestration. ## Next Steps > [card] [Add an Edge App Image](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/build-and-library/add-an-edge-app-image.md) > > Upload or link a virtual machine, container, or ISO image. > [card] [Add a Docker Compose Image](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/build-and-library/add-a-docker-compose-image.md) > > Upload or link a multi-container Compose TAR archive. > [card] [Add a Compose Runtime Image](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/build-and-library/add-a-compose-runtime-image.md) > > Register the base runtime image for Docker Compose workloads. > [card] [Add an Image from a Datastore](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/build-and-library/add-an-image-from-a-datastore.md) > > Register an image that already exists in a configured datastore. > [card] [Manage Binary Artifacts](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/build-and-library/binary-artifacts.md) > > Store and reference binary files used by patch envelopes and app image drives. > [card] [Manage Patch Envelopes](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/build-and-library/patch-envelopes.md) > > Group artifacts into versioned envelopes and push updates to running application instances. > [card] [Update Applications with Runtime Bundles](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/build-and-library/update-applications-with-runtime-bundles.md) > > An end-to-end walkthrough of delivering binary updates to running instances. > [card] [Manage Kubernetes Secrets](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/edge-kubernetes/kubernetes-secrets.md) > > Store SSH or HTTP credentials for authenticating with private GitOps repositories.