Environment Monitoring Subsystem Based on Recursive InterNetwork Architecture

The Internet of Things (IoT) facilitates intelligent building management by deploying IoT devices as crucial components of building subsystems. However, the ongoing evolution of intelligent buildings presents challenges in network management, scalability, and security. In this regard, smart buildings require innovative network architectures capable of adapting to meet future requirements. The Recursive InterNetwork Architecture (RINA) emerges as a clean slate network architecture aiming to overcome various current network limitations and simplify network complexity. While RINA has demonstrated several advantages in multi-homing, scalability, and security, these benefits must be analyzed in realistic conditions. This paper introduces a RINA-based environment monitoring subsystem that implements and deploys RINA components within specific IoT hardware and software in a relevant environment. The subsystem comprises several RINA sensors, RINA-based IoT gateways, and an edge node. The subsystem’s design and implementation details are provided for efficient and secure communication between RINA sensors and the edge node. The RINAsense architecture was used to implement the sensors, with additional enhancements for resource management and energy efficiency. Also, the IRATI open-source software facilitates the implementation of the IoT gateway and edge node to ensure smooth RINA communications within the subsystem. The subsystem was evaluated in terms of latency, goodput, and energy consumption, and it achieved a 2.05-millisecond delay, 0.86 Mbps as goodput, and reduced 82% energy consumption. Finally, the feasibility of using RINA in smart buildings was confirmed by integrating the proposed subsystem into an operative intelligent building system.