ISO/IEC 30141:2018
(Main)Internet of Things (IoT) — Reference Architecture
Internet of Things (IoT) — Reference Architecture
ISO/IEC 30141:2018 This document provides a standardized IoT Reference Architecture using a common vocabulary, reusable designs and industry best practices. It uses a top down approach, beginning with collecting the most important characteristics of IoT, abstracting those into a generic IoT Conceptual Model, deriving a high level system based reference with subsequent dissection of that model into five architecture views from different perspectives.
Architecture de référence de l'Internet des objets (IoT RA)
General Information
Standards Content (Sample)
ISO/IEC 30141
Edition 1.0 2018-08
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
colour
inside
Internet of Things (IoT) – Reference architecture
ISO/IEC 30141:2018-08(en)
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ISO/IEC 30141
Edition 1.0 2018-08
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
colour
inside
Internet of Things (IoT) – Reference architecture
INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
ICS 35.020 ISBN 978-2-8322-5972-6
Warning! Make sure that you obtained this publication from an authorized distributor.
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– 2 – ISO/IEC 30141:2018 © ISO/IEC 2018
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 6
INTRODUCTION . 7
1 Scope . 9
2 Normative references . 9
3 Terms and definitions . 9
4 Abbreviated terms . 9
5 Internet of Things Reference Architecture (IoT RA) conformance . 10
6 IoT RA goals and objectives . 10
6.1 General . 10
6.2 Characteristics . 11
6.3 Conceptual Model . 11
6.4 Reference Model and architecture views . 11
7 Characteristics of IoT systems . 12
7.1 General . 12
7.2 IoT system trustworthiness characteristics . 13
7.2.1 General . 13
7.2.2 Availability . 14
7.2.3 Confidentiality . 14
7.2.4 Integrity . 15
7.2.5 Protection of personally identifiable information (PII) . 15
7.2.6 Reliability. 16
7.2.7 Resilience . 17
7.2.8 Safety . 17
7.3 IoT system architecture characteristics . 18
7.3.1 Composability . 18
7.3.2 Functional and management capability separation . 18
7.3.3 Heterogeneity . 19
7.3.4 Highly distributed systems . 20
7.3.5 Legacy support . 20
7.3.6 Modularity . 21
7.3.7 Network connectivity . 21
7.3.8 Scalability . 22
7.3.9 Shareability . 22
7.3.10 Unique identification . 23
7.3.11 Well-defined components. 23
7.4 IoT system functional characteristics . 24
7.4.1 Accuracy . 24
7.4.2 Auto-configuration . 25
7.4.3 Compliance . 25
7.4.4 Content-awareness . 26
7.4.5 Context-awareness . 26
7.4.6 Data characteristics – volume, velocity, veracity, variability and variety . 27
7.4.7 Discoverability . 27
7.4.8 Flexibility . 28
7.4.9 Manageability . 29
7.4.10 Network communication . 29
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ISO/IEC 30141:2018 © ISO/IEC 2018 – 3 –
7.4.11 Network management and operation . 30
7.4.12 Real-time capability . 31
7.4.13 Self-description . 31
7.4.14 Service subscription . 32
8 IoT Conceptual Model (CM) . 32
8.1 Main purpose . 32
8.2 Concepts in the IoT CM . 33
8.2.1 IoT entities and domains . 33
8.2.2 Identity . 35
8.2.3 Services, network, IoT device and IoT gateway . 36
8.2.4 IoT-User . 38
8.2.5 Virtual entity, Physical Entity and IoT device . 39
8.3 High level view of CM . 41
9 IoT Reference Model (RM). 42
9.1 The IoT Reference Model context . 42
9.2 IoT RMs . 42
9.2.1 Entity-based RM . 42
9.2.2 Domain-based RM . 44
9.2.3 Relation between entity-based RM and domain-based RM . 46
10 IoT Reference Architecture (RA) views . 46
10.1 General description . 46
10.2 IoT RA functional view . 47
10.2.1 General . 47
10.2.2 Intra-domain functional components . 47
10.2.3 Cross-domain capabilities . 50
10.3 IoT RA system deployment view . 51
10.3.1 General . 51
10.3.2 Systems/sub-systems in Physical Entity Domain (PED) . 52
10.3.3 Systems/sub-systems in Sensing & Controlling Domain (SCD) . 52
10.3.4 Systems/sub-systems in Application & Service Domain (ASD) . 52
10.3.5 Systems/sub-systems in Operation & Management Domain (OMD) . 53
10.3.6 Systems/sub-systems in User Domain (UD) . 53
10.3.7 Systems/sub-systems in Resource Access & Interchange Domain (RAID) . 53
10.4 IoT RA networking view . 54
10.4.1 Communications networks . 54
10.4.2 Communication networks implementation . 55
10.5 IoT RA usage view . 56
10.5.1 General description . 56
10.5.2 Description of the roles, sub-roles and related activities . 56
10.5.3 Mapping activities, roles and IoT systems in domains . 61
11 IoT trustworthiness . 64
11.1 General . 64
11.2 Safety . 65
11.3 Security . 66
11.3.1 General . 66
11.3.2 IoT system Information Security Management System (ISMS) . 66
11.3.3 IoT system & product Security Life Cycle Reference Model . 68
11.4 Privacy and PII Protection . 69
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11.5 Reliability . 72
11.6 Resilience . 73
11.7 Trustworthiness and the Reference Architecture . 74
Annex A (informative) Interpreting UML Class diagram for Conceptual Model . 76
Annex B (informative) Entity relationship tables for the CM . 77
B.1 IoT entities and domains . 77
B.2 Identity . 78
B.3 Services, network, IoT device and IoT gateway . 78
B.4 IoT-User . 79
B.5 Virtual entity, Physical Entity and IoT device . 80
Annex C (informative) Relation between CM, RMs and RAs . 81
Bibliography . 83
Figure 1 – From generic Reference Architecture to context specific architecture . 8
Figure 2 – IoT RA structure . 11
Figure 3 – RM and architecture views . 12
Figure 4 – Entity and domain concepts of the CM . 33
Figure 5 – Domain interactions of the CM . 34
Figure 6 – Identity concept of the CM. 35
Figure 7 – Service, network, IoT device and IoT gateway concepts of the CM . 36
Figure 8 – IoT-User concepts of the CM . 38
Figure 9 – Virtual entity, Physical Entity, and IoT device concepts of the CM . 39
Figure 10 – High level view of CM . 41
Figure 11 – Entity-based IoT RM . 42
Figure 12 – Domain and entity relationship, and representative conceptual entities in
IoT systems . 44
Figure 13 – Domain-based IoT RM. 44
Figure 14 – Relation between entity-based RM and domain-based RM . 46
Figure 15 – IoT RA functional view –decomposition of IoT RA functional components . 47
Figure 16 – IoT RA system deployment view . 52
Figure 17 – IoT RA networking view . 54
Figure 18 – Roles present when the system is in use . 57
Figure 19 – IoT service provider sub-roles and activities . 59
Figure 20 – IoT service developer sub-roles and activities . 60
Figure 21 – IoT-User sub-roles and activities . 61
Figure 22 – Activities of device and application development . 63
Figure 23 – Using device data for security-related analytics and operations . 64
Figure 24 – IoT product Security Life Cycle Reference Model . 69
Figure A.1 – Generalization . 76
Figure A.2 – Association . 76
Figure C.1 – Relation between IoT CM, RM, and RA . 82
Table 1 – Characteristics of IoT systems. 13
Table 2 – Overview of activities and roles . 62
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ISO/IEC 30141:2018 © ISO/IEC 2018 – 5 –
Table B.1 – Entity . 77
Table B.2 – Domain . 77
Table B.3 – Digital Entity . 77
Table B.4 – Physical Entity . 77
Table B.5 – IoT-User. 77
Table B.6 – Network . 78
Table B.7 – Identifier . 78
Table B.8 – Endpoint . 78
Table B.9 – IoT gateway . 78
Table B.10 – IoT device . 79
Table B.11 – Service. 79
Table B.12 – Human user . 79
Table B.13 – Digital user. 79
Table B.14 – Application . 80
Table B.15 – Sensor . 80
Table B.16 – Actuator . 80
Table B.17 – Virtual entity . 80
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INTERNET OF THINGS (IoT) – REFERENCE ARCHITECTURE
FOREWORD
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International Standard ISO/IEC 30141 was prepared by subcommittee 41: Internet of Things
and related technologies, of ISO/IEC joint technical committee 1: Information technology.
This International Standard has been approved by vote of the member bodies, and the voting
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ISO/IEC 30141:2018 © ISO/IEC 2018 – 7 –
INTRODUCTION
IoT has a broad use in industry and society today and it will continue to develop for many
years to come. Various IoT applications and services have adopted IoT techniques to provide
capabilities that were not possible a few years ago. IoT is one of the most dynamic and
exciting areas of ICT. It involves the connecting of Physical Entities (“things”) with IT systems
through networks. Foundational to IoT are the electronic devices that interact with the
physical world. Sensors collect the information about the physical world, while actuators can
act upon Physical Entities. Both sensors and actuators can be in many forms such as
thermometers, accelerometers, video cameras, microphones, relays, heaters or industrial
equipment for manufacturing or process controlling. Mobile technology, cloud computing, big
data and deep analytics (predictive, cognitive, real-time and contextual) play important roles
by gathering and processing data to achieve the final result of controlling Physical Entities by
providing contextual, real-time and predictive information which has an impact on physical
and virtual entities.
IoT can be integrated into existing technologies. Real-time measurements generated by
adding sensors to existing technology can improve its functionality and lower the cost of
operations (e.g. smart traffic signals can adapt to traffic conditions, lowering congestion and
air pollution). The data generated by IoT sensors can support new business models and tailor
products and services to the tastes and needs of the customer. In addition to the applications,
the technology needs to support supervision and adaptation of the IoT system itself.
Several forecasts indicate that IoT will connect 50 billion devices worldwide by the year 2020.
There are a number of possible application areas, such as smart city, smart grid, smart
home/building, digital agriculture, smart manufacturing, intelligent transport system, e-Health.
IoT is an enabling technology that consists of many supporting technologies, for example,
different types of communication networking technologies, information technologies, sensing
and control technologies, software technologies, device/hardware technologies. This
document is based on widely used enabling technologies that are defined in standards from
several organizations such as ISO, IEC, ITU, IETF, IEEE, ETSI, 3GPP, W3C, etc.
Trustworthiness is recognized as an area of importance, and IoT can leverage current and
future best practice. For example, monitoring and analysing deployed IoT systems is essential
to maintain reliability and safety and security. Measures such as controlled access can ensure
the security of the system.
This document provides a standardized IoT Reference Architecture using a common
vocabulary, reusable designs and industry best practices. It uses a top down approach,
beginning with collecting the most important characteristics of IoT, abstracting those into a
generic IoT Conceptual Model, deriving a high level system based reference with subsequent
dissection of that model into the four architecture views (functional view, system view,
networking view and usage view) from different perspectives.
This document serves as a base from which to develop (specify) context specific IoT
architectures and thence actual systems. The contexts can be of different kinds but shall
include the business context, the regulatory context and the technological context, e.g.
industry verticals, technological requirements and/or nation-specific requirement sets. For
more information, see Figure 1.
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Figure 1 – From generic Refere
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