Extending the Synoptics of Things (SoT) Framework to Manage ISoS Technology Landscapes

Abstract

Managing and monitoring the software and hard-ware artifacts of an industrial organization are fundamental efforts that can often be challenging endeavors to achieve, especially when such technological landscapes are composed of multiple heterogeneous systems. Usually, Internet of Things (IoT) devices are provided by different suppliers and may use different protocols and interfaces. Thus, the integration of these devices results in complex development and maintenance cycles. The Synoptics of Things (SoT) framework can address these problems, in conjunction with the Informatics System of Systems (ISoS) platform by promoting an open market competitive technology landscape for organizations. The purpose of the research presented in this paper was to extend the SoT framework in order to manage and monitor the different elements of an ISoS-enabled organization, namely the ISystems (Informatics Systems), CES (Cooperation Enabled Services), and Services. We argue that the SoT framework can be essential in a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system in today’s modern web, by adopting the concept of Web Components as a standard to enable the development of custom and reusable components. We present and discuss such issues in the context of the HORUS system, an informatic system responsible for payment enforcement in fueling stations. In this system, several devices must work in coordination, such as video cameras and video recorders, which are fundamental for the retrieving of license plate images and, therefore, be continually monitored to ensure the correct functioning of the HORUS system.