Deploy Production Processes to Edge Runtime

Context#

SAP Digital Manufacturing for edge computing enables manufacturing operations to continue locally when connectivity to the cloud is limited or unavailable. However, installing the edge runtime alone does not make the solution usable in practice. Customers must still connect multiple components—SAP Digital Manufacturing, Cloud Connector, and Production Connector—to enable production processes and automation logic to execute on the shop floor.

This project focuses on documenting that post-installation configuration phase. The goal is to help production engineers deploy production processes designed in the cloud to the edge runtime, trigger machine actions through containerized or standalone Production Connector, and support hybrid execution scenarios across cloud and edge environments.

My Role#

I converted technically dense, component-level information into a coherent setup guide tailored to production engineers. The source materials consisted mainly of architecture slides and documents describing Cloud Connector and Production Connector separately, without explaining how they work together in real deployment scenarios.

To bridge this gap, I collaborated closely with developers and product managers to clarify behavior across systems and validate assumptions. I then reorganized the information around concrete user goals, ensuring the documentation guided users through configuration steps that lead to a working edge deployment.

Key Challenges#

• The configuration steps are not part of the initial installation but are significantly more complex, involving Kubernetes clusters, certificates, and cross-system communication.
• Three different deployment scenarios share overlapping prerequisites but differ in execution flow, requiring careful structuring to avoid confusion or duplication.
• Many critical details—such as certificate exchange, runtime permissions, and system mapping—were not formally documented and existed mainly as implicit knowledge.
• To ensure accuracy, I completed the full edge installation and configuration myself before documenting the process.

Deliverables#

• Two task-oriented topics in the Setup and Operations Guide for SAP Digital Manufacturing for edge computing, covering deployment of production processes and automation sequences to the edge runtime.
• One task topic and one overview topic in the Integration Guide, addressing integration with the standalone Production Connector and explaining system relationships through a visual diagram.

Impact & Business Value#

• The documentation ranks among the most frequently accessed setup topics, enabling users to complete edge deployment configurations without direct support.
• It expands the effective use of SAP Digital Manufacturing for edge computing by enabling real execution scenarios instead of stopping at installation.
• Clear separation of scenarios and prerequisites reduces configuration errors and support escalations.
• The structured content has been incorporated into the Joule AI chatbot, increasing its reach and long-term value for customer self-service.

Reference: SAP Digital Manufacturing for edge computing — Setup and Operations Guide, SAP Help Portal ↗