Context
AKO’s IoT gateway connects refrigeration equipment on site to the cloud platform. The application software could already be updated remotely, but the operating system could not, which limited how the fleet could be maintained and secured over time.
My role
Technical lead for the gateway redesign. Embedded systems were outside my core expertise, so I owned the architecture and the technical decisions, and relied on an embedded specialist for the low-level implementation.
Architecture I inherited
- The communication system between gateway, devices and cloud.
- Remote updates of AKO’s application software.
Decisions I made
- Containerize the gateway processes with Docker, isolating components so they could be deployed and updated independently.
- Remote OS updates with safe rollback: a Yocto-based system image written to a second partition, with the bootloader switching to it on the next boot and automatically falling back to the original partition if the boot fails. A failed update never leaves a gateway unusable in the field.
- JVM upgrade and performance optimization, plus hardware compatibility work for the new platform.
- Preparation for fleet-wide firmware updates and system localization.
- Keep the business layer evolving to support new device types as they appeared.
Outcome
Implementation completed and ready for rollout, pending final details from the hardware manufacturer. The rollout was paused when the company reprioritized resources during the PERTE project.