Deployment topologies

Deployment topologies

AetherIoT supports deployments that keep physical authority at the edge while adding cloud coordination only where it creates value.

Edge-only site

field devices -> AetherEdge -> local applications
                    |
                    `-> embedded history and durable local outbox

Use this topology for evaluation, isolated sites, and applications that do not need cloud coordination. The default runtime requires no Broker, PostgreSQL, cloud account, browser, or AI client.

Edge with AetherCloud

field devices -> AetherEdge == CloudLink ==> AetherCloud -> operator clients
                    ^                         |
                    |                         `-> provider adapters
                    `--- final local policy        and governed jobs

AetherContracts defines the shared CloudLink behavior. AetherCloud records a time-stamped projection and sends desired state or governed jobs. AetherEdge validates, accepts, rejects, expires, or applies that intent under local policy.

The current CloudLink alpha path is experimental. The legacy edge uplink remains the default until authentication, signed acknowledgement, crash durability, and joint conformance gates pass.

Multi-cloud control-plane cell

tenant home cell
├── AetherCloud application modules
├── PostgreSQL transactional state
├── encrypted artifact storage
└── capability-driven provider adapters
    ├── provider A
    └── provider B

One deployment stack owns one independently locked infrastructure state. A cell does not create a tenant-wide or cross-provider global state file. Each provider continues to own its native resource state.

AetherEMS solution

AetherEMS layers energy models, workflows, and applications over AetherEdge and may connect to AetherCloud through public contracts. It cannot change the edge, cloud, or contract authority boundaries.

Failure expectations

Failure	Required behavior
Internet or cloud unavailable	AetherEdge continues commissioned acquisition, local history, rules, alarms, interlocks, and control
Broker unavailable	Local durable outbox retains bounded work; MQTT delivery is not an application receipt
Provider API unavailable	AetherCloud exposes a typed failure and never normalizes it to an empty successful observation
AI client unavailable	Deterministic behavior is unchanged
Cloud job rejected by local policy	Rejection remains an auditable fact; cloud intent never bypasses the edge