We’re living in a data-driven world, which requires innovations to ensure that the gathering, analysis, and processing of data is seamless and efficient. with our devices getting smarter, data is produced in gigantic amounts. The devices themselves are becoming miniature data centers. Now, this data has to be handled smoothly and securely. This is where the cloud and edge computing come into play. These concepts are nothing new and have been around for some time, especially cloud computing. Edge computing is slowly gaining the momentum because of IoT. Let us take a look at the major differences between the two and what advantages they offer.
What is Edge Computing?
Edge computing is an emerging computing paradigm which refers to a range of networks and devices at or near the user. Edge is about processing data closer to where it’s being generated, enabling processing at greater speeds and volumes, leading to greater action-led results in real time. Edge computing enables the deployment of computing resources and communication technologies through a unified computing infrastructure along with the transmission channel.
Tapping into faster insights from that data can mean improved services, streamlined operations, and even saved lives. But to do this, enterprises need to drive decisions in real time, and that means taking their AI compute to where the data is, the network’s edge.
It offers some unique advantages over traditional models, where computing power is centralized at an on-premise data center. Putting compute at the edge allows companies to improve how they manage and use physical assets and create new interactive, human experiences. Some examples of edge use cases include self-driving cars, autonomous robots, smart equipment data and automated retail.
By using edge computing, computational requirements are more easily fulfilled. Wherever there is an information-gathering necessity or where a user performs a specific activity, it can be performed in real-time.
Advantages of Edge Computing
Security
The emergence of IoT edge computing devices increases the networks’ total attack sources, but it also offers some major safety benefits. The conventional cloud computing architecture is fundamentally centralized, which makes it extremely vulnerable to exploitation and power failures from decentralized denial of service. Edge computing disburses computation, storage, and apps through a broad variety of devices and cloud services, making it impossible to take down the service for any single disturbance.
Speed
Edge computing’s most significant advantage is the potential to improve network productivity by minimizing the latency. The data they accumulate does not have to move almost as far as it would under such a conventional cloud environment, since IoT edge computing devices manage private data or in neighbouring edge data centers. The dependence of the finance industry on high-frequency trading algorithms means that a slowing of simple milliseconds can have serious impacts. Abandoning a couple of seconds in the healthcare industry may also be a life or death issue.
Enhanced Performance
Edge computing also collects, analyses, and conducts appropriate actions on the gathered data locally, in addition to collecting data for transfer to the cloud. Although these activities take milliseconds, no matter what all the operations might be, it is becoming important to optimize technical information. Edge computing takes analytics tools closer to the computer, which eliminates the middle-man out. This configuration offers less costly options for maximizing the efficiency of properties.
Reducing Operational Costs
Communication, data management, are costly in the cloud computing model. Edge computing, which has a substantially lower bandwidth demand and less bandwidth, remedies this inefficiency. Expensive bandwidth improvements are no longer needed, because gigabytes of data need not be transferred to the cloud. The transition to edge computing power enables these devices to be used to their maximum capabilities.
Reliability
Through IoT edge computing systems and cloud network infrastructure located directly to end-users, there is less risk of a network issue in a faraway place impacting local customers. Even in the case of a local data center failure, since they perform critical processing capabilities wirelessly, IoT edge computing systems can continue to work efficiently on their own. With several network-connected edge computing devices and edge network infrastructure, any failure to completely closed down service becomes even more challenging.
Versatility
Edge computing’s interoperability also makes it extremely flexible. Businesses can quickly reach competitive markets without continuing to spend in costly infrastructure investment by collaborating with local edge data centers. Edge data centers enable everyone, with little physical constraints or delay, to serve end-users effectively. For content producers aiming to offer unlimited subscription services, this is extremely valuable.
Applications of Edge Computing
Absolutes vehicles
In order to operate appropriately in real-time, self-driven or Artificial Intelligence-powered cars and other vehicles need a huge amount of data from their environment. If cloud storage is being used, a slowdown will arise.
Smart grid
Sensors and IoT devices connected to an edge platform in factories, plants and offices are being used to monitor energy use and analyse their consumption in real-time. With real-time visibility, enterprises and energy companies can strike new deals, for example where high-powered machinery is run during off-peak times for electricity demand. This can increase the amount of green energy an enterprise consumes.
Virtualised radio networks and 5G (vRAN)
Operators are increasingly looking to virtualise parts of their mobile networks (vRAN). This has both cost and flexibility benefits. The new virtualised RAN hardware needs to do complex processing with a low latency. Operators will therefore need edge servers to support virtualising their RAN close to the cell tower.
Intelligent Homes
Smart homes rely on IoT devices collecting and processing data from around the house. Often this data is sent to a centralised remote server, where it is processed and stored. However, this existing architecture has problems around backhaul cost, latency, and security. By using edge computing and bringing the processing and storage closer to the smart home, backhaul and roundtrip time is reduced, and sensitive information can be processed at the edge.
What is Cloud computing?
Cloud computing is defined as the use of different resources via Internet access, such as application development frameworks, storage, servers, as well as other software. Cloud computing can also be thought of as utility computing or on-demand computing.
It relies heavily on virtualization and automation technologies. Virtualization enables the easy abstraction and provisioning of services and underlying cloud systems into logical entities that users can request and utilize. Automation and accompanying orchestration capabilities provide users with a high degree of self-service to provision resources, connect services and deploy workloads without direct intervention from the cloud provider’s IT staff.
Cloud service providers have some common features like flexibility of services, back-end of the software is handled by cloud service providers and the cost of facilities used must be charged by the user.
Cloud computing Service Models
- Platform as a service (PaaS)
PaaS enables consumers to browse platform access, enabling them to implement the software and cloud implementations. Operating systems or internet connectivity are not controlled by the user, which can impose some limitations on the software’s scope that can be implemented. Instances include Amazon Web Services, Rackspace, and Microsoft Azure.
- Software as a service (SaaS)
In SaaS the right to access or use of a cloud-hosted program or service must be purchased by customers. SaaS is a distribution model that delivers software applications over the internet; these applications are often called web services. Users can access SaaS applications and services from any location using a computer or mobile device that has internet access. In the SaaS model, users gain access to application software and databases.
- Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)
In IaaS customers can monitor and handle the operating systems, software, network access, and storage without managing the cloud itself. Users have an allocated storage capacity and can start, stop, access and configure the VM and storage as desired. IaaS providers offer small, medium, large, extra-large, and memory- or compute-optimized instances, in addition to enabling customization of instances, for various workload needs. The IaaS cloud model is closest to a remote data center for business users.
Cloud computing Deployment Models
There are four main types of models, each having its own features.
- Community cloud
It allows systems and services to be accessible by a group of organizations. It is a distributed system that is created by integrating the services of different clouds to address the specific needs of a community, industry, or business. The infrastructure of the community could be shared between the organization which has shared concerns or tasks. It is generally managed by a third party or by the combination of one or more organizations in the community.
- Private Cloud
The private cloud deployment model is the exact opposite of the public cloud deployment model. It’s a one-on-one environment for a single user (customer). There is no need to share your hardware with anyone else. The distinction between private and public cloud is in how you handle all of the hardware. It is also called the “internal cloud” & it refers to the ability to access systems and services within a given border or organization.
- Public Cloud
The public cloud makes it possible for anybody to access systems and services. The public cloud may be less secure as it is open for everyone. The public cloud is one in which cloud infrastructure services are provided over the internet to the general people or major industry groups. The infrastructure in this cloud model is owned by the entity that delivers the cloud services, not by the consumer.
- Hybrid cloud
By bridging the public and private worlds with a layer of proprietary software, hybrid cloud computing gives the best of both worlds. With a hybrid solution, you may host the app in a safe environment while taking advantage of the public cloud’s cost savings. Organizations can move data and applications between different clouds using a combination of two or more cloud deployment methods, depending on their needs.
Advantages of Cloud computing
Among the several challenges raised by cloud computing, some advantages of cloud computing are defined below-
Flexibility
Cloud Computing enables businesses to operate with a small cloud implementation and grow very quickly and effectively and offers more flexibility overall versus hosting on a local server. And, if you need extra bandwidth, a cloud-based service can meet that demand instantly, rather than undergoing a complex update to your IT infrastructure. This improved freedom and flexibility can make a significant difference to the overall efficiency of your organisation.
Cost savings
Once you’re on the cloud, easy access to your company’s data will save time and money in project start-ups. Most cloud-computing services are pay as you go. This means that if you don’t take advantage of what the cloud has to offer, then at least you won’t have to be dropping money on it. The pay-as-you-go system also applies to the data storage space needed to service your stakeholders and clients, which means that you’ll get exactly as much space as you need, and not be charged for any space that you don’t.
Mobile Accessibility
Cloud computing allows mobile access to corporate data via smartphones and devices, which, considering over 2.6 billion smartphones are being used globally today, is a great way to ensure that no one is ever left out of the loop. Staff with busy schedules, or who live a long way away from the corporate office, can use this feature to keep instantly up to date with clients and co-worker. Through the cloud, you can offer conveniently accessible information to sales staff who travel, freelance employees, or remote employees, for better work-life balance.
Automatic Software Updates
For those who have a lot to get done, there isn’t anything more irritating than having to wait for system updates to be installed. Cloud-based applications automatically refresh and update themselves, instead of forcing an IT department to perform a manual organisation wide update. This saves valuable IT staff time and money spent on outside IT consultation.
It is not advisable for the advent of edge computing to be a complete substitution for cloud computing as there is no analytical framework to prove this. Edge computing is not the only solution for the challenges faced by IT vendors and organizations and does not handle all applications across every environment, thus, cloud computing will still remain a crucial part of an organization’s IT infrastructure.
