EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Each iteration of the Internet brings immense opportunities. Graphical browsers fueled e-commerce and the dot-com rush of the 1990s. Social media revolutionized communication and content creation in the 2000s. And now, the Internet of Things (IoT) is redefining how information is gathered, transmitted, and interpreted.
The potential of IoT is clearly vast. Gartner estimates that 26 billion IoT devices will be connected by 20201, IDC estimates 28 billion2, and Cisco Systems estimates 50 billion3.
Whichever of these figures is closest to the truth, change is coming fast, and the influence of IoT is increasingly visible around us.
To take advantage of the revolutionary opportunities of IoT, device manufacturers, application developers, systems integrators, and enterprises need to understand the multiple design issues that must be considered with IoT projects.
This paper explores the key decision points that companies entering the IoT space will need to address, and describes how the Wind River® Helix™ portfolio of software, tools,
and services can help organizations harness the enormous potential of IoT to improve and transform their businesses.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary . . . . 2
Identifying the Opportunities . . . . 3
IoT Infrastructure Design Considerations . . . . 3
The Operating System Question . . . . 4
Data Management in the Cloud . . . . 4
Transforming Data into Actionable Insight . . . . 5
Designing with the Right Level of Security . . . . 5
Addressing IoT Design Challenges: The Wind River Helix Portfolio . . . . 6
Conclusion . . . . 8
IDENTIFYING THE OPPORTUNITIES
For companies to be successful with IoT, key decision makers must do more than recognize the general opportunity that is inherent in the trend toward “connected everything .” They must identify specific products, services, and business models that can drive profitability . In addition, they must determine what data must be gathered to make better business decisions .
The data being generated and the purposes it serves must add value to both the customer and the infrastructure provider . Solutions that are simply intriguing without justifying their cost to consumers won’t gain long-term market traction, and implementations that aren’t profitable can’t drive business success . Likewise, companies charting their IoT course must define offerings that are a suitable fit with the rest of the business .
IoT topologies create data intelligence across a range of elements working together, as illustrated in Figure 1 . A key decision point for companies setting out on their IoT course is to identify which part (or parts) of this end-to-end topology are best suited to their IoT vision and to the business as a whole .
The elements of this topology, from the outer edge inward, include the following:
• Sensors and actuators: Sensors gather data and may trigger actuators that generate electro-mechanical responses based on those inputs .
• Devices: Served potentially by many diverse sets of sensors and actuators, devices combine those inputs to perform meaningful tasks .
• Systems: Drawing on the capabilities of multiple devices, sys-tems unite those contributions toward specific higher-order objectives .
• Networks: Connecting together various systems, networks transmit data among various input points and the cloud . • Cloud data: Acting both as repository and interchange medium
for information, cloud-resident data manages data for (and facilitates action of) all parts of the topology .
Intelligence is accumulated as one moves from the periphery to the core of this topology . From a development and production point of view, the outer elements are more susceptible to commoditization, but they have the advantage of being greater in number . However, it is in the outer elements where decision and action take place . In strategic terms, barriers to entry are lowest at this level . Moving inward, the potential for more unique, higher-value solutions increases, although there is less opportunity for small-scale, niche providers . The inner topology elements are also where IoT requirements get much more complex to meet various market-specific demands .
IOT INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
Companies entering the IoT space must map design considerations to the specific requirements for their IoT devices, systems, and infrastructure . For example, certain IoT systems might be significantly constrained in terms of compute resources, physical space, power, or other quantities . Other IoT devices, systems, and infrastructures might be safety-critical and will need to be highly reliable for many years .
Figure 1: Multi-element IoT topology
Wind River Rocket
Wind River Pulsar
Linux
Wind River Simics
(apply to all
VxWorks,
technology &
market profiles
Wind River Linux,
technology &
Wind River
Intelligent
Device Platform XT
Wind River Pulsar
Linux
Wind River
Titanium Server
Titanium Cloud
partner ecosystem
CG OpenStack
Wind River Helix
App Cloud
Wind River Helix
Lab Cloud
These and many other market- and application-specific consi-derations must be addressed in the course of meeting IoT opportunities and challenges . Some key aspects of that process are addressed in the remainder of this section .
The Operating System Question
Typically, IoT-connected entities require some sort of operating system . The choice among various options, which are illustrated in Figure 2, depends on a range of factors .
Microkernels
Microkernels are well suited to the needs of very small footprints, while at the same time meeting performance, reliability, and real-time requirements for even critical sensors and devices . Moreover, their simplicity enables them to be certified where necessary at a relatively low cost . Some of the target IoT use cases for a microkernel include wearables and sensor hubs .
Real-Time Operating Systems
Offering a more robust feature set than a microkernel, a real-time operating system (RTOS) provides real-time behavior for relatively more complex IoT devices and networks . The safety, security, reliability, scalability, and performance of RTOSes are well proven with the most demanding embedded systems for airplanes, spacecraft, automobiles, and medical devices . RTOSes are also readily certifiable . An RTOS is often the only viable operating environment for mission- and life-critical devices .
Embedded Linux
Developers who are more concerned with using open source software will find embedded Linux a great fit for IoT . A general-purpose embedded Linux distribution is used in many IoT implementations today . For critical communications infrastructures that require always-on service, Carrier Grade Linux is an ideal solution . Carrier Grade Linux distributions comply with enhanced specifications for availability, scalability, manageability, and service response to meet specialized needs such as those of many networking and communications systems .
Many IoT applications are developed for application-ready platforms, in which case the operating system is already determined and pre-integrated into hardware systems . Most application-ready platforms, such as gateways, are purpose-built . With application-ready platforms, designers focus on application development and extracting machine data for analytics . Likewise, those developing for the cloud may be OS-agnostic .
Data Management in the Cloud
To support seamless connectivity and communication between devices and the cloud, some level of OS integration with a data management system is required, as illustrated in Figure 3 .
The device-management system is a centralized console that serves to control and manage edge devices . Device-side APIs enable extensibility to diverse types of embedded software
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• Very small footprint
• Lightweight threads
• Near-zero interrupt latency
• Hard real-time capability
Microkernel
• Hard real-time capability
• Safety, security, ultra-reliability
• Extensibility & performance
• Readily certifiable
RTOS
• Open source
• Carrier grade
• High performance
• Extensibility
Linux
operating on the edge device, while cloud-side APIs provide for secured connectivity to various big-data stores and enterprise IT infrastructures, as well as data sharing with other cloud applications .
Business decisions related to data management must consider factors such as the following:
• Data ingress and storage: Architects must consider whether or not they will connect to live streaming data sources, whether data will be stored to a repository, and the positioning of the analytics engine . Security plays an important role here .
• Data egress and destinations: In determining what data is to be output, one must consider that each piece of data passed out and each destination target adds cost and complexity to the system as a whole . Security plays an important role here as well .
• Protocols used: The selection of protocols utilized by the solu-tion has direct bearing on system extensibility and security, as well as on bandwidth and other connectivity requirements .
Data management considerations will also arise with regard to the characteristics of the ultimate data source . Large networks of inexpensive sensors will require back ends that can tolerate significant numbers of failures at the edge . Accordingly, reliability of systems comprised of unreliable components will become a greater concern, in many cases, than the present common focus on endpoint user experience .
Transforming Data into Actionable Insight
It has been said that data is the new oil, a metaphor extended by the observation that both must be refined before they can be effectively utilized and value extracted . Ultimately, data must be harnessed, analyzed, and transformed so that it can provide benefits to both the consumer and the producer of the network or device .
Therein lies both the greatest opportunity and the greatest challenge associated with IoT, and as such, it is fundamental to capturing opportunity in this emergent field . IoT applications and implementations have promise either to incrementally optimize or to fundamentally transform existing business models .
In terms of optimization, better decision support can maximize the value and ROI of existing assets, investments, and practices . For example, more robust information from sensors placed throughout supply and distribution chains can enable more efficient applications of resources, more strategic pricing, and more effective distribution of products and services . Accordingly, such optimization directly enhances profitability .
IoT can be a true disruptor that will transform businesses by providing access to new revenue streams and causing shifts to new business models . Indeed, companies that never expected to develop connected systems could benefit from IoT .
Designing with the Right Level of Security
Both consumers and producers recognize the need for robust security measures associated with IoT business models, and the necessity of incorporating just enough security is a primary consideration . The degree of security must be high enough to address all foreseeable threat scenarios, flexible enough to respond to emerging ones, and low enough to enable favorable cost, extensibility, and interoperability .
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Security models and techniques for IoT must accommodate devices’ inherent resource constraints . Just as mobile phones are unable to use many of the security approaches and applications that are common for PCs and servers, small-footprint IoT devices will be limited even further . This set of considerations creates challenges for solution providers as they identify new threat vectors and respond appropriately . Most aspects of security can be considered within three categories:
• Installation environment: The area and circumstances where IoT elements will operate affect decisions such as what physical protection against tampering and theft is required .
• Access and connectivity: The types of potential connectivity and associated protocols (e .g ., Internet access, Bluetooth, near-field communication) suggest specific security measures to be taken .
• Data storage: Various types of data, their sensitivity, and regu-latory requirements entail different types of security measures for data at rest, as does the storage medium and whether it is local or remote .
Another way of conceiving the security requirements for IoT is to consider the requirements at various stages of solution development and operation, as illustrated in Figure 4 .
Correcting security issues earlier in the solution lifecycle is more cost-effective, since once the solution is in the field, deficiencies may be difficult or impossible to correct . This effect is intensified by the high number of low-cost units deployed in IoT applications, their remote installation points, and the long periods of service that are typical . Accordingly, the potential for losses in terms of credibility and customer confidence can be severe .
Security must also protect IoT solutions throughout the stages of operation . At boot time, even simple devices must often provide a trusted environment where unintended (and possibly malicious) code cannot execute . During extended run times, intrusions, data leaks, and other compromises must be prevented . In addition, during power-down and unpowered states, data at rest (even transitorily so) must be protected from unauthorized access .
ADDRESSING IOT DESIGN CHALLENGES: THE WIND RIVER HELIX PORTFOLIO
Wind River Helix is an umbrella portfolio of software, technologies, tools, and services that help organizations address the design challenges presented by IoT . The Helix portfolio covers the full spectrum of issues faced in building out an IoT infrastructure, from the edge of the network with sensors and devices to the heart of the cloud computing environments in enterprise business systems, as shown in Figure 5 .
• Sensors and actuators: Wind River Rocket™ is our best-in-class, scalable RTOS for 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs), ideal for building sensors, wearables, industrial controllers, wireless gateways, and other resource-constrained smart, connected devices . Rocket is part of Wind River Helix App Cloud, giving developers all the tools and technologies they need to start building IoT applications in minutes . Wind River also offers
Wind River Pulsar™ Linux, a small, high-performance, secure, and manageable Linux distribution that is available at no addi-tional cost on hardware boards from our trusted partners .
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Prevent malicious code in development
Design
Prevent attacks and data leaks during operation
Run Time
Prevent untrusted binaries from executing
Boot
Protect onboard data at rest
Power-Down
• Devices and machines: Wind River offers both VxWorks® and
Wind River Linux . Both support a range of add-on profiles that provide optional run-time features and tools for specialized needs, and both support special certified usages and provide certification evidence as needed .
• Gateways: An application-ready platform for gateways,
Wind River Intelligent Device Platform XT, enables custom-ers to rapidly build gateway applications for robust connectivity and interoperability with new networks and data sources . It also facilitates secure data storage and management in the cloud . • Networks: Wind River Titanium Server is the industry’s first
commercially available carrier grade solution for Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) . Using Carrier Grade Linux as its foundation, Titanium Server meets the rigorous performance, reliability, and security demands of next-generation comput-ing and communications networks . Both Carrier Grade Profile for Wind River Linux and Titanium Server deliver high perfor-mance and highly reliable networking options for critical com-munications infrastructures .
• Clouds: The Wind River Helix Cloud suite provides anytime, anywhere access to tools, labs, and management platforms to simplify, streamline, and automate how organizations create and run IoT systems . Helix Cloud helps teams build IoT systems more quickly and manage the device lifecycle more effectively .
Wind River Helix Device Cloud for device management will soon be joined by Wind River Helix App Cloud for remote application development abstracted away from the target device, as well as Wind River Helix Lab Cloud, which emu-lates specific target devices, machines, and complex systems for 24/7, on-demand access to a virtual lab .
This robust portfolio of proven and fully supported software products and technologies across the development, implementa-tion, and management lifecycle tackles the many complexities and challenges of IoT inherent to building and maintaining end-to-end IoT solutions . As a result, the speed and flexibility of development is dramatically enhanced, optimizing cost and time-to-market .
Wind River Rocket Wind River Pulsar Linux
Wind River Simics (apply to all nodes of this topology) VxWorks, technology & market profiles Wind River Linux, technology & market profiles Certified products & certification evidence Wind River Pulsar Linux
Wind River Intelligent Device Platform XT Wind River Pulsar Linux Wind River Titanium Server Titanium Cloud partner ecosystem CG OpenStack extensions Carrier Grade Linux VxWorks
Wind River Helix App Cloud Wind River Helix Lab Cloud Wind River Helix Device Cloud
CONCLUSION
The full scope of change, both evolutionary and revolutionary, that IoT’s emergence will foster remains to be seen . Change is certainly upon us, and companies are embracing both the opportunities and the challenges that come with IoT as the status quo .
For more than 30 years, Wind River has been an integral part of intelligent connected systems that range from consumer devices in the home to manufacturing on the factory floor to exploration in deep space . From the operating system to development, management, networking, and the cloud, Wind River has con-sistently helped innovators meet the latest challenges .
Now, as companies of all types and sizes chart their IoT course, Wind River continues to provide the technologies, tools, and thought leadership that will foster their success .
1 www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2684616
2 www.idc.com/downloads/idc_market_in_a_minute_iot_infographic.pdf
3 www.cisco.com/web/solutions/trends/iot/portfolio.html
Wind River is a world leader in embedded software for intelligent connected systems. The company has been pioneering computing inside embedded devices since 1981, and its technology is found in nearly 2 billion products. To learn more, visit Wind River at www.windriver.com.
©2015 Wind River Systems, Inc. The Wind River logo is a trademark of Wind River Systems,Inc., and Wind River and VxWorks are registered trademarks of Wind River Systems, Inc. Rev. 11/2015
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IoT at helix .windriver .com .
