Software architecture pattern selection model for Internet of Things based systems

Abstract

The entire world is moving towards the era of smart technology. Internet of Things (IoT) is the key factor behind this revolutionary change. IoT converts real-world objects into interactive smart systems which can be controlled from remote locations. These physical real-world objects tagged as ‘Things’ in IoT should have a unique identity. These ‘things’ can be remotely controlled and monitored from anywhere in the world through Internet. Due to this feature it has been applied in various domains like home automation, patient health monitoring, agricultural sector, environment surveillance and so on. Due to the increased use of IoT-based system, there arises a need for a well-defined software architecture. Though various IoT developers follow their own design strategies for IoT architecture, there is a need for domain specific architecture for IoT applications. The authors propose a software architecture pattern selection model which can be followed in designing IoT systems. Non-functional requirements such as scalability, availability, reliability, security and heterogeneity determine the decision making of the proposed model. Analytical results prove that this model can be used as a reference model, for IoT developers in choosing a suitable software architecture pattern for their IoT system.