Networked IoT systems with edge and cloud reach must be constantly synchronized. However, at the time of their development it is not known when which systems will be required to communicate with one another. Dr. Andreas Metzger , who coordinates the work in the ENACT project at paluno , explained the problem as follows, “if multiple IoT systems affect the same environmental size or consume the same resource (fuel, computational time), they must identify potential conflicts and resolve them as automatically as possible.”

IoT-networked production therefore requires its own, flexible solutions in the development and operation of industrial IoT systems that conform with this dynamic. For this purpose, the project has taken a model as an example, which has already proven itself in software development: DevOps. The combination of “development” and “operations” is designed to bridge the gap between stable functionality and agile updates solving the very dilemma that IoT systems are heading for.

However, the DevOps principle will not be able to be implemented on a cookie-cutter basis because of the high security and quality of service requirements for Trustworthy SIS (Smart IoT Systems). Therefore, three separate toolkits have been put together for the research and innovation project: continuous delivery, agile operation, and trustworthiness. The University of Duisburg-Essen is responsible for the work package “Trustworthy & Agile Operation of Smart IoT Systems.” ENACT will run until December 2020, involving a total of eleven partners from six countries.