A microservices-based software architecture for a data collection system
Kuusisto, Aku (2020)
2020
Automaatiotekniikan DI-tutkinto-ohjelma - Degree Programme in Automation Engineering, MSc (Tech)
Tekniikan ja luonnontieteiden tiedekunta - Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2020-05-26
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202005115155
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202005115155
Tiivistelmä
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is often seen as a major enabler of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which networks physical field devices and computer software together, making production processes safer, more reliable, more efficient, and more productive. This work investigates the application of IIoT to project deliveries in the machine industry, which should enable the customer and the supplier to collect and analyse data on production for their needs. The aim of the work is to find out what kind of requirements the software architecture of such a system faces and to suggest ways to solve them.
The work is divided into three parts. The state-of-the-art review section presents factors related to the utilization of IIoT, cloud computing and microservices approach in information systems, taking into account their architectural basis. The work found that the topics are still seeking guidance in many respects, but have nevertheless aroused great interest in both the scientific community and commercial applications in recent times. The case study part examined the goals of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in the machine industry concerning the system to be developed, based on which ten fundamental characteristics for the software architecture of the system were identified. In the last part, the findings of the state-of-the-art review were applied to the findings of the case study, as a result of which reflections on the implementation of different parts of the architecture were presented.
The study shows that the practices of IIoT, cloud computing and microservice architecture can be used to achieve a seamlessly integrated entity for data collection and analysis systems in the machine industry. IIoT is suitable as a reference framework for defining the structure of the system, cloud computing together with fog computing facilitates system development, deployment and maintenance, while microservice architecture enables easy transfer of services between different deployment environments and supports independent development of system functionalities. The challenge for the development of the system proved to be the complexity of the solution, which is emphasized by the fine-grained microservices. The solution also requires a new approach to the software development process compared to monolithic applications, which can have an impact on organizational structures and work practices.
The work is divided into three parts. The state-of-the-art review section presents factors related to the utilization of IIoT, cloud computing and microservices approach in information systems, taking into account their architectural basis. The work found that the topics are still seeking guidance in many respects, but have nevertheless aroused great interest in both the scientific community and commercial applications in recent times. The case study part examined the goals of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in the machine industry concerning the system to be developed, based on which ten fundamental characteristics for the software architecture of the system were identified. In the last part, the findings of the state-of-the-art review were applied to the findings of the case study, as a result of which reflections on the implementation of different parts of the architecture were presented.
The study shows that the practices of IIoT, cloud computing and microservice architecture can be used to achieve a seamlessly integrated entity for data collection and analysis systems in the machine industry. IIoT is suitable as a reference framework for defining the structure of the system, cloud computing together with fog computing facilitates system development, deployment and maintenance, while microservice architecture enables easy transfer of services between different deployment environments and supports independent development of system functionalities. The challenge for the development of the system proved to be the complexity of the solution, which is emphasized by the fine-grained microservices. The solution also requires a new approach to the software development process compared to monolithic applications, which can have an impact on organizational structures and work practices.