M2M Application Instance Identification via SCL
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Solution Overview
Problem
In M2M networks, existing technologies face challenges in uniquely identifying individual application instances due to non-unique application identifiers used by developers, leading to complications in registration and broader identification within the domain.
Innovation Solution
A Services Capability Layer (SCL) generates globally unique identifiers for application instances by appending its own identifier and a random value to the application identifier or alias, ensuring each instance is uniquely identifiable within the M2M domain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If application developers use generic application identifiers for all instances of an application, then development and deployment is simplified, but unique identification of individual application instances becomes impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The identifier is segmented into multiple components: a generic application identifier (shared by all instances) and a unique instance identifier (specific to each instance). This segmentation allows the system to maintain both the simplicity of generic identification and the precision of unique instance identification, resolving the contradiction between ease of deployment and identification precision.
2Device complexity
If multiple devices run the same application version with identical identifiers, then resource sharing and management is simplified, but registration and tracking of individual instances becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The Services Capability Layer (SCL) acts as an intermediary that receives generic application identifiers from multiple devices, generates unique instance identifiers for each device, and maintains the mapping between them. This intermediary approach simplifies the device side (maintaining low complexity) while enabling precise registration and tracking at the network level.
3Measurement precision
If a centralized system tracks all application instances, then global identification is achieved, but system complexity and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by generating and assigning unique instance identifiers at the moment of application registration, rather than attempting to track or resolve identifiers later. This preliminary assignment simplifies subsequent tracking and management operations, achieving global identification accuracy without proportionally increasing system complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
In one aspect of the teachings herein, a Services Capability Layer, SCL, within a Machine-to-Machine, M2M, network generates unique identifiers, for use in identifying individual application instances within the M2M domain. According to such operation, an SCL receives or otherwise obtains an application identifier for an application instance registering at the SCL, and generates a globally unique identifier for the application instance using the application identifier or an alias corresponding to it. As an example, the SCL appends to the application identifier or alias its own identifier, which is unique to that SCL, along with a random value. The resultant identifier is guaranteed to be unique for the individual application instance and the SCL uses the resultant identifier for identifying the application instance to other entities within the M2M domain.