Performance Evaluation of Information Gathering from Edge Devices in a Complex of Smart Buildings

The use of monitoring systems based on cloud computing has become common for smart buildings. However, the dilemma of centralization versus decentralization, in terms of gathering information and making the right decisions based on it, remains. Performance, dependent on the system design, does matter for emergency detection, where response time and loading behavior become very important. We studied several design options based on edge computing and containers for a smart building monitoring system that sends alerts to the responsible personnel when necessary. The study evaluated performance, including a qualitative analysis and load testing, for our experimental settings. From 700+ edge nodes, we obtained response times that were 30% lower for the public cloud versus the local solution. For up to 100 edge nodes, the values were better for the latter, and in between, they were rather similar. Based on an interpretation of the results, we developed recommendations for five real-world configurations, and we present the design choices adopted in our development for a complex of smart buildings.