A reference architecture for the internet of things

What we’ll cover in this whitepaper

IoT is an umbrella term that includes multiple different categories. The result is that no single architecture will suit all these areas and the requirements each area brings. However, a modular scalable architecture that supports adding or subtracting capabilities, as well as supporting many requirements across a wide variety of these use cases is inherently useful and valuable. It provides a starting point for architects looking to create IoT solutions as well as a strong basis for further development.

This paper proposes such a reference architecture. The reference architecture must cover multiple aspects including the cloud or server-side architecture that allows us to monitor, manage, interact with and process the data from the IoT devices; the networking model to communicate with the devices; and the agents and code on the devices themselves, as well as the requirements on what sort of device can support this reference architecture.