vertical and end to end integrations. The main advantage of this infrastructure is to interconnect and to interface heterogeneous technologies including big data systems, ensuring data synchronization, data security, messaging, intelligent routing managed by AI algorithms, and transformations services. The ESB assists the developer in integrating applications, therefore providing the infrastructure necessary to implement routing, translation, and other integration of features.
1.1.4 IoT Middleware
The middleware function [21] is to connect different typologies of programs. This interface is part of the architecture enabling sensor connectivity and application layers. The middleware manages important functionalities, such as collecting and selecting the received data from the IoT devices, by providing access monitoring for applications. The security is mainly performed in the middleware system by [33]:
User identification.
Identity management.
A secure data communication system.
Secure storage.
A secure software execution environment.
Secure contents.
Security resistance.
The middleware improvement is related to the following specifications:
Interoperability between devices of different technologies by managing heterogeneous interfaces.
Managing devices performing load balancing.
Use of API calls.
Scalability by supporting the communication between a large number of devices.
Big data interconnection and big data analytics tools.
AI algorithm interconnection activating sensor data processing.
Authentication and implementation of access control improving security and privacy.
Running algorithms on different cloud services.
Data extraction and data migration improving innovative DB and big data systems.
Middleware is classified as event based when all the components interact with each other through events, or service oriented when service providers are used for resource management in SOAs, or DB oriented, or application oriented.
1.1.5 Processing Layer
The processing layer is very important for the orientation of the industry network on facilities to Industry 5.0, including big data systems and AI algorithms, able to activate advanced data processing and the setting of all parameters of the architecture of Figure 1.3. The data processing is suitable for predictive maintenance, for machine failure predictions, for the self‐adaptive production, and in general for assisted production.
1.1.6 Application Layer
This layer is responsible for delivering various application services. These services are provided through the middleware layer. The application services are suitable for, logistics, BI, rapid prototyping, reverse engineering (RE) and other advanced industry applications.
1.1.7 File Transfer Protocols
File transfer of the company information systems is executed through file transfer protocols. The main protocols adopted by the information network systems are listed in Table 1.5.
Table 1.5 Other protocols usable in industry.
| File transfer protocols | Details | References |
|---|---|---|
| File Transfer Protocol | Client/serverTCP connectionProtocol interpreter;Data transfer processData and command separate connections | [34] |
| Simple Mail Transfer Protocol | Connection orientedText basedClient/server communication | [35] |
| TCP | Network protocol (ISO/OSI transport level)Transport port (MODBUS TCP): 502, 802Encapsulated into Internet ProtocolApplication programming interface system callSecurity (MODBUS TCP): TLSSegment with a header and a data section | [30] |
| MODBUS | Serial MODBUS RS485 (maximum 31 slaves)Transaction enabled by a masterCyclic redundancy check (CRC16) algorithmEthernet MODBUS TCP/IP | [36] |
| HTTP | Application protocolHypertextInfrastructure: Ethernet, WiFiModel: synchronousStateless protocol (communication protocol)Information web transferMechanism: one to oneNetwork layer: IPv4 or IPv6Transport layer: TCPTransport port: 80, 443Standard: Internet Engineering Taskforce RFC7230Encoding: ASCII textSecurity: SSL or TLS | [30] |
| Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure | Extension of HTTPSecure communicationEncryption using encrypted using TLS or SSLWebsite authenticationPrivacy protectionDigital certificates | [37] |
| Constrained Application Protocol | Internet application protocolInfrastructure: 6LoWPANNetwork layer: IPv6Transport layer: UDPTransport port: 5683Mechanism: one to oneModel: asynchronousStandard: IETF (RFC7252)Service layer protocolWireless sensor network nodesDevices supporting UDPSecurity: Datagram transport layer securityMessage length: 4 byte | [30, 38, 39] |
| Message Queuing Telemetry Transport | Client/serverInfrastructure: Ethernet, WiFiMessaging transportModel: asynchronousTransport port: 502, 802Standard: ISO/IEC, OASISPublish/subscribeMachine‐to‐machine connectivityRemote connectionsSensor communicationsTCP/IP ports: 1883, 8883Security: SSL, TLSUDP transport | [26, 30, 38, 39] |
| Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol | Streaming XMLMultiple communication patternsAsynchronous messagingPublish/subscribeTCP transportHTTP transportRequest/response | [30, 39] |
| Advanced Message Queuing Protocol | Point to pointPublish/subscribeQueuingRouting | [39] |
| LoRa | Lower physical layerRadio frequency (433 MHz, 868 MHz, 915 MHz)Geolocation capabilitiesLoRaWAN (managing data device and frequencies transmission)Long‐range connectivity | [25, 39] |
| KNX |
Network standardCommunications protocolTwisted pair bus (EHS, BatiBUS, EIB)Sensing and actuationDistributed applicationsRadio (KNX‐RF)Power‐line networking
|
