Internet of things (IOT) platform for device configuration management and support
Techniques for management of Internet of Things (IOT) devices are disclosed. IOT devices may be manufactured with a pre-installed software development kit (SDK) (e.g., in firmware or other storage). At initial startup time (e.g., after device placement), IOT devices may execute the firmware code as provided by the SDK to connect to a corporate network or other network-based control environment, such as a cloud-based service provider infrastructure. Once connected, IOT devices may participate in enterprise computing applications as a consumer or provider of information. Updates to IOT devices and their SDKs may be periodically provided. Virtual IOT devices may be used as placeholders or emulators for unavailable or future IOT devices, such that enterprise applications may be configured and executed without an actual physical IOT device in existence. Virtual IOT devices may also be used to assist with overall device provisioning.
1. A system, comprising:
one or more servers remote from an enterprise client network of computer systems and endpoint devices, the client network communicatively coupled to the one or more servers via a public network; and
an enterprise management platform operable across the one or more servers, wherein the enterprise management platform is configured to perform operations comprising:
hosting one or more client instances configured to manage the enterprise client network and one or more individual devices on the enterprise client network;
configuring each of a plurality of IOT endpoint devices with an SDK, such that the plurality of IOT endpoint devices are configured to be monitored by the one or more client instances;
detecting that a first physical IOT device of the plurality of IOT endpoint devices is unavailable to perform one or more functions, wherein the first physical IOT device is detected as unavailable, at least in part, by lack of communication with the SDK installed on the first physical IOT device;
causing a virtual IOT device at the one or more client instances to act as a proxy for the first physical IOT device to perform the one or more functions, based at least in part on the unavailability of the first physical IOT device to perform the one or more functions;
detecting that the first physical IOT device is available after a period of unavailability;
causing the virtual IOT device to act as a pass through proxy for the first physical IOT device;
monitoring operational attributes of the first physical IOT device;
storing values and attributes of values while acting as a pass through proxy;
using the values and attributes of values stored while acting as a pass through proxy to create responses to queries when the first physical IOT device is again unavailable; and
analyzing the stored values and attributes of values using machine learning techniques to perform the creation of the responses.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more client instances configured to manage the enterprise client network comprise a help desk application, an incident reporting application, or a service level agreement application.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more functions relate to, integrating the first physical IOT device into a workflow as a configuration item element representing a component affected by one or more workflows used to manage the enterprise client.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein acting as a proxy for the first physical IOT device comprises, returning, in response to a query for information, either a historical value from a corresponding time period on a different date, or a correlated value determined based on a value measured independently from the information associated with the query.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein acting as a proxy for the first physical IOT device comprises, returning, in response to a query for information, a value determined by machine learning.
6. A cloud-based computer system, comprising:
a memory partition; and
a network interface communicatively coupled to one or more processing units and the memory partition, wherein the memory partition comprises computer instructions that when executed by the one or more processing units cause the cloud-based computer system to:
maintain a virtual internet of things (IOT) device, wherein the virtual IOT device represents a physical IOT device or a future IOT device;
detect that a first physical IOT device is not available for a period of time;
impersonate the first physical IOT device, using the virtual IOT device, for instances where the virtual IOT device represents the first physical IOT device and for the period of time the first physical IOT device is not available;
impersonate the future IOT device, using the virtual IOT device to create an emulated future IOT device, for instances where the virtual IOT device represents the future IOT device until a second physical IOT device is installed to replace the emulated future IOT device
detect that the first physical IOT device is available after a period of unavailability;
cause the virtual IOT device to act as a pass through proxy for the first physical IOT device;
monitor operational attributes of the first physical IOT device;
storing values and attributes of values while acting as a pass through proxy;
use the values and attributes of values stored while acting as a pass through proxy to create responses to queries when the first physical IOT device is again unavailable; and
analyze the stored values and attributes of values using machine learning techniques to perform the creation of the responses.
7. The cloud-based computer system of claim 6 , wherein impersonating the first physical IOT device comprises returning, in response to a query for information, either a historical value from a corresponding time period on a different date, or a correlated value determined based on a value measured independently from the information associated with the query.
8. The cloud-based computer system of claim 6 , wherein impersonating the first physical IOT device comprises returning, in response to a query for information, a value determined by machine learning.
9. The cloud-based computer system of claim 6 , further comprising instructions to cause the cloud-based computer system to:
detect the second physical IOT device has been installed as a real world device; and
remove the virtual IOT device, in response to the detection.
10. A method, comprising:
hosting one or more client instances configured to manage an enterprise client network of computer systems and endpoint devices and one or more individual devices on the enterprise client network;
configuring each of a plurality of IOT endpoint devices with an SDK, such that the plurality of IOT endpoint devices are configured to be monitored by the one or more client instances;
detecting that a first physical IOT device of the plurality of IOT endpoint devices is unavailable to perform one or more functions, wherein the first physical IOT device is detected as unavailable, at least in part, by lack of communication with the SDK installed on the first physical IOT device;
causing a virtual IOT device at the one or more client instances to act as a proxy for the first physical IOT device to perform the one or more functions, based at least in part on the unavailability of the first physical IOT device to perform the one or more functions
detecting that the first physical IOT device is available after a period of unavailability;
causing the virtual IOT device to act as a pass through proxy for the first physical IOT device;
monitoring operational attributes of the first physical IOT device;
storing values and attributes of values while acting as a pass through proxy;
using the values and attributes of values stored while acting as a pass through proxy to create responses to queries when the first physical IOT device is again unavailable; and
analyzing the stored values and attributes of values using machine learning techniques to perform the creation of the responses.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more client instances configured to manage the enterprise client network comprise a help desk application, an incident reporting application, or a service level agreement application.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more functions relate to, integrating the first physical IOT device into a workflow as a configuration item element representing a component affected by one or more workflows used to manage the enterprise client.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein acting as a proxy for the first physical IOT device comprises, returning, in response to a query for information, either a historical value from a corresponding time period on a different date, or a correlated value determined based on a value measured independently from the information associated with the query.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein acting as a proxy for the first physical IOT device comprises, returning, in response to a query for information, a value determined by machine learning.