[ThingsBoard 3.9] The Journey to a Better Gateway Management Experience in ThingsBoard

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As part of the ThingsBoard IoT Gateway team, our mission has always been to provide a seamless, efficient, and up-to-date experience for managing IoT gateways. Over time, we realized that the existing approach to managing the Gateways dashboard within ThingsBoard had significant limitations. These challenges prompted us to take a bold step forward by relocating the Gateways dashboard to a dedicated menu point called “Gateways” under the “Entities” menu.
Here’s the story behind this transformation and why it’s a game-changer for ThingsBoard users:
Why We Made the Move
Previously, updates to the Gateways dashboard were tightly coupled with the core ThingsBoard release cycle. This meant that delivering improvements, fixing bugs, or addressing user feedback required users to wait for a new ThingsBoard release. This delay hindered our ability to rapidly respond to evolving user needs and technological advancements.
By moving the dashboard to a standalone menu point, we’ve gained the flexibility to deliver updates independently. This decoupling empowers us to provide a more dynamic and responsive experience, ensuring that every user has access to the latest features, bug fixes, and optimizations.
How the New “Gateways” Menu Works
The new “Gateways” menu point represents a significant leap in functionality and maintainability:

1. Standalone Code Repository
   The source code for the Gateways menu now resides in its own dedicated repository:
   Gateway Management Extensions Repository.
   Updates are pulled from branches aligned with the ThingsBoard release version (e.g., release/3.9 or main for development).
2. Automated Updates
   The repository syncs with ThingsBoard automatically every 24 hours or whenever the ThingsBoard service restarts. This ensures users always have the latest updates with minimal effort.
3. Customizable Synchronization
   For advanced users, synchronization settings can be tailored to their needs by editing the thingsboard.conf file or setting environment variables:
   • TB_GATEWAY_DASHBOARD_SYNC_REPOSITORY_URL: Change the repository URL.
   • TB_GATEWAY_DASHBOARD_SYNC_BRANCH: Specify the branch to sync from.
   • TB_GATEWAY_DASHBOARD_SYNC_FETCH_FREQUENCY: Adjust the synchronization frequency (in hours).
4. Offline Compatibility
   For installations without internet access, an “offline” version of the dashboard matching the ThingsBoard release is included during installation. This ensures all users can benefit from this functionality, regardless of connectivity.
   What Happens to the Old Dashboard?
   With this upgrade, the old Gateways dashboard becomes obsolete and may not function correctly. We strongly recommend removing the old dashboard and transitioning to the new “Entities” -> “Gateways” menu for managing gateways.
   This new approach offers a host of benefits, including:
   • Faster updates and bug fixes.
   • A consistent and improved user experience.
   • Enhanced customization and control over the synchronization process.

Looking Ahead
The move to a dedicated “Gateways” menu point under the “Entities” section marks a significant milestone in our journey to provide the best possible IoT gateway management experience. We’re excited about the possibilities this opens up for our users and look forward to your feedback as we continue to refine and enhance this feature.
Thank you for being part of our journey. Together, we’re making ThingsBoard better, one update at a time!