Edge Computing; It is an IT system designed to bring applications and computing capability as close as possible to the users or “objects” that need them.
Why is Edge Computing Necessary?
Edge Computing is essential to address gaps in cloud–based applications and services in performance and regulatory requirements. In other words, Cloud Computing cannot always meet the response time demands of critical applications. It may also be insufficient to meet the local storage needs of companies that are subject to legal regulations regarding where data is stored.
The shortcomings of Cloud Computing pose a significant problem as digitalization in improving efficiency and business performance increases the demand for high–performance applications, especially Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Internet of Things (IoT) applications often requires very high bandwidth, low latency, and reliable performance, as well as meeting regulatory requirements and compliance standards. Therefore, Internet of Things (IoT) applications are ideal candidates for the Edge.
Edge Computing Data Centers Installation
Although Edge Computing institutions are implemented in many different ways, they are generally classified under three categories:
- Local devices for a specific purpose, such as a device running the building security system or a cloud storage gateway that facilitates data transfer between on–premises systems and integrating online storage services.
- Small, localized data centers (1–10 racks) offer significant processing and storage capacities.
- Regional data centers with more than ten cabinets serving a relatively large local user community.
Regardless of their size, each of these Edge Computing instances is important to the business, so maximizing availability is a crucial requirement.
Therefore, companies must build Edge Computing data centers by demonstrating the importance of building a large, centralized data center to reliability and security. This site is designed to provide the information you need to develop secure, reliable, and manageable high–performance edge data centers that can support your organization’s digital transformation.
Internet of Things (IoT) encompasses collecting data from various sensors and devices and the application of specific algorithms to this data to gain insights that benefit businesses. Many industries, including electrical distribution, traffic management, retail, medical, and education, leverage technology to provide numerous benefits, such as increasing customer satisfaction, reducing costs, improving safety and operations, and enriching the end-user experience.
For example, a retail store can use data it collects from the Internet of Things (IoT) applications to better serve its customers by anticipating customer demands based on past purchases, providing on–site discounts, and developing customer service groups. In industrial environments, on the other hand, Internet of Things (IoT) applications can support preventive maintenance programs by providing the feature of detecting machine performance deviating from a specific reference value and thus detecting the need for machine maintenance.
The potential uses are virtually limitless, but they all have one thing in common: The massive amount of data collected from many sensors and intelligent devices is used to support business improvements.
Many Internet of Things (IoT) applications; relies on cloud–based resources to capture computing power, data storage, and application information flow that provides business insights. However, sending all the data produced by sensors and devices directly to the cloud is not always the best solution, often due to bandwidth, latency, and regulatory requirements.
3 Main Reasons to Need Edge Computing in the Internet of Things (IoT) Applications
- Delay
In some applications, latency, which is the time it takes for a data packet to travel to and from its destination, must be extremely low. Any application where safety is essential, such as autonomous cars, healthcare, or industrial plant field applications, requires near–instant response time. The inherent delay in data transit to and from a central service makes cloud services unsuitable for such applications.
- Bandwidth
The volume of data that some Internet of Things (IoT) applications generate and the costs of sending all that data to the cloud can be surprisingly high, making local processing a more practical and helpful solution.
It is also a retarding factor for any application that requires a large stream of content, including a high–definition video that can be used in oil and gas exploration applications.
- Legal Requirements
In industries and regions where Legal Requirements are critical [such as Europe, where the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies], the need for localized data centers increases as personal information is processed, including where it is stored and how it is transferred, is tightly controlled.
In many cases, such as in these examples, Edge deployments play an essential role in tackling the mentioned issues.
Overcoming the Challenges of Edge Computing
To take advantage of the benefits offered by the Internet of Things (IoT) applications, Edge Computing data centers must have the performance and reliability that applications require. Edge Computing, data centers can be located in any environment, such as a cable cabinet or server room, an office full of employees, a retail store full of employees and customers, or a harsh outdoor environment that presents some challenges.
To ensure the reliability and performance of Edge Computing data centers wherever they are located, three fundamental requirements must be met: Remote Management, Fast and Standardized Deployment, and Physical Security.