241: Adding Assets to Applications
This course is for Operations Engineers.
By the end, you will confidently know how to add assets to an application, understand what happens during deployment, and manage the application settings for each asset.
The Key Concept
In Kelvin, you add assets to an application — not the other way around.
An application (SmartApp) is a program that has been built by a developer and uploaded to the App Registry. It is ready to run, but it does not do anything until you give it assets to work with. Your job as an Operations Engineer is to select which assets should be processed by which application, deploy them, and then manage the configuration.
Once an asset is added to an application:
- The application starts processing data from that asset
- It generates outputs such as recommendations, control changes, and computed data
- You manage the application's behaviour for that asset through parameters
No Technical Knowledge Required
You do not need to understand the code inside the application, how Kubernetes works, or where the edge cluster is. The platform handles all the technical deployment automatically. You just pick the asset and click deploy.
Before You Start
Before you can add an asset to an application, a few things need to be in place. These are typically handled by Platform Administrators and Developers before you start:
| What | Who Sets It Up | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Asset exists in the platform | Platform Administrator | The asset must be created with its data streams |
| Connection is active for the asset | Platform Administrator | Data must be flowing from the asset into Kelvin |
| Application is uploaded to the App Registry | Developer | The SmartApp must be built, packaged, and uploaded |
| Cluster is running | Platform Administrator | An edge cluster must be available to run the application |
If any of these are missing, you will see warnings during the add asset process. Contact your Platform Administrator or Developer to resolve them.
Step-by-Step: Adding an Asset to an Application
The process follows a guided flow in the Kelvin UI. Here is what to expect at each step.
Prerequisite 1 — Go to Applications
From the left sidebar, click Applications. You will see a list of all applications that have been uploaded to the platform.
Select the application you want to add assets to. This opens the application detail page.
Prerequisite 2 — Click Add Assets
In the application detail page, go to the Management tab. Click the Add Assets button.
Step 1 — Select the Application Version
Choose which version of the application you want to deploy. Different versions may have different inputs, outputs, and parameters.
Versions
Developers release new versions of applications over time. Each version is a distinct program with potentially different configuration options. You can have different assets running on different versions of the same application.
Step 2 — Select Assets
Choose one or more assets to add. You can select individual assets or bulk-select many assets at once.
Step 3 — Set Parameters (Optional)
If the application has configurable parameters, you can set the initial values for each asset. If you skip this step, the developer's default values will be used.
When adding many assets, you can download a CSV template, fill in the parameter values for each asset, and upload it — instead of setting them one by one.
Deploy Asset
Click Add to deploy. Kelvin handles the rest:
- The application workload is automatically deployed to the appropriate cluster
- The asset starts being processed
- You can monitor the status in the Management tab
The status will progress from Pending → Deploying → Running.
Offline Clusters
If the target cluster is offline, the deployment will be placed in a queue with a Pending status. It will automatically deploy when the cluster comes back online. You do not need to redo anything.
For full details, see the Add Asset to Application documentation.
Managing Your Asset in the Application
Once an asset is deployed, you manage it from two places:
From the Applications Page — Management Tab
Go to Applications → select the application → Management tab. Here you see all assets deployed to this application and can:
- Start / Stop an asset — stopping pauses the application processing but does not remove the asset
- Remove an asset — permanently removes it from the application (cannot be undone)
- Upgrade version — move an asset to a newer version of the application
- Bulk actions — select multiple assets to start, stop, or remove in one action
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Running | Application is actively processing data for this asset |
| Stopped | Application is paused — no outputs being generated |
| Pending | Waiting for deployment to complete |
| Error | Something went wrong — check logs or contact your Developer |
From the Asset Details Page — Applications Tab
Go to Assets → click on any asset → Applications tab. This shows the asset's perspective — which applications are running on it, their status, and their configuration.
From here you can:
- View which applications are deployed to this asset
- See the current parameter values for each application
- Update parameter values for this specific asset
- View the application version running on this asset
For full details, see the Asset Details — Applications Tab documentation.
Managing Parameters
Parameters are how you tune an application for each individual asset. A developer creates the parameters (e.g., maximum speed, target temperature, threshold values) and you set the values per asset.
Where to Change Parameters in Applications
Applications → select app → Management tab → click on an asset → edit parameters
Where to Change Parameters in Assets
Assets → click on asset → Applications tab → edit parameters for a specific application
Bulk Parameter Updates
When managing many assets, updating parameters one by one is slow.
In Applications you can update multiple Assets together as long as they all need the same new parameter value.
First select all the Assets you want to update.
Then update the parameters you want to apply to the selected Assets.
Quick Quiz
Quiz 1: Where do you go to add assets to an application?
Answer: Go to Applications in the left sidebar → select the application → Management tab → click Add Assets.
You add assets TO an application — not applications to an asset.
Quiz 2: What are the main steps when adding an asset?
Answer: The guided flow is:
- Select application version
- Select assets
- Map inputs (data streams → application input variables)
- Map outputs (application output variables → data streams)
- Set parameters (optional)
- Deploy
Quiz 3: What happens if the cluster is offline when you deploy?
Answer: The deployment is queued with a Pending status. It will automatically deploy when the cluster comes back online. You do not need to redo anything.
Quiz 4: Can you have different assets running on different versions of the same application?
Answer: Yes. Each asset can run a different version. You can upgrade individual assets or groups of assets to a new version at any time.
Quiz 5: Where do you go to change parameter values for a specific asset?
Answer: Two places:
- Applications → select app → Management tab → click on the asset
- Assets → click on the asset → Applications tab → edit parameters
Both give you access to the same parameters, but in Applications you have the option to change many Asset's parameters at the same time thus saving time.
Quiz 6: What is the difference between stopping and removing an asset?
Answer:
- Stopping pauses the application for that asset. No outputs are generated, but the asset remains in the application. You can restart it anytime.
- Removing permanently deletes the asset from the application. This cannot be undone. You would need to re-add and reconfigure the asset.
Summary
Adding assets to applications is one of the most important things you do as an Operations Engineer. Here is what to remember:
- You add assets to applications — not the other way around
- The guided flow walks you through version selection, asset selection, input/output mapping, parameters, and deployment
- You do not need technical knowledge — the platform handles the infrastructure automatically
- Once deployed, manage assets from the Applications Management tab or the Asset Details Applications tab
- Parameters let you tune the application per asset — individually or in bulk via CSV
- You can start, stop, upgrade, or remove assets at any time
For full documentation:
Good luck and Happy Learning !