Real-world devices are sometimes complex. They often host multiple logical entities or logical devices providing different functionalities inside themselves. This encapsulation of virtual devices inside one communicating entity is called a concentrator. A concentrator concentrates multiple virtual or logical devices into one physical device. A method is presented that allows you to work with virtual devices seamlessly, as if they were standalone devices on the network. The same technique can be used to bridge between protocol islands, either using the same or different types of communication protocols, or to integrate backend systems into the network. This chapter covers:

• An introduction to the concept of concentrators
• How concentrators can be used to model embedded devices
• How concentrators can be used to bridge between protocols
• How concentrators can be used to integrate backend systems
• How embedded nodes are referenced
• How concentrators are managed
• How to create a concentrator that hosts both our sensor and actuator
• How to provision embedded devices in a concentrator