Blockchain in IoT and Beyond: Case Studies …

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Survey on Blockchain in IoT and IIoT

Blockchain is now intensively used for IoT and IIoT. Section 2.1 gives an introduction

to IoT and IIoT followed by Sect. 2.2, which gives the survey of blockchain on recent

work and also proof of concepts of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) [13].

2.1

IoT and Industrial IoT

The Internet of Things (IoT) is the interconnection of devices and systems used

to connect and communicate over the Internet. Sensors, devices, connectivity, data

processing, and the user interface make the IoT the technology for the future.

Industrial IoT(IIoT) [14] is a subset of IoT. IIoT as the name suggests is generally

used for the industrial sectors and applications. The use of artificial intelligence,

machine learning, big data analytics, distributed system, cyber-physical systems has

made the IIoT technologies [15], a boon with a reduction in human error and labor,

an increase in efficiency, and a reduction of costs.

However, the possibility of cyber-attacks [16] and breach of security and privacy

[17] is common in IoT [18]. This is more devastating in the case of IIoT. There

are challenges in interoperability, [19] privacy, and security. The use of blockchain

technologies may be the solution to overcome this problem in IoT and IIoT.

Figure 1 gives an architectural diagram, and in broad sense, IoT has four-layered

architecture as below:

Sensing Layer: The IoT is basically useful for this layer. This layer consists of

hardware components, which collects real-time data from the environment. These

have hardware like camera, various types of sensors (temperature, motions etc.),

GPS, microphone, and many more.

Network Layer: The data collected by sensors must be transferred to computing

devices. This layer basically uses the existing network to transfer these data.

Data Processing Layer: These are the computers that receive the data and process

it to generate information.

Application Layer: This layer uses the information generated by data processing

layer and represents it to user, for example traffic conditions of a route.

Figure 2 gives the basic architecture of IIOT. IIoT basically consists of IoT, Cloud,

and Edge computing facility for industrial requirements. IIoT consists of data sources

as collected by sensors then these data are processed in edge layer, the next layer

of IIoT. As industry requires a huge collection of data so cloud gateway comes in

the next layer, and finally, execution and integration are being done in industry or

factory using IIoT.