Industry news

IIC report defnes framework for distributed edge computing

Moving computing from the cloud to the edge increases the performance, trustworthiness and effciency of industrial IoT applications, according to a technical report from the Industrial Internet Consortium.

THE INDUSTRIAL INTERNET CONSORTIUM HAS announced the publication of the Industrial Internet of Things Distributed Computing in the Edge Technical Report. Designed for IoT system architects and implementers, the report describes a distributed computing framework that moves the capabilities of data center-based cloud computing closer to intelligent IoT devices at the edge.

“In edge computing, data, networking, storage, and computing are distributed throughout layers of edge computing nodes from IoT devices to the data center – distributing the economies of scale of cloud capabilities throughout the system,” Chuck Byers, Co-Chair, IIC Distributed Computing Task Group, and Associate CTO of IIC said.

“The migration of cloud capabilities into the edge allows data, storage, and computation to gravitate to where it can be handled most effciently, whether in a data center or the edge.”

The technical report includes: • A structural and functional framework for distributing computing in the edge • Defnitions of key architectural concepts employed in distributed edge computing • Essential capabilities of an edge system's elements • Security and management functions • Essential interfaces for these elements THE OPC FOUNDATION, IN COLLABORATION with CESMII, has announced the launch of a OPC UA Cloud Library Joint Working Group (JWG).

The goal of the JWG is to specify how OPC UA information models of machines, SCADA and Manufacturing Execution Systems will be stored in and accessed from a cloudbased database. The database will enable manufacturers to draw from a wide range of OPC UA information models and profles for use in their pre-built shopfoor and business digitalization applications.

Collaboration between the OPC Foundation and the Smart Manufacturing Institute is a natural fit given their complementary efforts. On one hand, the US governmentbacked Smart Manufacturing Institute sets out to help accelerate the adoption of Smart

Report describes a framework moves cloud computing closer to intelligent IoT devices at the edge.

System architects can use the framework as a template to derive a concrete distributed computing architecture. Operations technologists, information technologists, and managers can use the report to learn more about the elements and advantages of distributed computing in the edge.

“Distributed computing, and the nodes and edge systems that form its key components are essential to the success of organization's Manufacturing by businesses of all sizes by enabling frictionless movement of information (data and context) between real-time operations and the people and systems that create value in their organizations.

On the other hand, the OPC Foundation created a globally adopted open data interoperability standard via its OPC UA specifcation. The specifcation’s information modeling capabilities and secure, scalable communications made it a cornerstone of Industrie 4.0 and other national Industrial IoT initiatives.

By working together, CESMII and the OPC Foundation aim to enable the broadest range of US manufacturers and beyond to innovate and go-to-market in their digital transformation using the right data modeling foundation. critical IoT systems and digital transformation plans,” said John Zao, Co-Chair, IIC Distributed Computing Task Group. “By moving to a distributed edge computing architecture, organizations across industries can reduce costs and meet critical performance, trustworthiness, and effciency requirements for their IoT applications.”

International Initiative to Defne OPC UA Cloud Library

News from Industrial Internet Consortium.

John Dyck, CEO of CESMII, explained: “This joint working group validates our core, overarching strategy and commitment to interoperability and an open ecosystem, enabling the digitization and reuse of standard, templatized data structures that will dramatically reduce the cost and complexities of implementing Smart Manufacturing.”

“Crowdsourcing the domain expertise required to create these reusable device, machine and process profles will dramatically lower the barrier of entry for innovation and value creation in manufacturing, and ensure that Smart Manufacturing is accessible not just to the large manufacturers, but to the small and medium manufacturers as well,” Dyck added.