Mender is a software solution for managing over-the-air (OTA) updates on IoT and embedded Linux devices. It allows organizations to remotely deploy, manage, and monitor software updates across device fleets, ensuring devices remain secure and up-to-date. Mender supports a wide range of hardware and Linux-based operating systems, and offers both open-source and enterprise-grade options. Its architecture includes a client for devices and a server for central management, supporting robust features like dynamic grouping, phased rollouts, rollback on failure, and integrations with CI/CD pipelines and cloud IoT platforms.

Key Features

Secure OTA Updates Remotely update device software with robust security and risk mitigation.

• End-to-end verification and authorization of updates
• Compliance with corporate IoT security standards

Flexible Deployment Architecture Client-server model for centralized management, with standalone mode for disconnected devices.

• Supports A/B partitioning for rollback on failure
• Dynamic grouping and phased rollouts for safe mass deployments

Broad Compatibility Works with any Linux-based OS and integrates with popular development workflows.

• Official and community support for many device types and OSes
• Easy integration with CI/CD pipelines

Comprehensive Device Management Includes tools for configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting.

• Remote terminal access, port forwarding, and file transfer
• Extensive logging, auditing, and reporting

Open Source and Avoids Vendor Lock-in Available as open-source and enterprise editions.

• Open APIs and integration focus
• No lock-in to a single provider

Benefits

Reduced Operational Risk Minimizes the risk of device bricking and update failures.

• Atomic updates with automatic rollback
• Robust against power loss and unstable connectivity

Faster Innovation and Maintenance Enables frequent, safe updates without manual intervention.

• Automates update processes for large device fleets
• Allows developers to focus on product features, not infrastructure

Scalable for Any Organization Size Suitable for startups to large enterprises managing thousands of devices.

• Advanced scheduling and fleet management
• Scales from small pilots to global rollouts