The OSS blueprint for the Industrial IoT feat. Node-RED, MQTT, Kafka, TimescaleDB, and Grafana
Tags: opensource, mqtt, kubernetes, github
Published: 2023-03-04 10:57:53

As Industry 4.0 gains momentum, the need for integrating Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) becomes increasingly important. [The United Manufacturing Hub (UMH)](https://umh.docs.umh.app/docs/) is an open-source project that provides a solution for this integration. UMH is an Open-Source Helm Chart for Kubernetes that combines state-of-the-art IT/OT tools and technologies and brings them into the hands of the engineer. By leveraging UMH, engineers can access the world's best IT and OT tools, tailor them for manufacturing, and get started right away.

## Features
UMH comes with everything that you need to generate value on the shop floor. You can extract data from the shop floor via **Node-RED**, ifm IO-Link gateways, barcode readers, or GenICam compatible cameras. You can then contextualize and standardize the data using Node-RED as a low-code programming tool and the ISA95 compatible UMH data model. UMH also provides options for exchanging and storing data, using **HiveMQ** for IoT devices, **Apache Kafka** as an enterprise message broker, and **TimescaleDB** as a reliable relational and time-series storage solution. Lastly, you can visualize the data using **Grafana** and factoryinsight to build powerful shop floor dashboards.

One of the biggest advantages of UMH is that it prevents vendor lock-in and allows customization to your needs. The only requirement is Kubernetes, which is available in various flavors, including **k3s**, **bare-metal k8s**, and Kubernetes-as-a-service offerings like **AWS EKS** or **Azure AKS**. You can swap components with other options at any time. Not a fan of Node-RED? Replace it with Kepware. Prefer a different MQTT broker? Use it! UMH allows you to leverage existing systems and add only what you need.

**Getting started with UMH is easy.** [Download and install now](https://umh.docs.umh.app/docs/getstarted/installation/), so you can show results instead of drawing nice boxes in PowerPoint. You can connect with like-minded people through the UMH community of experts and ask anything. You can tap into community content, from tutorials and Node-RED flows to Grafana dashboards. Although not all content is enterprise-supported, starting with a working solution saves you time and resources. UMH provides honest answers in a world where many companies spend millions on advertising.

## How does it work

UMH requires a **Kubernetes** cluster, but the project provides extensive documentation, guides, and knowledge sections to help you learn everything that you need. UMH abstracts these tools and technologies so that you can leverage all advantages, but still focus on what really matters: digitizing your production. With the commercial Management Console, you can manage your entire IT/OT infrastructure and work with Grafana/Node-RED without the need to ever touch or understand Kubernetes, Docker, Firewalls, Networking, or similar.

## Summary
In conclusion, the United Manufacturing Hub is an excellent open-source solution that provides a blueprint for the Industrial IoT. By leveraging UMH, engineers can access the best IT and OT tools, tailor them for manufacturing, and get started right away. UMH prevents vendor lock-in, allows customization to your needs, and provides extensive documentation and support.

[Check out the documentation](https://umh.docs.umh.app/docs/)
[Check it out on GitHub](https://github.com/united-manufacturing-hub/united-manufacturing-hub)