Standardized Framework for Integrating Domain-Specific Applications into the IoT

In the so-called "Internet of Things" (IoT), mobile users and objects will be able to dynamically discover and impromptu interact with heterogeneous computing, physical resources, as well as virtual data. It is a fact today that more standardized formats, protocols and interfaces must be built in the IoT to provide more interoperable systems. However, even if a protocol would become the de facto IoT standard for data exchange, this would not solve all issues related to system and information integration into the IoT. Indeed, a key challenge is to allow integrating all types of existing domain- or vendor-specific application with such a standard. In this regard, this paper develops a generic framework for such an integration that consists in using the basic communication interfaces supported by the domain-specific application (e.g., basic read and write operations) to extend them into more advanced interfaces provided by IoT standards (e.g., to support subscription mechanisms). In this paper, the set of standardized interfaces defined in a recent IoT standard proposal, referred to as Quantum Lifecycle Management (QLM) messaging standards, are considered for developing the integration framework. A case study using a building-specific application, namely openHAB, is then presented to validate the framework practicability.