UNIT 3

IoT Ecosystem
• The IoT ecosystem is a connection of various kind of devices
that sense and analyze the data and communicates with each
other over the networks.
• In the IoT ecosystem, the user uses smart devices such as
smartphones, tablet, sensors, etc. to send the command or
request to devices for information over the networks.
• The device response and performs the command to send
information back to the user through networks after analyzed.
• IoT devices collect data and transmit it securely to an
internet-connected gateway that compresses the data and
sends it.

• This data is sent to the cloud for further analysis and then
displayed within the app to provide users with meaningful
information.
Components of an IoT Ecosystem

• IoT devices
• Security
• Network
• Gateway
• The cloud
• Application
• User
 • IoT Devices
• IoT devices are actually the layer of sensors, actuators and smart
objects that collect data about the environment and measure physical
parameters.
• Sensors are the perception of the IoT system, whose main function is
to extract information from the environment and convert it into data.
2. Security

• It is the part that includes all the other parts, provides security
for data transfer and prevents unauthorised connections
outside the Internet of Things ecosystem.

• Every IoT system needs a strong level of security that at least

protects against the most common vulnerabilities.
• The security level has a wide range of responsibilities such as:
• Access control to the IoT network: Anyone who connects to the
network has access to all its devices, making broken authentication
problems particularly acute. Moreover, IoT devices can also trust
the local network so that no further authentication is required.

• Prevention of data loss during data transfer over the network:

The data must be encrypted through the IoT system using protocols.

• Look for malicious software: Software bugs can sometimes trick

attackers into executing their code on the IoT device. Hence the
software versions need to be corrected when a vulnerability is
found.
3. Network
• The network is the logistical heart of the Internet of Things
ecosystem.
• The network is also known as the connectivity layer.
• It is responsible for all communications within the IoT
system: connecting smart objects, transferring data and
commands between IoT stages, and connecting to the cloud
• The first mode of communication: Occurs locally in a local
area network (LAN) between IoT devices and smart
gateways via short-range wireless communication protocols.
This communication mode is optional because the sensors
can connect directly to the cloud via the Internet using the
TCP / IP protocol.
• However, connecting via non-IP protocols consumes less
power because the devices connect to local smart gateways
instead of trying to access the main server in the cloud.
• The most popular short-distance protocols for IoT
architecture are:

• Wireless internet access (WiFi)

• Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy (or Bluetooth LE for
less powerful devices that generate less data)
• ZigBee – a universal solution that connects all smart devices
• Near Field Communication (NFC)
• Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
• Sigfox
• LoRaWAN
• The second mode of communication: Occurs when the data
of things are transferred to the cloud in cases where there is
no smart gateway or in cases of communication between the
smart gateways and the cloud. The network layer establishes
a connection between the local network and the Internet. The
basic protocol here is the IPv6 protocol.
4. Gateways
• IoT Gateway is a physical or virtual platform that mediates between
IoT devices and the cloud.
• There are several main functions of IoT gateways:
• Control the flow of data in the Internet of Things ecosystem. The
data flow goes through the gateway from the devices to the cloud
and in the opposite direction.
• Ensure the security of the transmission of information in both
directions. Also, transmit commands from the cloud to IoT devices.
• Preprocess data before sending it to the cloud. Gateways filter,
aggregate, synthesise, and aggregate traffic from different
devices.
• Save energy from IoT devices as communication over the internet
is energy-intensive, unlike low-energy technologies such as
Bluetooth Low Energy ( it is a wireless personal area network
technology designed and marketed by the Bluetooth Special
Interest Group aimed at novel applications in the healthcare,
fitness, beacons, security, and home entertainment industries).
• Reduce response latency to IoT devices. Some devices require a
real-time response from the system.
 5. The Cloud
• The cloud is a computing resource responsible for storing,
analysing, and managing data. In other words, it is a group of
computers that people access over the Internet to use their
computing power for a particular purpose.

• The cloud can be powered by analytics software, visualisation

tools, AI, and machine learning for in-depth data analysis and
processing.
6. Application
• When software development companies build software
products for the IoT ecosystem, they will cover all seven
components. And will create a system that covers all the
requirements at every level.
7. Users
• Its users are the most important component among the seven
components of the Internet of Things ecosystem.
• They use an IoT ecosystem for their needs. Here, the
possibilities offered by the Internet of Things ecosystem are
becoming a valuable database for all types of users. For
example, sensors and IoT applications can become professional
healthcare assistant that measures the patient’s biometry. This
will help to make a more accurate diagnosis.
• Secondly, the Internet of Things ecosystems should serve people. And
meet their needs, and provide information that assists them in
achieving their goals. Moreover, focusing on people’s needs, the IoT
ecosystem was built by and for people. So, the users determine what
the IoT ecosystem will do and won’t.
IoT Testing
• IoT testing is a sub-category of testing to check IoT devices. There is a
huge global demand to access, create, use and transfer data. The aim
is to provide insight and control, of various interconnected devices.
 Types of IoT Testing
• IoT testing generally revolves around security, analytics, devices, networks,
processors, operating systems, platforms and standards.

• Usability Testing
• Compatibility Testing
• Reliability and Scalability Testing
• Data Integrity Testing
• Security Testing
• Performance Testing
Usability Testing
• Users use many devices of varying shape and form factors.
Also, the perception varies from user to user. This is why
investigating the usability of the system is very important in
IoT testing. The usability of each device used in IoT must be
determined.
• In healthcare. The tracking devices used must be portable so
that they can be moved to different divisions. The equipment
used should be smart enough to push notifications, error
messages, warnings, etc. The system must log all the events
occurring to provide clarity to the end users.
Compatibility Testing

• A number of devices can be connected through the IoT

system. Such devices have varying software configurations
and hardware configurations. Therefore, there is a huge
number of possible combinations, thereby making the
compatibility of an IoT system important.

• Compatibility testing is also important due to the complex

architecture of the IoT system. Testing items like OS
versions, browser types, devices’ generation, communication
modes is vital for compatibility testing.
Reliability and Scalability Testing

• Reliability and scalability of any IoT system is important for

setting up the IoT testing environment that involves
simulation by using virtualization tools and technologies.
Data Integrity Testing

• Data integrity testing of an IoT system is important as it

includes massive amount of data and its applications.
 Security Testing
• In an IoT environment, a large number of users try to access a
massive amount of data. This is why it becomes important to
determine user validation through authentication, possess data
privacy controls as in security testing.

• IoT is data-centric, i.e., all the devices, equipment, system, etc.

operate based on the available data. While the data is getting
transferred between devices, it can always be read or accessed.
The data must be checked to determine if the data is
protected/encrypted while it is getting transferred between
devices.
Performance Testing

• Performance testing is essential for developing a strategic approach to

develop and implement the IoT testing plan. The chart below is the
applications of the different types of testing for various IoT
components.
Tools for IoT testing
• Shodan
• Thingful
• Wireshark
• Tcpdump
• JTAG Dongle
• Digital Storage Oscilloscope
• Software Defined Radio
• MQTT Spy
• Shodan − This tool can be used to determine which device/s is/are
connected to the Internet. It helps track all the computers which can
be directly accessed from the Internet. Shodan is also used in
connectivity testing. It helps in the verification of the devices
connected to the IoT hub. It provides the connected devices, their
locations, user information, etc. It tracks and records all the
computers connected to the network.

• Thingful − This is a Search Engine for IoT. It helps keep

interoperability between millions of objects through the Internet,
secured. Thingful is used to control how tha data is used. It also helps
take more decisive and valuable decisions.
• Wireshark − This open-source tool is used to monitor the traffic in
interfaces, source/destination host addresses, and so on.

• Tcpdump − This tool is quite similar to Wireshark, but for the absence
of GUI (Graphical User Interface). This tool is based on command line.
It helps users display packets such as TCP/IP that are transmitted over
a network.
• JTAG Dongle − This tool is quite like a debugger in desktop
applications. It is used in debugging the target platform or
device code, and display variables step by step.

• Digital Storage Oscilloscope − This tool is used to

investigate the different events with time stamps, glitches in
power supply, and signal integration.
• Software Defined Radio − This tool is used to mimic
receiver and transmitter for a wide range of wireless
gateways.

• MQTT Spy − If the device supports MQTT protocol, then

this tool is the most useful. MQTT Spy is an efficient open-
source tool for IoT testing. It is particularly useful for day-to-
day usage.