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Introduction
The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a network of physical devices communicating with and exchanging data with other devices and services over the Internet or another network. There are already over 10 billion linked devices worldwide, with more being added yearly. Anything with proper sensors and software can be linked to the Internet.
In this article, we will learn about the concepts of Azure IoT Hub.
Azure Internet of Things (IoT)
The Azure Internet of Things (IoT) is a suite of cloud services hosted by Microsoft that connect, monitor, and govern billions of IoT assets. In layman's terms, an IoT solution consists of one or more IoT devices that connect with one or more cloud-based back-end services.
Back-end services
The back-end service in an IoT system includes features such as:
Receiving telemetry from your devices on a large scale and selecting how to analyze and store that data.
Analyzing telemetry in real-time or after the event to generate insights.
Sending orders to a specific device from the cloud.
Controlling which devices may connect to your system and provisioning devices
Controlling your devices' states and monitoring their actions.
Managing the firmware that has been loaded on your devices.
For example, in a remote monitoring system for an oil pumping station, the cloud back end uses telemetry from the pumps to detect aberrant activity.
When the back-end service detects an abnormality, it can send a command back to the device to perform remedial action. This procedure creates an automatic feedback loop between the device and the cloud, significantly improving solution efficiency.
Azure IoT Hub
Azure IoT Hub is a cloud-hosted managed service that serves as a central messaging hub for communication between an IoT application and its linked devices. You can safely and securely link millions of devices and their backend solutions. An IoT hub may be connected to almost any device.
Several messaging patterns are enabled, including device-to-cloud telemetry, device-to-cloud file uploading, and request-reply mechanisms for controlling your devices from the cloud. IoT Hub also has monitoring capabilities that allow you to track device creation, device connections, and device failures.
To serve your IoT workloads, IoT Hub expands to millions of concurrently connected devices and millions of events per second.
You may combine IoT Hub with other Azure services to create full-stack solutions. For instance, use:
Azure Event Grid enables your company to respond fast to crucial events while remaining dependable, scalable, and secure
To automate business operations, use Azure Logic Apps.
To integrate machine learning and AI models into your solution, use Azure Machine Learning.
Use Azure Stream Analytics to do real-time analytics on data flowing from your devices.
As part of its scalable and robust infrastructure, IoT Central apps use many IoT hubs.
IoT devices
IoT devices differ from other types of clients, such as browsers and mobile apps. IoT devices, in particular:
Are typically embedded systems without a human operator.
Can be used in remote regions when physical access is prohibitively expensive.
Could only be accessed from the back end of the solution.
Power and processing resources may be limited.
Network access may be inconsistent, slow, or costly.
Application protocols that are proprietary, custom or industry-specific may be required.
An IoT device generally comprises a circuit board with sensors connected to the internet through WiFi. As an example:
A pressure sensor installed on a remote oil pump.
Sensors for temperature and humidity in an air conditioner.
An elevator accelerometer.
A room with presence sensors.
Device identity and authentication
Every IoT hub contains an identity register where information about the devices and modules connected to it is stored. Before a device or module may connect, the device or module must be listed in the IoT hub's identity register. A device or module authenticates with the IoT hub based on credentials stored in the identity registry.
Microsoft provides two authentication mechanisms between the device and the IoT hub. SAS token authentication or X.509 certificate authentication are also alternatives.
By linking the symmetric key with each call, the SAS token technique offers authentication for each call made by the device to IoT Hub. As part of the Transport Layer Security (TLS) standard connection formation, X.509 authentication permits authentication of an IoT device at the physical layer. The decision between the two techniques is mainly determined by the level of security required for device authentication and the availability of secure storage on the device (to store the private key securely).
Device communication
Once you pick your authentication method, the internet connection between the IoT device and the IoT Hub is protected using the Transport Layer Security (TLS) standard. TLS 1.2, TLS 1.1, and TLS 1.0 are supported by Azure IoT in that sequence. TLS 1.0 is solely supported for backward compatibility. Check IoT Hub's TLS support to learn how to configure your hub to use TLS 1.2, which provides the highest level of security.
Typically, IoT devices provide telemetry from sensors to cloud-based back-end services. Other methods of communication, such as a back-end service giving orders to your devices, are also available. The following are some instances of different types of communication:
A refrigeration truck transmits temperature data to an IoT hub every 5 minutes.
A back-end service instructing a device to modify the frequency at which it provides telemetry to aid in the diagnosis of a problem.
A device in a chemical plant monitors a batch reactor and sends an alarm when the temperature reaches a specific threshold.
Device telemetry
Sensor data such as speed or temperature, error messages such as missed events, or information messages indicating the device's health are all examples of telemetry received from a device. In order to get insights, IoT devices communicate events to an application. Applications may demand distinct subsets of events for processing or storage at various endpoints.
Device properties
The IoT hub may read or set properties, which can then be used to deliver notifications when an activity is finished. Temperature is an example of a specific property of a device. Temperature can be a writable property that can be modified on the device or read from an associated temperature sensor.
Properties in IoT Hub may be enabled via Device twins or Plug and Play.
Device commands
Rebooting a gadget is an example of a command. IoT Hub enables you to execute commands by invoking direct methods on devices. Direct methods describe a request-response interaction with a device that is analogous to an HTTP call in that it succeeds or fails instantly (after a user-specified timeout). This method is helpful in situations when the immediate course of action differs based on whether the gadget was able to reply.
Act on device data
IoT Hub enables you to leverage the value of your device data with other Azure services, allowing you to transition from reactive to predictive problem-solving. Connect your IoT hub to other Azure services to do machine learning, analytics, and AI on real-time data, optimize processing and obtain deeper insights.
Built-in endpoint collects device data by default
By default, a built-in endpoint captures data from your device. The data is gathered via a request-response pattern across specialized IoT device endpoints, is accessible for a maximum of seven days, and may be utilized to perform device actions. The following is the data accepted by the device endpoint:
Send device-to-cloud communications.
Receive cloud-to-device communications.
Start the file uploads.
Retrieve and change the device's twin properties.
Receive requests for direct methods.
Message routing sends data to other endpoints
Data can also be directed to various services for processing. The number of devices, amount of events, diversity of events, and different services vary as the IoT system expands. To fulfill this pattern, an event routing system that is flexible, scalable, consistent, and dependable is required. Once a message route is formed, data no longer flows to the built-in endpoint unless a backup route is defined.
IoT Hub also interfaces with Event Grid, allowing you to distribute data to numerous subscribers. Event Grid is a fully managed event service that allows you to handle events across several Azure services and applications. It is designed for performance and scalability and facilitates the development of event-driven applications and serverless systems.
Azure IoT examples
See Microsoft Technical Case Studies for IoT for real-world examples of how enterprises use Azure IoT.
Azure IoT Hub is a cloud-hosted managed service that serves as a central messaging hub for communication between an IoT application and its linked devices. You can safely and securely link millions of devices and their backend solutions. An IoT hub may be connected to almost any device.
What is the difference between Azure IoT hub and IoT Central?
IoT hub is also a communication service for IoT apps and the devices it maintains. The distinction between IoT hub and IoT central is that IoT is an application platform that facilitates the development of Internet of Things applications.
Is Azure IoT hub free?
The Azure IoT Edge service is free, but secure device management needs Azure IoT Hub. If you opt to utilize IoT Edge to access Azure services (Modules), you will be charged for the relevant service depending on its payment model for use on the edge.
Conclusion
In this article, we have extensively discussed the Azure IoT Hub. We learned what Azure IoT hub is and how it connects, monitors, and controls millions of Internet of Things.
We hope this blog has helped you enhance your advanced Azure knowledge. To learn more about Microsoft Azure, refer to our articles on Azure.
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