Sat-Iot: An Architectural Model For A High-Performance Fog/Edge/Cloud Iot Platform
Sat-Iot: An Architectural Model For A High-Performance Fog/Edge/Cloud Iot Platform
Sat-Iot: An Architectural Model For A High-Performance Fog/Edge/Cloud Iot Platform
Abstract—Current new IoT standards do not detail enough From our point of view, the IoT platform standards do
some important and emergent aspects as the Fog/Edge not detail enough some important and emergent aspects as
computing support, the IoT computation topology the Fog/Edge computing support, the IoT computation
management or the IoT visualization systems. This work topology management (mainly for industrial and Smart cities
defines three new concepts: a) the paradigm of edge/cloud environments), the visualization systems integrated in the
computing transparency that lets the computation nodes platform (not only in the applications) and audit services for
change dynamically without administrator intervention; b) the IoT based in Blockchain or Distributed Ledgers.
IoT computing topology management that gives an IoT system
global view, from the hardware and communication This work presents a set of contributions to the IoT
infrastructures to the software deployed on them, and c) the architectural reference models defined in current standards,
automation and integration of IoT visualization systems for in order to integrate the following concepts: 1) the paradigm
real time data visualization, current IoT topology and current of edge/cloud computing transparency, 2) the IoT computing
paths of data flows. It is also defined a new architectural model topology management, and 3) the automation and integration
that includes these concepts and covers other IoT demands, of IoT visualization systems. In addition, it is proposed to
like security safeguard services based on Blockchain. This include some new support systems demanded by the IoT
architectural model definition is taken as the basis for market such as IT automation systems and the embedded
developing a new advanced IoT platform referred as SAT-IoT. regulation/audit services.
Keywords—Internet of Things (IoT), Fog Computing, Edge As a result, we propose a whole extended architectural
Computing, Cloud Computing, IoT Platform, IoT Architectural reference model that is being used as the design and
Reference Models, Edge/Cloud Computing Location implementation basis of a new IoT platform (called SAT-
Transparency, Distributed Computing, IoT Visualization, IoT IoT).
Topology Management, IT/IoT Automation, Blockchain in IoT.
In the next section, we define the IoT framework
I. INTRODUCTION concepts that extend the reference models. Then, we present
a whole IoT architectural model in terms of entities and
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) systems with their functionalities and mutual relationships.
defines the Internet of Things (IoT) as “global infrastructure
for the Information Society, enabling advanced services by
II. NEW IOT FRAMEWORK CONCEPTS
interconnecting (physical and virtual) things based on,
existing and evolving, interoperable information and
A. Paradigm of Edge/Cloud Computing Location
communication technologies” [1].
Transparency
This challenging architecture requires the definition of an In order to improve the performance of an IoT system,
IoT formal framework that integrating the involved the Edge Computing model aims to process the massive data
technologies, systems and devices [2]. The standardization of generated from different IoT devices at their zone edge
IoT platforms is in progress; there are published standards nodes. Only the processing results are transmitted to the
that already describe a Reference Model for the architecture cloud infrastructure or to the IoT devices, reducing the
and functionalities of IoT Platforms [3] [4]. In general, these bandwidth consumption, the response latency and/or the
reference models define the structure of an IoT platform as a storage needed [15]. For example, consider an IoT system
set of logical entities such as: Business & External that uses the hybrid network of Fig.1. Since edge nodes X
Application, Services & IoT Application, IoT Network & and Y are not connected to each other, any application that
Gateways, Devices and Physical Layer [5] [6] [7]. These processes data from zones X and Y will be run in node Mid1,
reference models also describe functionalities such as: in order to be as near as possible to both edge nodes.
Connectivity, Device management, Data Access and
Databases, Data Processing and Management of Actions, But the previous model is not well suited to applications
Data Analytics, External interfaces including Human- in which the location of devices can change, the volume of
Machine Interface (HMI), etc. data received in each edge node varies dynamically, or the
processing needs data from different geographical zones. An
In addition to the IoT concept, Fog/Edge computing is a example of this kind of scenario is a smart city car route
new technological paradigm pursuing the process of data planner, that calculates routes with information received
near its sources in order to reduce latencies and save from the cars connected.
bandwidth [8][9]. Nowadays most authors accept that
Fog/Edge computing features should also be included in the
definition of the new IoT architectures [10] [11] [12] [13]
[14].
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2019 IEEE 5th World Forum on Internet of Things (WF-IoT)
The entity "Smart Devices" in SAT-IoT is a These services use the functions implemented by
combination of “Device Entity” and “Gateway Entity” the devices to set the parameters needed to connect
from ISO/IEC 30141, This suggests its future the device to the network through interfaces and
implementation and functional running, not only in smart technologies like GPRS, 4/5G LPWAN, etc.
devices but also in other network appliances, such as • Other functionalities: access to functions and
physical gateways or hubs, routers, servers, etc. (typically services directly offered by the specific smart
installed in the network edge). devices.
The functionalities defined in this entity are offered by
the high-level function interface provided by the smart C. IoT Data Flow Collector Entity
device, and the additional software. The IoT Data Flow Collector Entity is in charge of
Besides the typical IoT gateway functionalities [3] interconnecting devices (smart devices or simple devices)
[18], the Smart Device Entity also includes the following to the SAT-IoT platform.
functionalities: This interconnection entity behaves as an IoT platform
• Device Access (Input/Output): High-level input and gateway. It is independent of the physical devices and their
output operations, register read/write operations or field protocols, providing the common entry point to
memory operations inside the device. These receive IoT data from devices installed in the IoT system.
functionalities also include the automatic data The IoT Data Flow Collector Entity is designed to be
sending to the platform as messages under MQTT implemented, deployed and run in any network place. But
Protocol, abstracting the platform from local it will be especially useful when deployed in edge nodes,
interconnections and buses (MODBUS, OPC, because it works together with the IoT Flows Dynamic
CANBUS, Serial, etc.). Router Entity (described below) in order to support Edge
• Device communications (Interconnection): They Computing and Edge/Cloud location transparency.
are the access network configuration Services.
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architecture of the IoT platform proposed. Therefore, We thank Pilar Manzano (ETSISI, Technical
Security and Privacy is not considered as an entity in this University of Madrid) for her advice and paper review.
design but as a core module that supports the basic
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