Hub vs. Platform vs Mobile app update

So Mike here has a good point. Today we’ve got a firmware update, a couple of days ago, there was a platform update, and not too long ago, it was an app update. To many ST users, every update is the same, it just makes your HA set up act strange…

Who wants to elaborate on what is the difference between the 3 kind of updates (and how they each affect your system).

Update: just heard about another type ‘appengine’ update (hint, hint is the same as hub update)

1 Like

Did we get a hub firmware update today?

2 Likes

Go back to work, there is nothing to worry about. Nothing works well…well yet!

1 Like

Oh oh, me, pick me, pick me, oh me, pick me Damnit! ! ! !

2 Likes

App update = Software on your phone/tablet
Hub update = Software on your hub
Platform update = Software on ST’s backend servers.

Note I use the term ‘software’ loosely.

1 Like

This.

When we call out a mobile app update it is to update the software on your mobile device. When we call out a Hub firmware update it is to update the stuff that runs your hub. When we call out a platform update it is to update the “engine” that runs the platform.

Ok, my turn

Mobile App update: makes changes to the way you interact with your hub via ST server. Updates specific app on mobile devices, usually called out in the release notes (Android, iOS, Windows). It improves functionality and stability of your mobile device’s app and doesn’t affect how hub is processing data or how smart apps run.

Hub firmware (aka appengine???) update: makes changes to how your hub processes the data. It improves overall stabilty of your system by fine-tuning how data is exchanged between your hub and the ST server and doesn’t affect how smart apps run, but it can cause the system to be unresponsive. Usually restarting the hub fixes the problem.

Platform update: makes changes to how smart apps interact with ST server or the hub. improves functionality aand stability of your system by changing how apps run on ST server. It could make some apps unusable and usually reinitialiazing the app fixes the problem. In some severe cases, the app may need to be reinstalled.

@JDRoberts, I need some help here :smile:

Looks like you’re doing fine. 90% of this is outside of my area since it’s all SmartThings-specific. I know a lot of different ways it might be done, but not the details of how SmartThings does it. One of the master developers could help you a lot more.

1 Like