Device attributes
Attributes are key / value pairs that represent device properties, such as a MAC address, operating system, and version.
Device Trust Manager supports the following types of attributes:
Attribute type | Description |
|---|---|
Inventory attributes | This attribute type includes key / value pairs that describe the properties and characteristics of a registered device. |
Identity attributes | This attribute type includes specific inventory attributes designed to uniquely identify a registered device within Device Trust Manager. |
Desired attributes | This attribute type includes key / value pairs defined in Device Trust Manager that provide additional device configuration information. |
Inventory attributes
Inventory attributes are key / value pairs that describe the properties and characteristics of a registered device.
The TrustEdge agent regularly collects and reports these attributes to Device Trust Manager, overriding any existing values.
By default, the agent automatically collects and reports the following inventory attributes to Device Trust Manager:
MAC address
Serial number
Hardware model
Location
OS name
OS version
IP address
CPU ID
Identity attributes
Identity attributes are specific inventory attributes designed to uniquely identify a registered device within Device Trust Manager.
Device Trust Manager assigns each device a unique, internal, and unchangeable identifier called the Device ID. By default, the device's MAC address is used; however, you can change this attribute to another unique attribute, such as an IP address or CPU ID.
The inventory attribute that you configure to be the identity attribute must be unique across your entire device fleet.
If none of the identity attributes are unique, then you can combine up to three inventory attributes to create a composite identity, such as MAC address + IP Address + CPU ID.
This composite identity must be unique across your device fleet.
Identity attributes remain unchanged for the lifetime of a device, ensuring Device Trust Manager can reliably recognize it. Even if you replace hardware components, such as the NIC, the identity attributes won't change once the device is registered with Device Trust Manager.
This logic allows you to replace hardware without worrying about changing the device’s identity.
Desired attributes
Desired attributes are key / value pairs defined in Device Trust Manager that are delivered to devices during a rendezvous. These attributes provide additional configuration information, such as a URL endpoint, to devices via the TrustEdge agent.
These attributes are organized into static device groups. When the agent connects to the rendezvous service, all devices in the static device group will receive the defined desired attributes.
Additional resources
To learn more about device groups, see Device groups.
To learn more about the rendezvous service, see Rendezvous service.
To learn more about the TrustEdge agent, see TrustEdge agent.