Efficient information lookup for the Internet of Things

1. Efficient information lookup for the Internet of Things G.F. Marias, N. Fotiou, G.C. Polyzos Mobile Multimedia Laboratory, Department of Informatics Athens University of Economics and Business

2. The Internet of Things vision • Every object (thing) is uniquely identified • Each object is associated with information • Great amount of data distributed in databases around the world • How can this information be discovered? • How can this information be managed? Efficient information lookup for the IoT

3. Structuring information • Stakeholders: object creators and object holders (e.g., manufacturer and reseller) • Objects are associated with <attribute, value> pairs • Global Read-Only • Well known, values set by creators once (e.g., “ingredients” ) • Global Editable • Well known, each holder may set value (e.g., “price”) • Local • Specific to a holder (e.g., “shelf number in which the product is stored”) Efficient information lookup for the IoT

4. Information lookup • Attribute values are learned using lookup services • Lookup services are accessed using scopes “Scope: a meta-service that accepts as input attribute queries and forwards them to the appropriate lookup service” • Scopes are accessed through a URI known as the Scope Id (SId) • SId can act as a network level access control mechanism (e.g., private IP vs. public IP) • Scopes are hierarchically organized: child scopes have access to the information stored in parent scopes Efficient information lookup for the IoT

5. Operations • Scope Creation • Creates a new scope and positions it in the scope hierarchy • Scope-level access control policies can be defined • Attribute Advertisement • Populates a scope’s lookup tables • Attribute-level access control policies can be defined • Attribute Subscription • Query the “default scope” for the value of an attribute • The query eventually reaches the lookup service • Value Forwarding • Send the value of the attribute to the requestor Efficient information lookup for the IoT

6. Example: Medicine supply chain Object Real World Structure Information Structure Information Structure Creation Information lookup Lookup service URL Object attributes Sells to Administrates Efficient information lookup for the IoT

7. Example: Medicine supply chain Real World Structure Information Structure Information Structure Creation Information lookup Efficient information lookup for the IoT

8. Example: Medicine supply chain Real World Structure Information Structure Information Structure Creation Information lookup Efficient information lookup for the IoT

9. Example: Medicine supply chain Real World Structure Information Structure Information Structure Creation Information lookup Efficient information lookup for the IoT

10. Benefits • Faster information lookup as information is structured • Context based lookup • The context of a user can define the scope in which a query will be sent • An attribute may exist in multiple scopes with different value in each scope • Better information administration • A stakeholder never looses control of the attribute’s values • Attributes can be “revocated” • Scalability • New scopes can be easily added • Global read only attributes can be cached • It is possible to create isolated enterprise specific versions of the system • No global authorities (as for example in DNS->ONS) Efficient information lookup for the IoT

11. Thank you polyzos@aueb.gr