IoT platform product architecture on Google Cloud

The IoT platform product architecture on Google Cloud provides a unified interface for managing a diverse range of devices. It typically offers basic MQTT and HTTPS data connectivity, along with device provisioning, authentication, and management capabilities. Telemetry storage, visualization, data processing, and alerting are also part of its features. Organizations turn to IoT platforms when a standalone MQTT broker is insufficient. The platform deploys an MQTT broker or endpoint for device connectivity and is connected to an external proxy Network Load Balancer for traffic distribution. Additional IoT applications can connect through Pub/Sub or the Dataflow MQTT connector. The IoT platform provides various device management services, including device credential store, rules engine, device authentication and authorization, device configuration management, device registry, and device update management. It also often includes services like digital twin features, low-code development interfaces, alerting and notification capabilities, and other analytics functionality. When evaluating commercial IoT platforms, it's crucial to understand the approach taken for the MQTT endpoint implementation. Some platforms use a connector between MQTT and another message service, while others provide a full MQTT broker. HTTPS is a common alternative protocol to MQTT, with its own advantages and use cases. Load balancing considerations are similar to those in the Standalone MQTT broker architecture. Device authentication and credential management are key aspects, with various authentication methods available. Managing connected devices involves software and system updates, configuration updates, credential creation and management, and a rules engine for data processing. Backend workloads can be connected using common data transport and storage capabilities. Use cases where an IoT platform is a better choice than a standalone MQTT broker or direct connection to Pub/Sub include smart appliance management and logistics and asset tracking.