Introduction

Radio frequency identification (RFID)technology has come a long way. From hardware standards (frequency, air link protocols, tag format,and so on) to data collection and device management, RFID technology has stabilized. Datacollection, data management, and data analysis are the core of the value from RFID. The middlewarecollects and filters data in real time. Tracking mechanisms are based on data. The backenddetermines what to do with the data how to transform it so that it makes sense to the end user; howto trigger the right process, system, or device at the right time; how to provide real-time data toexisting ERP (enterprise resource planning) systems so that they respond in real-time; and how togenerate reports and alerts based on batch processing or real-time processing of RFID data.

This chapter focuses on the basic elements of the backend, the vulnerabilities associatedwith it, and how to make the backend robust and secure.

Overview of Backend Systems

A backend system defines the business logic for interpreting raw RFID data and the actionsassociated with it. Every tag read can result in single or multiple actions, which may integratewith multiple applications, result in e-mails, or activate other devices. Events or actions may beshared by trading partners.

In order to understand the basic elements of the backend, let s use the example of a storeselling orange juice and milk. The backend must do the following:

• Define the business context. Data received from the middleware is in the raw form of a Tag IDor Reader ID, which needs to define what...