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Potential migration toward an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) raises numerous questions regarding suitable architectural frameworks or reference architectures for use in these emerging ecosystems. Organizations such as the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC), and the European IoT-A (Internet of Things – Architecture) project, among others, look to provide architectural frameworks that define relationships between IoT domains and devices, as well as appropriate security schemes.
The IEEE P2413 Standard for an Architectural Framework for the Internet of Things (IoT) working group is pursuing a proposed standard in this area that is intended to provide an extensible, integrated IoT architectural framework. The P2413 standards work is holistic in nature, striving to "enable cross-domain interaction and platform unification through increased system compatibility, interoperability, and functional exchangeability." The intent is to deliver a common, evolving framework to all IoT domains by 2016 in order to increase architectural transparency and support common system benchmarking, safety, and security. This will include high-level definitions of domain abstractions and a means to define relationships between application-specific IT domains (for example, manufacturing and transportation) as well as identify common architectural elements across domains.
Components of the Standard
The working group's definition of "things" includes elements such as the type of information exchange used, device properties and functionality, and a security wrapper. The definition of a thing is abstracted to include applications and/or services that may reside on the device. As a reference architecture, the standard does not specify the type of information exchange, just that it occurs, and implementations could include horizontal or vertical communications or both.
P2413 provides a device description for a universal "thing" that will help manufacturers identify at least minimum content for standardized IoT device profiles. With an emphasis on the "what" rather than the "how," the device description includes details of the type of base information that should be provided by each device or thing. The types of information included in the P2413 device description includes such characteristics as "Who am I?," “Who makes me (manufacturer ID)?," and "What can I do? (functionality)." Standardizing these high-level descriptions horizontally, across device types from different domains, will enable them to communicate with one another and maximize IoT benefits. These details, in turn, will allow the thing to communicate both within and across IoT domains.
The standard will also include definitions of basic architectural building blocks and guidelines on how to integrate them into multi-tiered systems, such as those found in manufacturing. Blueprints for data abstraction and what the standards group calls quality "quadruple" trust (protection, security, privacy, and safety) will be central to the working group's deliverable.
Alliance with Industrial Internet Consortium Reflects Many Common Members
In August 2015 the group announced a liaison agreement with the Industrial Internet Consortium. The two groups plan to share their stakeholders’ expertise on requirements for the industrial IoT and gaps in interoperability standards. Under the terms of the agreement, the IEEE P2413 working group is to provide the IIC with draft specifications for the standard it is developing, as well as a gap analysis relative to current IoT standards. Along with its cooperation with other industry efforts, this translates to the very real possibility that devices conforming to the P2413 standard could soon show up in industrial applications.
For more information, ARC clients can access this report.
The IEEE P2413 Standard for an Architectural Framework for the Internet of Things (IoT) working group is pursuing a proposed standard in this area that is intended to provide an extensible, integrated IoT architectural framework. The P2413 standards work is holistic in nature, striving to "enable cross-domain interaction and platform unification through increased system compatibility, interoperability, and functional exchangeability." The intent is to deliver a common, evolving framework to all IoT domains by 2016 in order to increase architectural transparency and support common system benchmarking, safety, and security. This will include high-level definitions of domain abstractions and a means to define relationships between application-specific IT domains (for example, manufacturing and transportation) as well as identify common architectural elements across domains.
Components of the Standard
The working group's definition of "things" includes elements such as the type of information exchange used, device properties and functionality, and a security wrapper. The definition of a thing is abstracted to include applications and/or services that may reside on the device. As a reference architecture, the standard does not specify the type of information exchange, just that it occurs, and implementations could include horizontal or vertical communications or both.
P2413 provides a device description for a universal "thing" that will help manufacturers identify at least minimum content for standardized IoT device profiles. With an emphasis on the "what" rather than the "how," the device description includes details of the type of base information that should be provided by each device or thing. The types of information included in the P2413 device description includes such characteristics as "Who am I?," “Who makes me (manufacturer ID)?," and "What can I do? (functionality)." Standardizing these high-level descriptions horizontally, across device types from different domains, will enable them to communicate with one another and maximize IoT benefits. These details, in turn, will allow the thing to communicate both within and across IoT domains.
The standard will also include definitions of basic architectural building blocks and guidelines on how to integrate them into multi-tiered systems, such as those found in manufacturing. Blueprints for data abstraction and what the standards group calls quality "quadruple" trust (protection, security, privacy, and safety) will be central to the working group's deliverable.
Alliance with Industrial Internet Consortium Reflects Many Common Members
In August 2015 the group announced a liaison agreement with the Industrial Internet Consortium. The two groups plan to share their stakeholders’ expertise on requirements for the industrial IoT and gaps in interoperability standards. Under the terms of the agreement, the IEEE P2413 working group is to provide the IIC with draft specifications for the standard it is developing, as well as a gap analysis relative to current IoT standards. Along with its cooperation with other industry efforts, this translates to the very real possibility that devices conforming to the P2413 standard could soon show up in industrial applications.
For more information, ARC clients can access this report.