

This Position Paper defines the IBB System, an advanced, cloud-native architecture crafted to address the distinct interoperability and security challenges of contemporary commercial buildings. This paper serves as a guide for commercial building professionals (vendors, channel, and owners) to adopt and implement the IBB System and its components.
Complete Paper “The IBB System”– 16 Pages
The IBB architecture, evolved from the IBB Project’s work since its founding in 2023, now represents a full edge-to-cloud stack. Central to this design are interoperability and security, which underpin all IBB
System components.
Reflecting the C4SB’s aspiration for a transformative approach, the IBB System architecture offers a standard, composable technology stack, engineered for scalable deployments and inherent
interoperability and security in any building environment.
Executive Summary
The Interoperable Building Box (IBB) is a transformative, open-source, modular system developed by the Coalition for Smarter Buildings (C4SB) Foundation under the Linux Foundation umbrella.
This flagship initiative aims to standardize, secure, and simplify the interoperability of building systems, including HVAC, lighting, security, and energy management, across commercial properties of all scales.
At its core, the IBB System operationalizes a cloud-native architecture that spans both on-premises
and cloud environments. Through the use of CNS/CP (Connectivity Naming System / Connection
Profiles), it provides a structured, standardized way to declare and manage data exchanges between
disparate systems. This allows buildings to achieve seamless, secure, and scalable digital integration.
Key Components
- IBB Enterprise: A cloud-based orchestrator that aggregates data and policies across multiple
IBB Hosts and Edges. It provides centralized governance, multi-tenant support, and integrates
with broader enterprise IT systems. - IBB Host: A full-featured on-premises gateway and orchestration engine running Kubernetes for
containerized apps. It bridges internal building systems with cloud-based IBB Enterprise
instances using zero-trust principles. - IBB Edge: A minimal, rugged edge device installed near equipment. It converts raw I/O into
CNS/CP-compliant data streams for real-time integration into the broader system.
Key Features
● CNS/CP Mechanism: Enables precise, real-time, context-driven information exchange through
immutable, open-source “Connection Profiles.”
● Continuous ETL: Live data extraction, transformation, and loading tailored to each Connection
Profile’s specifications.
● Zero-Trust Security: Connections are validated by intent and role declaration, not by static IP or
firewall-based rules.
● Scalability: Supports deployments from single buildings to multi-site campuses, including
remote or mobile installations (e.g., irrigation systems).
● Networking Flexibility: Operates robustly over IP, LoRaWAN, 5G, and other mixed network
environments.
Strategic Vision
IBB is designed to make buildings truly cloud-native, not just connected. Its architecture anticipates a
world where digital services are composable, contextual, and interoperable by default. Whether
retrofitting legacy infrastructure or building new smart campuses, IBB offers a foundational layer for
digital transformation in the built environment.
Introduction
- A New Foundation for Smarter Buildings
The Linux Foundation has long championed the digitization of critical sectors—from finance to
automotive, manufacturing to healthcare—by fostering open-source collaboration at scale. Recognizing
the profound opportunity for transformation in the built environment, the Foundation established the
Coalition for Smarter Buildings (C4SB) to focus on accelerating digital innovation in the buildings
sector. The C4SB Foundation was brought into the Linux Foundation specifically to catalyze this shift,
establishing a path for the digitization of commercial properties through a transparent, secure, and
vendor-neutral approach.
The Interoperable Building Box (IBB) System is the flagship initiative of this effort. It is a bold and
aspirational undertaking to redefine how buildings engage with digital infrastructure. As a standardized,
open-source framework, the IBB System aims to enable secure, scalable, and interoperable digital
capabilities across commercial buildings. Spearheaded by the C4SB under the Linux Foundation, the
IBB is not just a collection of technologies—it is a call to action. To overcome entrenched silos and
fragmented legacy systems, the building industry must make bold moves. The IBB System represents
one such move: a strategic, future-facing shift in how buildings are understood, managed, and evolved
in a cloud-native world. - The Interoperability Problem
Despite the proliferation of smart devices and systems, most buildings remain locked into proprietary
ecosystems. HVAC systems speak one language, lighting another, and security yet another.
Integrations are ad hoc, fragile, and expensive. Applications struggle to access reliable, structured data
across subsystems, and cybersecurity policies remain fragmented across endpoints. The result is
wasted energy, inefficient operations, and poor user experiences.
This is the interoperability problem—a systemic barrier that prevents buildings from becoming agile
participants in the broader digital economy. IBB solves this by defining not just a set of components,
but a coherent system architecture rooted in open standards and composable relationships.
- The IBB Architecture: Edge to Cloud
At the core of the IBB System is a triad of components:
● IBB Edge: Minimal, rugged devices located near equipment that translate raw I/O into structured,
Connection Profile-compliant data.
● IBB Host: A Kubernetes-powered on-premises gateway that orchestrates applications, bridges
internal building systems with external networks, and enforces zero-trust principles.
● IBB Enterprise: A cloud-based orchestrator that governs policies, aggregates data across
buildings, and connects to enterprise IT systems.
Together, these form a full-stack architecture that scales from single devices to entire portfolios. Every
Interaction within this system is governed by the CNS/CP (Connectivity Naming System / Connection
Profile) mechanism, which provides a secure, structured, and declarative approach to data exchange. - What Makes IBB Different
IBB is not another attempt at unifying building protocols through a monolithic standard. Instead, it
embraces modularity, composability, and the principles of cloud-native architecture. It is:
● Open Source: Free from licensing restrictions and vendor lock-in, fostering an open marketplace
for applications and innovation.
● Secure by Design: Every connection is context-aware, role-based, and governed by zero-trust
policies.
● Developer-Ready: Built with modern DevOps in mind, using containerized apps, declarative
orchestration, and streamlined deployment workflows.
● Interoperable by Default: With CPs defining not just data formats but the purpose, roles, and
context of every interaction.
This makes the IBB System not only easier to adopt, but also far more sustainable and future-proof. - From Point Solutions to System of Systems
The IBB System is a response to a deep architectural need: to turn a fragmented collection of point
solutions into a coherent, scalable system of systems. It aligns with the realities of commercial
buildings today—including legacy infrastructure, varying connectivity, and diverse stakeholder
needs—while also paving the way for advanced capabilities like digital twins, AI-driven analytics, and
grid-interactive energy management.
The IBB Project also reimagines the business model: enabling a broad ecosystem of vendors,
integrators, and developers to build solutions that are compatible, secure, and mutually reinforcing. In
this way, IBB doesn’t just make buildings smarter—it makes the building industry more dynamic,
competitive, and collaborative.
- Purpose of this Document
This document introduces the IBB System and serves as the formal overview prepared by the C4SB
Foundation. It is intended to communicate the architecture, principles, and rationale behind the IBB
System to a wide range of stakeholders, including vendors, integrators, developers, and building
professionals. The purpose is to clearly define what the IBB System is, how it works, and why it matters,
providing both a technical grounding and a strategic vision for its adoption and growth across the built
environment.
The following chapters dive deeper into the architecture, components, network models, security design,
and business implications of the IBB System. As a living document, this introduction will evolve with
contributions from multiple perspectives—technical, operational, and strategic—to fully express the
potential of the IBB vision.
We invite all readers to approach this with a spirit of collaboration, challenge, and creativity.
Interoperability is not just a technical goal. It is a shared commitment to making buildings more open,
secure, and responsive to the needs of those who live and work within them.
Types of IBB Components
Complete Paper “The IBB System”– 16 Pages
