Edge Computing. Pushing the boundaries of business.
Edge computing is a distributed computing paradigm that brings computation and data storage closer to the end devices such as IoT, digital signs, ATMs, kiosks, vending machines, industrial equipment, POS equipment, edge servers and remote offices or branch locations. The main goal of edge computing is to reduce the latency and improve the overall responsiveness of applications by processing data and even making decisions at the edge of the network, as close as possible to the source of the data.
Traditionally, data generated by edge devices is transmitted to centralized data centers or cloud servers for processing and storage. This approach is becoming increasingly challenging as the volume and velocity of data being generated by IoT devices and other edge devices is growing rapidly. The bandwidth and latency limitations of long-distance communication can cause delays in processing and decision-making, impacting the performance and reliability of applications.
Edge computing addresses this challenge by bringing the computing power and storage closer to the edge devices, enabling data to be processed and analyzed at the edge itself, before being transmitted to a centralized data center or cloud.
Key benefits of edge computing:
- Reduced latency by bringing data processing power closer to the end-user and improving the response time.
- Eases the burden placed on centralized data centers and servers, freeing up bandwidth and computational resources for other tasks.
- Processing and storing of sensitive data can be kept closer to the source, reducing the risk of data breaches and unauthorized access.
Edge Workloads drive new applications
Edge workloads are the computational tasks that are performed at the edge of a network, rather than in a central location such as a data center. These workloads are typically executed by edge computing devices such as IoT devices, routers, gateways, and smart devices.
Common edge applications:
- Internet of Things (IoT) devices such as smart home systems, wearable devices, and industrial sensors.
- Real-time video and image processing, including security cameras and augmented reality applications.
- Autonomous vehicles and transportation systems, such as drones and self-driving cars.
- Mobile networks and telecommunications infrastructure, including cellular base stations and small cell networks.
- Edge computing for data centers and cloud computing, to reduce latency and improve response time for cloud-based applications.
- Emergency response and critical infrastructure systems, such as disaster recovery and smart grid systems.
- Healthcare and medical devices, including remote patient monitoring and diagnostic equipment.
Network Resilience is crucial when Living on the Edge
Network resilience is crucial in edge computing because it ensures that edge devices and applications continue to operate even in the event of network failures or outages. Many edge applications, such as industrial control systems, autonomous vehicles, and healthcare devices, are mission-critical and require reliable and robust networks to function properly.
Edge devices are often deployed in remote or difficult-to-reach locations, making network failures more likely. Network resilience helps to ensure that these devices can continue to operate even in the absence of a network connection. Edge applications often require low latency and real-time processing, making network reliability and resilience essential for ensuring the performance of these applications.
As edge computing continues to grow and scale, the number of edge devices and applications will increase, making network failures more likely. Network resilience is essential for large-scale deployments to operate in the event of failures and it ensures the reliability and performance of edge applications and devices.
Gearlinx™ Edge Advantage. Reliable Edge Connectivity & Cloud-Based Centralized Management
The Gearlinx™ Network Resilience Platform and Duckfone™ ensure that edge computing systems are highly available and resilient. Edge devices are often deployed in remote environments and can be subject to power outages, temperature changes, and other factors that can impact their reliability. Edge computing is only as good as the edge network.
The Gearlinx™ Network Resilience Platform delivers Total OOB™ management and adds intelligence to edge data centers, colocations, and remote sites. A Network Resilience as a Service™ subscription model enables edge locations to scale up or scale down their Total OOB™ management requirements as the business evolves. Secure remote access, automation, 4G LTE cellular connectivity and failover, and cloud-based centralized management are all essential elements for a resilient edge network.
The Duckfone™ with global 4G LTE can connect and secure edge devices no matter where they are located. The Duckfone was built from the ground up to take advantage of a SaaS cloud model to save money, reduce complexity, and increase speed and efficiency. It is security hardened, reliable, and ensures edge connectivity resilience.
The ZERO cloud portal is the Operational Resilience as a Service™ platform that provides centralized cloud management at the edge. It provides a centralized control point to manage and monitor data, devices, and applications at the edge, ensuring efficient deployment, operation, and maintenance. Centralized management enables organizations to apply security policies and updates to edge nodes, as well as provide real-time monitoring, which is crucial for ensuring the proper functioning of edge computing systems.
ZERO gives the network team total control of device management and location, serial numbers, warranty information, and subscription status. The ZERO cloud-based management portal is the easy option for Total OOB™ and operational resilience. ZERO ensures business continuity and makes decision making fast, easy and 100% accurate.
Extend your reach. Extend your business edge.
Edge computing can result in increased efficiency, lower costs, improved customer experiences, and new business opportunities. Collect and analyze data from IoT devices and create new sources of data to make informed business decisions.
Extend your reach with Gearlinx™ today and gain a competitive advantage at the edge.
Read our blog post on Edge Compute
See our technical videos on our Youtube channel including:
- Monitoring your network with Cisco ThousandEyes on a Gearlinx device
- Hosting an Ubuntu virtual machine on a Gearlinx device
- Capturing network traffic with Wireshark on a Gearlinx device
- Using Tailscale to remotely access your Gearlinx device
- Deploying S3-compatible object storage to a Gearlinx device