Cloud-Connected Programming Images (PEcloud)

For Cyclone LC, Cyclone FX

Introduction

When a Cyclone user creates and configures a programming image in the Cyclone Image Creation Utility they have the option to make it a cloud-connected image. Put simply, a cloud-connected image uses a secure connection from the Cyclone to the PEcloud platform to provide additional control, features, and visibility to the user.

A cloud-connected image can be deployed in two different ways: it can be uploaded to PEcloud (for later delivery to a Cyclone, anywhere with an internet connection), or loaded directly onto a local Cyclone; for both options, programming privileges can be paused and resumed, and programming operations are logged and marked as complete, using the online PEcloud interface. Cloud-connected programming images that are uploaded to PEcloud require encryption; cloud-connected images that are directly deployed onto local Cyclones do not.

PEcloud’s online interface allows users to manage cloud-connected images in their own Virtual Factories (VFs). The user organizes each VF space as they see fit in order to connect specific Cyclone groups, programming images, and PEcloud users together logistically. This allows for unprecedented visibility of, and control over, programming operations. PEmicro uses AWS to help ensure that PEcloud is backed by reliable, high-uptime cloud infrastructure.

This chapter explains in further detail what the PEcloud platform is, how to set up a PEcloud account, what features it offers, and how the user can take advantage of these features via cloud-connected images.

Note

​This user manual previously referred to “Stand-Alone (SAP) Programming images” and “Jobs”, however this terminology has been phased out. The manual now simply refers to programming images and cloud-connected programming images. During image creation and deployment the user can simply choose whether or not to connect that image to PEcloud.

Creating a PEcloud Account

Users will need to create an online account at cloud.pemicro.com. This account is distinct from a standard pemicro.com account; they are currently not connected in any way.

Figure: PEcloud - Create Account

Note that later when a user is logging into PEcloud it is possible that they will have multiple roles as a user in various accounts. Each permission is managed separately by their respective admin, and the user will choose the account they wish to access using a drop-down box that appears above their login credentials:

Figure: User Roles in Multiple Accounts: Login

Once logged into an account they have created, or one to which they have been invited, the user can always see who the administrators are for the account by choosing “View Account Admins” from their account actions drop-down menu - see PEcloud Account Actions.

Additional Help

By clicking on “Help Center” on the left side of the PEcloud interface the user can quickly access the following resources:

1. ​Getting Started Guide
2. ​PEcloud Chapter of the Cyclone User Manual
3. ​Blog post overview of PEcloud
4. ​Direct download link for the Cyclone LC/Cyclone FX software installer

Assistance is available in the Help Center.

There is also a blog article that provides an overview of Cyclone setup for PEcloud.

PEcloud Requirements

In order to operate one or more Cyclones successfully with the PEcloud service, the following requirements need to be met.

Cyclone Part Number

The following Cyclone part numbers can be used with PEcloud.

• ​CYCLONE-LC-ARM, any Rev.
• ​CYCLONE-LC-UNIV, any Rev.
• ​CYCLONE-FX-ARM, any Rev.
• ​CYCLONE-FX-UNIV, any Rev.

ProCryption Security (Image Encryption)

Currently PEmicro will provide ProCryption Security features to any Cyclone LC models using PEcloud that do not have this license, as encryption is a requirement to meet PEcloud’s security standards.

ImageKey Provisioning

In order to securely encrypt cloud-connected programming images, PEmicro’s ProCryption Security enables the user to create a personal PE ImageKey and select it for the encryption process when creating cloud-connected images in the Cyclone Image Creation Utility. A Cyclone will be unable to load or read this file unless it contains a copy of the same PE ImageKey.

Note

​For security reasons, users will want to have physical possession of the Cyclones when they provision them with their personal ImageKey. So an early step in the setup process is often to use the Cyclone Image Creation Utility to create a PE ImageKey and then load it onto Cyclones while they are still under the user’s control, before then sending them to manufacturing locations.

Note that encryption is not required if the cloud-connected image is deployed to the Cyclone locally, rather than through the PEcloud interface.

PEcloud Provisioning

Cyclones must also be specifically provisioned for PEcloud with a separate code. This can be done in a few ways.

Manual Entry Into Cyclone

The user can generate a code in the PEcloud online interface then enter it manually into the Cyclone. For more information please refer to Provision/De-Provision Cyclone.

Via Cyclone Control GUI

Provisioning can also be done from the Cyclone Control GUI - PEcloud tab. This option allows provisioning via either the provisioning code generated by PEcloud or via the PEcloud API credentials file that the user may download. Please refer to PEcloud Tab.

PEcloud API Credentials

The user will need to download and save their cloud API credentials. This is needed so that PEmicro utilities such as the Cyclone Image Creation Utility can securely deploy programming images to the user’s PEcloud account. The user will need to select their credentials when preparing an image for deployment. These credentials should be kept safe. The creation process is very simple, as detailed in PEcloud Account Actions.

Scripted CSAP Image Deployment

Please see SAP Image Compiler for descriptions of the command-line parameters and other commands used to deploy cloud-connected images via CSAP.

Naming Conventions

Users should note that Virtual Factory names, Cyclone Group names, User Group names, and Role names should be unique within a PEcloud account and may not be duplicated.

PEcloud Workflow Overview

Once the user’s PEcloud Cyclones are properly provisioned and online they can be used to program cloud-connected images. The user can create and configure cloud-connected images and deploy them directly to a local Cyclone, or upload them to PEcloud, where they can later be deployed to one or more remote Cyclones. In both cases, execution of the programming of those images will be handled by the cloud. Cloud-connected images can include restrictions which limit programming operations by date range, or number of program attempts, or number of program successes.

Regardless of how they are deployed, cloud-connected images are assigned to a particular Virtual Factory (VF) in the cloud; this is specified by the user as part of the deployment process. Virtual Factories are the way that PEcloud organizes images. When the user first logs in to their PEcloud account they will see the screen for a pre-made VF called “My Virtual Factory.” This factory can be re-named, and have cloud-connected images assigned to it. In order to execute programming of those images it will also need a Cyclone Group assigned to it.

Note

​Any Cyclone with one or more locally delivered images will need to contact PEcloud via Ethernet to communicate these VF and other settings to the cloud service.

When viewing a specific VF the user is presented with a list of images that have been assigned to that factory; below is an example that shows a VF with two images assigned - one image that is Running (in progress), and one that is Completed (programming tasks complete, or the user has simply marked it as finished).

Figure: Images List (View of a Virtual Factory)

Note

​For any date restrictions applied to a cloud-connected image, the time for the Start date is considered to be 00:00:00 UTC of the Start date, and the time for the End date is considered to be 23:59:59 UTC of the End date.

For any images that the user sends to a Virtual Factory, the programming of those images will be accomplished by the Cyclones in any Cyclone Groups that the user has assigned to that VF. This information is displayed at the top left under the factory actions:

Figure: Cyclone Group Assigned to Virtual Factory

Once a VF has been empowered by a Cyclone Group to accomplish the actual programming, everything should be in place for the user to take advantage of all the tools that PEcloud offers to get instant feedback about their image’s progress, pause and resume image programming privileges, assign additional users with varying permissions, view logged programming data, and much more.

Preparing and Using PEcloud

In order to get this process started, the user will need to prepare their PEcloud account and organize it in the way that they see fit. The main organizational feature of PEcloud is the Virtual Factory (and that is also the place to access other necessary components, such as Cyclone Groups, since these are specific to a single VF). Please read this blog article for an overview of PEcloud setup.

Virtual Factories

A user who first logs in to PEcloud will find that it includes one Virtual Factory by default, called “My Virtual Factory.” Virtual Factories are the main organizational areas of PEcloud. A user with three remote manufacturing facilities might wish to create three Virtual Factories, one for each real-world location, but they can be organized in any way that suits the user.

Cloud-connected images that are deployed to a VF will be displayed in a list that includes relevant image data. More detail on the information that is displayed is featured in Cloud-Connected Images Display.

In order to complete programming the images that are presented in a Virtual Factory the user will need to assign one or more Cyclone Groups to that Virtual Factory. The tools to manage a Virtual Factory are located near the top of each VF page.

Virtual Factory Actions

Clicking on Virtual Factory Actions offers the following actions:

Figure: Virtual Factory Actions List

The user may:

Change Virtual Factory Name

Allows the user to edit the name of the current VF.

Create A New Cyclone Group

Creates a new, empty Cyclone Group which the user will name. It will be assigned to the current VF by default. The user can then use Cyclone Group actions to provision new Cyclones, or move a Cyclone from another Group to this Group. See Cyclone Group Actions.

Move Cyclone Groups To This Virtual Factory

Move an existing Cyclone Group that is currently assigned to another VF to the current VF.

Manage Users & Roles

Displays the User Groups that are associated with the current VF. Admin and Manager level users, and any other users granted the appropriate permission, may adjust the roles of these Users Groups with regards to the current VF.

Figure: Assign Role

Clicking on “legend” will display the actions permitted by each role, including any custom-created roles.

Note

​Unlike User Permissions, which are assigned on a user by user basis, Virtual Factory Roles (and their respective Permissions) are assigned on a user group by user group basis. Care should be taken when organizing User Groups to make sure that all of the members of a User Group are eligible for the same VF Permission level. A user who requires a different VF Role than the rest of the group should be removed and placed in a separate user group, and the appropriate role assigned to that group.

Figure: User Roles - Permitted Actions (Legend)

Note that admins and users with the appropriate permission may create new roles, each with a customized set of permissions, via the Role Manager. Please refer to PEcloud Account Actions.

Delete Virtual Factory

Delete the current VF and any Cyclone Groups currently assigned to that VF. The user can first move Cyclone Groups to a different VF if they wish to preserve the Cyclone Groups.

Cyclone Groups

Cyclone Groups are used to specify the particular Cyclones that will accomplish the programming for a Virtual Factory, so without a VF’s Cyclone Group no images will be programmed. A user who first logs in to PEcloud will find that a Cyclone Group called “My Cyclone Group” has been created by default, inside of the default VF, called “My Virtual Factory.” For a newly created VF the user will need to create a Cyclone Group from within that VF and provision new Cyclones as needed.

Note

Each individual Cyclone can be assigned to only one Cyclone Group, and each Cyclone Group can be assigned to only one Virtual Factory. A Cyclone Group is always assigned to a VF, and because of this Cyclone Groups are accessed through their VF screen.

Cyclone Group Actions

Clicking on Cyclone Group Actions offers the following actions:

Figure: Cyclone Group Actions

Change Group Name

Allows the user to edit the name of the current Cyclone Group

Move Activated Cyclone To This Cyclone Group

Brings up a listing of provisioned Cyclones. Check the box next to any Cyclones to add to the current group. The user should be aware that any Cyclones they choose will be removed from their existing Cyclone Group, if they belong to one. Currently this display does not indicate to which Cyclone Group the Cyclone currently belongs.

Figure: Add Cyclone To Current Group

Delete Group

Allows the user to delete the current Cyclone Group. Any Cyclones in the deleted group will be left “floating,” unassigned to a Cyclone Group or VF. These can be re-assigned to a different Cyclone Group by going to that group and using the above action “Move Activated Cyclone To This Cyclone Group.”

Provision New Cyclones

The Provision New Cyclones button allows the user to create up to 32 new provision codes for the current Cyclone Group. In order to securely link a Cyclone to the user’s PEcloud account a provisioning code must be entered into a Cyclone using the Cyclone’s menu option Configure Cyclone -> Cloud Settings -> Provision Cyclone. If a Cyclone is already provisioned then the option will switch to De-Provision Cyclone. This task can also be performed using the Remote Display tab of the Cyclone Control GUI.

Figure: Provision New Cyclones

PEcloud will display any new provision codes once they are created. These are ready to be entered into a Cyclone you would like to securely link to your account.

Figure: New Code(s) Available

The provision code may be submitted to the Cyclone via the Cyclone Control GUI, from the Cloud tab (this interface also provides the option to provision using cloud API credentials). Alternately, Cyclones may be provisioned directly through their menu screens; please refer to Provision/De-Provision Cyclone for more detail. Once the user has provisioned a Cyclone, when the PEcloud screen is refreshed that Cyclone will display as green, and the time and date that it was provisioned will be displayed, along with the Cyclone’s model and serial number. It is now part of the Cyclone Group from which the code was requested.

Cloud-Connected Images Display

Any cloud-connected images that have been deployed to a Virtual Factory will be displayed in a listing that features considerable information about each image. This includes the following:

• ​Image ID (links to the image log), Image name, Image creator
• ​Encryption Key name & ID
• ​Distribution mode (local or cloud). For more detail on the difference, see Programming Images.
• ​Programming restrictions, if any
• ​Image Status, last Status activity, last Programming activity, shows progress towards any programming restrictions

When the Status field for an image is green, that image is being programmed.

When it is red the image programming has been Paused and can be Started again later.

When it is gray the image programming has Finished.

Figure: Images List - One Image Programming, One Image Finished

Note

​For any date restrictions applied to an image, the time for the Start date is considered to be 00:00:00 UTC of the Start date, and the time for the End date is considered to be 23:59:59 UTC of the End date.

Image Actions

Image Actions displays the following options:

Figure: Image Options

Depending on the status of the programming image, the options are:

Pause/Start Programming

Pauses or resumes the programming image execution. The option displayed is based on the current Status of the image. Cyclones that have loaded this image can only program it when it is listed as Running, because cloud-connected images seek permission from PEcloud.

Finish Programming

Marks the image as “Finished” even if all of the programming cycles allotted to the image are not yet complete. Cyclones that have loaded this image will no longer be able to program it, because cloud-connected images seek permission from PEcloud.

Delete Programming

Removes the programming image from PEcloud. Cyclones that have loaded this image will no longer be able to program it, because cloud-connected images seek permission from PEcloud.

View Logs

Displays the programming log associated with this image. This will display the time at which programming occurred, the result, duration, name of the Cyclone that performed the programming, and whether any dynamic data was programmed. Here is an example for a short test run:

Figure: Image Log

User Groups

A group called “My User Group” is created by default when the PEcloud account is first launched, with the account owner as its sole member.

On the left panel of the PEcloud display, underneath Virtual Factories, is the link for User Groups. The PEcloud account owner (and anyone to whom admin access is later assigned) can include and organize additional users by creating or modifying User Groups and sending invitations. The User Groups display shows which User Groups the user belongs to, and potentially others depending on the user’s permission level.

Figure: User Groups Display

The display indicates which role if any the user has been assigned in each user group, how many users are in each group, whether each group is part of a Virtual Factory, and if so what VF Role has been assigned to that group.

Note that the Account Administrators group is a special group with its own set of roles/permissions that differ from those of the other standard User Groups.

Permissions (Important)

There are two types of permissions to keep in mind when creating User Groups, and the way that they function in PEcloud will to some extent dictate your choices, so please read this section carefully.

The first type of permission is User Permissions, covered in this section. The other type is Virtual Factory Permissions, covered in Virtual Factory Actions.

Note

​Unlike User Permissions, which are assigned on a user by user basis, Virtual Factory Permissions are assigned on a user group by user group basis. Therefore care should be taken when organizing User Groups to make sure that all of the members of a User Group are eligible for the same VF Permission level, if that is a consideration. A user needing a different VF permission than the rest of the group will need to be removed and added to a separate group.

User Group Actions

The User Groups Actions drop-down allows the user to view all users for this PEcloud account (in this case, due to having that permission), or to create a new User Group.

Figure: User Groups Actions

Figure: User Group View

The user can also click on an specific User Group to edit. If they clicked on My Users Group they would see the members along with group- and member-level actions available to them.

The main actions drop-down changes from “User Groups” to “User Group” and includes the following:

Figure: User Group Actions

These actions are self-explanatory.

Individual users of a group have several user actions available in the drop-down menu on the far right of that user that will be active or inactive depending on the role of the active user and whether other users are present that may be managed.

Figure: User Actions

Edit User

Allows the user to edit this user’s information.

Change Password

Allows the active user to change this user’s password to the active user’s account.

Remove User From This Group

This will remove the user from the group.

Manage Group Roles

Group Roles differ depending on whether the user is managing the Account Administrators user group or a standard user group.

Account Administrators Group - Roles/Permissions

The following User Roles/Permissions can be assigned:

Figure: Account Administrators Group - User Roles

Clicking on “legend” will show the actions permitted by each of the roles. As the user might expect, the admin role permissions are more global and powerful than the standard role permissions.

Figure: Account Administrators Group - User Permissions Legend

Note that custom User Roles with user-selected permissions may be created via the Role Manager. Please refer to PEcloud Account Actions.

Standard User Group - Roles/Permissions

The following User Roles/Permissions can be assigned:

Figure: Standard User Group - User Roles

Clicking on “legend” will show the actions permitted by each of the roles.

Figure: Standard User Group - User Permissions Legend

Note that custom User Roles with user-selected permissions may be created via the Role Manager. Please refer to PEcloud Account Actions.

Delete User

This will delete the user from the active user’s account. The deleted user will no longer see a separate login for the active user’s account (see Creating a PEcloud Account).

View Logs

User actions are not currently logged.

When viewing a specific User Group there will be an option to invite a new user to the group via email. The invitee will receive an invite link that they can click on to join. They will need to create their own PEcloud login if they do not already have one.

Figure: User Group View - Invite New User

The inviter will also immediately assign a role for the user that they invite.

Creating and Deploying Cloud-Connected Images

Now that the user is familiar with the various components and settings of PEcloud, it is time to return to the process which feeds PEcloud: building cloud-connected images and deploying them either directly to local Cyclones or to specific Virtual Factories in PEcloud, from where remote Cyclones can fetch and program them according to the organization and constraints designed by the user. Because this user manual already contains sections with very specific information about the utilities used to accomplish these tasks, this section will simply walk the user through an example while referring the user to sections of the manual where the tools/utilities used are covered in greater detail.

PEcloud Workflow Example

Let’s walk through an example now of how someone might set up and use PEcloud.

There is also a somewhat more technically-oriented walk-through available to read online; see the blog article An Overview of PEcloud.

A user might want to produce a run of boards for the latest version of their new product using a facility in another city. But for this production run they would like more control over the programming process, as well as instant feedback on the results. Most importantly, their valuable IP must remain safe.

To get everything up and running using PEcloud, here are the necessary steps:

1. ​Load encryption ImageKeys onto Cyclone programmers before sending them to the manufacturing facility
2. ​Join and configure PEcloud
3. ​Provision Cyclones
4. ​Build a cloud-connected image
5. ​Deploy the image to PEcloud
6. ​Monitor the results in real-time and make adjustments as needed
7. ​Optional: Add additional users

Step 1.​Purchase and provision Cyclone programmers

1. ​For this example we will assume the user wants to have 8 Cyclone FX ARM programmers on their production line. They purchase the Cyclones and have them delivered locally so that they can perform the crucial next step.

2. ​Because the user plans to use PEcloud to deliver cloud-connected images to remote Cyclones, they must use the Cyclone Image Creation Utility to create a PE ImageKey for encrypting their data, then load a copy of this ImageKey onto all 8 Cyclone programmers. These Cyclones will now be the only Cyclones able to load and execute any programming images that have been encrypted with this same key.

   Note

   ​It is very important that the user stores their personal ImageKey somewhere secure.

   More at section Creating an ImageKey.

3. ​The Cyclones can then be sent to the remote manufacturing facility.

Step 2. ​Join and Configure PEcloud

1. The user creates a PEcloud account at ​cloud.pemicro.com. More at Creating a PEcloud Account.

2. ​The user must download their PEcloud API credentials to their PC where they can be accessed later when deploying cloud-connected images. More at PEcloud Account Actions.

3. ​The PEcloud account already includes a Virtual Factory (VF) by default, called “My Virtual Factory.” The user may want to re-name it, for example “Blinky Bot 2.0 Production”. More at Virtual Factory Actions.

4. ​That VF also contains a Cyclone Group by default, called “My Cyclone Group.” The user might also want to rename this, for example “Cyclone FX ARM Programmers”. More at Cyclone Group Actions.

Step 3.​Provision Cyclones

1. ​Once the Cyclones are powered and online at the factory, they can be provisioned with codes from the PEcloud account. To create the provision codes, the user can click on the “Cyclone FX ARM Programmers” group and choose Provision New Cyclones, and in this example request 8 codes, one for each Cyclone. More at Provision New Cyclones.

2. ​To assign the codes the user can open the PEcloud tab of the Cyclone Control GUI to connect to each Cyclone and then use the Provision Cyclone button; this can be completed via codes or API credentials. PEcloud Tab.

3. ​Once the PEcloud page is refreshed it will show that the provisioned Cyclones are all now connected to the PEcloud account, as part of the “Cyclone FX ARM Programmers” group, which will program any cloud-connected images that are part of the “Blinky Bot 2.0 Production” Virtual Factory. More at PEcloud Workflow Overview.

Step 4.​Creating A Cloud-Connected Image

1. ​The user decides to build a cloud-connected image from scratch because the binaries are new, but they anticipate they may need to recreate this same programming image later with slightly different restrictions, so they will also create a SAPOBJ archive.

   Figure: Cyclone Image Creation Utility

   

2. ​The Cyclone Image Creation Utility is used to specify the programming algorithm for their specific ARM Cortex M device, binaries, and additional settings. The completed programming script might also include shared serialization; if so the eight Cyclones could share a serial number file and program the devices accordingly. Image Script Tab.

3. ​Before deploying the cloud-connected image the user can take the step of saving the configuration as a .SAPOBJ. This is an archival file that allows the user to preserve everything that has already been set up already in the ICU. Later the user can easily load this file and pick up at this same step - ready to complete the deliverable as they see fit. Create a SAPOBJ.

4. ​The user then completes the configuration as a cloud-connected image. Cloud-connected images can be deployed directly to a local Cyclone with or without encryption; they are tracked by the cloud and cannot program the image without cloud permission. Cloud-connected images can instead be deployed (uploaded) to the PEcloud platform where they may be delivered securely to a remote Cyclone at a later time; this type of cloud-connected image requires encryption during configuration. For the purposes of this example, the user includes encryption and then deploys to their PEcloud account.

   Note

   ​For the most detailed information regarding the Image Creation Utility the user should please refer to the entire Section 6.1 - Cyclone Image Creation Utility .

Step 5.​Deploying a Cloud-Connected Image to PEcloud

1. ​Because the user wants to use PEcloud to deliver the image securely to a remote Cyclone, and then monitor/manage programming remotely, they check the box for “Link Image to a PEcloud Virtual Factory...” from the section Optional Image Cloud-Connectivity. This will, a) expand that area so that the user can select their PEcloud credentials and choose a specific Virtual Factory. It also, b) enables the “Upload Image Binary to PEcloud Virtual Factory...” checkbox in the “Image Binary - Description and Deployment Details” section. The user checks this as well. If they only wanted to deploy to a local Cyclone with cloud tracking they would instead choose “Deploy Image Binary to Cyclone...” More detailed information is available in Optional Image Cloud-Connectivity.

   Figure: Build and Deploy Form

   

2. ​This form also allows the user to make two important additions to their configuration before deploying it as a cloud-connected image - encryption and programming restrictions. Under “Image Encryption and Usage Restrictions” they use the Encryption drop-down to browse to the place where they have safely stored the PE ImageKey that they created back in Step 1 - in this example, a thumb drive - which they also loaded onto their Cyclones. This ImageKey will be used to encrypt the cloud-connected image, and only Cyclones that were loaded with the same key will be able to de-crypt it. More detailed information is available in Creating an ImageKey. Note that if the user chooses to deploy the cloud-connected image to their local Cyclone or Disk then encryption is not required.

3. ​For programming restrictions, the user decides that they would like to start with a test run of 20 units, which need to be done within one week. They set Maximum Programming Attempts to 20, and under Limit Image Usage Between Dates they set the first date to the Cyclones’ expected setup date at the remote facility, and the next to one week later. (If later there’s an unexpected delay, or they decide to produce more test units, they can easily load the SAPOBJ, click Build & Deploy, and enter a new limit or dates before pushing a replacement image to PEcloud). See Programming Restrictions.

4. ​The image needs a description, so the user edits this field to say “Blinky Bot v.2.0 Test Run (first).” See Image Description.

5. ​They select their PEcloud API credentials and then choose the “Blinky Bot 2.0 Production” Virtual Factory as the place to which to deploy the image. See PEcloud Credentials And Virtual Factory Selection.

6. ​To conclude, the user hits the “Upload Image to Virtual Factory” button in the Image Deployment Manager (the button text will differ for local deployment). They can log into their PEcloud account and see the image waiting in their Virtual Factory. See Deploy Image. The user could also instead have selected Deploy Image to Cyclone if they wanted to deliver the image to a local Cyclone. It would appear in PEcloud with a Distribution Mode of “Local” instead of “Cloud”. In either of these situations, the Cyclone would then contact the cloud and the cloud would detect all the image configurations, including Virtual Factory, programming restrictions, etc. For more detailed information regarding cloud-connected image deployment the user should please refer to Build And Deploy an Image.

Step 6.​Monitor The Results And Make Adjustments As Needed

1. ​Once the user securely downloads their cloud-connected image to a provisioned Cyclone, they can then exercise some control over when programming is allowed to occur, and can monitor the results of programming in real time. Their image actions include: Pause / Start (resume), Finish, or Delete programming image, and View Logs. See Image Actions.

2. ​The user might click “Pause Programming” in order to be absolutely sure that no programming occurs before they have a brief discussion with the remote facility operator. They can then “Start Programming” again when ready. See Image Actions.

3. ​To be sure no one has already jumped the gun, they could also click onto the Log for that programming image to check if any programming has already been executed. Later during the programming run they can refer back to the log to check the programming speeds and the success rate of the test run.

Step 7.​Optional: Add Additional Users

1. ​The PEcloud admin might want to add a user to help monitor and manage programming. They click on User Groups -> My Users Group. Under User Group Actions they might, in this example, first hit “change group name” and make it “Blinky 2.0 Test Run Managers.” See User Groups.

2. ​They would then send an invite to the person they have communicated with about helping monitor programming when needed. Cloud-Connectivity.

   Figure: Invite To User Group

   

3. ​The user determines what adjustments the invited user will be allowed to make to other user roles. In this example they might assign the invited user the Group Member role as they will not need to manage users.

   Figure: Assign User Role For Invitee

   

4. ​The User Permissions that were just set are the first of two permissions levels. The other is Virtual Factory Permissions. These control the specific actions the user can perform in the VF. In this example, because the user and the invitee are in the same User Group they would be required to have the same level of Virtual Factory Permissions. Here, the user is comfortable with this, but if they ever change their mind they would need to assign the invitee to a different User Group, and then adjust the Virtual Factory Permissions for that User Group. See Permissions (Important) and Virtual Factory Actions.

5. ​When the invited user receives their invitation email, they click on the invite link and create their PEcloud credentials for access to that account. When they log in, they see the invite and can access the “Blinky Bot 2.0 Production” Virtual Factory where they have the same VF Permissions granted to them as those of the original user.

PEcloud Account Actions

The PEcloud account actions are accessed by clicking on the username at the top right of the PEcloud interface screen. A drop-down box displays the options, which are mostly self-explanatory.

Figure: Account Options Drop-Down List

View Account Admins

Shows a list of any admin members of the PEcloud account that the user is currently logged into. Admins can help with permissions and other settings if needed.

Change My Company Name

Allows the user to edit their company name.

Change My User Name

Allows the user to change their user name.

Change My Password

Allows the user to change their password.

Logout

This will log the user out of their PEcloud account and log out any connected Cyclones.

Roles Manager

PEcloud includes some default Roles with specific sets of permissions assigned. These are not editable. However the Role Manager enables users with the appropriate permission to create new Roles where the individual permissions for that role may be specified one-by-one.

Figure: Roles Manager Display

The current roles are listed at the bottom, and at the top is an interface where the user can create a new role by entering its name into the new Role Name field and then choosing which type of permission category the role will belong to. Note that a new role with zero permissions is created immediately when the user hits “Create New Role.” The user must then add a custom set of permissions on the following Edit page and submit.

Custom roles will appear in the main listing with “edit” and “delete” links that can be used to update custom permissions or remove the role completely.

Download API Credentials

PEcloud API credentials allow PEmicro utilities to access the cloud on the user’s behalf when necessary - for example, in the Build and Deployment form when deploying cloud-connected images. In order to allow this, the user must download API Credentials. It’s very important to keep these safe and secured.

Figure: Download Credentials

Once downloaded these can also be revoked and regenerated by using the buttons provided.

Figure: API Credentials Active

Provide Feedback

PEcloud very much welcomes feedback on any aspect of the user’s experience as well as what they might find useful going forward. We plan to continue improving PEcloud and to provide the features that customers will find the most helpful, in an intuitive interface.

Notifications

Occasionally PEmicro may share noteworthy information using PEcloud’s notifications system. The user will see a red indication next to the notification bell near their account name; this indicates how many new notifications are available.

Figure: Notification Bell

Clicking on the bell and then choosing “Manage My Notifications” will display the user’s list of notifications for the user to read and manage.

Figure: Notifications List

Roles and Permissions Clarifications

PEcloud’s User/Admin/Virtual Factory role & permission system, which includes a Role Manager for creating new roles with custom permissions, gives the user detailed control over what their users are allowed to view and what actions they can take. This also means the admin should be aware of some scenarios where roles/permissions may not respond in exactly the way the user anticipates.

Double Roles

For example, if a user has for some reason been given both an Admin Role and also a User Role, there may be a situation where an overlap of permissions occurs. In this case, removing a permission from one role may have no effect without also removing it from the other role. The admin should be careful to check to make sure that they are implementing the setup that they intend. PEmicro recommends limiting a user to either a User Group Role or an Administrator Group Role if possible.

Overlap

Here are a couple of other examples that may cause unintended confusion:

1. ​If the user wants the person they are managing to be able to add a User Group to a Virtual Factory, they will need to make sure that person has the related permission in both their User Role and their Virtual Factory Role.

2. ​The Virtual Factory Role permissions:

“Add/Remove User Groups and Set User Group Roles”

and

“Change Existing User Group Roles”

have a somewhat complex relationship. For example, even if the manager has removed the permission to “Change Existing User Group Roles,” this can potentially be circumvented by using the permission “Add/Remove User Groups and Set User Group Roles” to set an existing permission by removing a group and then adding it again. This is because adding a User Group and Choosing a User Role are currently linked. Current plans are to unlink these in a future version of PEcloud, where the user should be able to add a User Group to a VF without choosing a role at the same time.

Please feel free to contact PEmicro with any questions regarding user permissions.