Understanding Infrastructure Edge Computing

Concepts, Technologies, and Considerations

Alex Marcham

• Publisher: Wiley
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781119763253
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Systems Architecture
• Index: Computer Science

UNDERSTANDING INFRASTRUCTURE EDGE COMPUTING

A comprehensive review of the key emerging technologies that will directly impact areas of computer technology over the next five years

Infrastructure edge computing is the model of data center and network infrastructure deployment which distributes a large number of physically small data centers around an area to deliver better performance and to enable new economical applications. It is vital for those operating at business or technical levels to be positioned to capitalize on the changes that will occur as a result of infrastructure edge computing.

This book provides a thorough understanding of the growth of internet infrastructure from its inception to the emergence of infrastructure edge computing. Author Alex Marcham, an acknowledged leader in the field who coined the term 'infrastructure edge computing, ' presents an accessible, accurate, and expansive view of the next generation of internet infrastructure. The book features illustrative examples of 5G mobile cellular networks, city-scale AI systems, self-driving cars, drones, industrial robots, and more—technologies that increase efficiency, save time and money, and improve safety. Covering state-of-the-art topics, this timely and authoritative book:

• Presents a clear and accurate survey of the key emerging technologies that will impact data centers, 5G networks, artificial intelligence and cyber-physical systems, and other areas of computer technology
• Explores how and why Internet infrastructure has evolved to where it stands today and where it needs to be in the near future
• Covers a wide range of topics including distributed application workload operation, infrastructure and application security, and related technologies such as multi-access edge computing (MEC) and fog computing
• Provides numerous use cases and examples of real-world applications which depend upon underlying edge infrastructure

Written for Information Technology practitioners, computer technology practitioners, and students, Understanding Infrastructure Edge Computing is essential reading for those looking to benefit from the coming changes in computer technology.

1
Introduction

Few could have guessed the impact the internet would have on us all at its inception. Today, the internet and the services it provides are essential for billions of people across the world. It is a primary source of communication with friends, family, and our communities; it is the primary way in which we access many essential services, as well as the way that increasing numbers of us go to work, pursue our educational goals, and access sources of entertainment, all on demand.

We did not get to this point by accident. Although the current state of the internet could not have been fully foreseen decades ago, it is due to the continuous efforts of skilled and driven people from across many different disciplines that the modern internet is able to support us as it does today. The story of the internet is not one of a single grand original design; it is one of consistent iteration and ingenuity to adapt to new technical and business challenges which have emerged over the decades.

As they have in the past, new and emerging use cases are driving the evolution of internet and data centre technology. This is resulting in new generations of infrastructure which are reimagining how the internet that we all use on a daily basis should be designed, deployed, and operated as a whole.

Distributed artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are set to permanently reshape how many industries, from healthcare and retail to manufacturing and construction, operate due to their ability to enhance the decision‐making process and automate difficult tasks with extraordinary speed and precision. City‐scale internet of things (IoT) and cyber‐physical systems provide machines the means to interact physically with our world in ways that have been impossible or impractical to achieve before, supported by fifth generation (5G) cellular network connectivity and new versions of cloud computing, which are able to support high‐bandwidth, low‐latency, and real‐time use cases.

The key element underpinning all of these areas of advancement in both technology and business is infrastructure edge computing. It is one thing to demonstrate a use case in a laboratory environment where everything is a known variable; it is quite another to then operate a commercial service in the real world with all of the messy constraints that introduces, from cost to performance to timescales.

Edge computing is one of the most frequently mentioned emerging technologies, which many believe will make a significant impact on the landscapes of both technology and business during the decade of the 2020s. The concept seems simple: By moving compute resources as close as possible to their end users, theoretically the latency between a user and their application can be reduced, the cost of data transport can be minimised, and these two factors combined will make new use cases practical.

But what really is edge computing, beyond the hype, marketing material, and hyperbole that always accompany any major technological shift? With so many competing definitions of even the most basic elements of the technology, can we succinctly define concepts and terminology which allow us to have a consistent understanding of the challenges we are trying to solve together as an industry?

What are the key factors driving edge computing, and what must a solution provide in order to solve key technical and business challenges? How does edge computing really replace, compete with, or augment cloud computing? What is infrastructure edge computing, and does it stand alongside the traditional regional, national, and on‐premises data centre, or does it seek to replace them entirely?

This book aims to answer all of these questions and provide the reader with a solid foundation of knowledge with which to understand how we got to this inflection point and how infrastructure edge computing is a vital component of the next‐generation internet – an internet which enables suites of new key use cases that unlock untapped value globally across many different industries.

2
What Is Edge Computing?

2.1 Overview

Before delving into the details and technical underpinnings of infrastructure edge computing, it is necessary to understand some of the history, terminology, and key drivers behind its development, adoption, and usage. This chapter aims to detail some of these factors and provide the reader with a shared base of knowledge to build upon throughout the rest of this book, starting with terminology.

2.2 Defining the Terminology

One of the most challenging aspects of edge computing has been agreeing upon a set of terminology and using it consistently across the many industries to which edge computing is of interest. This is by no means a unique challenge when it comes to emerging technologies, but in the case of edge, it has contributed significantly to confusion between multiple groups and companies who have struggled to reconcile their individual definitions of edge computing so that ultimately a shared view of what the problem to be solved is, in addition to where it is and how to solve it, could emerge and be used.

Part of the challenge in defining edge computing is that by its very nature, the concept of an edge is contextual: An edge is at the boundary of something and often delineates the specific place where two things meet. These two things may be physical, as pieces of hardware; they may be logical, as pieces of software; or they may be more abstract, such as ownership, intent, or a business model.

Another part of the challenge has been attempting to compress the many dimensions across which a group or company may be concerned with edge computing into a small number of terms which are general enough and yet able to convey a specific meaning. Although it is appealing to create terms which describe a complex and specific set of dimensions as they relate to edge computing, this is a challenging path to create terminology which is general enough to use outside of that same group because the more dimensions a term or phrase aims to address, the less approachable it becomes.

The key to any set of terminology is consistency, and the way to achieve that even in highly technical discussions is to limit the scope of the concepts which the terminology aims to define. Once the key parameters of the definition are established, a neutral set of terminology can be created which then serves as the basis for additional layers of complexity to be added, promoting adoption and usage.

The Open Glossary of Edge Computing [1], a project arising out of the initial State of the Edge report [2] and co‐authored by the author of this book, established a neutral and limited dimension set of terminology for edge computing which has seen adoption across the industry and aims to simplify the discussions around edge computing by using the physical location of infrastructure and devices to delineate which type of edge computing each is able to perform by using the last mile network as the line between them to create a clear point of separation. Additional dimensions such as ownership, a specific business model, or any other concern can then be layered on top of this physical definition.

Along with the State of the Edge itself, the Open Glossary of Edge Computing has been adopted by the Linux Foundation’s LF Edge [3] group as an official project and continues to contribute to a shared set of terminology for edge computing to help facilitate clear discussion and shared understanding.

2.3 Where Is the Edge?

As previously described, an edge is itself a contextual entity. By itself, an edge cannot exist; it is the creation of two things at the point at which they interact. This somewhat floaty definition is one part of what has made establishing a concise and clear definition of edge computing difficult, especially when combined with the many different factors and dimensions that edge computing will influence.

This book will focus on the accepted definition from the Open Glossary of Edge Computing which uses the physical and role‐based separation provided by using the last mile network as a line of demarcation between the infrastructure edge and device edge to provide separation and clarity.

2.3.1 A Tale of Many Edges

Although there are many potential edges, for the purposes of this book and to the most general definition of edge computing, the edge that is of the greatest importance is the last mile network.

The last mile network is the clearest point of physical separation between end user devices and the data centre infrastructure which supports them. In this context, the last mile network refers to the transmission medium and communications equipment which connects a user device to the network of a network operator who is providing wide area network (WAN) or metropolitan area network (MAN) service to one or more user devices, whether large or small, fixed position or mobile.

Examples of last mile networks include cellular networks, where the transmission medium is radio spectrum and the communications equipment used includes radio transceiver equipment, towers, and antennas. Wired networks such as those using cable, fibre, or digital subscriber line (DSL) are also examples of last mile networks which use a copper or fibre‐based transmission medium. The specific type of last mile network used is irrelevant here for the terminology of edge computing.

This definition cannot capture all of the potential nuance which may exist; for example, in the case of an on‐premises data centre which is physically located on the device side of the last mile network, the owner of that data centre may regard it as infrastructur...