Edge Computing and Distributed Ledger Technology for The Industrial IoT

Abstract

The tremendous increase in implementing IoT devices for critical infrastructures yells for higher performance and robust protection. Traditional cloud based IoT architecture is unsuitable for delay-sensitive or real-time applications and lacks the robust security needed by industrial systems. Thus, new technologies are introduced to endorse the industry's digital transformation. Edge computing greatly satisfies required performance while Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) mitigates potential data compromises. This work proposes an integrated four layers architecture based on Edge Computing and DLT that provides efficient computing, security, and scalability. Edge computing handles transmission delay and scalability issues, while DLT handles data validation and trust. A lightweight DLT model is introduced to enable faster data commitment and better networking. The model incorporates two main features: a new grouping technique that enables network segmentation reducing network complexity. The second technique dynamically optimizes resource-utilization by adjusting DLT requirements according to the hardware capabilities of each participating node.