I'm working on a IoT-solution that includes some physical devices where we don't control the hardware, and all communication is done via API:s. I would still like to utilize Azure IoT-hub for the messaging and management of these devices.
My idea is to create I device client and that runs in the cloud and integrates with the IoT-hub and the API:s. Is this a feasible strategy or am I on the wrong path? If, not what is the appropriate resource in azure for spinning up the clients?
If your devices are not capable of directly connecting to your Azure IoT hub then you have some alternatives. Yes theoretically you could create a device in the cloud that talks to the real device and forwards that data to your IoT hub. There are a couple of other alternatives. You could use an Azure IoT Edge Gateway. This will connect to the IoT hub and can represent multiple devices. You create an Edge Gateway module that can talk to your devices which will allow you to pass on the data for transmission to the IoT hub. It has a plug in module type of architecture. A product called the Protocol Gateway performs a similar function which might also meet your needs.
