Connectivity Framework
1: Introduction
The connectivity reference architecture proposes an IIoT connectivity stack model using the OSI and the Internet models as reference. It defines the core functions and key considerations at each layer in the IIoT connectivity stack. It defines an assessment template worksheet to understand and assess any connectivity technology objectively, and then determine the core connectivity standard closest to the technology under assessment.
Assessment templates for dealing with major IIoT system design challenges introduce core connectivity standards. These include the Data Distribution Service( DDS) for systems facing a software integration challenge, OPC-Unified Architecture( OPC-UA) for systems facing device interchangeability issues, HTTP / REST 1 for web and mobile user interfaces, and oneM2M for information and communications technology integration with wide area wireless telecommunication provider network services. The architecture integrates other connectivity technologies by interfacing to a core connectivity standard. This satisfies the range of application challenges with minimum complexity. We also provide assessment templates for common domain-specific connectivity technologies typically used at the network edge.
1.4 STRUCTURE
Chapter 2 defines the IIoT connectivity stack model and introduces the Connectivity Framework( framework) and the Connectivity Transport( transport) layers. It clarifies the role of connectivity in enabling syntactic interoperability, i. e. exchanging structured data, in system architecture, and introduces the key system characteristics directly affected by connectivity.
Chapter 3 defines the requirements for core connectivity standards and proposes connectivity gateways to bridge a domain-specific connectivity technology to a core connectivity standard and open up hitherto inaccessible endpoints. This approach is tenable with a few core connectivity standards with core gateways for interoperability amongst them, and many domain-specific technologies that can use a gateway to any of those core standards.
Chapter 4 dives into the connectivity framework layer. It defines the core functions and the typical considerations and trade-offs to apply when considering a connectivity framework technology.
Chapter 5 dives into the connectivity transport layer. It defines the core functions and the typical considerations and trade-offs to apply when considering a connectivity transport technology.
Chapter 6 defines a template for assessing any connectivity technology from a business, usage, functional, and implementation viewpoint. It introduces a worksheet that can be used as a tool to understand, categorize and evaluate any connectivity technology.
Chapter 7 uses the assessment template worksheets to describe the prominent connectivity standards for IIoT. It also describes some of the connectivity standards prominent in specific verticals.
1
REST stands for Representational State Transfer and is an architectural style for networked applications [ WKPD-REST ]. It is almost always implemented with the HTTP or CoAP protocols.
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