We have previously discussed the advantages of leveraging Edge Computing in several blog posts and we will be doing so again in an upcoming one. Edge computing, essentially, shifts the process of IoT gadget data closer in proximity to the source on Edge gateways. Edge computing is best suited for IoT applications that need reduced network latency, autonomous operations, and localized security and privacy treatments. Edge computing can also minimize expenditures. The amount of data communicated via networks, and recorded and processed on a cloud platform reduces. 

In this blog post by AICoreSpot, we will investigate the functionalities and capabilities that are required to be integrated into an edge computing solution. To this end, we will concentrate on the software infrastructure that is required for an edge solution. That hardware necessities are also critical but do not fall under the scope of this blog post. 

Features of edge computing solutions 

• A primary purpose of an edge gateway is to facilitate connectivity between the sensors and actuators. There are several industry protocols that enable varying styles of device communication. An edge solution should assist the most typical protocols. For instance, these consist of Z-Wave, KNX, ZigBee, HomeConnect, Bluetooth LE, ONVIF, Modbus, BACnet, EnOcean, LoRa, OPC UA, Siemens S7. 

• The capability to locally execute applications is critical to facilitate local data process. Dependent on the domain, example applications consist of analytics algorithms, diagnostic/monitoring applications, threshold-based notifications and alarms, and any other customized software code that is run on the gateway. 
• On top of local processing, a gateway should feature the capability to record data locally. This is critical to enabling a gateway to run independently. The combo of local computation and local storage should enable the gateway to function in a disconnected mode. 
• Security is required to be integrated into the edge solution. An edge solution should enable permission-based access control, secure encrypted communications, certificate administration and integration into current security solutions. 
• Edge gateways need a way to remotely administer and access every individual gateway. The remote administration functionalities should enable to remotely begin, stop, configure, and update any gateway and the gadgets that are connected to it. An open API should enable remote applications to interact with the gateway through WebSockets, REST, or JSON-RPC. 
• Lastly, the software for an edge solution should be compatible with various differing hardware platforms. You don’t want to be caught in a scenario where you are restricted to a particular vendor’s software and hardware solution. 

At the most fundamental level, edge computing brings information, decision-making and insights in closer proximity to the things that act upon them. Over being reliant on a centralized location which can be several thousands of kilometres away, the edge is as close to the thing as feasible. The objective is basically a reliable, scalable implementation so that information, particularly real-time data, is not impacted by latency problems that can influence an application’s objectives, or performance.  

With >41 billion IoT devices forecasted to be active in just over half a decade – this means a minimum of 5 gadgets for every individual on the planet – edge computing has witnessed emergence as a viable solution to avert the impending snowballing of network traffic. 

IoT devices produce a lot of information. Smart home hubs consistently procure data from voice instructions, ambient noise, and auxiliary device output. Connected security cameras transmit thousands upon thousands of GBs of image data on a daily basis. And autonomous vehicles will, in all probability, be collecting hundreds of terabytes of information on annual basis – and that’s a conservative estimate, very conservative.  

The concept of edge computing is to undertake processing of all of this information at the place where it is gathered. Information that is just of ephemeral criticality can, and ought to be crunched on the gadget itself. This is in comparison to cloud computing, where information is delivered to massive, distant compute warehouses for process. 

Regardless of consistent and gradual innovation in communications technologies, conventional cloud computing is finding it difficult to provide acceptable response times for devices functioning at the external edges of networks. The swift appreciation in IoT gadget adoption would also suffocate the bandwidths of current network infrastructures.  

Edge computing attempts to exploit chipsets in closer proximity to the information source, such as those in smart gadgets, mobiles, and network gateways – for executing computing activities over aggregating all of those functions in a centralized cloud. These territorial proximity to the endpoint is beneficial both for efficiency and latency, and it protects networks from unneeded clogging. 

The advantages 

What’s with all the hue and cry? There are three primary reasons why edge computing has become such a buzzword in technological circles. 

Blazing quick 

The single greatest benefit of an edge computing architecture is its quickness. For all of the progression in network engineering, geographical distances still stay a critical determinant in how fast a server can undertake processing of a user request. Waiting for information packets to be transmitted to the cloud server, wait in queues for crunching, and then traverse back to the gadget with the correct response is just too protracted a procedure. 

Various IoT use-cases cannot stand to have these delays. Swiftly-moving manufacturing bots, heavy mining machinery, smart grids administering traffic, and autonomous vehicles are dependent on literally instant responses to raw data for safe and effective operation. Utilizing device resources for information process eradicates network latency from the equation and therefore facilitates vital real-time applications, even in regions with dubious internet availability. 

At other times, the influence of speed is less vital to safety but are critical for enterprises anyway. The process of network requests even two seconds quicker considerably enhances end-user experiences, and provides products the competitive edge. 

Google undertakes processing of image data from its Pixel smartphones directly on the gadget, enabling snappier and more streamlined camera interfaces. AWS provides a globally distributed content delivery network that undertakes caching of media files at servers situated closest to customers, therefore enhancing application loading speed. 

Patently private 

Another advantage of retaining data at the edge is privacy. Several users are considerably and understandably wary of transmitting their personal information to remote data stores which they cannot observe or control. And transmitting user data over networks makes it susceptible to theft and distortion. 

These concerns can typically be addressed by ensuring a user’s private data never leaves the local gadget. In a famous example, Apple rejected significant criticism with regards to its security policies by recording and authenticating a user’s biometric data completely on their edge device. 

Affordable 

And lastly, there is a price advantage to the edge paradigm. Shifting process resources to the network edges is one of the practical, affordable ways to manage the deluge of information springing from the forecasted exponential appreciation in IoT usage. 

In keeping with Moore’s law, small gadgets at the periphery have become more computationally capable. Simultaneously, expenditure related with the transfer and recording of massive amounts of information have stayed pretty much consistent. If the trend is to be observed on an ongoing basis, it’s only inevitable that changing to an edge infrastructure solution would be a much more affordable solution for business organizations over the long run than present cloud architecture. 

Chip manufacturers are innovating virulently in this domain, putting out higher-end GPU architectures that can manage increasingly complicated functionalities at the edge. In the previous year, Qualcomm and Nvidia respectively initiated EGX and Vision Intelligence Platforms for facilitating reduced-latency AI at the edge. 

The 5G factor 

The pressing requirement for 5G in areas experiencing increased growth such as autonomous vehicles, real-time VR, and higer-end MP online gaming is further driving innovation with regards to edge computing. 5G assures to considerably enhance application performance across the board by providing ten-fold faster data rates than the current 4G framework.  

Edge computing is a critical facilitator of 5G, and is one of the uncommon mechanisms that can feasibly meet the speed, scale, and safety requirements of 5G standards. Process of data streams at the edge can reduce buffering times to literally zero. Retaining client data on the devices enhances security by minimizing avenues for remote hacking. And the expenditure traits of edge computing enable enterprises to economically maximize the appreciation in connections that 5G networks that manage. 

Strategically utilizing edge services can therefore assist network providers gain a first-mover advantage in the disruptive 5G space. 

The framework 

Distributed edge infrastructures can rapidly get out of hand. One requires a set of tools to simply deploy, administer and optimize network architectures with as minimal effort as feasible. An open-source framework such as EdgeX Foundry operating on Ubuntu is one of the fastest ways to begin with edge computing. 

Frameworks are a brilliant way to start exploring a new technical idea. Initiated in April 2017, EdgeX furnishes a platform for devs to develop customized IoT solutions. The framework is basically a collection of foundational microservices that furnish a grouping of standard APIs which enable developers to easily construct their apps, utilizing capabilities for localized analytics, data filtration, transformation and exporting to the cloud. 

EdgeX put out its latest version, codenamed Geneva, which features more enhanced security, optimized analytics, and scalable connectivity across several devices. 

Conclusion 

It is established at this juncture that IoT is dependent on high-performance edge architectures to achieve its complete potential. But like several buzzwords, edge computing makes over a mature technical idea into a fashionable soundbite. Prior to the hype surround edge computing, a majority of data processing did occur at the data source. This what we now refer to as the edge. 

So, in a way, we are coming back to a bygone paradigm to address the current restrictions of the cloud. However, this time around, equipped with innovative tools such as embedded operating systems, edge gateways, and single node clusters, we are better equipped to handle the issue of scalable computing.