Reliable observability in control towers based on side-channel queries

An apparatus, comprising:

• one or more network interfaces;
• a processor coupled to the one or more network interfaces and configured to execute one or more processes;
• and
• a memory configured to store a process that is executable by the processor, the process when executed configured to:
• obtain first state information from sensing or reporting systems or devices at a particular location of a supply chain via a first communication channel;
• make, based on the first state information, an evaluation regarding the particular location using one or more digital twins, wherein the one or more digital twins comprise a model that represents a state of the supply chain that has been constructed using supply chain specific data and context data obtained from sensors located across the supply chain and is updated by information obtained from the apparatus;
• obtain second state information from one or more trusted verifiers for the particular location via a second communication channel that is a side-channel to the first communication channel, at least one trusted verifier of the one or more trusted verifiers configured to use video analytics for processing video feeds to count a number of pallets present in the particular location;
• and
• verify, based on the second state information, the evaluation regarding the particular location in response to determining, by the apparatus, that there is a consensus for the evaluation, wherein verifying the evaluation is indicative of the state of the supply chain, as represented by the model of the one or more digital twins, being reliable.

A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing program instructions that cause a control tower device to execute a process comprising:

• obtaining, at the control tower device, first state information from sensing or reporting systems or devices at a particular location of a supply chain via a first communication channel that is a side-channel to the first communication channel;
• making, by the control tower device and based on the first state information, an evaluation regarding the particular location using one or more digital twins, wherein the one or more digital twins comprise a model that represents a state of the supply chain that has been constructed using supply chain specific data and context data obtained from sensors located across the supply chain and is updated by information obtained from the control tower device;
• obtaining, by the control tower device, second state information from one or more trusted verifiers for the particular location via a second communication channel, at least one trusted verifier of the one or more trusted verifiers configured to use video analytics for processing video feeds to count a number of pallets present in the particular location;
• and
• verifying, by the control tower device and based on the second state information, the evaluation regarding the particular location in response to determining, by the control tower device, that there is a consensus for the evaluation, wherein verifying the evaluation is indicative of the state of the supply chain, as represented by the model of the one or more digital twins, being reliable.