PMS vs Fleet Manager¶
The distinction between the Product Management System (PMS) and the Fleet Manager (FM), and why both exist.
Two systems, two lifecycles¶
tlm-cli interacts with two overlapping but distinct systems. Understanding the difference helps you choose the right
command for a task.
| PMS | Fleet Manager | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Product Management System | Fleet Manager |
| CLI prefix | tlm-cli pms |
tlm-cli fm |
| Purpose | Manufacturing record of truth | Operational fleet registry |
| Tracks | Parts, devices, events, provisioning | Claimed devices, live status |
| Device lifecycle stage | Design → manufacturing → provisioning | Post-deployment → monitoring |
| Key identifiers | Serial number, batch ID, part number | Serial number, name, ConnHex ID |
| Device status | Provisioned / not provisioned | Online / offline, firmware version, last seen |
PMS — manufacturing record of truth¶
The PMS holds everything about a device from the moment it is defined as a product until it leaves manufacturing. This includes:
- Part definitions — hardware specifications, BOM version, PCB version, family
- Device instances — serial numbers, batch IDs, production data, sub-device assemblies
- Customer records — which tenant a device belongs to
- Events — public (external) and internal (operator) lifecycle events
- Provisioning — whether a device has been provisioned and its ConnHex ID
A device enters the PMS when it is provisioned (tlm-cli pms provisioning provision). Before provisioning it does not
exist in the system at all.
Fleet Manager — deployed device registry¶
The Fleet Manager tracks devices that are live in the field. A device reaches the FM only after it has been provisioned
in PMS and then claimed (tlm-cli fm devices claim).
The FM adds operational data that the PMS does not track:
- Name — a human-readable label assigned at claim time
- Live status — connectivity state, firmware version, last seen timestamp
The FM does not hold manufacturing data (batch IDs, production dates, events). For that information always go to the PMS.
Which system to query¶
| Question | Use |
|---|---|
| What part number is this device? | tlm-cli pms devices show SN |
| What batch was this device from? | tlm-cli pms devices show SN (detail view) |
| Is this device provisioned? | tlm-cli pms devices show SN → Provisioned field |
| What events has this device had? | tlm-cli pms events list or tlm-cli pms devices show SN (detail) |
| Is this device online? | tlm-cli fm devices show SN |
| What firmware version is running? | tlm-cli fm devices show SN |
| When was this device last seen? | tlm-cli fm devices show SN |