This article explains what release channels are, how gridX rolls out software updates, and how to manage the release channel for a gateway.
What are release channels?
Each gridBox runs two independent software components: RBEMS (the energy management logic) and Integrations (the device communication layer). Both components are deployed separately and may be on different release versions at any time — a new RBEMS release does not necessarily coincide with an Integrations release, and vice versa.
The release channel controls which version of each component a gateway receives. gridX uses a staged rollout process — new releases move through channels in sequence before reaching the full fleet, so issues can be caught and contained before they affect all sites.
Each gateway is assigned to one release channel that applies to both components. The channel can be changed from the XENON Dashboard.
What release channels are available?
There are three standard release channels:
Alpha
Alpha gateways run the latest release regularly. This channel is made up of a small selection of gateways opted in by the customer. To roll back an alpha gateway, switch it to the stable or checkpoint channel.
Stable
Stable is the default channel. A release moves to stable after it has been sufficiently monitored on alpha. The stable channel covers the majority of the fleet — expected to be over 90% of gateways. To get the latest release sooner, switch a stable gateway to alpha. To roll back, switch it to the checkpoint channel.
Within stable, releases go through a canary stage before reaching the full stable fleet:
A randomly selected ~10% of stable gateways receive the release first
The release is observed for at least 5 working days before rolling out to the remaining stable gateways
Checkpoint
Checkpoint runs an older version of stable. It is intended for gateways that have rolled back from stable in the case of an incident. The checkpoint channel is expected to cover less than 5% of gateways. Checkpoint is the furthest back a gateway can go — there is no further rollback from this channel. To move forward, switch to stable or alpha.
Custom Releases
Some gateways are assigned to a custom release channel managed by gridX. This channel cannot be changed from the XENON Dashboard. Contact customer support to move a gateway to a different channel.
How are new releases rolled out?
Each release spends at least 5 working days in each channel before advancing to the next. The rollout sequence is:
Alpha — a small customer-selected group of gateways receives the release first
Stable — once the release is sufficiently monitored on alpha, it is promoted to stable and rolled out to the majority of the fleet
The checkpoint is updated with a set of software that has been monitored on several days in stable. The checkpoint will be updated at most once a month.
How do I change the release channel for a gateway?
The release channel is visible in the Firmware Version panel of each gateway in XENON.
To change the channel:
Click the edit icon next to the current release channel
Select the desired channel from the dropdown — Alpha, Stable, or Checkpoint
Click Save
