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Hans-Blog - Summer 2022
Living on the Edge?
The Internet of Things (IoT) is driven by data! Large amounts of data are generated, collected, sent and analyzed with the aim of making smarter and more informed decisions based on the most current information.
But sending large amounts of data might cause unwanted problems if you want to send them to a central place, such as your own data center or the Cloud. Think of delays in the network (latency), the need for faster and therefore more expensive connections, extra central storage and backup and more management. That is exactly the reason Edge Computing is taking on an increasingly important role. There has been a growing need for data processing to take place closer to the source.
OK, Edge Computing. But what is it?
In this computer model, the computer processing, the analysis of data, takes place at the "Edge" of the network. So the role of Edge Computing is actually the local pre-processing of data, so that only the useful portion of the data amount needs to be sent to the central storage/Cloud. This effectively solves a large part of the IoT data "problems".
So what are the advantages of Edge Computing?
These are without a doubt speed gains, low latency and cost reduction. The speed gain in producing reporting is of course very valuable for certain industries. But there's more!
Due to the hybrid nature of the Edge Computing model, there is also less dependence on central facilities. Think, for example, of industrial applications that would shut down if data connections or central applications fail. There is a good chance that they can continue to run fine if they work via Edge Computing.
The Edge computing model is also great for hybrid working, i.e. both in the office and "anywhere". By using Edge applications, Team employees can also continue to use the company applications remotely in a simple way.
Expansions of the compute and storage capacity required for the adoption of IoT technologies no longer have to take place in the data center (or the Cloud). As a result, the threshold to start with IoT or to expand the use of it, is considerably lower and less expansive.
But with only an Edge Computing model you are not there yet.
By bringing more complex computer power to the edge of your network to solve IoT issues, you might also introduce a new problem. In many cases you place computing systems that have now become important for continuity, where often the least IT knowledge is available locally. Systems that are too important to fail therefore require a form of High Availability or clustering to prevent system failure.
Of course you can manage and support these virtualized systems remotely. The fact remains that when choosing Edge computing, you should preferably choose solutions that have no or minimal downtime, do not require specialized IT personnel to perform local management for updates etc., and can function without special data center facilities (cooling etc.) and with a minimal footprint (space).
MiniDis Solutions
Within our product portfolio, Lenovo's Edge Computing Servers and the Intel NUC-based Scale Computing solutions are eligible for this. Systems that can be widely deployed, have data center-worthy reliability and offer excellent performance. Systems that provide the answer to the challenges of Living on the Edge.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is driven by data! Large amounts of data are generated, collected, sent and analyzed with the aim of making smarter and more informed decisions based on the most current information.
But sending large amounts of data might cause unwanted problems if you want to send them to a central place, such as your own data center or the Cloud. Think of delays in the network (latency), the need for faster and therefore more expensive connections, extra central storage and backup and more management. That is exactly the reason Edge Computing is taking on an increasingly important role. There has been a growing need for data processing to take place closer to the source.
OK, Edge Computing. But what is it?
In this computer model, the computer processing, the analysis of data, takes place at the "Edge" of the network. So the role of Edge Computing is actually the local pre-processing of data, so that only the useful portion of the data amount needs to be sent to the central storage/Cloud. This effectively solves a large part of the IoT data "problems".
So what are the advantages of Edge Computing?
These are without a doubt speed gains, low latency and cost reduction. The speed gain in producing reporting is of course very valuable for certain industries. But there's more!
Due to the hybrid nature of the Edge Computing model, there is also less dependence on central facilities. Think, for example, of industrial applications that would shut down if data connections or central applications fail. There is a good chance that they can continue to run fine if they work via Edge Computing.
The Edge computing model is also great for hybrid working, i.e. both in the office and "anywhere". By using Edge applications, Team employees can also continue to use the company applications remotely in a simple way.
Expansions of the compute and storage capacity required for the adoption of IoT technologies no longer have to take place in the data center (or the Cloud). As a result, the threshold to start with IoT or to expand the use of it, is considerably lower and less expansive.
But with only an Edge Computing model you are not there yet.
By bringing more complex computer power to the edge of your network to solve IoT issues, you might also introduce a new problem. In many cases you place computing systems that have now become important for continuity, where often the least IT knowledge is available locally. Systems that are too important to fail therefore require a form of High Availability or clustering to prevent system failure.
Of course you can manage and support these virtualized systems remotely. The fact remains that when choosing Edge computing, you should preferably choose solutions that have no or minimal downtime, do not require specialized IT personnel to perform local management for updates etc., and can function without special data center facilities (cooling etc.) and with a minimal footprint (space).
MiniDis Solutions
Within our product portfolio, Lenovo's Edge Computing Servers and the Intel NUC-based Scale Computing solutions are eligible for this. Systems that can be widely deployed, have data center-worthy reliability and offer excellent performance. Systems that provide the answer to the challenges of Living on the Edge.
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