What Is Edge Computing? The Edge Computing Architecture Model

For anyone interested in cloud computing, edge computing is a familiar term. With smart devices and wireless connections growing nonstop, Edge Computing plays an increasingly essential role. Read on to learn everything about what edge computing is.

What is edge computing?

Edge computing is a distributed cloud computing model with great potential. It brings computing and storage power much closer to where data is generated, which saves bandwidth and reduces latency effectively.

So where does edge computing come from? According to many sources, it began with the CDN (content delivery network). In the late 1990s, CDNs were used to deliver website content and video. The basic principle is to serve information from the server closest to the user. As technology advanced, networks began to be improved to host applications and their components. That was one of the key steps toward the first edge computing services, such as aggregating data in real time.

The architecture of edge computing

Cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT) and edge computing are closely related. Edge computing is a middle layer that processes and stores small pieces of data from the IoT layer that need a fast response. It saves bandwidth for the large data processing that is forwarded "up to the cloud".

In an edge computing ecosystem, data is collected from sensors, meters and similar devices. But this newly collected data is not sent straight to the cloud server. Instead it passes through the edge, a local computing and storage hub.

So where is the edge? Usually it is a local machine station connected to the internet, located at the edge of a LAN. In some cases it is a local data center.

In general, the edge only needs to be as close to the data source as possible. The system is ready to provide and process data in real time with low latency. Finally, large and complex data is gradually passed on to the cloud server for processing.

Basic components of the edge computing model

The basic components of the edge computing model include:

• Cloud Server: This can be a public or private cloud, or sometimes a data center. These clouds play an important role in storing and running the applications used to coordinate and manage the various edge nodes.
• Edge device: A device with built-in computing capability, such as an ATM, a digital camera or a car. The computing power of edge devices is usually quite limited, so they only handle immediate requests that need low latency.
• Edge node: A general term for any edge device, edge server or edge gateway on which edge computing can be performed.
• Edge server: This component is typically used to run enterprise application workloads and shared services.
• Edge gateway: An edge gateway is usually an edge server. Besides handling enterprise application workloads, it also performs network functions such as protocol translation and firewall protection. Some also provide wireless connectivity.

Benefits of edge computing for businesses

Edge Computing addresses the speed limits of Cloud Computing

Cloud servers can handle very large tasks, but their biggest drawback is network latency over the Internet, which can run to hundreds of milliseconds. This is because they are usually located far away. Edge computing is the opposite.

Edge devices can be far weaker than cloud servers. But the relatively small volume of data coming from IoT devices gives them a big advantage: they can respond in microseconds over short distances.

Strong security and protected data transmission

For a business, security always plays an extremely important role, and edge computing handles it well. The strongest point of cloud computing, especially the public cloud, is data privacy and security. Edge computing shares some traits with the hybrid cloud: processing done locally, on the edge device, gives better peace of mind about security. Only non-critical data is pushed up to the public server.

Reducing Cloud Computing bandwidth load

Another important benefit Edge Computing brings businesses is a very effective reduction in Cloud Computing bandwidth load. Bandwidth from distant cloud servers is a limited resource that everyone wants to save. Processing workloads right at the edge not only reduces the amount of data sent over the Internet to Cloud Server the cloud significantly, but also plays an important role in cutting the cost of investing in cloud processing capacity.

Applications of edge computing

At work and in daily life, edge computing is now everywhere, and the importance of Edge Computing is becoming clearer all the time. Here are some applications of Edge Computing in daily life that we would like to share with readers:

• Self-driving cars: This is one of the results that show how far Edge Computing has developed.
• Health devices: Technology used for health monitoring and wearable medical devices. With these devices, patients with chronic conditions can have their health monitored remotely.
• Robot-assisted surgery: An important tool where every nanosecond makes a clear difference between life and death.
• Traffic lights or wind turbines: They run 24/7 without interacting with the cloud. They operate fully automatically and keep working even when the connection to the server is lost.

That is all the information about What is Edge Computing, and the important benefits Edge Computing brings to businesses, which Mona Media we want to share with you. We hope this overview of what Edge Computing is gives you plenty of useful information!