What is AWS IoT Core?
AWS IoT Core is the central platform for connecting IoT devices to AWS. The service enables bidirectional communication between devices and the cloud via MQTT, HTTPS, or WebSocket. IoT Core automatically scales to billions of devices.
The security architecture is based on X.509 certificates for device authentication and granular IoT policies for authorization. Device Shadow stores the current and desired state of each device for reliable communication even with intermittent connectivity.
Core Features
- Message broker for MQTT, HTTPS, and WebSocket
- Device Shadow for state synchronization
- Rules Engine for message processing and routing
- Device Defender for security monitoring
- Fleet Indexing for device search and grouping
Common Use Cases
Smart Home: Smart devices communicate with backend services via IoT Core. Alexa integration enables voice control. Device Shadows synchronize device state even during connection interruptions.
Industrial IoT: Machines and sensors in factories send telemetry data to IoT Core. Rules Engine routes data to Kinesis for real-time analysis or S3 for long-term storage.
Connected Vehicles: Vehicles transmit location, diagnostics, and usage data. Backend services send software updates and configuration changes back to vehicles.
Benefits
- Managed infrastructure without server management
- Automatic scaling from one to billions of devices
- Built-in security with certificate management
- Native integration with 20+ AWS services
Integration with innFactory
As an AWS reseller, innFactory supports you with AWS IoT Core: device onboarding, security architecture, Rules Engine design, and integration with analytics services.
Typical Use Cases
Frequently Asked Questions
What is AWS IoT Core?
AWS IoT Core is a managed cloud service that securely connects IoT devices to AWS. The service supports MQTT, HTTPS, and WebSocket protocols and automatically scales to billions of devices and trillions of messages.
How are devices authenticated?
IoT Core supports X.509 certificates, custom authorizers with Lambda, and AWS SigV4. Each device receives a unique certificate. Device Defender monitors unusual behavior and detects compromised devices.
What are IoT Rules?
IoT Rules process incoming messages with SQL-like syntax and route them to AWS services: Lambda, S3, DynamoDB, Kinesis, SNS, SQS, and more. Example: Store temperature data in DynamoDB and send alert to SNS when threshold exceeded.
What does AWS IoT Core cost?
IoT Core charges per message: 1 USD per million messages (first 250 million), cheaper at higher volumes. Additional: connection minutes (0.08 USD per million) and Rules Engine (0.15 USD per million actions). Typical costs: 10 to 100 USD/month for small to medium fleets.