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Enhancing IoT Edge Platforms: Selecting an MQTT-Compatible Broker for Kubernetes Environments

Authors:

Bahareh Aghajanpour , Alessio Bucaioni, Gabriele Capannini

Research group:

Product and Production Development

Publication Type:

Conference/Workshop Paper

Abstract

This paper aims to enhance IoT communication in edge platforms by identifying suitable MQTT-compatible solutions. The primary focus is on investigating two critical quality attributes of message brokers: data throughput and latency. To guide this research, we address two questions: (1) How do protocols like MQTT and their architecture contribute to messaging in IoT communications? and (2) How can MQTT architecture be optimized to meet the requirements of the ABB IoT Edge Platform? A mixed-methods research approach was applied, encompassing both quantitative and qualitative phases. The quantitative phase involves experimental evaluation of data throughput and latency among various message brokers, while the qualitative phase includes stakeholder interviews and literature review. Results indicate that event-driven architecture, publisher-subscriber design patterns, and the NATS message broker provide effective support for MQTT-based IoT edge platforms. Notably, NATS demonstrated high throughput and low latency compared to alternative brokers, making it a strong candidate for use in IoT edge environments. These findings offer valuable insights into best practices for MQTT-compatible message brokers in IoT platforms, specifically benefiting software architects developing for the ABB IoT edge platform

Bibtex

@inproceedings{Aghajanpour7113,
author = {Bahareh Aghajanpour and Alessio Bucaioni and Gabriele Capannini},
title = {Enhancing IoT Edge Platforms: Selecting an MQTT-Compatible Broker for Kubernetes Environments},
month = {April},
year = {2025},
url = {http://www.es.mdu.se/publications/7113-}
}