Refactoring internet of things middleware through software-defined network

Refactoring means to rewrite pieces of code aiming to improve it internally but keeping the expected software behavior. In this paper we present the refactoring of an Internet of Things middleware based on Software-Defined Network. In a previous work we proposed a middleware to address issues we found in healthcare devices used to monitor patients with chronic illnesses in their homes. Software-Defined Network allowed the redesign of the middleware architecture to improve things management, its interconnection with services, and the deployment process of new monitoring scenarios. Refactoring process also extended the middleware to support multiple services in a single home network sharing the same network infrastructure. This work details an OpenFlow controller and an application developed to achieve our goals; we also present sample scenarios where our approach can be applied showing different services delivered in the same home network environment, and using data from all connected devices to build a digital representation of the physical realm.