Expresslink in a prod environment

You're on the right track with your understanding of the ExpressLink production onboarding flow. Let's break down the process and clarify the steps you need to take:

1. Connecting to the staging account: This happens automatically when you power on your ExpressLink module for the first time or after a factory reset. The module will use its pre-provisioned credentials to connect to the AWS IoT ExpressLink staging account.

2. Claiming the ExpressLink module from the staging account: This step requires you to implement a claim mechanism that interacts with the AWS-managed staging account. You'll need to create a web application or service that can identify your device (using its ThingName) and initiate the claiming process.

3. Transferring the certificate to the OEM account registry: Once you've claimed the device, you'll need to create a thing in your OEM AWS IoT Core account and associate it with the device's certificate. This is typically done through AWS IoT Core APIs.

4. Updating the ExpressLink module Endpoint: After transferring the certificate, you need to update the module's endpoint to point to your OEM account. This is done by publishing a message to the endpoint-update topic that the module is subscribed to while in the staging account.

Regarding your specific questions:

• The UUID you received when registering as an OEM is typically used to identify your company and may be used in the claiming process, but its exact usage depends on the specific implementation of the claiming mechanism.

• You don't need to manually send your AWS endpoint to the staging account. Instead, you'll publish it to the endpoint-update topic that your device is subscribed to while in the staging account.

• AT commands come into play when you're interacting directly with the ExpressLink module. For example, you might use AT commands to:

  • Check the current endpoint (AT+CONF? Endpoint)
  • Set Wi-Fi credentials if needed (AT+CONF SSID=... and AT+CONF Passphrase=...)
  • Initiate connections (AT+CONNECT) or disconnections (AT+DISCONNECT)
  • Publish data (AT+PUBLISH) or subscribe to topics (AT+SUBSCRIBE)

To implement this flow, you'll need to create a custom application or use AWS IoT Core APIs to handle the claiming process and certificate transfer. The exact implementation will depend on your specific requirements and security considerations.

Remember to handle potential onboarding failures, such as misconfigured account policies or network issues. It's also important to implement proper security measures throughout this process to protect your devices and AWS account.
Sources
11 Provisioning - AWS IoT ExpressLink
11 Provisioning - AWS IoT ExpressLink
9 Provisioning - AWS IoT ExpressLink