IoT Architecture

What is IoT Architecture

●IoT architecture consists of the
devices, network structure and
cloud technology that allows
IoT devices to communicate
with each other.
 Cont
● There is no single consensus on architecture
for IoT, which is agreed universally because
each company, organisation and users have
different requirements. A basic IoT
architecture consists of three layers.
 Basic Architecture
A basic IoT architecture consists of three
layers:
● Perception(the sensors, gadgets, and
other devices).
● Network(the connectivity between
devices).
●This
Application(the
architecture goes layer
beyondthe user
the OSI interacts
model to
include the transformation of data into usable
with).
information.
These insights allow businesses to take immediate
action through the use of automation, machine
learning, and AI.
 Basic Architecture
Perception Layer Sensors sense and gather information about the
environment. Senses physical parameters
or identifies other objects in the environment

Network Layer Responsible for connecting smart things, network

devices and servers. Also used for transmitting
and processing sensor data.

Application Layer Responsible for delivering application specific

services to the user. Defines applications in which the
internet of things can be deployed.
 Cont

• IoT architecture can be explained in either three

or five layers. Many agree that the three-layer
model is simple to understand but leaves out
some key details regarding how the data is used.
• Below is a breakdown of each layer, what it does.
 Five layer Architecture

Sensors sense and gather information about the

Perception Layer
environment.

Transfers the sensor data between different layers through

Transport Layer
networks such as wireless, 3G, LAN, and NFC.

Stores, analyses, and process huge amounts of data. Employs

Processing Layer
databases, cloud computing and big data processing modules.

Responsible for delivering application specific

Application Layer
services to the user.

Manages the whole IoT system, including

Business Layer
applications, business and profit models and user’s privacy.
 Five layer
Architecture
Perception
• The perception layer represents the physical IoT
devices themselves.
• This can include health monitors, lighting systems,
autonomous vehicles, robotics, and security systems.
• Each IoT device collects data that requires processing.

• IoT sensors are inexpensive and can collect hundreds

of different data points for processing. The data
collected will vary depending on the goals of the
organization.
• For example, agricultural IoT devices can record
atmospheric data, moisture levels, solid temperature,
and airflow to improve crop yield and revenue.
 Five layer
Architecture
Transport
• The transport layer is responsible for sending collected data to the
cloud or edge device for processing. The transport layer relies on
internet gateways to move data from the physical perception layer
into the processing phase.
• Administrators typically rely on cellular and Wi-Fi
networks to move data through the transport layer.
There are a few different technologies system admins
can use during this stage: Cellular 4G LTE / 5G,Wi-
Fi,Bluetooth and Low-Power Wide-Area Networks
Processing
• Once the data reaches the cloud or edge device the server can
transform this data into information.
• Modern IoT architectures leverage machine learning and artificial
intelligence that create value by analyzing this data.
• For example, if an IoT sensor is recording a high fluctuation in
temperature, artificial intelligence can alert to this anomaly by
monitoring the current temperature compared to its baseline. In this
case, the server might be able to send a command to an HVAC unit to
lower the temperature and resolve the issue.
 Five layer
Architecture

Application
• Processing typically occurs without human intervention, but humans still
need to tell the server what to do when certain rules are met or thresholds
are broken.
• The application layer is where administrators manage IoT device
orchestration, create rule sets, and set service-level agreements for their
IoT architecture.
• If you’ve ever used an app to turn your lights on at home, you’ve used the
application layer to do so. Reliable IoT architectures use the application
layer to control and manage their networks from a centralized dashboard.
This centralization reduces complexity, especially in enterprise IoT
networks, which in turn improves efficiency and security.
 Five layer
Architecture

Business
• Finally, we arrive at the business layer, where information is transformed
into business intelligence that drives decision-making.
• Stakeholders and executives can use the insights collected at the
application layer to make better business decisions.
• The business layer typically relies on reports and live dashboards for
business intelligence. Information collected from the application layer can
be enriched further at this level through other integrations.
• For example, business intelligence analysts can correlate cost savings
based on electricity consumption before and after smart lighting sensors
were installed.
 The Importance of IoT
• Architecture
Administrators use IoT architecture to manage and support IoT
devices. IoT devices can be anything from an internet-
connected light bulb to pressure safety sensors in a chemical
plant.
• These devices use small sensors to collect data about their
environment and send that data to a server for processing.
Servers process this data to create information and insights for
businesses.
• Many times this information is used to automate tasks that
improve uptime and efficiency across multiple business
systems.
• IoT architecture makes this all possible by ensuring data gets
where it needs to and is processed correctly.
• Without proper IoT architecture, networks would become
Stages of IoT Solutions Architecture
Stages of IoT Solutions Architecture

The following are various stages of IoT architecture implementation in

enterprises:
Stages of IoT Solutions Architecture

1.Connected Objects/Devices
• As a first step towards IoT architecture, the physical layer
must be established within the environment. There would
be no Internet of Things without “smart” or connected
objects. Typically, these are wireless sensors or actuators
in the perception layer.
• Sensors collect and analyze data from the environment
in order to make it usable for further analysis. Actuators
are involved in measuring the change recorded by the
sensors. It is possible to connect sensors or actuators in
a wired or wireless manner in order to perform sensing
and actuation. Local Area Networks (LANs) and Personal
Area Networks (PANs) can be used for connecting
sensors and actuators.
 Stages of IoT Solutions Architecture

2.Internet Gateway
• When step one is done properly, the next step that needs to be done
is to set up an internet gateway. As the sensors and actuators collect
data in analog form, we must have a means of converting the analog
data into digital data in order to process it.

• We use the internet gateway to accomplish this task. In the internet

gateway stage, raw data will be received from the devices and pre-
processed before being sent to the cloud.

• It connects to the sensors and actuators and gathers all data,

converting it to digital form so that it may be routed over the network
by the internet gateway. It is responsible for data aggregation and
conversion.
 Stages of IoT Solutions Architecture

3.Edge IT Systems
• The third stage of an IoT architecture involves pre-
processing and enhanced data analytics. In light of the
significant amount of data collected by IoT systems and the
consequent bandwidth requirements, edge IT systems play
a crucial role in reducing the pressure on the core IT
infrastructure.

• Edge IT systems employ machine learning and visualization

techniques to generate insights from collected data.
Stages of IoT Solutions Architecture
4.Data Centers and Cloud Storage
• After the data has been properly preprocessed and analyzed, and all
loopholes have been removed, the data is sent to the data centers and
servers for final analysis and reporting.

• Data Centers and Cloud services fall under the Management Services
category and usually process data through analytics, device
management, and security controls. Furthermore, the cloud also
enables the transfer of data to end-user applications like Healthcare,
Retail, Environment, Emergency, Energy, etc.

• Upon analysis, the data can be sent to cloud-based servers or data

centers for final processing. Using the cloud platform can lower
hardware costs, but securing data is also a concern. When it comes to
physical servers or data centers, they are safer, but they also cost
more.