Architecture Based on IPv6 and 5G for IIoT
draft-tang-iiot-architecture-02

Abstract

As the foundation of the current new round of industrial revolution, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) based on cyber-physical systems (CPS) [smart-factory] has become the focus of research in various countries. One of the key issues in the entire development stage of IIoT is the standardization of the IIoT architecture. With the development of intelligent manufacturing technology, the number of IIoT devices is expected to increase sharply, and large amounts of data will be generated in the industrial manufacturing process. However, traditional industrial networks cannot meet the IIoT requirements for high data rates, low latency, massive connections, interconnection, and interoperability. Current IIoT architectures also have various limitations, including those in mobility, security, scalability, and communication reliability. These limitations hinder the development and implementation of IIoT. As a network layer protocol, IPv6 can solve the problem of IPv4 address exhaustion. Meanwhile, as a high-speed, low-latency, wireless communication technology, 5G has great potential in promoting IIoT. To solve the aforementioned problems, this draft proposes an IIoT architecture based on IPv6 and 5G. The architecture can provide high-speed, low- latency communication services and possesses massive connectivity, mobility, scalability, security, and other features for industrial devices. It can also provide generalized, refined, flexible network services for devices outside factories. Moreover, an information model is defined to standardize the representation of information in IIoT. The security challenges in and recommendations for IIoT are also discussed.

Authors

Chaowei Tang
Wen Haotian
Ruan Shuai
Baojin Huang
Feng Xinxin

(Note: The e-mail addresses provided for the authors of this Internet-Draft may no longer be valid.)