Overview

During App Deployment the EdgeReady Apps along with the Login App are packaged into a Mobile/Web App that is hosted on the EdgeReady Cloud. The following image is a high-level illustration of the app deployment model in the EdgeReady Cloud.

What is a Container App?

A Container App is a shell or an environment where multiple micro apps can be hosted. It serves as a medium that enables users to access these micro apps. The end users install the container app on their devices or access it through a web browser. From the container app, the micro apps can be downloaded. All the associated libraries, integration files, and other dependencies are automatically bundled into the container app.   

What is a Micro App?

A Micro App is a specialized app designed to perform a targeted functionality. Their use cases are minimalistic in nature. In the EdgeReady platform, there are two types of micro apps that can be generated:

1. EdgeReady App
2. Login App

EdgeReady App

EdgeReady Apps are designed and developed by the EdgeReady platform users to meet specific business requirements. Each EdgeReady app is a business function that is developed in the App Process Modeler(APM) of the platform. As discussed in Steps in Creating Business Functions section, these apps can be a workflow or non-workflow app, and can either be an online or an offline app.

Login App

The Login App is also a micro app like the EdgeReady apps. It is similar to the apps built on the EdgeReady Cloud platform(i.e., the app goes through the same design/publish/transport stages). 

A Login App in a web browser provides users access to their associated EdgeReady Apps through a URL and user credentials. A Login App in a mobile device requests for several authentication steps and permissions to verify users (especially first time users) before providing access to the related EdgeReady apps. 

Why do we need the Login App?

Since the EdgeReady Cloud supports multiple tenant hosting, it is imperative that users are given secured access to their respective Mobile or Web apps. In order to protect their privacy, each tenant is required to authenticate their details before accessing the  Mobile or Web apps. These authentications are carried out using a "Login MicroApp" associated with the Mobile or Web App. 

A Login App can be one of the following:

Default Login App - An unpublished ready-to-use login app template is available for every tenant in the Library > Logins page. The user can use the template with the existing design or customize it.

Custom Login App - One or many Custom Login apps can be created in the Library > Logins page. It can also be customized based on user requirement.

Both types of Login apps must be published to be available during deployment.

Why do we need the Container App? 

The EdgeReady Apps and Login Apps created on the platform are designed based on a business usecase for a particular role by following certain logic and sequence. They cannot remain as standalone apps and must be embedded inside a Container App (Mobile/Web) to access all their features.

While the EdgeReady Apps within the same container can be published N number of times, the container apps are published only once. The container apps are regenerated in exceptional circumstances like:

• A new Login app has to be repackaged into the same container app OR
• The certificate for the Mobile App is about to expire