Why Edge Computing is the Future
Introduction
• Technology is always on the go. It's always evolving
and advancing. What you think was high-tech a couple
of years ago may as well be obsolete by now.
• There is a good reason for these changes. Mainly it's
the high demand for faster and better data processing.
Then there's also the need to make life easier for all of
us. Hence, an innovation comes one after another.
• The term edge computing is still not familiar to many.
The term sounds confusing at first. But after a closer
look, you can tell that it reflects what it does.
What is meant by edge computing?
• In short, it is using a low latency network to
process and return data faster to the request
sender. Many people confuse edge with cloud
technology. The key difference is that in edge
computing, users still have has direct access and
control over the data process.
• While on cloud computing, users send requests
and let the cloud servers do the rest of the work.
The differences may be in milliseconds, but time is
important in this day and age.
What are examples of edge
computing?
• You may not realize it yet, but technology has
been a part of our lives for a while. There are so
many edge computing examples that you can find
in daily life. For example, it exists in the
electricity's smart grid. It controls the flow and
directions of each.
• You also can find edge computation in the hospital
system. The low latency network supports the
alert system that tells the nurse station whenever
there is a call.
What is edge computing used for?
• One of many examples is smart home appliances.
Yes, they are using low latency computation near
the requests. That is how you can control your
home appliances using only one device. All of
them are connected then the edge computation
allows them to work on the requests faster.
• Another example is cloud gaming and
autonomous cars. You may think that cloud
gaming means that it’s strictly using cloud
computing. These games need the edge to bring a
better gaming experience to their users.
What is the difference between edge
and cloud computing?
• In simplest terms, Cloud computing works on big data
and can process them all without direct control from
the users. While edge computing works on smaller
data batches and closer to the users. Moreover, the
users have control of the data.
• Edge allows the data processing to happen in
real-time. This speed makes people define edge
computing as all the computation that happens
outside of the cloud network. However, this leads to
more confusion between the term edge and fog
computing.
What is the difference between fog
computing and edge computing
• Many people use the terms interchangeably. The
definition may overlap since both technologies are
using the outskirts of cloud computing. But both
are different in usage and details.
• Fog computing uses edge devices to do the
computation. It is bridging the requests to the
larger data cloud. In short, they are working with
the data without actually being in the data. As an
illustration, fog computing sits right between
cloud and edge.
What is Mobile edge computing?
• As the name suggests, mobile edge computing is
bringing edge technology to work on mobile data. It
means that now both users and companies can avoid
data congestions. The result is a faster process and a
better user experience.
• The best example is the Global Positioning System or
GPS that you have on your phone. Geolocation
tracking uses edge computation to give a faster and
more accurate result. Another example is DNS caching.
That is how you have no problem loading any websites
using your phone's browser.
10 Hottest Edge Computing Devices Of
2021 (So Far)
Here are ten hottest edge devices that you can find in the market as of today. They cover all aspects of
edge cloud computing to hasten the process as well as providing better cyber security.
In this list, you can see the best UPS, routers, and many others that can help your edge network.
However, the list does not reflect any preferences and is in no particular order.
– Schneider Electric Smart-UPS Ultra
This smart-UPS is only half of the weight of regular devices. But it can give you up to 2.5 more power.
Claiming to be the first 3kW 1U in the industry. Schneider Electric designs it to be compact yet powerful
and flexible to multitask.
– Lenovo ThinkEdge SE30 and SE50
You can use the OpenVINO tool in Lenovo ThinkEdge to manage the computation. They can accelerate the
AI work while managing the temperature at the same time. The only difference is that SE30 has Intel i5
vPro, while SE50 has an i7 vPro processor.
– Eaton 5E UPS
The program needs to stay online in the edge network. Thank goodness for the Eaton UPS that have
Lithium-Ion Batteries. It also has intelligent power management that will control the power division to all
the connected devices.
– HPE Edgeline EL8000
HPE Edgeline is a prominent name in the US armed forces. It has Intel Xeon scalable processors that allow
you to control even the most demanding programs. It also has buildable AI and Machine learning that you
can use for your benefit.
Contd..
– Microsoft Azure Pro R
Perhaps this device is the definition of edge computing. With Microsoft Azure Pro R, the request goes
through machine learning computation without even connecting to the cloud. That way, it makes no
problem if the network connection is patchy or doesn't even exist.
– Palo Alto Networks Prisma SD-WAN
The Prisma SD-WAN helps you managing the connection throughout a large area while still be cost and
energy-efficient at the same time. It simplifies management control and improves security.
– Cisco Catalyst IR8100
This Cisco router supports a 5G network and has IP67 grade for dust and water-resistant. It also has a
better security system including but not limited to Cisco TrustSec and Unified Threat Defense. You can rely
on this device to manage your programs.
– AWS Greengrass
Greengrass is a new IoT tool from Amazon Web Services. This tool helps the users to program their devices
to collect and process the data locally. This means that they can remotely manage their applications and
other programs to suit their needs.
– Dell PowerEdge XR11 and XR12
They may be small, but they are powerful. Both Dell PowerEdge servers have scalable Intel Xeon
processors on a rugged chassis. Both servers work great in extreme temperatures and dusty areas. The
only difference is that XR11 has one socket 1U server, while XR12 has one socket 2U server.
– Dell PowerStore 500
Just like the name implies, PowerStore can consolidate data at an enterprise level. PowerStoreOS allows
you to control the application through VM. Still, it's fast and reliable storage that can be perfect for your
company.
Thank You!
