https://iotflood.com/iot-architecture/

1. IoT Architecture
Presented By : Iot flood

2. “Alexa! Turn off the light”, we all know that this task happens in a millisecond, but
only a few of us know what happens behind the scenes. In this article, we shall try to
understand the architecture of IoT as we scale down each layer of the 4 stage
architecture IoT system.
Hopefully, by the end of this article, the next time you ask any virtual assistant to
operate a smart gadget, you will know exactly what is happening in the background
and which stage is performing what role.
IoT Architecture – The Art of Building Smart Systems

3. The most used architecture for the Internet of Things is the 4-stage architecture which has 4
phases in it. There is no rule stating that only the 4 stage architecture of IoT will be used all the
time, but the twist is that these four stages will always be used no matter how many stage
architectures you use.
By phases, I mean the path that the action traverses. So to achieve a specific action, be it smart
watches, smart homes, driverless cars, or any other example, the data has to traverse or go through
these phases.
IoT in itself means an interrelated internet-connected object system that collects and transfers
data over a wireless network without any human intervention.
The 4-Stage IoT architecture

4. In IoT, Data collection is enabled by having devices (or sensors) connected to the internet via their
own IP address. The quintessence of this is to track data through their sensors, perform
calculations and make them available for consumption to their users.
One of the vital importance of having good architecture is ‘security’. If penetration is anywhere in
the architecture, the data could fall into the wrong hand and could cause significant damage.
Hence these perpetually connected systems have a secure architecture.
In layman’s language, the IoT architecture is where the data flows from the “things” to the
“internet”! Here, “thing” refers to a machine, sensor, etc., and “internet” refers to the cloud or
server.
Importance of IoT architecture

5. Okay, enough talk. Let’s get down to the matter at hand. The four phases or stages of IoT
architecture are:
1. Sensors and Actuators
2. Internet Gateway
3. Edge IT
4. Data Center and Cloud
The 4 Stages of IoT architecture

6. 1. Cost reduction
IoT devices catch problems and bugs very fast when compared to traditional debugging. It saves
not only the cost of repairs but also time.
2. Efficiency
IoT devices are very productive and efficient. One such example is an automated PDF converter,
which removes the hassle of PDF editing and archiving.
3. Mobility
Thanks to IoT, employees can work from any geographical location, anytime, without any
restrictions.
4. Supports Various Technologies
IoT supports technologies like big data analytics, cloud computing, wireless sensor networks,
embedded systems, and many more.
Advantages of IoT

7. 1. Security
Since the data travels all over the internet, end-to-end encryption is a must in IoT. However, as of
today, maintaining privacy is a big challenge. It is why we need better and more secure
architectures.
2. Complexity
As much as IoT is good at Fixing bugs, most of the devices still contain some software bugs. Each
IoT device must be able to seamlessly interact with other devices in the network to which they are
connected.
3. Compatibility
One example of why IoT devices are not compatible is that there is no International Standard for
monitoring the equipment.
4. Policies
Governments must impose policies and standards to stop the Black marketing of IoT devices.
Disadvantages of IoT

8. Now you know exactly what happens every time you say, “Alexa! Turn up the temperature”. We
have now seen the importance of IoT architecture and the four different phases of it and concluded
with some advantages and disadvantages of IoT.
Summary