Overview

Product

A product is a collection of devices with the same capabilities or features. On the IoTDA console, you can quickly develop product models and codecs, and use functions such as online debugging and topic customization in end-to-end (E2E) IoT development. This helps you improve integration development efficiency and shorten the construction period of IoT solutions.

Product model

A product model, also known as a profile, defines the properties of a device, such as the color, size, collected data, identifiable commands, and reported events. You can create a product model on the IoTDA console.

Device

A device is a physical entity that belongs to a product. Each device has a unique ID. It can be a device directly connected to the platform, or a gateway that connects child devices to the platform.

Device authentication

The platform authenticates devices that attempt to access it. Currently, the platform supports two authentication modes: secret authentication and X.509 authentication. After the verification is successful and the device is connected to the platform, the devices can communicate with the platform.

Group and tag

A group is a collection of devices. You can create groups for all the devices in a resource space based on different rules, such as regions and types, and you can operate the devices by group.

You can define tags and bind tags to devices.

Software and firmware upgrades

You can upgrade software and firmware of devices that support LwM2M and MQTT in over the air (OTA) mode.

Device shadow

A device shadow is a JSON file that stores the device status, latest device properties reported, and device configurations to deliver. Each device has only one shadow. A device can retrieve and set its shadow to synchronize the status, either from the shadow to the device or from the device to the shadow.

Gateway and child device

Devices can be directly or indirectly connected to the IoT platform. Indirectly connected devices access the platform through gateways.

Rule

You can set rules for devices connected to the platform. If the conditions set in a rule are met, the platform triggers the corresponding action. Device linkage and data forwarding rules are available.

Monitoring and O&M

IoTDA provides monitoring and O&M functions such as statistics reports, online debugging, message tracing, current alarms, and run logs. You can also monitor the device running status, device communications, and user operations, and quickly trace and locate faults, ensuring device reliability and security.

Resource space

Resource space is a space allocated for your applications. Resources (such as products and devices) created on the platform must belong to a resource space. You can use the resource space for domain-based management.

IoTDA instance

To meet the requirements of enterprise customers with different IoT device scales, IoTDA provides three editions: basic (shared instance), standard (standard instance), and enterprise (dedicated instance). You can purchase the most appropriate instance type and instance specifications based on your service scenario, device scale, and data collection frequency.

Data reporting

After being registered with the platform and powered on, a device can collect and report data based on the service logic. Data collection and reporting can be triggered by a schedule or by specific events.

Subscription and push

Subscription: An application calls platform APIs to learn changes of device service details (such as device lifecycle management, device data reporting, device message status, and device status) and management details (such as software or firmware upgrade status and upgrade result) from the platform.

Push: After a subscription is created, the platform pushes the corresponding change to the specified callback URL or AMQP message queue based on the type of data subscribed.

Command delivery

A product model defines commands that can be delivered to the devices. Applications can call platform APIs to deliver commands to the devices to effectively manage these devices.