Industrial Internet Connectivity Framework | Page 42

Connectivity Framework 6: How to Assess a Connectivity Technology?

6 HOW TO ASSESS A CONNECTIVITY TECHNOLOGY?

We apply the Industrial Internet Reference Architecture( IIRA) 1 viewpoints to create an assessment template for use in evaluating any connectivity technology. The connectivity functions( see sections 4.1 and 5.1) constitute the functional viewpoint; the typical considerations( see sections 4.2 and 5.2) constitute the implementation viewpoint. The business and usage viewpoints are described below.

The assessment template is intended to be a tool for understanding any connectivity technology in the context of the IIoT needs. The worksheet is helpful for:

• understanding how a connectivity technology supports specific IIoT functional needs,

• evaluating a connectivity technology’ s trades-offs for typical IIoT considerations and

• determining a connectivity technology’ s suitability for a particular use case( once the specific requirements are understood).

The worksheet helps categorize objectively a connectivity technology across the layers of the IIoT connectivity stack model( see Figure 2-1) based on the functions it supports: is it a connectivity framework( Figure 4-1) or a connectivity transport( Figure 5-1)? Some technologies span multiple layers of the connectivity stack( Figure 2-1).

Connectivity technologies can be compared objectively, and the most applicable connectivity technology can be easily identified.

The worksheet is described below.

6.1 General Info( Section 6.1)

1

See [ IIC-IIRA2015 ] IIC: PUB: G5: V1.0: PB: 20170228- 42-