Glossary in OnBoard™ IoT Security

B

BYOK (Bring Your Own Key)

A key management model in which the customer retains ownership and control over cryptographic key generation, while importing or delegating keys to an external platform for managed use.

C

CLI (Command-Line Interface)

A text-based interface for interacting with software systems through typed commands, commonly used for automation, scripting, and integration with development and production workflows.

CSR (Certificate Signing Request)

A cryptographic request generated by a device or secure environment containing a public key and identity information, used to request a digital certificate from a Certificate Authority (CA).

D

Device Identity

The cryptographic identity assigned to a device during provisioning, typically represented by a unique key pair and corresponding certificate.

Digital Assets

Product-related artifacts used during device production and provisioning, including firmware, cryptographic keys, certificates, and configurations.

E

EdgeHSM

A hardware-protected cryptographic execution device deployed at factory sites, designed to perform security-sensitive operations locally under externally issued authorization.

Edge Service

The Edge Service of OnBoard™ IoT Security provides on-site production management capabilities for factories. It is typically deployed on on-premises servers along the production line, where it caches, processes, and stores batch data and device data. It also provides cryptographic services through the Edge HSM.

G

GPCA

A dedicated certificate service for GlobalPlatform SCP11c, providing certificate and trust chain management, secure private key operations, authorization for signing and key derivation, as well as cross-organizational permission collaboration capabilities.

H

HSM (Hardware Security Module)

A tamper-resistant hardware device designed to securely generate, store, and use cryptographic keys.

HSM U-Safe

A hardware security token used for authentication when logging in to OnBoard Edge Service.

I

Identity U-Safe

A hardware security token used for authentication when logging in to the Programming Station client.

K

KMS (Key Management System)

A system for managing the full lifecycle of cryptographic keys, including generation, storage, distribution, rotation, revocation, and destruction.

M

MES (Manufacturing Execution System)

A factory-side system used to manage, monitor, and control manufacturing operations, including production scheduling, process tracking, and quality control.

O

OBIS

OnBoard™ IoT Security, a security service platform built by Snowball for IoT scenarios. It is a security control plane that governs how product digital assets may be used across the device manufacturing lifecycle.

OBIS CLI

OnBoard™ IoT Security CLI establishes a secure channel with the Local Service using authentication provided by U-Safe for PPC, and retrieves the corresponding device data from the Local Service for use by upper-layer applications.

OBIS Edge Web Portal

The portal website of OBIS Edge, through which factory managers can manage on-site operations for factories visually.

OBIS Programming Station software

The controlled, last-mile software environment installed on a factory Programming Station where devices are physically connected, programmed, and initialized.

OBIS Web Portal

The portal website of OnBoard™ IoT Security. Users can perform product-related operations and management through this website, such as product management, factory management, user management, key management, and certificate management.

ODM (Original Design Manufacturer)

A manufacturer that provides end-to-end product design and manufacturing services on behalf of an OEM. ODMs typically develop products based on their own reference designs or platforms, customized to OEM specifications, with the final product shipped under the OEM's brand.

OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer)

The entity that designs, owns, and markets a product under its own brand. The OEM bears ultimate responsibility for product specifications, quality, and regulatory compliance, even when some or all manufacturing activities are delegated to external partners.

OIDC (OpenID Connect)

An identity layer built on top of the OAuth 2.0 protocol, used for authentication and single sign-on (SSO). OBIS supports OIDC-based integration with enterprise identity and access management systems.

P

PKI (Public Key Infrastructure)

A framework of technologies, policies, and procedures for managing digital certificates and public-private key pairs, enabling secure authentication, encryption, and digital signing.

PPC (Programming Process Control) CLI

Programming Process Control Command Line Interface, a command-line tool used for executing programming process control tasks.

Production Order

A production order (also referred to as a Work Order or Manufacturing Order depending on the system) is a directive created in the OEM's SAP, ERP, or MES platform that authorizes and tracks the manufacturing of a specific quantity of products.

Programming CLI

Programming Command Line Interface, a command-line tool used for executing device programming.

Programming Station client

The factory programming client used on production lines to perform chip programming operations.

S

Secure Provisioning

The end-to-end process of securely initializing a device with its identity, cryptographic materials, firmware, configurations, and security settings required for authenticated operation and lifecycle management.

SEMS

A configuration management service for Secure Element (SE), offering SE profile lifecycle management, secure channel configuration, secure encapsulation of SCP11c scripts, permission coordination, and production integration capabilities.

SnowBall

Shanghai Snowball Digital Intelligence Technology Co., Ltd., referred to as Snowball. A technology company with deep expertise in secure device provisioning and cryptographic infrastructure.

SSO (Single Sign-On)

An authentication mechanism that lets users access multiple systems using a single set of credentials.