User`s manual

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Appendix B
SMARTENERGYCERTIFICATEMANAGEMENT
All devices that operate in a ZigBee Smart Energy network must have a certificate
installed that authenticates the device and allows it to securely join and communicate on
the network. A certificate must be issued by the certificate authority (CA). Each certificate
is tied to the 64-bit extended address of the device.
Currently there are two types of certificates issued by the CA. Production certificates are
intended for use in deployed Smart Energy networks. Only devices which pass stringent
testing and are officially certified may be configured with a production certificate. Test
certificates may also be issued by the CA and are functionally equivalent to production
certificates. However, a device configured with a test certificate will not be able to
securely join and communicate on a production network. Test certificates are useful
during development and test, for example when communicating with prototype devices
that have not yet been certified, but should not be used in an actual deployment.
Certificates on ConnectPort X2 for Smart Energy
All ConnectPort X2 for Smart Energy gateways are certified and configured by default
with a production certificate, allowing them to create or join production networks out of
the box. During the course of development a test certificate may be installed. The
gateway's original production certificate can be restored at any time by removing the test
certificate.
Certificates on Standalone XBee Modules
Standalone XBee modules, such as the XStick SE, do not implement a specific Smart
Energy device and so cannot be certified directly but only as components in larger
systems. Due to this fact, standalone XBee modules cannot be preconfigured with
production certificates and will not be able to securely communicate with a Smart Energy
gateway out of the box.
In order for the standalone XBee to securely communicate on a Smart Energy network a
test certificate will need to be obtained from a certificate authority and installed.
Additional test certificates may also be necessary for other devices that are configured
with production certificates, such as the ConnectPort X2 for Smart Energy.