MQTT is a publish and subscribe, simple, and lightweight messaging protocol. It allows local intelligent devices to publish data and receive commands from an application.

Thanks to IBM Workload Automation plug-in for MQTT it is possible to connect to an MQTT message broker and:

• Subscribe to devices, publish messages, and send commands, with calendar and event-based scheduling capabilities, through an easy-to-use web interface
• Take advantage of a gateway agent to ensure security compliance of the hybrid cloud environment
• Integrate with analytics tools to extract real-time information and predictive insights from device related data.

Business scenario

A leading Information Technology services company is integrating traditional power with solar generated power. Depending on weather conditions, renewable energy is variable, and can easily become unreliable, especially at peak demand times. Tom, the Energy Manager, often receives emergency calls about blackouts or sudden drops in energy supply. Tom notices that the lights remain switched on at night and during the weekends, when the offices are empty, and that the heating/cooling system is not working efficiently in some of the buildings. Thanks to IBM Workload Scheduler integration with MQTT, Tom can set up a centralized, automated system to control the lighting and temperature, reducing power consumption and making the environment more comfortable and healthy.