Internet of Things

Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) is the network of things (physical devices, vehicles, home appliances, and other items embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators) connected through internet which enables these things to exchange data.In simpal words it means taking all the things in the world and connecting them to the internet.

Let us know discuss concept of  IoT from working of Internet.

What is Internet

Internet is defined as an Information super Highway, to access information over the web. However, It can be defined in many ways as follows:

·        Internet is a world-wide global system of interconnected computer networks.

·        Internet uses the standard Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

·        Every computer in internet is identified by a unique IP address.

·        IP Address is a unique set of numbers (such as 110.22.33.114) which identifies a computer location.

·        Internet is accessible to every user all over the world.

Evolution of Internet

The concept of Internet was originated in 1969 and has undergone several technological & Infrastructural changes as discussed below:

·        The origin of Internet devised from the concept of Advanced Research Project Agency Network (ARPANET).

·        ARPANET was developed by United States Department of Defense.

·        Basic purpose of ARPANET was to provide communication among the various bodies of government.

·         In 1972, the ARPANET spread over the globe with 23 nodes located at different countries and thus became known as Internet.

Advantages

Internet covers almost every aspect of life, one can think of. Here, we will discuss some of the advantages of Internet:

·        Internet allows us to communicate with the people sitting at remote locations. There are various apps available on the wed that uses Internet as a medium for communication. One can find various social networking sites such as:

o   Facebook

o   Twitter

o   Yahoo

o   Google+

o   Flickr

o   Orkut

·        One can surf for any kind of information over the internet. Information regarding various topics such as Technology, Health & Science, Social Studies, Geographical Information, Information Technology, Products etc can be surfed with help of a search engine.

·        Apart from communication and source of information, internet also serves a medium for entertainment. Following are the various modes for entertainment over internet.

o   Online Television

o   Online Games

o   Songs

o   Videos

o   Social Networking Apps

·        Internet allows us to use many services like:

o   Internet Banking

o   Matrimonial Services

o   Online Shopping

o   Online Ticket Booking

o   Online Bill Payment

o   Data Sharing

o   E-mail

·        Internet provides concept of electronic commerce, that allows the business deals to be conducted on electronic systems

Disadvantages

However, Internet has prooved to be a powerful source of information in almost every field, yet there exists many disadvanatges discussed below:

·        There are always chances to loose personal information such as name, address, credit card number. Therefore, one should be very careful while sharing such information. One should use credit cards only through authenticated sites.

·        Another disadvantage is the Spamming.Spamming corresponds to the unwanted e-mails in bulk. These e-mails serve no purpose and lead to obstruction of entire system.

·        Virus can easily be spread to the computers connected to internet. Such virus attacks may cause your system to crash or your important data may get deleted.

·        Also a biggest threat on internet is pornography. There are many pornographic sites that can be found, letting your children to use internet which indirectly affects the children healthy mental life.

·        There are various websites that do not provide the authenticated information. This leads to misconception among many people.

 OSI Model

OSI is acronym of Open System Interface. This model is developed by the International organization of Standardization (ISO) and therefore also referred as ISO-OSI Model.

The OSI model consists of seven layers as shown in the following diagram. Each layer has a specific function, however each layer provide services to the layer above.

Physical Layer

The Physical layer is responsible for the following activities:

·        Activating, maintaining and deactivating the physical connection.

·        Defining voltages and data rates needed for transmission.

·        Converting digital bits into electrical signal.

·        Deciding whether the connection is simplex, half duplex or full duplex.

Data Link Layer

The data link layer performs the following functions:

·        Performs synchronization and error control for the information which is to be transmitted over the physical link.

·        Enables error detection, and adds error detection bits to the data which are to be transmitted.

Network Layer

Following are the functions of Network Layer:

·        To route the signals through various channels to the other end.

·        To act as the network controller by deciding which route data should take.

·        To divide the outgoing messages into packets and to assemble incoming packets into messages for higher levels.

Transport Layer

The Transport layer performs the following functions:

·        It decides if the data transmission should take place on parallel paths or single path.

·        It performs multiplexing, splitting on the data.

·        It breaks the data groups into smaller units so that they are handled more efficiently by the network layer.

The Transport Layer guarantees transmission of data from one end to other end.

Session Layer

The Session layer performs the following functions:

·        Manages the messages and synchronizes conversations between two different applications.

·        It controls logging on and off, user identification, billing and session management.

Presentation Layer

The Presentation layer performs the following functions:

·        This layer makes it sure that the information is delivered in such a form that the receiving system will understand and use it.

Application Layer

The Application layer performs the following functions:

·        It provides different services such as manipulation of information in several ways, retransferring the files of information, distributing the results etc.

·        The functions such as LOGIN or password checking are also performed by the application layer.

TCP/IP Model

TCP/IP model is practical model and is used in the Internet. TCP/IP is acronym of Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol.

The TCP/IP model combines the two layers (Physical and Data link layer) into one layer i.e. Host-to-Network layer. The following diagram shows the various layers of TCP/IP model:

Application Layer

This layer is same as that of the OSI model and performs the following functions:

·        It provides different services such as manipulation of information in several ways, retransferring the files of information, distributing the results etc.

·        The functions such as LOGIN or password checking are also performed by the application layer.

Protocols used: TELNET, FTP, SMTP, DN, HTTP, NNTP are the protocols employed in this layer.

Transport Layer

It does the same functions as that of transport layer in OSI model. Here are the key points regarding transport layer:

·        It uses TCP and UDP protocol for end to end transmission.

·        TCP is reliable and connection oriented protocol.

·        TCP also handles flow control.

·        The UDP is not reliable and a connection less protocol also does not perform flow control.

Protocols used: TCP/IP and UDP protocols are employed in this layer.

Internet Layer

The function of this layer is to allow the host to insert packets into network and then make them travel independently to the destination. However, the order of receiving the packet can be different from the sequence they were sent.

Protocols used: Internet Protocol (IP) is employed in Internet layer.

Host-to-Network Layer

This is the lowest layer in TCP/IP model. The host has to connect to network using some protocol, so that it can send IP packets over it. This protocol varies from host to host and network to network.

Protocols used: ARPANET, SATNET, LAN, packet radio are the protocols which are used in this

Internet Services allows us to access huge amount of information such as text, graphics, sound and software over the internet. Following diagram shows the four different categories of Internet Services.

Communication Services

There are various Communication Services available that offer exchange of information with individuals or groups. The following table gives a brief introduction to these services:

S.N.	Service Description
1	Electronic Mail Used to send electronic message over the internet.
2	Telnet Used to log on to a remote computer that is attached to internet.
3	Newsgroup Offers a forum for people to discuss topics of common interests.
4	Internet Relay Chat (IRC) Allows the people from all over the world to communicate in real time.
5	Mailing Lists Used to organize group of internet users to share common information through e-mail.
6	Internet Telephony (VoIP) Allows the internet users to talk across internet to any PC equipped to receive the call.
7	Instant Messaging Offers real time chat between individuals and group of people. Eg. Yahoo messenger, MSN messenger.

Information Retrieval Services

There exist several Information retrieval services offering easy access to information present on the internet. The following table gives a brief introduction to these services:

S.N.	Service Description
1	File Transfer Protocol (FTP) Enable the users to transfer files.
2	Archie It’s updated database of public FTP sites and their content. It helps to search a file by its name.
3	Gopher Used to search, retrieve, and display documents on remote sites.
4	Very Easy Rodent Oriented Netwide Index to Computer Achieved (VERONICA) VERONICA is gopher based resource. It allows access to the information resource stored on gopher’s servers.

Web Services

Web services allow exchange of information between applications on the web. Using web services, applications can easily interact with each other.

The web services are offered using concept of Utility Computing.

World Wide Web (WWW)

WWW is also known as W3. It offers a way to access documents spread over the several servers over the internet. These documents may contain texts, graphics, audio, video, hyperlinks. The hyperlinks allow the users to navigate between the documents.

Client Server communication over network

A server is a specialized computer that controls the network resources and provides services to other computers in the network.

All other computers in the network are called clients. A client computer receives the services from a server.
 A server performs all the major operations like security and network management.

 IoT

The Internet of Things (IoT) is the network of things (physical devices, vehicles, home appliances, and other items embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators) connected through internet which enables these things to exchange data.In simpal words it means taking all the things in the world and connecting them to the internet.

IoT devices can be used to monitor and control the mechanical, electrical and electronic systems used in various types of buildings (e.g., public and private, industrial, institutions, or residential) in home automation and building automation systems.

IoT − Key Features

The most important features of IoT include artificial intelligence, connectivity, sensors,  and small device use. A brief review of these features is given below −

AI − IoT essentially makes anything “smart”. It is also called machine intelligence.

  Example : rotos, spam filters.

·        Connectivity –  IOT makes us know that network is not in small area as well as in large scale, ie not only in moving object but also in inactive object though internet.

·        Sensors − IoT loses its distinction without sensors. They act as defining instruments which transform IoT from a standard passive network of devices into an active system capable of real-world integration.

·        Small Devices − Devices, as predicted, have become smaller, cheaper, and more powerful over time. IoT exploits purpose-built small devices to deliver its precision, scalability, and versatility.

IoT − Advantages

The advantages −

·        Technology Optimization − The same technologies and data which improve the customer experience also improve device use, and aid in more potent improvements to technology. IoT unlocks a world of critical functional and field data.

·        Reduced Waste − IoT makes areas of improvement clear. Current analytics give us superficial insight, but IoT provides real-world information leading to more effective management of resources.

·        Enhanced Data Collection − Modern data collection suffers from its limitations and its design for passive use. IoT breaks it out of those spaces, and places it exactly where humans really want to go to analyze our world. It allows an accurate picture of everything.

IoT − Disadvantages

Though IoT delivers an impressive set of benefits, it also presents a significant set of challenges. Here is a list of some its major issues −

·        Security – Very less almost no security is there. Example, AC remote or escalator any one can use. This causes large attacks

·        Privacy −. Since security in less so privacy is less

·        Complexity − IoT systems complicated in terms of design, deployment, and maintenance .

·        Flexibility – Since complexity is high it becomes difficult to expand it, or increase its function once it is completed.

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