Remote - M2M 2015 - (Page 8)

Feature Article Remote Device Management for the Internet of Things Andrea Ceiner, Group Product Marketing Manager for M2M/IoT Eurotech As the Internet of Things (IoT) evolves, applications rely on more devices over more diverse locations than ever before. Managing those remote devices effectively can lead to cost savings and operational efficiency, and designers must create solutions that allow customers to monitor and make changes on the fly instead of manually sending technicians to make changes in the field. Figure 1 shows the key building blocks for building a M2M/IoT Integration Platform. Remote device management capabilities are determined at the device enablement level, including device connectivity and device management. These pieces of the IoT puzzle can be configured to allow for advanced remote device management options based on current technologies, some of which are available as open source projects. This article will explore current trends in remote device management including Eclipse Paho and Eclipse Kura, open source IoT projects that enable MQTT, an efficient and economical device connectivity protocol. Designers can deploy these tools along with a device application framework as the building blocks for device provisioning, device update, device control, device configuration, device diagnostics and device monitoring. Device Connectivity Protocol - MQTT Device connectivity is the key building block that all data must pass through from the sensor to the business application. Currently, many IoT projects connect sensors to back end business applications with proprietary integration models and combinations of a prolific number of custom protocols and industry standards. The chosen connectivity protocol, or messaging transport, for the IoT system has a defining inFigure 1: The building blocks for an efficient M2M/IoT Integration Platform fluence over the level and ease of remote device management options. Of the leading transportation protocols (MQTT, HTTP, COAP and SMS) MQTT is preferred for enabling remote device management. Eurotech and IBM designed MQTT as a lightweight publish/subscribe messaging transport. MQTT is useful for connections with remote locations where a small code footprint is required and/or network bandwidth is at a premium. MQTT is also well suited for mobile applications because of its small size, low power usage, minimized data packets and efficient distribution of information to one or many receivers. MQTT is data agnostic. The protocol allows you to link any kind of sensor with any kind of enterprise application, so designers do not have to worry about how the data gets from point A to point B. Since MQTT can send any type of data, the protocol is valuable for many types of data and devices in any industry. MQTT is open source and therefore royalty free, and there are many commercial products that have selected MQTT as a possible data feed such as IBM Websphere, StormMQ, and Facebook. In recent years MQTT has increased in popularity significantly, at a speed that is accelerating quarter after quarter as shown in Figure 2. In addition to employing the right device connectivity protocol for connectivity, IoT projects should utilize a device application framework to enable remote management functions. Device Application Framework Deploying and configuring one device to act as a node in the IoT is relatively easy. Doing the same for hundreds or thousands of devices, supporting several local applications, is much more difficult. Remote device management becomes very attractive at larger scales. That is where a device application framework comes in to offer a platform that can reside between the private device network and the local network, public Internet or cellular network, providing a manageable and intelligent gateway capable of running applications that can harvest locally gathered information and deliver it reliably to the cloud. Eurotech's Everyware Software Framework (ESF) provides an OSGi-based container for M2M embedded software applications running on M2M gateways. Implemented as a Java-based platform, ESF can be installed on Linux based devices and provides a remotely manageable system, complete with all the core services applications need and a device abstraction layer for accessing the gateway's own hardware. Through ESF, Eurotech will provide a set of common services for Java developers building M2M applications, including remote management. 8 www.RemoteMagazine.com http://www.RemoteMagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Remote - M2M 2015

Editor's Choice
Safeguarding the IoT: Putting Security Front and Center
Remote Device Management for the Internet of Things
Not So Remote Any More: Incorporating Wireless Connectivity into Remote Site Equipment for Anytime Access and Greater Control
M2M with HMI
OMG Standards in the Oil & Gas Industry
Internet of Things West Preview
Modern IT Solutions Turn Worry into Confidence
IoT Products and Services
Industry News

Remote - M2M 2015