Microsoft recently announced the public preview of the Azure IoT Hub Device Provisioning Service. The Device Provisioning Service is a new service that works with Azure IoT Hub to enable “zero-touch” device provisioning to an IoT hub. Using this service, devices can be created with a common image, and when booted for the first time in the field, the Device Provisioning Service will automatically provide the device specific provisioning information, including the correct Azure IoT Hub location and identity where the device can be further provisioned and customised using Azure device management. The Device Provisioning Service is designed to support very high device volumes, enabling the provisioning of millions of devices in a secure and scalable manner, automating what historically has been a complex and time-consuming process for customers handling high volumes of connected IoT devices. You can read more about the Azure IoT Device Provisioning Service in this blog post and on the Device provisioning documentation centre.
The Azure IoT Hub Device Provisioning Service aligns well with our Windows 10 IoT device scenarios and features. Along with the Device Provisioning Service public preview, we are also providing sources for a complete Windows 10 IoT client that implements a client service with the required functionality to quickly enable a device to use the Device Provisioning Service, requiring only minimal configuration information. When used in conjunction with the existing Windows 10 IoT Azure Device Management client, it forms a complete device provisioning and management solution, covering the complete life cycle needs of an IoT device.
The Windows 10 IoT device provisioning client is provided as a source that can be used as is, to provide basic scenario functionality, or customised if desired. The implementation as provided requires a supported Windows 10 IoT TPM to be present, which is used to securely store device identification and authentication information. The same configuration information is used by both the device provisioning and the device management client samples, enabling both to work in concert with one another.
The Windows 10 IoT client for the Azure IoT Device Provisioning Service is located here, including a step-by-step process for building and using the client service with the Azure IoT Device Provisioning Service public preview.
Microsoft is committed to providing the most productive and secure IoT platforms and services enabling you to quickly and confidently bring your IoT solution to market. Visit the Microsoft IoT page for more information on Microsoft’s complete IoT solution offerings!
