Connectivity Framework Annex E: Assessment Template: CoAP
E. 6.2 Business Viewpoint
E. 6.2.1 Purpose( Section 6.2.1)
E. 6.2.2 Pedigree( Section 6.2.2)
E. 6.2.3 Variants( Section 6.2.3)
E. 6.2.4 Maturity( Section 6.2.4)
E. 6.2.5 Stability( Section 6.2.5)
E. 6.2.6 Standards Body
( Section 6.2.6)
Give the general motivation and expectation for the Connectivity Technology. This section provides the business rationale. It communicates the fundamental " why and what " for the project.
CoAP is specifically designed to communicate with resource-constrained devices or with devices across constrained( lossy or low throughput) IP networks. The design goals of CoAP are to provide a generic web protocol that keeps message overhead small, thus limiting the need for fragmentation. It offers features such as built-in discovery, multicast support and asynchronous message exchanges.
Describe the derivation, origin or history of the system. The objective is to understand the brief evolutionary context of this technology.
CoAP was developed by the IETF as an internet standard.
Work started on 2009 and culminated on RFC 7252 in 2014. There are several other supporting drafts and standards that relate to it. The IETF CoRE working group that maintains and enhances features related to CoAP enjoys an active and vibrant community with member continuously working to extend its applicability.
Multiple independent CoAP implementations are available, including both open-source and commercial. Describe the options and variants from the original generic description of the technology.
There are no variants as such, but CoAP supports multiple transports UDP / TCP / SMS.
Estimate the technology maturity, state of development and condition relative to perfection. How refined are the connectivity concepts, requirements and demonstrated capabilities? Is the technology consistent and uniform?
CoAP specifications have only been published since June 2014. Multiple interoperability events and commercial implementations have been deployed prior to the release of the publication as per the IETF process.
Some of the many implementations are available at a website 1.
Describe whether the connectivity technology has been in use for long enough that most of its initial faults and inherent problems have been removed or reduced; how easy is it to use for both non-experts and professionals? Has there been a reduction in the rate of new breakthrough advances related to it?
The RFC is relatively recent( 2014) but has been solid and stable. Newer documents that specify new functionality, like operation over TCP or HTTP mapping for the browser are more recent and still evolving. List the relevant organizational bodies developing, coordinating, promulgating, revising, amending, reissuing, interpreting or otherwise producing technical standards and guidelines intended to address the needs of the base of affected adopters.
IETF 2 is where the CoAP standard is developed and maintained.
1
See [ CoAP-Impl ]
2
See [ IETF ] IIC: PUB: G5: V1.0: PB: 20170228- 102-