Managing large-scale IoT deployments - challenges and solutions

The main challenges of IoT deployment are often summarized in publications with the term "5C's of IoT" and include:

1. Reliable Access (Connectivity)
2. Continuity of operation (Continuity)
3. Compliance (Compliance)
4. Coexistence in the network (Coexistence)
5. Cyber security (Cybersecurity)

To this would also have to be added two aspects that can also be a heavy burden for IoT solution providers:

6. Providing a large number of devices (provisioning).
7. Managing changes in their configuration or the way they work.

This article addresses the problems associated with deploying and managing a fleet of devices, i.e. points 3,6,7.

Problems at the deployment and management stage

Deploying IoT solutions, even with only a dozen devices, can be cumbersome. Especially when it comes to managing the configuration of devices, monitoring their performance and providing consistent data in real time. Each of these aspects is critical to keeping operations running smoothly and minimizing the risk of system failure.

Device registration and configuration on an IoT platform can be time-consuming. It is especially evident with a large number of devices. Each device requires setting communication, network and security parameters, and repeating the same steps multiple times not only takes time, but also increases the risk of errors.

Managing a fleet of running IoT devices also means monitoring their status and the quality of the data provided on an ongoing basis. You can expect problems related to, for example, lack of power (depleted batteries), lost network connection or damaged device sensors. Detecting such failures and repairing them as soon as possible is crucial, and often business-critical.

The next sections discuss how to deal with deployment and management problems, which Signomix offers.

Providing multiple devices

Signomix provides API methods to register multiple devices to the platform by copying the definition of a device registered earlier.
This can automate the registration of a set of devices by preparing data in CSV format - specifying only the parameters by which successive devices differ (e.g., device ID or name).

Signomix platform applications

The concept of an application defined on the platform is based on basic assumptions:

• a device has its own digital representation on the platform, which can consist of a set of parameters and optional JavaScript codes used to decode the data transmitted by that device and process or analyze it,
• devices can share a set of configuration parameters used during data processing,
• if data needs to be validated or corrected during processing, it should be possible to implement appropriate algorithms for the entire fleet of devices.

The application is formed by a set of defined parameters and JavaScript codes, which are applied according to the following rules:

1. If the device definition on the platform contains an application identifier, its configuration parameters and JavaScript codes are assigned to the device. With the indication that the device definition has priority. That is, if the device definition has a parameter with the same name as the application parameter, the value defined in the device will be taken into account.
2. The same rule applies to JavaScript codes - codes from the application will be executed only if there are no such codes defined in the device.

Data processing rules

Data received by the platform's API is analyzed for compliance with defined rules.

The correspondingly defined rules are applied for detection:

• low battery level in the device, requiring its replacement,
• unusual values of measurement data (e.g. outside the physically possible range), suggesting the need to replace the sensor or device,

Both rule violations and return to normal values are signaled to administrators via selected communication channels (e.g., e-mail, SMS).

Detection of lack of communication

If an expected measurement interval is declared in the device's configuration, the platform can report instances of missing data transmission from that device and signal this to administrators.

Fleet status visualization

Regardless of defining rules and notifications, the administrator can define a dashboard in the Signomix webapp that shows the operational parameters of all or selected devices. This is a convenient way to see the current status of the entire system.

Summary

Deploying large IoT systems presents challenges in terms of configuration management, performance monitoring, power management and data analysis. The Signomix platform addresses these challenges by offering:

• provisioning of device sets via Rest APIs,
• shared configurations, and device data processing scripts through an application concept,
• definable rules for analyzing device data and states and generating notifications,
• data presentation panels that can visually display the status of an IoT fleet.

Signomix is a comprehensive tool that supports administrators and developers in the efficient management of even complex IoT deployments, while minimizing the workload and risk of errors.