Update Applications with Patch Envelopes

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Introduction

Patch envelopes let you deliver binary content and configuration updates to running application instances without redeploying the entire application. A patch envelope groups one or more artifacts into a versioned, activatable bundle. When you attach the envelope to an application instance and set it to Active, EVE-OS (Edge Virtualization Engine) delivers the artifacts to the application on the node. Binary artifacts are the underlying binary files that patch envelopes can reference. You upload a binary artifact once, then reference it from multiple patch envelopes.

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Prerequisites

• You have the SysManager or SysAdmin role in your enterprise. See Manage Roles.
• At least one application instance running on a node that you want to update.

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Create a Binary Artifact

If your patch envelope will reference an external binary file rather than embedding content as inline base64 data, create a binary artifact first.

1. Open Infrastructure > Workloads > Build > Binary Artifacts.
2. Select the floating + button to open the Add Binary Artifact dialog.
3. Enter a Name and Title for the artifact.
4. Choose how to add the file:
   • Upload Artifact: select a file from your local machine and choose a ZEDEDA-managed datastore to store it.
   • Uplink Artifact: link to a file already stored in an external datastore. Enter the Image SHA256, Image Size, the Image Relative URL, and select up to three datastores.
5. Optionally, restrict access by selecting one or more Projects. If no project is selected, the artifact is available to all projects.
6. Select Add Binary Artifact.

The artifact appears in the Binary Artifacts list. Wait for its status to reach Ready before referencing it from a patch envelope.

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Binary Artifact Status

After creating a binary artifact, its status reflects where it is in the upload and processing lifecycle. Status is visible in the Infrastructure > Workloads > Build > Binary Artifacts list and on each artifact’s detail page. An artifact must be in the Ready state before a patch envelope can reference it.

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Create a Patch Envelope

Create a patch envelope and add one or more artifacts to it. Each artifact can be an inline base64-encoded payload or a reference to a binary artifact in the Ready state.

1. Open Infrastructure > Workloads > Build > Patch Envelopes.
2. Select the floating + button to open the Add Patch Envelope page.
3. Enter a Name, Title, and select a Project.
4. Optionally enter a Description and Version.
5. Toggle Activate Patch on to set the envelope to Active immediately after saving. Leave it off to save in the Stored state and activate it later.
6. In the Artifacts section, add one or more artifacts:
   • Select Inline to embed a base64-encoded payload directly. Enter the base64 data and a File Name.
   • Select External to reference a binary artifact. Select the artifact from the list. Only artifacts in the Ready state are available.
   • Optionally enter Meta Data for each artifact row.
   • Select + to add additional artifact rows.
7. Select Add Patch Envelope.

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Attach a Patch Envelope to an Application Instance

After creating a patch envelope, attach it to one or more application instances to begin delivery.

1. In the sidebar, navigate to Infrastructure > Workloads > Applications.
2. Open the application instance you want to update.
3. Click the actions menu (⋯) in the upper right of the detail page.
4. Select Attach Patch Envelope.
5. In the Attach Patch Envelope dialog, search for and select the patch envelope you want to attach.
6. Click Attach.

If the envelope is in the Active state, EVE-OS begins delivering the artifacts to the application on the node. To detach a patch envelope from an application instance:

1. Open the application instance detail page.
2. Click the actions menu.
3. Select Detach Patch Envelope.
4. Confirm the detachment. The envelope will no longer deliver its files to the application.

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Manage Patch Envelope State

A patch envelope can be in one of two states:

• Active (green): the envelope is delivering its artifacts to all attached application instances.
• Stored (amber): the envelope is saved but not delivering. Instances that have this envelope attached do not receive the payload while the envelope is in the Stored state.

To change the state:

1. Navigate to the patch envelope detail page.
2. Click the edit icon in the page header.
3. Toggle the Activate Patch switch.
4. Click Save.

You cannot delete a patch envelope that has nodes attached. A tooltip on the delete button shows the number of attached devices when deletion is blocked.

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Verify the Update

After attaching an active patch envelope:

1. Navigate to the application instance detail page.
2. Confirm the patch envelope name appears in the instance metadata or status area.
3. Check the node logs for confirmation that the artifacts were delivered. In the sidebar, navigate to Infrastructure > Monitor > Logs, filter by the application instance, and look for delivery confirmation events.

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Next Steps