DMTF Releases PICMG IoT.x IP for Redfish API for Modular Factories

Redfish, an IT industry standard widely used for data collection and device management in various equipment, has seen significant advancements in recent years. Since 2018, collaborative efforts between PICMG and DMTF have expanded the capabilities of Redfish beyond its traditional usage in data center fans and coolant pumps. The focus has shifted towards automation and factory equipment, enabling remote management and control of sophisticated systems such as robotic motion platforms and contextualized sensing systems.

The culmination of these efforts has resulted in the development of PICMG IoT.1 and IoT.2, which introduce extensions to DMTF's Redfish standard. These extensions are now incorporated in the latest publication, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of Redfish. Jeff Hilland, the president of DMTF, emphasized the importance of these extensions in enabling interoperable management on control plane infrastructure, particularly in edge systems.

The PICMG IoT.1 firmware specification establishes a standard data model tailored for sensor manufacturers and systems integrators. On the other hand, PICMG IoT.2 addresses the data model and network architecture requirements for the seamless integration of extensive sensor/effector networks. Together, these specifications play a crucial role in expediting the development and deployment of smart sensors in Industry 4.0 applications, providing a comprehensive framework for advanced control endpoints.

Furthermore, PICMG is actively involved in extending the Redfish job model to facilitate cloud-based scheduling and orchestration of factory equipment. This initiative aims to empower industrial operators to leverage cloud platforms like AWS for managing jobs efficiently, extending control all the way to the endpoints on the factory floor. Doug Sandy, the CTO of PICMG, envisions a future where modular factories operate seamlessly, with interconnected components and plug-and-play functionality at every level.

As the collaboration between PICMG and DMTF progresses, the IP submission from PICMG has entered DMTF's Work in Progress phase, with a targeted full release expected in 2025. During this phase, the development community will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the specification, ensuring that any necessary changes are incorporated before the next Redfish release. Additionally, a joint team from PICMG and DMTF is actively working on an example implementation of an interoperable data environment, presented in the form of an open-source server available on the PICMG GitHub repository.