Using an Open Source RESTful
Backend for IoT Applications
Bill Appleton
Founder & CEO
DreamFactory Software

Agenda
What is REST?
What is an open source RESTful backend?
IoT Applications
2

REST
• REST (Representational State Transfer) API
• Architectural style for web and mobile Things to
connect with servers via RESTful services
• Communicate over HTTP using HTTP verbs (GET,
POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.)
• Returns JSON or XML
• Much more efficient than HTML
REST is the way the Internet works!
3

4
DreamFactory REST API Platform
DreamFactory is an open
source REST API backend
that provides RESTful
services for mobile, web,
and IoT applications.
DreamFactory
automatically generates a
comprehensive palette of
secure, reusable,
customizable REST APIs to
connect Things with data
stores.
4

555
DreamFactory connects any Thing
with any data source via secure
RESTful backend services.
SDKs for iOS, Android, AngularJS, jQuery,
Sencha, Titanium, and more.
Integrates with enterprise security controls
and provides user management and
granular access permissions.
 Can run on any server, on-prem or cloud.
Customize auto-generated REST APIs with
pre- and post-processing scripting logic.
Auto-generates a comprehensive palette
of customizable, secure, reusable REST
APIs for any data source. Also generates
live, interactive API docs.
Securely connect Things to SQL
databases, NoSQL databases, file storage
systems, and external web services.

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DSP IoT Applications

Intel using DreamFactory to provide
backend for Galileo Gateway
Using Node-RED for IoT wiring
(http://nodered.org/)
Intel Solution Brief describes how to
use DreamFactory Services Platform
DreamFactory is an Alliance Partner
Intel Galileo Board
8

Designing Service Flow With Node-RED

DreamFactory on Raspberry Pi 2
Run DSP on Raspberry Pi as an IoT Gateway
Use DSP to aggregate sensor data from
multiple microcontrollers into local
data storage (MySQL on board)
Transform and normalize data periodically and upload it to
a cloud database via DSP RESTful services
Analyze and visualize historical sensor data stored in the
cloud

Deployment Architecture
Raspberry Pi 2
Humidity
Sensor
Arduino Uno 3
Temperature
Sensor
Arduino Uno 3
Air Quality
Sensor
Arduino Uno 3
ZigBee
Wireless Links
11

Software Architecture
Amazon
DynamoDB
MongoDB
DreamFactory
REST API
Platform
S
1
S
2
S
3
S
4
Data
Aggregator
Daemon
Sensors
12

DreamFactory in Industrial Control
FramTech provides IoT software to connect and manage
industrial infrastructure.
Created tablet application for control and monitoring,
written in AngularJS.
Created administrative application to program system
written in Microsoft Windows.
Customers install backend server on premises or in the
cloud.
13

FramTech Solution Family Application
1414

Managing The Internet of Things
Device
Administration
Smart
Devices
Alerts and
Updates
Platform
Administration
Service Platform
FramTech
products
DreamFactory
running in the cloud
or on premises
Mobile app uses
REST API for monitoring
and controlling device
Device sensors provide data
and receive information
via REST API
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The Open Source Backend for IoT
• REST is how the Internet works
• DreamFactory provides secure, RESTful services
to connect Things with databases & other systems
• Free, open source software (Apache License)
• Run on any server, on-premise or cloud
• Connections available for all popular SQL, NoSQL, File
Storage, and external web services
– Can build your own connectors! DSP project on GitHub
• https://github.com/dreamfactorysoftware/dsp-core
161616www.dreamfactory.com