This topic provides answers to some frequently asked questions (FAQ) about IoT Platform.
What are the communication modes that are used by IoT Platform to manage devices?
IoT Platform provides secure and reliable communication capabilities for devices. For more information about the communication modes that are used by IoT Platform to manage devices, see IoT Platform.
Compared with the method in which devices are connected to IoT Platform by using user-managed Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) brokers, what are the benefits of the method in which devices are directly connected to IoT Platform?
The method in which devices are directly connected to IoT Platform provides more capabilities and is more cost-effective. For more information, see Benefits.
Does IoT Platform support only device connections over MQTT?
No. IoT Platform supports device connections over MQTT, Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP), and HTTPS. For more information, see MQTT, HTTPS, CoAP.
Which endpoints are used by IoT Platform?
When you connect devices to IoT Platform, the related endpoints are required. For more information, see View the endpoint of an instance.
When you perform an over-the-air (OTA) update on a device, IoT Platform sends an endpoint that is related to the OTA update in the
ota.iot-thing.cn-${YourRegionId}.aliyuncs.comformat.${YourRegionId}: Replace this variable with the ID of the region where your IoT Platform device resides. For information about the format of region IDs, see Supported regions.
Can I specify an IoT Platform endpoint after a custom domain name?
No, you cannot specify an IoT Platform endpoint after a custom domain name. IoT Platform does not support CNAME-based resolution and authenticates each request. If a request is not sent from a trusted domain, the request may be denied.
After a device submits data to IoT Platform, what is the method that is used to store the data to a MySQL database or SQL Server database?
You can use the data forwarding feature of IoT Platform to forward data to a destination database. For more information, see Forward data to ApsaraDB RDS.
IoT Platform and Message Queue for Apache RocketMQ are used for messaging. What are the differences between the preceding services?
The preceding services are used for different scenarios. IoT Platform can help you reduce the security risks that are caused when devices are cracked.
IoT Platform is used for IoT scenarios in which devices need to communicate with each other.
IoT Platform issues a unique identifier to each device that is connected to IoT Platform and verifies the device based on the identifier. You can also use IoT Platform to manage devices, such as authorizing and disabling devices. If a device is cracked, IoT Platform can help you minimize risks and reduce the loss to only one device. This way, the entire system is not affected.
Message Queue for Apache RocketMQ is used for scenarios in which servers need to asynchronously communicate with each other. Message Queue for Apache RocketMQ does not provide risk control capabilities for devices.
Can I use IoT Platform in a region outside the Chinese mainland?
Yes, you can use IoT Platform in a region outside the Chinese mainland. IoT Platform is deployed across multiple countries and regions. You can log on to the IoT Platform to check the region where you activate IoT Platform.
Which hardware devices can be connected to IoT Platform?
The devices whose hardware environments include the TCP/IP protocol stack can be connected to IoT Platform.
The protocols over which devices are connected to IoT Platform are open to the public. You can connect devices to IoT Platform over the protocols. You can also use the SDKs provided by IoT Platform to connect devices. For more information, see Download Link SDKs.
Is the format of messages that are submitted by devices to IoT Platform fixed? Can the messages be sent to the applications of device manufacturers?
No, the format is not fixed. Yes, after IoT Platform receives messages that are submitted by devices, IoT Platform forwards the messages to the applications of device manufacturers for processing. Device manufacturers must develop their own message processing logic.
For more information about how cloud application servers receive device messages, see Server-side subscription.
How high is the latency when IoT Platform forwards device messages?
The latency varies based on one of the following factors during device messaging:
When a device sends messages to IoT Platform, the latency varies based on the network bandwidth.
When messages are sent between features in IoT Platform, the latency varies based on IoT Platform. The maximum latency is 50 ms.
When messages are sent to an application service, the latency varies based on the network bandwidth.
When the system of an application server processes internal messages, the latency varies based on the application server.
How is the confidentiality of data stored in IoT Platform?
IoT Platform provides high confidentiality.
If the username and password of a manufacturer account are not leaked, other manufacturers cannot obtain the device data of the manufacturer.
Does IoT Platform support the server SDK for C?
Yes. We recommend that you do not use the C programming language to develop a server. If you use the message callback feature, you must use the C programming language to develop a web server. The process is complex.
If you use the SDK for C to connect a server to IoT Platform, you must send requests to IoT Platform over HTTP by calling IoT Platform API operations.
How am I charged for using IoT Platform? Are the SDKs of IoT Platform free of charge?
For more information about the billing methods of IoT Platform, see Billing. You can use IoT Platform instances of different types based on your business requirements. For more information, see Enterprise Edition instances and public instances.
All SDKs provided by IoT Platform are free of charge. IoT Platform provides Link SDKs and server SDKs. IoT Platform provides open source SDKs that are verified by multiple licenses, such as Apache Eclipse Public License (EPL) v2.0.
How do I obtain solutions that are related to IoT?
The solutions provided by IoT Platform include third-party solutions and solutions provided by module providers. You can also visit Alibaba Cloud Marketplace to find popular solution providers.