--- title: "LORIOT Edge Agent (LEA)" canonical: "https://docs.loriot.io/space/NMS/734035969/LORIOT%20Edge%20Agent%20(LEA)" format: markdown --- ![Loriot-Edge-Agent_02.png](media://366ab652-83f4-4b8c-8d94-f72111cdcb06) The **LORIOT Edge Agent** (**LEA**) is the next-generation LORIOT Gateway Management Software, designed to replace our previous binary software for LoRaWAN gateways. It has been architected from the ground up with a focus on modern software principles to deliver a more efficient and robust solution. > ℹ️ LEA gateway software is supported by LORIOT NMS versions v8.9.0 and later. ### What is the LORIOT Edge Agent? --- The LORIOT Edge Agent is a management layer built to improve the performance and ease of maintenance of gateways connected to the LORIOT Network Management System (NMS). - **Modular Architecture:** It utilizes a completely modular architecture, which significantly improves the software's maintainability, scalability, and robustness. Each feature is an independent module, making the system easier to debug and extend. - **Backhaul Optimization:** A key feature is its **binary re-encoded backhaul communication**, which optimizes and reduces up to 50% of the total data traffic between the gateway and the Network Server. - **Streamlined deployments and scaling:** LEA eases gateway deployments by offering a universal installer compatible with all [supported gateway models](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NMS/pages/874020870). Furthermore, the [LORIOT ](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CUPS/pages/876675092)**[Configuration and Update Service](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CUPS/pages/876675092)**[ (](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CUPS/pages/876675092)**[CUPS](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CUPS/pages/876675092)**[)](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CUPS/pages/876675092) enables seamless **[Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP)](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CUPS/pages/877232129)** of the gateway to the network (keep in mind that not every gateway model compatible with LEA supports CUPS and ZTP). - **Focus on Management:** The LORIOT Edge Agent primarily focuses on advanced gateway management functionalities rather than functioning as a direct packet forwarder. ### LORIOT Edge Agent Feature Overview --- LEA offers a robust set of features designed to streamline gateway management and enhance network performance. The following is a comprehensive list of the core capabilities provided by LEA: - [Zero-Touch Provisioning](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CUPS/pages/877232129) (through the LORIOT CUPS). - Binary message format, reducing up to 50% of backhaul traffic. - [NetID-based and JoinEUI-based packet filtering](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NMS/pages/860749833). - [Non-volatile message caching](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NMS/pages/830799879) during disconnections with the LNS. - Reception and execution of [remote commands](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NMS/pages/831029282). - [Remote management of LEA parameters](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NMS/pages/824967169/LEA+Configuration+Parameters#Configuration-Parameters-management-from-the-NMS). - [VPN tunneling](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NMS/pages/853278733) to enable an additional communication channel. - Automatizable certificate renewal (with CUPS). - Secure authentication with Mutual TLS (mTLS) and TLS 1.2 encryption. - [Local logging](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NMS/pages/832995336). ### LORIOT Edge Agent Connection with LoRa Basics™ Station --- The LORIOT Edge Agent operates using a fundamentally different architecture from packet forwarders. Instead of interfacing directly with the hardware through the Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL), the LORIOT Edge Agent uses the industry-standard **LoRa Basics™ Station (BS) **already present on most gateways as **middleware**. - **Middleware Approach:** The LORIOT Edge Agent connects to the Basics Station's **WebSocket (WS) output** to communicate indirectly with the radio hardware and manage LoRa features. - **Simplified Integration:** This approach of utilizing existing Basics Station integration accelerates the process of supporting and integrating new gateway models. ### Key Advantages Over a Standard Forwarder --- The modular design and middleware approach of the LORIOT Edge Agent deliver significant benefits compared to older, less modular software. - **Improved Reliability & Scalability**: The modular architecture, where features operate independently on separate threads, enhances overall system robustness and scalability. - **Reduced Development Time**: The clean, well-defined architecture makes the codebase more readable, maintainable, and extendable, significantly reducing future development and maintenance time. - **Faster Debugging**: The independent, feature-specific modules make debugging and investigating issues faster, as logs can be traced back to a specific module. - **Backhaul Traffic Reduction**: The binary re-encoded backhaul communication optimizes data flow, reducing up to 50% of backhaul traffic (this percentage may vary depending on the average size of application payloads transmitted). - **Accelerated Gateway Integration**: By using Basics Station as middleware, the LORIOT Edge Agent avoids the need for direct hardware access, simplifying and accelerating the integration process for a rapidly changing portfolio of gateway models and operating systems. - **Message Caching**: The LORIOT Edge Agent is able to store uplink messages in a **non-volatile **(disk-stored) database when the connection to the LNS is lost. > ℹ️ Additional Resource: Webinar*** The Gateway Problem Nobody Talks About: Operational Complexity at Scale***. > ℹ️ > ℹ️ - LinkedIn: [https://www.linkedin.com/events/7439616523918442496/](https://www.linkedin.com/events/7439616523918442496/) > ℹ️ - YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/live/9xCANKzkR7o?si=EGYYFSgDgHDnVLcp](https://www.youtube.com/live/9xCANKzkR7o?si=EGYYFSgDgHDnVLcp)