20-01-2025

202046714: IoT
Architecture and
Protocols

Smart Homes and Buildings

Use Case: IoT applications in smart homes enable devices like thermostats, lighting, security
cameras, and appliances to communicate with each other and be controlled remotely.
Benefits:
Energy Efficiency: Smart thermostats (e.g., Nest) automatically adjust temperature settings
based on usage patterns, reducing energy consumption.
Security: IoT-connected security systems and cameras (e.g., Ring, Nest Cam) allow users to
monitor their homes in real-time and receive alerts for unusual activity.
Convenience: Automated lighting, voice assistants (e.g., Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant), and
appliance management improve the comfort and convenience of daily living.
Example: A smart home system that adjusts the lighting and temperature when you leave for
work, and locks doors remotely when you're not at home.

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Healthcare and Medical Monitoring

Use Case: IoT has made significant strides in healthcare, enabling remote monitoring of patients'
health conditions through wearable devices and sensors.
•Benefits:
Remote Patient Monitoring: Wearable devices (e.g., Fitbit, Apple Watch) and medical sensors
can track vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, or blood glucose levels in real-time,
providing continuous data to healthcare providers.
Early Diagnosis: IoT-enabled devices can alert doctors or caregivers when a patient's health
condition deteriorates, allowing for early intervention.
Cost Reduction: With remote health monitoring, hospital admissions may be reduced, and
patients can receive care at home.
Example: A patient with diabetes wearing a smart glucose meter that sends real-time data to
their doctor, allowing for timely adjustments to their medication or lifestyle.

Industrial IoT (IIoT) for Manufacturing

and Maintenance
In the industrial sector, IoT enables the monitoring of machines and equipment in real-time to
optimize operations, improve maintenance, and ensure safety.
•Benefits:
Predictive Maintenance: Sensors installed on machinery can detect anomalies such as vibrations,
temperature, or wear, and predict when maintenance is required, reducing downtime and avoiding
costly repairs.
Supply Chain Optimization: IoT devices track inventory, monitor supply chain conditions, and
improve logistics, ensuring the efficient movement of goods.
Workplace Safety: Wearables or environmental sensors can monitor safety conditions (e.g., gas leaks,
temperature extremes) and send alerts to prevent accidents.
Example: In a manufacturing plant, IoT sensors on a production line monitor machine performance,
and predictive analytics software notifies maintenance teams about potential failures before they
happen, improving operational efficiency and reducing downtime.

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IT/OT convergence definition

IT = The hardware and software that manage and deploy computer systems,
networks, and applications in an enterprise setting.
OT = The hardware and software that monitor and control industrial devices,
processes, and systems.
IT/OT convergence = The integration of IT and OT technologies, processes, and
organizational structures to optimize industrial operations.

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The top 10 IOT Use cases

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Agile
Methodologies
Each Agile methodology has its strengths,
and the best choice depends on the nature
of the project, team structure, and
organizational goals.
 Scrum is an excellent choice for teams that
need strict structure.
Kanban might be more appropriate for
those who need flexibility with visualizing
workflows.
Extreme Programming (XP) is ideal If
technical quality and practices like pair
programming and TDD are a priority.
Lean Software Development suits teams
focused on optimizing efficiency, while
Feature-Driven Development (FDD) is better
for large teams working on well-defined,
feature-based projects.

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Modularity
OOP is great for building structured, reusable
systems with clear object boundaries, making it
suitable for smaller to medium-sized applications.

Microservices is ideal for large-scale distributed

applications requiring independent scalability and
deployment.

SOA is a good choice for enterprise systems that

need to integrate multiple, disparate services across
different platforms.

CBSE is useful when reusable, modular components

are needed to create large systems efficiently.

Modular Programming is a fundamental approach

for simpler, smaller applications that require easy
testing and maintainability.

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IoT vertical
markets and the
horizontal
integration
The IoT enables physical objects to see, hear,
think and per form jobs by having them “talk”
together, to share information and to
coordinate decisions.

Smart objects along with their supposed tasks

constitute domain specific applications (vertical
markets) while ubiquitous computing and
analytical services form application domain
independent services (horizontal markets)

Fig. illustrates the overall concept of the IoT in

which every domain specific application is
interacting with domain independent services,
whereas in each domain sensors and actuators
communicate directly with each other

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1) Perception layer, represents the physical sensors of the

IoT that aim to collect and process information.
• Includes sensors and actuators to perform different
functionalities such as querying location, temperature,
Objects Layer: weight, motion, vibration, acceleration, humidity etc.
• Standardized plug-and-play mechanisms need to be used by
the perception layer to configure heterogeneous objects
•The perception layer digitizes and transfers data to the
Object Abstraction layer through secure channels.
•Big data created by the IoT are initiated at this layer

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•Object Abstraction transfers data produced by the Objects

layer to the Service Management layer through secure
Object channels.

Abstraction • Data can be transferred through various technologies such

as RFID, 3G, GSM, UMTS, WiFi, Bluetooth Low Energy,
Layer infrared, ZigBee, etc.
•Furthermore, other functions like cloud computing and data
management processes are handled at this layer

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• Service Management or Middleware (pairing) layer pairs a

Service service with its requester based on addresses and names.

Management • This layer enables the IoT application programmers to work

with the heterogeneous objects without consideration to a
Layer: specific hardware platform.
• Processes received data, makes decisions, and delivers the
required services over the network wire protocols

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The application layer provides the services requested by

customers.
•For instance, the application layer can provide temperature
and air humidity measurements to the customer who asks
Application for that data.
Layer •The importance of this layer for the IoT is that it has the
ability to provide high-quality smart services to meet
customers’ needs.
•The application layer covers numerous vertical markets such
as smart home, smart building ,transportation, industrial
automation and smart healthcare

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•The business (management) layer manages the overall IoT

system activities and services.
•The responsibilities of this layer are to build a business
model, graphs, flowcharts, etc. based on the received data
from the Application layer.
• It is also supposed to design, analyze, implement, evaluate,
monitor, and develop IoT system related elements.
Business Layer •The Business Layer makes it possible to support decision-
making processes based on Big Data analysis.
•In addition, monitoring and management of the under lying
four layers is achieved at this layer.
• Moreover, this layer compares the output of each layer with
the expected output to enhance services and maintain users’
privacy

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IoT ELEMENTS

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IOT
Definition:
Internet of Things (IoT) is a concept which enables communication between internetworking devices and
applications, whereby physical objects or ‘things’ communicate through the Internet.
Internet of Things means a network of physical things (objects) sending, receiving, or communicating
information using the Internet or other communication technologies and network just as the computers, tablets
and mobiles do, and thus enabling the monitoring, coordinating or controlling process across the Internet or
another data network.
 Internet of Things is the network of physical objects or ‘things’ embedded with electronics, software, sensors
and connectivity to enable it to achieve greater value and service by exchanging data with the manufacturer,
operator and/or other connected devices. Each thing is uniquely identifiable through its embedded computing
system but is able to interoperate within the existing Internet infrastructure.

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IoT CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

 Physical Object + Controller, Sensor and Actuators + Internet = Internet of Things
Generally, IoT consists of an internetwork of devices and physical objects wherein a number of objects can
gather the data at remote locations and communicate to units managing, acquiring, organising and analysing the
data in the processes and services.
 The equation below conceptually represents the actions and communication of data at successive levels in IoT
consisting of internetworked devices and objects.

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 At level 1 data of the devices (things) using sensors or the things gather the pre data from the internet.
 A sensor connected to a gateway, functions as a smart sensor (smart sensor refers to a sensor with computing
and communication capacity). The data then enriches at level 2, for example, by transcoding at the gateway.
Transcoding means coding or decoding before data transfer between two entities.
 A communication management subsystem sends or receives data streams at level 3.
 Device management, identity management and access management subsystems receive the device’s data at
level 4.
 A data store or database acquires the data at level 5.
 Data routed from the devices and things organises and analyses at level 6. For example, data is analysed for
collecting business intelligence in business processes.

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Oracle’s IoT architecture

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The architecture serves as a reference in applications of IoT in services and business processes.
 A set of sensors which are smart, capture the data, perform necessary data element analysis and
transformation as per device application framework and connect directly to a communication manager.
A set of sensor circuits is connected to a gateway possessing separate data capturing, gathering, computing and
communication capabilities. The gateway receives the data in one form at one end and sends it in another form
to the other end.
The communication-management subsystem consists of protocol handlers, message routers and message cache.
 This management subsystem has functionalities for device identity database, device identity management and
access management.
Data routes from the gateway through the Internet and data centre to the application server or enterprise
server which acquires that data.
Organisation and analysis subsystems enable the services, business processes, enterprise integration and
complex processes

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IBM IoT conceptual framework.

This is a complex conceptual framework for IoT using cloud-platform based processes and services. The
steps are as follows:
1. Levels 1 and 2 consist of a sensor network to gather and consolidate the data. First level gathers the
data of the things (devices) using sensors circuits. The sensor connects to a gateway. Data then
consolidates at the second level, for example, transformation at the gateway at level 2.
2. The gateway at level 2 communicates the data streams between levels 2 and 3. The system uses a
communication-management subsystem at level 3.
3. An information service consists of connect, collect, assemble and manage subsystems at levels 3 and
4. The services render from level 4.
4. Real time series analysis, data analytics and intelligence subsystems are also at levels 4 and 5. A
cloud infrastructure, a data store or database acquires the data at level 5.

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IBM IoT conceptual framework

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IoT ARCHITECTURAL VIEW

IoT reference model suggested by CISCO

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The IoT World Forum (IoTWF) Standardized Architecture:

 In 2014 the IoTWF architectural committee (led by Cisco, IBM, Rockwell

Automation, and others) published a seven-layer IoT architectural reference model.

 IoT World Forum Model offers a clean, simplified perspective on IoT and includes
edge computing, data storage, and access. It provides a succinct way of visualizing
IoT from a technical perspective.

 Each of the seven layers is broken down into specific functions, and security
encompasses the entire model.

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Protocols

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The IoT World Forum (IoTWF) Standardized

Architecture

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Protocols

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The IoT World Forum (IoTWF) Standardized Architecture:

 The IoT Reference Model defines a set of levels with control flowing from the center (this could be either a
cloud service or a dedicated data center), to the edge, which includes sensors, devices, machines and other
types of intelligent end nodes.

 In general, data travels up the stack, originating from the edge, and goes northbound to the center.

 Using this reference model, we are able to achieve the following:

 Decompose the IoT problem into smaller parts

 Identify different technologies at each layer and how they relate to one another

 Define a system in which different parts can be provided by different vendors

 Have a process of defining interfaces that leads to interoperability

 Define a tiered security model that is enforced at the transition points between levels

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The IoT World Forum (IoTWF) Standardized Architecture

 Seven layers of the IoT Reference Model
 Layer 1: Physical Devices and Controllers Layer

 The first layer of the IoT Reference Model is the physical devices and controllers layer.

 This layer is home to the “things” in the Internet of Things, including the various endpoint
devices and sensors that send and receive information.

 The size of these “things” can range from almost microscopic sensors to giant machines in a
factory.

 Their primary function is generating data and being capable of being queried and/or controlled
over a network.

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The IoT World Forum (IoTWF) Standardized Architecture

 Layer 2: Connectivity Layer

 In the second layer of the IoT Reference Model, the focus is on connectivity.

 The most important function of this IoT layer is the reliable and timely transmission
of data.

 More specifically, this includes transmissions between Layer 1 devices and the
network and between the network and information processing that occurs at Layer
3 (the edge computing layer).

 The connectivity layer encompasses all networking elements of IoT and doesn’t
really distinguish between the last-mile network, gateway, and backhaul networks.
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The IoT World Forum (IoTWF) Standardized Architecture

Layer 2:

Connectivity Layer

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The IoT World Forum (IoTWF) Standardized Architecture:

 Layer 3: Edge Computing Layer

 Edge computing is the role of Layer 3.

 Edge computing is often referred to as the “fog” layer .

 At this layer, the emphasis is on data reduction and converting network data flows into
information that is ready for storage and processing by higher layers.

 One of the basic principles of this reference model is that information processing is
initiated as early and as close to the edge of the network as possible.

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The IoT World Forum (IoTWF) Standardized Architecture

 Layer 3: Edge

Computing Layer

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The IoT World Forum (IoTWF) Standardized Architecture:

 Layer 3: Edge Computing Layer

 Another important function that occurs at Layer 3 is the evaluation of data to see if it
can be filtered or aggregated before being sent to a higher layer.

 This also allows for data to be reformatted or decoded, making additional processing
by other systems easier.

 Thus, a critical function is assessing the data to see if predefined thresholds are crossed
and any action or alerts need to be sent

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 Upper Layers: Layers 4–7

 The upper layers deal with handling and processing the IoT data generated by the
bottom layer.
 For the sake of completeness, Layers 4–7 of the IoT Reference Model are summarized in
the following Table.

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The IoT World Forum (IoTWF) Standardized Architecture:

Upper Layers:

Layers 4–7

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The IoT World Forum (IoTWF) Standardized Architecture:

 IT and OT Responsibilities in the IoT Reference Model

 An interesting aspect of visualizing an IoT architecture this way is that we can start to organize
responsibilities along IT and OT lines.

 Following Figure illustrates a natural demarcation point between IT and OT in the IoT Reference
Model framework.

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COMPARING
The IoT World Forum IoT Architecture
(IoTWF) Standardized Architecture:

Dr. Syed Mustafa, HKBK C E.

1/20/2025 I o T Reference Model Separation of IT477a
IOT ARCHITECTURE & PROTOCOLS
5
nd OT

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The IoT World Forum (IoTWF) Standardized Architecture:

 As demonstrated in Figure, IoT systems have to cross several boundaries beyond just the
functional layers.

 The bottom of the stack is generally in the domain of OT.

 For an industry like oil and gas, this includes sensors and devices connected to pipelines, oil
rigs, refinery machinery, and so on.

 The top of the stack is in the IT area and includes things like the servers, databases, and
applications, all of which run on a part of the network controlled by IT.

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The IoT World Forum (IoTWF) Standardized Architecture:

 In the past, OT and IT have generally been very independent and had little need to even talk
to each other. IoT is changing that paradigm.

 At the bottom, in the OT layers, the devices generate real-time data at their own rate—
sometimes vast amounts on a daily basis.

 Not only does this result in a huge amount of data transiting the IoT network, but the sheer
volume of data suggests that applications at the top layer will be able to ingest that much
data at the rate required.

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The IoT World Forum (IoTWF) Standardized Architecture:

 To meet this requirement, data has to be buffered or stored at certain points within the IoT
stack.

 Layering data management in this way throughout the stack helps the top four layers handle
data at their own speed.

 As a result, the real-time “data in motion” close to the edge has to be organized and stored
so that it becomes “data at rest” for the applications in the IT tiers.

 The IT and OT organizations need to work together for overall data management.

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Early IoT Architectures (Pre-2000s)

Beginning phase of IoT where simple, isolated devices were used, and basic sensor networks
existed.
The focus was on limited connectivity with proprietary protocols and very little
intercommunication between devices or networks.
Key Architectures:
 Embedded Systems:
Devices like vending machines or early industrial sensors were networked through proprietary protocols
(like serial communication or basic RF).

Simple Sensor Networks:

 Basic networks of sensors (e.g., temperature sensors) used in manufacturing or industrial settings to
provide feedback to a central system.

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First-Generation IoT Architectures

(2000-2010)
• The concept of "IoT" started to take shape with the development of networked devices and early cloud computing integration.
• Devices began connecting to the internet using TCP/IP protocols, and data processing and storage were moved to the cloud.
Cloud-Centric IoT Architecture:
• Devices connected to the cloud through internet protocols (HTTP, MQTT, etc.).
• Cloud-based platforms were used for data storage, analytics, and visualization.
• Centralized Control: Data from devices was processed in the cloud and stored for analysis.
Device-to-Cloud Communication Architecture:
• Devices (like sensors or smart appliances) directly connected to cloud platforms for real-time data transmission.
• Early IoT applications were seen in smart homes, health monitoring systems, and fleet management.
Client-Server Architecture:
• Devices communicated to a central server via APIs or lightweight communication protocols (e.g., MQTT).
• Early versions of remote monitoring systems (e.g., smart meters) that reported data to a centralized server.

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Second-Generation IoT Architectures

(2010-2015)
The rise of Edge Computing and more sophisticated communication protocols became the hallmark of second-generation IoT systems.
There was a shift towards improving the latency of IoT systems by processing data closer to the source (edge), reducing the need for constant cloud
communication.
Edge Computing Architecture:
Data processing and analytics were moved closer to the device, on edge devices or edge servers.
Reduced latency by enabling devices to make local decisions or preprocess data before sending it to the cloud.
Enabled real-time data processing for applications in industrial IoT (IIoT) and smart cities.
Fog Computing Architecture:
A layer between edge and cloud computing, designed to offload processing tasks to intermediate devices or servers that act as fog nodes.
Enhanced scalability, improved reliability, and faster data transmission for large-scale IoT systems.
Device-to-Edge-to-Cloud Architecture:
Devices communicate with edge servers, which process data and send only relevant information to the cloud for further analysis.
This architecture allowed for data filtering and minimizing cloud traffic, particularly for IoT in manufacturing and agriculture.

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Third-Generation IoT Architectures

(2015-2020)
The third generation focused on AI, machine learning, 5G connectivity, and autonomous systems.
IoT devices started to become more intelligent and capable of autonomous decision-making without human
intervention.
AI-Driven IoT Architecture:
Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) at the edge, enabling devices to process data locally and make decisions
without constant cloud communication.
Machine Learning models were applied to predictive maintenance, anomaly detection, and real-time decision
making.
5G IoT Architecture:
5G networks enabled low-latency, high-speed data transmission for massive IoT deployments.
IoT devices could now operate efficiently in real-time applications like autonomous vehicles and smart cities.
Network slicing and low power wide-area networks (LPWAN) technologies were employed to address the
scalability challenges of IoT systems.

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Blockchain-Based IoT Architecture:

Blockchain was used to enhance security and trust in IoT networks, enabling secure
transactions and decentralized data sharing.
Blockchain applications in IoT were especially prominent in supply chain management, smart
contracts, and financial transactions.
Cloud-Edge Hybrid IoT Architecture:
Data was processed in a hybrid cloud-edge environment, with the cloud handling intensive
computational tasks and edge devices managing real-time operations.
This architecture supported complex data analytics, AI, and digital twin models for industries
like healthcare, logistics, and smart agriculture.

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Fourth-Generation IoT Architectures

(2020 and Beyond)
IoT is evolving towards highly intelligent, autonomous systems that use technologies like AI, 5G, 6G, and digital
twins to enable real-time, predictive, and self-healing applications.
The focus is on creating intelligent ecosystems that function autonomously and require minimal human
intervention.
Autonomous IoT Architecture:
IoT devices with integrated AI make autonomous decisions and interact with each other, enabling self-healing
systems and adaptive behaviors based on real-time data.
Common in autonomous vehicles, smart grids, and robotic process automation.
Digital Twin Architecture:
Digital twins (virtual representations of physical devices or systems) are used to simulate and monitor physical
assets and operations in real time.
Allows for predictive maintenance, real-time analytics, and optimization of complex systems like smart cities,
manufacturing plants, and energy systems.

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5G-Enabled IoT Architecture:

With the widespread adoption of 5G networks, IoT devices can communicate more efficiently with ultra-low
latency and high bandwidth.
Key to enabling massive IoT systems with millions of devices, including smart cities, healthcare, and wearable
devices.
AI and Edge-Cloud Convergence Architecture:
More advanced edge computing techniques are used to enable real-time AI decision-making, while still
leveraging the cloud for large-scale data storage and analysis.
Enables more intelligent automation for industries like smart homes, smart healthcare, and industrial
automation.
Decentralized IoT Architecture (Blockchain + Edge):
Combining blockchain and edge computing to create decentralized, secure, and transparent IoT systems.
Especially important in financial IoT applications, supply chain management, and digital currencies.

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IOT Architecture
Evolution

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The OneM2M IoT standardized

Architecture:

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The OneM2M IoT standardized Architecture:

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The OneM2M IoT standardized Architecture

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The OneM2M IoT standardized Architecture

 1. Application Layer
 oneM2M architecture gives more attention to connectivity between devices
and their applications.

 This domain includes the application-layer protocols and attempts to

standardize northbound API definitions for interactions with Business
intelligent (BI) systems.

 Application tend to be industry specific and have their own sets of data
models, thus they are shown as vertical entity

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The OneM2M IoT standardized Architecture

2. Service Layer

 Shown as horizontal framework across the vertical industry applications.

 Horizontal modules include the physical network that the IoT application run on,
the underlying management protocols and the hardware.

 Example: Backhaul communications via cellular, MPLS networks, VPNs and so on.

 Riding on it is the common service layer.

 This conceptual layer adds APIs and middle ware supporting third party services and
applications.
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The OneM2M IoT standardized Architecture

3. Network Layer

• This is the communication domain for the IoT devices and endpoints.

• It includes the devices themselves and the communication network that links them.

• Includes Wireless mess technologies such as IEEE 802.15.4 and wireless point to multi
point systems such as IEEE 801.1.11ah.

• It also includes wired device connections such as IEEE 1901 power line
communications.

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The OneM2M IoT standardized Architecture

3. Network Layer
• In many cases, the smart (and sometimes not-so-smart) devices communicate with each
other.

• In other cases, machine-to-machine communication is not necessary, and the devices

simply communicate through a field area network (FAN) to use-case-specific apps in the
IoT application domain.

• Therefore, the device domain also includes the gateway device, which provides
communications up into the corenetwork and acts as a demarcation point between the
device and network domains.

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