Overview of IoT System Architecture

• Device
• Intermediary layer
• Where data is viewed

What you will learn

• Name the three parts in this simple model of an IoT system.
• Understand why small devices have limited resources.
• Describe the role of the intermediary and of combining data.

Before you start

No prior knowledge needed.

What do the devices at the edge do?

The things in the Internet of Things are computing devices that understand and react to the environment they reside in. Constrained devices may face severe limits in one or more resources, such as battery, computing power or memory.

• Environment
• Constrained device
• Limited resources

How do messages pass through the intermediary?

Building-automation devices, cellular phones, machine-to-machine devices and other devices benefit from interacting with other things nearby or somewhere in the Internet. One way is an intermediary server: an MQTT server is a program or device that acts as an intermediary between clients which publish messages and clients which have made subscriptions. The publish/subscribe pattern provides one-to-many message distribution and decoupling of applications.

• Many sending devices
• Intermediary server
• Many receiving places

What is the data finally used for?

An IETF IoT architecture document describes an increasing number of products putting the Internet Protocol Suite on smaller devices and offering ways to process, visualize and gain insight from collected sensor data. The network effect can be increased if the data collected from many different devices can be combined.

• Many different devices
• Data gathered
• View and gain insight

Real-world example

Hypothetical example: with an adult, picture a home with a few sensors. In this illustrative configuration, an intermediary receives readings and a screen gathers them for viewing; another system might communicate directly or use a gateway.

Common misunderstandings

Every IoT device is as powerful as a phone. Constrained devices may be limited in one or more resources, such as battery, computing power or memory.

Every device must know and call every other device. With publish/subscribe, applications can use an intermediary broker without knowing every other client. Some IoT designs also use direct device-to-device communication.

Frequently asked questions

What parts does an IoT system have?

Devices, a communication path, and a place where data is processed and viewed; the communication path may be direct or use an intermediary.

What is a constrained device?

A device with significant limits in one or more resources, such as energy, computing power or memory.

What does an intermediary server do?

It acts as an intermediary between clients which publish messages and clients which have made subscriptions.

What is the network effect?

In the cited IETF document, combining data collected from many different devices can increase the network effect.

Summary

• One simple IoT model has devices, a communication path and a place that uses the data.
• Small devices may be constrained in one or more resources, such as battery, computing power or memory.
• Combining data from many devices can increase the network effect.