Greengrass

Greengrass, officially AWS IoT Greengrass, is an edge computing service from Amazon Web Services that extends cloud capabilities to local devices. It enables devices to run AWS Lambda functions, publish and subscribe to messages using MQTT, and keep data local through caching and synchronization with the cloud when connectivity is available.

Greengrass centers on a core software package installed on edge devices, such as gateways, industrial PCs, or capable embedded hardware. The core runs Lambda functions or modular components, manages local messaging, and can operate offline or with intermittent connectivity. The platform supports a component model that allows packaging and deploying software and configuration to devices, including prebuilt connectors to AWS services and external systems.

Security is built into the service through device authentication using X.509 certificates and mutual TLS, with policies controlling what the device can access. Management is performed via the AWS IoT console, command-line interface, or APIs, including provisioning, software updates, and monitoring. Data generated at the edge can be processed locally, reducing cloud round trips, while selected data and results can be synchronized to AWS services for analytics or long-term storage.

Common use cases include industrial automation, predictive maintenance, smart buildings, and remote monitoring where connectivity is limited or latency must be minimized. Greengrass complements other AWS IoT offerings by enabling hybrid cloud–edge architectures and offline operation. Historically introduced as AWS IoT Greengrass, it has evolved to support a modular component model and broader deployment options.