This document discusses interoperability and RTI's experience with facilitating interoperability between complex distributed systems. It describes RTI's work on over 800 projects across various industries involving 15+ standards efforts. RTI promotes using data-centric middleware like DDS to allow systems built with different technologies, platforms and vendors to easily share information through a common data model and quality of service controls. The document argues this approach improves integration, flexibility and future-proofing for systems compared to traditional methods.
5. Facilitate Plug-n-Play Across Vendors
• Audi hardware-in-the-loop
simulation feeds realistic data to
components for testing
• The system offers plug-n-play
between simulation vendor
solutions
• RTI middleware enables a modular
test environment that scales to
work with hundreds of devices
8. Improve Safety by Connecting Devices
• Hospital error is the 6th
leading cause of
preventable death
• The Integrated Clinical
Environment (ICE)
standard specifies
interoperability for
medical devices
• RTI Connext DDS ties
together many classes of
devices from many
vendors
“RTI Connext DDS met all our needs – whether
we’re handling 12 patients, or 200.”
-- DocBox Founder, Tracy Rausch
9. The Industrial Internet Consortium
• Goal: Interoperability for the IIoT
• 140+ companies!
• RTI role
– Steering committee, data
management (lead), framework,
security, use case (lead), marketing
– Lead or co-lead 3 testbed teams
12. It’s All About the Data
Data centricity enables interoperation, scale, integration
Messaging middleware
DataBus
Unstructured files
Database
Data Centricity
Data Centricity
13. Data Centric is the Opposite of OO
Object Oriented
• Encapsulate data
• Export methods
Data Centric
• Encapsulate methods
• Export data
Explicit
Shared
Data
Model
14. The DDS Data-Centric Standard for the IIoT
• OMG’s Data Distribution Service is
the Proven Data Connectivity
Standard for the IoT
• OMG: world’s largest systems
software standards org
– UML, DDS, Industrial Internet
Consortium
• DDS: open & cross-vendor
– Open Standard & Open Source
– 12 implementations
Interoperability between source
written for different vendors
Interoperability between applications
running on different implementations
DDS-RTPS Protocol
Real-Time Publish-Subscribe
Distribution Fabric
DDS API
15. Interoperability of the Word “Interoperability”
“Interoperability” is meaningless without “between”
16. Interoperability Between Applications
• Proximity
• Platform
• Language
• Physical network
• Transport protocol
• Network topology
DDS “DataBus”
Seamless data sharing regardless of: Explicit Shared
Data Model with
Controlled QoS
17. Interoperability Between Language, OS, CPU
C on VxWorks
ppc
C# on Windows
x86
Java on Android
C++ on Linux
Labview on
Windows
Excel on
Windows
Node.js on
Cloud
JavaScript in
Browser
DDS Databus
Serialize native
types to
implement data
model on
standard wire
protocol
18. Interoperability Between Networks
Image Store
Machine Domain
Scanner
HMI
Machine Net
Gantry
Servo
Machine Control (SRIO)
Emitter
Control
Dosage
Monitor
ECG Sync
Scanner
Control
Power
System
Patient
Status
Image Domain
Image Databus
Image
Generation
Scanner Data
Acquisition
Bridge data
model and QoS
across network
types
21. Unit DataBus
Unit DataBus
Interoperability Between IT & OT
• Connect…
– Fast
– Seamless
– QoS controlled
– Secure
– Data centric
• Across 80 Platforms…
• Over 12 Transports
Intelligent
Machines
Intelligent
Systems
Intelligent
Industrial
Internet
Cloud DataBus
Site DataBus
Intelligent
System of
Systems
Unit DataBus
Sens
e
Act
Thin
k
HMI
Machine DataBus
Thin
k
HMI
Machine DataBus
Sens
e
Act
Thin
k
HMI
Machine DataBus
Hide
Sensor-
Cloud
complex
topology
behind a
single
logical
DataBus
22. Interoperability Between Subsystems
• Bridge
– Data models
– Protocols
– Security domains
• Isolate subsystems
– Control export
– Filter access
– Translate modelsOther
protocol
s
Routing Service
Pluggable Adapters
Transformation Engine
System
Super System
Subsystem
Subsystem
Subsystem
Subsystem
23. Interoperability Between Security Entities
• Per-Topic Security
– Control r,w access for each
function
– Enforce each dataflow
• Complete Protection
– Discovery authentication
– Data-centric access control
– Cryptography
– Tagging & logging
– Non-repudiation
– Secure multicast
– 100% standards compliant
• No code changes!
• Plugin architecture for
advanced uses
• Topic Security model:
– PMU: State(w)
– CBM: State(r); Alarms(w)
– Control: State(r), SetPoint(w)
– Operator: *(r), Setpoint(w)
CBM AnalysisPMU Control Operator
State Alarms SetPoint
25. Interoperability Maturation Path:
Reduce Distance to Integrate
Party A Party B
No standard exists,
completely custom
integration
Interfaces can be transformed/mapped
Interfaces use a common model
“Plug and Play” standard defined
Credit: Scott Neumann, UISol position paper