IoT Working Group Minutes - RIPE 84

Date: 18 May 2022, 09:00 – 10:00 (UTC+2)
WG Chairs: Constanze Dietrich, Sandoche Balkrichenan
Scribe: Alun Davies
Status: Final

1. Introduction and Housekeeping

Constanze Dietrich welcomed attendees and opened the session.

2. Secure and Authorized Client-to-Client Communication for LwM2M

Leandro Lanzieri, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences

Leandro Lanzieri presented talk on the work he and his colleagues have been doing to develop secure and authorised client to client communication. The work was motivated compatibility issues between IoT devices from different vendors. on security for client-to-client communication in LwM2M. He ran through some of the experimentation he and his team have been carrying out and the benefits they uncovered. The talk provided an overview of an IoT management protocol called lightweight machine to machine that tackles these issues.

You can find the presentation at:
https://ripe84.ripe.net/archives/video/776

Daniel Karenberg (RIPE NCC) asked about what methodology was used to determine energy consumption. Leandro responded that the test bed uses sensors that allow you to measure the amount of energy each node was using.

Sandoche asked, given that they used an authorisation mechanism for the clients, how did they do key management. Was it symmetric or asymmetric?

Leandro answered that that wasn't part of the mechanism. He explained that they handle everything at the level of LwM2M objects, so when the server has to install the new credentials it installs to the devices. The way credentials are stored is already defined by the protocol.

There were no further questions.

3. IoT Encounters in Health Care Networks

Tommy Haga, Helse Vest IKT

Tommy talked about the work being done by him and his colleagues who work for an IT department for public hospitals in western Norway. Serving 45 hospitals in the public sector and with approximately 680 employees, the company has around 60,000 active end points as of the time of the talk, the IoT segment being the fastest growing. Tommy's presentation looked at the variety of devices, their importance, and the challenges around maintaining them.

You can find the presentation at:
https://ripe84.ripe.net/archives/video/780

Niall O'Reilly asked if they're seeing the newer class of IoT devices in the networks they're dealing with. Tommy answered they do, both in their internal development team that is working with open source sensors and through vendors who are starting to use more modern equipment.

There were no further questions.

4. RIPE NCC IoT Update 2022

Jad El Cham, RIPE NCC

Jad presented attendees at the session with simple question: did they see any added value in the RIPE NCC providing training material or training courses covering IoT topics?

You can find the presentation at:
https://ripe84.ripe.net/archives/video/782

Jim Reid answered no. He added that it is important that the operation of any training services should be constrained to RIPE NCC services only. They shouldn't try to dabble in other markets such as offer training in DNS or on IoT or whatever. Doing so could cause problems for the RIPE NCC further down the line.

Others in the room lent support for Jim's response. Had asked for a show of hands from the room of who was for and against.

5. Co-Chair Announcement and AOB

At the close of the session, Constanze Dietrich announced she'll be stepping down as IoT WG Chair and welcomed Peter Steinhäuser who'll be taking on the role starting at RIPE 85.

End of session.