Product Readiness Checklists

Hardware Verification

• [ ]SDR receiver connected and detected by host (lsusb or SoapySDRUtil --find)
• [ ]Acoustic microphone attached and enumerated (arecord -l)
• [ ]Power supply meets tier specification (5V/3A for Mini, 12V/5A for Pro/Max)
• [ ]Enclosure sealed and weatherproofing verified for outdoor deployment
• [ ]GPIO peripherals connected if applicable (buzzer, LED, OLED display)

Software Checks

• [ ]Varta service installed and systemd unit enabled
• [ ]Signature database is current version (check sig_db.version in config)
• [ ]MQTT broker address, port, and credentials configured in deployment YAML
• [ ]Sensor ID and location fields populated with deployment-specific values
• [ ]Fleet secret rotated from lab default

Network Readiness

• [ ]TLS certificates valid and not expired (openssl x509 -enddate -noout -in cert.pem)
• [ ]MQTT broker reachable from sensor subnet (mosquitto_sub -t test)
• [ ]DNS resolution functional for upstream endpoints
• [ ]Firewall rules permit MQTT (8883/TCP) and API (443/TCP) traffic

# Quick network validation
openssl s_client -connect broker.local:8883 -brief
mosquitto_sub -h broker.local -p 8883 --cafile ca.pem -t "varta/health/#" -C 1 -W 5

• [ ]Sensor physically mounted at designated height and orientation per site plan
• [ ]RF antenna placed with clear line of sight, minimum 1m from metal surfaces
• [ ]Acoustic microphone positioned away from wind noise sources and HVAC exhaust
• [ ]RF environment survey completed -- document ambient interference sources and power levels
• [ ]GPS antenna has sky view; GPS lock acquired (fix type 3D, HDOP < 2.0)
• [ ]Baseline calibration procedure executed and noise floor recorded

# GPS lock check
gpspipe -w -n 5 | grep -m1 TPV

# Noise floor baseline capture
python -m varta_core.tools.rf_baseline --duration 60 --output baseline_$(hostname).json

• [ ]Detection self-test passed -- inject known RF test signal and confirm detection event
• [ ]MQTT message flow verified -- detection events arrive at broker within expected latency
• [ ]Dashboard connectivity confirmed -- sensor appears online in Varta Max UI
• [ ]Alert delivery tested -- email/webhook/SMS notification received for test event
• [ ]Health telemetry publishing -- CPU, memory, disk, temperature metrics visible
• [ ]Time synchronization verified -- NTP offset within acceptable range (< 50ms)

# Run the built-in self-test suite
python -m varta_core.self_test --full --mqtt-verify

# Subscribe to sensor health feed
mosquitto_sub -h broker.local -p 8883 --cafile ca.pem -t "varta/health/+/status" -C 3

• [ ]Review system logs for errors or repeated warnings (journalctl -u varta --since "7 days ago" --priority=err)
• [ ]Signature database update check -- compare local version against distribution server
• [ ]Calibration drift check -- compare current noise floor against installation baseline
• [ ]Storage space verified -- ensure > 20% free on detection log and recording partitions
• [ ]Battery health check (Mini tier) -- verify charge cycles and capacity within spec
• [ ]Review detection event counts for anomalies (unexpected spikes or zero-event periods)

# Storage check
df -h /opt/varta /var/log/varta

# Signature version comparison
python -m varta_core.tools.sig_check --compare-remote

• [ ]TLS certificate expiry check -- flag any certificate expiring within 30 days
• [ ]Firmware version audit -- verify all nodes are running approved firmware versions
• [ ]Acoustic model performance review -- check false positive rate and classification accuracy trends
• [ ]Backup verification -- confirm most recent config and detection database backups are restorable
• [ ]OS security patches reviewed and staged for next maintenance window
• [ ]MQTT topic ACLs reviewed -- no unauthorized subscriptions or stale client entries

# Certificate expiry scan across fleet
for cert in /etc/varta/certs/*.pem; do
  echo "$cert: $(openssl x509 -enddate -noout -in "$cert")"
done

# Firmware version audit
python -m varta_core.tools.fleet_audit --check firmware

Operator Gate Check

• [ ]Power status confirmed -- all sensors show green on dashboard power indicator
• [ ]Antenna check -- no physical damage, connectors tight, orientation unchanged
• [ ]Communications link verified -- all sensors reporting health within last 60 seconds
• [ ]Threat level baseline reviewed -- current RF environment matches expected profile
• [ ]Rules of Engagement (ROE) confirmed with command authority for this session
• [ ]Alert routing confirmed -- notification recipients and escalation path verified
• [ ]Recording enabled if required by operational policy

• [ ]Detection and telemetry data exported or archived per retention policy
• [ ]Data wipe -- secure erase of all configuration, keys, and detection logs
• [ ]TLS client certificate revoked on the CA and CRL updated
• [ ]Sensor ID added to MQTT broker blocklist to prevent reconnection
• [ ]Dashboard entry removed or marked decommissioned in Varta Max fleet view
• [ ]Physical hardware recovered -- antenna, enclosure, mounting hardware, cables
• [ ]Decommission logged with date, reason, and responsible operator in fleet records

# Secure data wipe
shred -vfz -n 3 /opt/varta/data/*
rm -rf /etc/varta/certs/ /opt/varta/config/

# Revoke certificate
python -m varta_core.tools.cert_manager --revoke --sensor-id SENSOR_ID --update-crl