IoT-A: main Architectural Reference Model concepts · PDF file9/1/2010 · IoT-A:...

IoT-A: main Architectural Reference Model concepts

IoT-A:main Architectural Reference Model concepts

Alessandro BassiIoT-A Technical Coordinator

1st iot-forum, Berlin

Nov 23rd, 2011


IoT-A Fact Sheet

Flagship FP7 IP project,call 5,Objective 1.3

Total Budget 18.6 M EUR

17 Partners from 8 EUcountries

Coordinator: Sebastian Lange

Technical Coordinator:Alessandro Bassi

Start Date: Sept 1st, 2010

Duration: 36 months.


IoT Domain - current status

Vertical silos

Fragmented architectures, no coherent unifying concepts,solutions exist only for specific application silos.

No coherent approaches to implement the IoT have beenproposed, yet.

Many island solutions do exist (RFID, Sensor nets, etc.).

Little cross-sectorial re-use of technology and exchange ofknowledge.

In essence, today we have only Intranets of Things.

Introducing the IoT-A tree:

a generic Reference Model,derived from Businessconsiderations,application-basedrequirements and currenttechnologies,

able to generate differentReference architecturesdepending ondomain-specificrequirements,

to be used as a blueprintfor concrete architecturedesign.


IoT-A Objectives

Establishing Internet of Things modelling foundation.

Providing guidelines for the technical design of its protocols,interfaces, and algorithms;

Building the enabling architectural framework for the IoT;

Federating heterogeneous IoT technologies into ahomogeneous IoT fabric;

Removing the barriers of IoT widescale acceptance.


Means of Implementation

1 Setting up of an architectural reference model for theinteroperability of Internet-of-Things systems,

2 Outlining principles and guidelines for the technical design ofits protocols, interfaces, and algorithms

3 Establishing corresponding mechanism for its efficientintegration into the service layer of the FI


Means of Implementation (cont’d)

4 Providing a protocol suite based on open protocols centredaround a narrow waste

5 Defining a novel resolution infrastructure, allowing scalablelook up and discovery of Internet-of-Things resources, entitiesof the real world, and their associations;

6 Building novel device platform components;

7 Implementing real-life use cases demonstrating the benefits ofthe developed architecture.


Heterogeneity of technologies in the IoT is significantly higherthan in traditional computing systems: they include RFID,sensor networks, embedded systems and mobile technologies;

Interoperability has to be supported in all functionality groupsand communication layers;

Communication technologies will co-exist: gateways will be anecessity;

Interoperability not only has to be achieved across a singledomain, but across different administrative and applicationdomains.


Architectural Reference Model


Reference Model


Domain Model


Communication Model: Channel Analysis

Standard Internet Model

IoT Model


Communication Model: The Protocol Stack


Physical layer

The physical layer remains unchanged from the OSI definition.This is necessary in order to neither exclude any availabletechnology, nor to prevent emerging solutions from beingintegrated into the reference model. The convergence of thedifferent solutions taking part in the communication stack will bemanaged in the upper layer.


Link layer

In order to address the heterogeneousness of networkingtechnologies represented in the IoT universe, the link layer requiresspecial attention. In fact, most networks implement similar, butcustomised communication schemes and security solutions. Inorder for IoT systems to achieve full interoperability, as well as thesupport of heterogeneous technologies and a comprehensivesecurity framework, this layer must allow for diversity. But, at thesame time, it needs to provide upper layers with uniform interfaces


Network layer

Here, again, the layer provides the same functionalities as thecorrespondent OSI stack. However, in order to support globalmanageability, interoperability, and scalability, this layer needs toprovide a common communication paradigm for every possiblenetworking solution.


ID layer

The virtual-entity identifier (VE-ID), split from the locator, is thecentre of the first convergence point in the communication stack,i.e. the ID layer. Leveraging on uniform interfaces provided by thelink layers, the ID Layer allows for a common resolution frameworkfor the IoT. Also, security, authentication, and high-end serviceswill exploit this layer for providing uniform addressing to the manydifferent devices and technologies in IoT networks.


End-to-end layer

This layer takes care of translation functionalities,proxies/gateways support and of tuning configuration parameterswhen the communication crosses different networkingenvironments. By building on top of the ID and the network layers,the end-to-end layer provides the final building block for achievinga global M2M communication model.

Data layer

At the top of the communication stack, the data layer interfaceswith the data layer. A high-level description of the data pertinentto IoT is provided by the information model.


A gateway for IoT


Thank you for your attention

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