Barracuda expands its scalable IoT connectivity solution

Barracuda announced that customers can now run Crosser Edge Analytics software directly on Barracuda Secure Connector. Barracuda’s scalable IoT hardware connectivity solution running the Crosser node application addresses the need for both secure connectivity in large, distributed environments and accurate analytics at scale.

Modern IoT analytics and edge intelligence solutions depend on the data collected on the edge. Barracuda Secure Connector provides scalable and secure connectivity in industrial IoT environments. With the Crosser Edge application running in a container on Barracuda Secure Connector, data collected at the edge can be aggregated, combined, and prefiltered to reduce the cost for storage and intermittent transmission, and enable effective processing of useful data in an on-premises or cloud analytics platform.

Benefits

When utilizing Crosser on Barracuda products, users can obtain the following advantages: 

• Scalable connectivity to accommodate large and dispersed networks of industrial and IoT devices
• Transforms raw data and combines more data points without increasing the cost of data
• Data reduction by removing dirty and irrelevant data
• Granular control of data sent for remote analytics or received for remote control
• No additional hardware required for the Crosser rollout as the software is run directly on the edge device

“Maintaining secure connectivity for the large, complex networks necessary to run industrial IoT devices can be challenging for organizations as they scale, and managing the data collected at the edge adds another layer of complexity,” said Klaus Gheri, VP, Network Security, Barracuda. “This combined solution helps address these challenges in a scalable way.”

Use cases

Data cleansing and normalization

A common IoT scenario is collecting data from various sensors and devices, often communicating with different protocols and setups. To be able to use that data, the user must normalize and prepare the data for further processing.

Predictive maintenance

Crosser detection intelligence combined with the Barracuda secure remote access solution is a powerful tool for maintenance. A manufacturer could improve real-time remote condition monitoring and predictive maintenance by using anomaly detection algorithms and machine models for predicting and optimizing machine runtime windows.

Remote condition monitoring and connected machines

The Barracuda small-factor hardware device with its Wi-Fi and LTE capabilities was designed to bring connectivity to distributed environments. Stationary and mobile machines and vehicles can be connected with the purpose of analyzing data for condition monitoring and enhanced service programs for the end customer.

Remote access

While traditional edge solutions have a limited capability when it comes to controlling and accessing edge devices, using the Barracuda connectivity solution enables access over an encrypted VPN connection. This provides granular control on which data is processed . In addition, access can be controlled via various authentication methods.

Azure integration

Barracuda has native product integration with Azure. Barracuda Firewall Control Center, Barracuda Secure Access Controller, and Crosser Node are available in Azure Marketplace and provide seamless connectivity to Azure services. Both Barracuda Secure Connector and the Crosser Node application can be integrated with Azure IoT Edge, enabling deployments directly via the Azure Marketplace. And finally, with Crosser the data can be streamed directly to other Azure Services, simplifying the architecture and reducing cloud consumption costs.   

This new functionality is enabled through separate purchase of Crosser software from Crosser or its authorized resellers. Read the solution brief for more details on how to get started.