From Development to Deployment: Robust Configuration and Storage with Apex.Grace

In autonomous systems and safety-critical software, configuration isn’t just a convenience—it’s a cornerstone. As developers scale systems from prototype to production, they need a framework that adapts to the changing demands of testing, calibration, diagnostics, and field updates. 

Apex.Grace delivers exactly that. With a powerful set of tools for configuration, parameter management, and persistent storage, Apex.Grace gives, without sacrificing determinism, safety, or control. 

Here’s how Apex.Grace helps you manage system behavior across every phase of the lifecycle. 

Configuration and Storage

Clean, Flexible Configuration with Settings 

At the heart of Apex.Grace configuration is the Settings system—typed, validated YAML-based configuration loaded at process startup. This structure eliminates the hassle of managing sprawling command-line arguments, and provides a clean, property tree format for tuning application behavior. 

Whether you're setting up process-level configurations during development or tuning system services like the System Manager or Process Manager, Apex.Grace Settings keep logic and configuration cleanly separated. 

For safety-critical deployments, Settings can even be compiled directly into C++ code. This removes the runtime dependency on a YAML parser and enables deployments on systems with strict safety or security constraints—ideal for embedded or production environments. 

Persistent Data Management with Message Storage 

Real-world systems demand adaptability, and Message Storage in Apex.Grace makes that possible. 

Applications can save and restore runtime data across power cycles, enabling things like: 

• Restoring application state on restart 

• Saving diagnostic snapshots 

• Maintaining field-specific calibration data 

• Switching between multiple stored system configurations 

Message Storage is organized into named databases managed by a dedicated system service. Data can be changed transiently (in-memory only) or persistently (saved to disk and automatically restored on startup). Access is supported through C++ APIs, command-line tools, and web interfaces. 

Because stored data can be exported or imported using JSON, it’s easy to work with—even outside the core development environment. 

Transient and Persistent Parameters 

Parameters in Apex.Grace are built on top of Message Storage, giving them powerful runtime and persistence capabilities. 

• Transient Parameters are ideal for development. You can quickly change the configuration during testing, and the system always resets to the defaults on restart. 

• Persistent Parameters retain their values across sessions, making them perfect for production workflows like end-of-line calibration, field updates, or diagnostics tuning. 

Whether you're adjusting an actuator threshold in the lab or deploying updated vehicle parameters to the field, Apex.Grace Parameters provide a structured, type-safe way to make those updates with confidence. 

All parameters can be accessed through strongly typed C++ APIs, CLI tools, and web UIs, so the interface is seamless whether you’re working from a laptop or a diagnostic terminal. 

Built for Safety and Scalability 

Together, Settings, Message Storage, and Parameters create a unified, scalable framework for configuration and data management. These capabilities empower developers to: 

• Build applications with predictable, deterministic behavior 

• Separate business logic from configuration 

• Evolve and calibrate systems post-deployment 

• Integrate with production tooling and diagnostics systems 

Whether you're designing a next-gen autonomous vehicle or deploying industrial robotics into the field, Apex.Grace ensures your system is always configurable, controllable, and production-ready. 

Ready to streamline your configuration workflows and gain persistent control over your system state? Explore how Apex.Grace can bring modern, flexible configuration and storage capabilities to your applications, from development bench to mission-critical deployment. Learn more about Apex.Grace →