IIC RA: Implementation Viewpoint

The Track & Trace testbed will be deployed in a number of different environments. Usually, each factory has a production or shop-floor network that connects the machines being used. The business systems are usually located in a different network called the service network. For the BCW keynote demo, this distinction was not made.

Software Architecture

The high-level software architecture and connectivity model is shown in the following diagram. It depicts how the data is sent from the Nexo power tool via “open protocol” to the agent hub software after each tightening run. Furthermore, the tool transmits the tightening curve directly to an FTP server. The Nexo driver implementation of the agent hub fetches the curve data each time a tightening is registered and stores the event data within a MongoDB. The central registry is then notified of a new event. The Track & Trace solution itself is made up of two core applications and an additional application for the BCW keynote demo. The first application (“Connect App”) retrieves the current location of all registered assets from the Cisco servers and forwards it to registered clients. The “T&T App” represents the core business application. For the purposes of showcasing the testbed at the BCW keynote, a simplified UI was developed that leverages the existing functions of the “T&T App”.

Technical Infrastructure View

The final deployment of the BCW Track & Trace instance is shown in the following image. The shop-floor network is represented as a private C-class network within the IP range 192.168.0.x. It only includes the production machines (nutrunners, for example) and the sensors required for micro-level tracking. All other systems are deployed on a services network, represented by the IP addresses 10.0.9.x. The gap between both networks is bridged by the Cisco router depicted at the bottom of the figure, which can be configured based on different firewall settings.

Another important aspect of the technical deployment view is shown in the following image. It highlights the positioning of access points within the conference venue. The nutrunner tools can be tracked inside every triangle that can be created by three different access points. As we can see, the entire conference hall is covered, as well as two specific areas outside.