METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING NETWORK SERVICES IN A NETWORK HAVING INTERNET-OF-THINGS NETWORK SUBSCRIBERS

Abstract

A method is provided for identifying network services in a network having at least one Internet-of-Things network subscriber, in particular Internet-of-Things sensors/actuators, based on domain name system service discovery DNS-SD via a multicast domain name system mDNS. A domain name system service discovery DNS-SD compliant request for a network service type is transmitted by an Internet-of-Things network subscriber to a network having at least one host that provides network services. At least one domain name system service discovery DNS-SD compliant response to the request is received from one of the hosts. The response comprises a text field having a network service identifier. A connection request is transmitted by the Internet-of-Things network subscriber to the host to which the network service identifier is assigned and which provides the desired network service.

Claims

1. A method for identifying network services in a network having at least one host which provides each network service with a network service identifier, and with at least one Internet-of-Things network subscriber in the form of at least one Internet-of-Things sensor/actuator and/or wireless sender/receiver based on domain name system service discovery (DNS-SD) via a multicast domain name system (mDNS), the method comprising: transmitting a domain name system service discovery (DNS-SD) compliant request for a network service type from an Internet-of-Things network subscriber to the network having the at least one host that provides network services; receiving at least one domain name system service discovery (DNS-SD) compliant response from one of the at least one host to the DNS-SD compliant request, wherein the (DNS-SD) compliant response comprises a text field having a network service identifier of the network service corresponding to the requested network service type, and transmitting a connection request from the Internet-of-Things network subscriber to the at least one host to which the network service identifier in the (DNS-SD) compliant response is assigned and which provides the desired network service.

2. The method for identifying network services according to claim 1, wherein the network service identifier in the text field corresponds to an identifier of the Internet-of-Things network subscriber and/or to the associated network service on the application layer.

3. The method for identifying network services according to claim 1, wherein address information of the searched for host, which comprises a network name and a port number of the host, is not known to the requesting network subscriber in advance.

4. The method for identifying network services according to claim 1, wherein the multicast domain name system (mDNS) is a wide-area mDNS.

5. The method for identifying network services according to claim 1, wherein the Internet-of-Things network subscribers and/or the at least one host are addressed based on IPv6 link local addresses.

6. The method for identifying network services according to claim 1, wherein the at least one host is configured to represent one of the Internet-of-Things network subscribers.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Further embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0015] Advantages and exemplary embodiments of the invention are elucidated below with reference to the drawing.

[0016] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a process sequence of a search for services in a network according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention, and

[0017] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of DNS-SD information when searching for services in a network.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The invention relates to an Internet-of-Things (IoT) infrastructure, in which a plurality of IoT network subscribers (e.g., IoT sensors, actuators, wireless transmitters/receivers, etc.) can communicate over a network (e.g., the internet or a local network) with other components, such as hosts that provide network services. The communication of the sensors, actuators and/or the wireless transmitters/receivers with a network as well as with hosts in the network is based on an IP protocol. As an option, IoT network subscribers (IoT sensors/actuators and/or wireless transmitters/receivers) can act as hosts. The search, for example, by the IoT network subscriber for an associated network service uses DNS-SD over mDNS (domain name system-service discovery via multicast domain name system, see standard: IETF RFC 6762). The IoT network subscriber requires a network service to be able to communicate and transmit data or measurements to the network service. The network service, in turn, is used to receive this data and optionally to control or transmit commands to the IoT network subscriber.

[0019] According to one aspect of the present invention, specific names or individual identifiers can be assigned to the respective IoT network subscribers or the associated network services. For example, the identifiers can represent TI211-temperature collector input. Optionally, the identifiers or the descriptors or names of the respective IoT network subscribers can be defined by the user.

[0020] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a process sequence of a search for services according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention. According to the first exemplary embodiment, a service discovery, i.e., a search for a network service, is performed based on mDNS. An IoT network subscriber 100 (e.g., sensor/actuator) sends a request 1 (mdns request) for a network service of a specific type 11 into the connected network 300. A plurality of hosts 210, 220, 230 that provide network services are connected to the network 300. If any of the hosts 210, 220, 230 provides the network service of the requested type 11, the host 210, 220 responds with an mDNS-SD announcement 2, 3. The request 1 and the responses 2, 3 are made in a service discovery phase SDP. Each response 2, 3 (mDNS announcement) comprises the address information consisting of network name 13 (consisting of host name 13a and domain 13b) and port 14, as well as the service identifier on the application layer 12, where the latter is contained in a text field TXT of the response 2, 3. The application identifier 12 can be used to identify the associated network service that is sought. If the IoT network subscriber (e.g., sensor/actuator 100) has identified the correct network service using the application identifier 12, a connection request 4 is made in a Service Using Phase SUP from the IoT sensor/actuator 100 to the corresponding host 210 providing the required network service. The IoT Sensor 100 uses the address information from the mDNS-SD announcement consisting of network name 13 and port number 14.

[0021] This allows an IoT sensor/actuator 100 to achieve an independent and dynamic connection to a desired network service. Advantageously, configuration of IP addresses, for example, is no longer necessary.

[0022] According to one aspect of the present invention, a user can identify the IoT network subscribers 100 and/or the associated network services in their system with their own identifiers. These specific identifiers can appear in the text field TXT so that a user can directly recognize IoT network subscribers and/or the associated network services in their identifier structure (naming system of the IoT network subscribers and/or the associated network services). This is advantageous because it means the user does not need a mapping table (application identifier to the IP address; infrastructure address or structural address). In addition, a mapping table of a bus address is thus required in non-IP-based systems.

[0023] For example, an identifier for an IoT temperature sensor and/or the associated network service can be represented by TIxxx. For example, the identifier for a valve can be represented by Vxxx. Optionally, the user can implement the respective identifier for the IoT network subscribers/network service on the basis of a system diagram or a system structure, which is to be enabled by its being controlled by the IoT network subscribers.

[0024] According to one aspect of the invention, IPv6 link local addresses are used in the allocation of the IP addresses. This allows the hosts 210-230 and the network subscriber 100 to allocate or assign the IP addresses themselves. This is again advantageous, as it no longer requires central administration.

[0025] FIG. 2 symbolically shows the mDNS-SD request by means of an available mDNS user program. In line (1) the request is made as to which hosts offer the service of type 11, and then the program displays a list (lines 2 and 3) with information on hosts that responded to the request with an announcement, including the server name (13a) and the domain (13b). In line 5, the mDNS user program is prompted to display further information about the found host that is known from the announcement. This includes the network name 13, the port number 14, and the service identifier on the application layer 12 (i.e., its own identifier for the respective IoT network subscriber). The latter was transmitted in the text field TXT of the mDNS-SD announcement.

[0026] According to one aspect of the present invention, the IoT network subscriber can be configured as a wireless transmitter/receiver or a wireless client.

[0027] The wireless transmitter/receiver can perform IP-based communication with the network based on a WiFi protocol, LTE protocol, 5G protocol, or a Bluetooth protocol.