What is Edge Computing? Edge computing is a distributed information technology (IT) architecture in which client data is processed at the periphery of the network, as close to the originating source as possible. The move toward edge computing is driven by mobile computing, the decreasing cost of computer components and the sheer number of networked devices in the internet of things(IoT). Depending on the implementation, time-sensitive data in an edge computing architecture may be processed at the point of origin by an intelligent device or  sent to an intermediary server located in close geographical proximity to the client.  Data that is less time sensitive is sent to the cloud for historical analysis, big data analytics and long-term storage.  Difference between Cloud computing and Edge Computing

Uses of Edge Computing Edge Computing can be used to help resolve a variety of situations. When IoT devices have a poor connectivity, or when the connection is intermittent, Edge Computing provides a convenient solution because it doesn’t need a connection to process the data or make a decision. It also has the effect of reducing time loss, because the data does not have to travel across a network to reach a data center or Cloud. In situations where a loss of milliseconds is unacceptable, such as in manufacturing or financial services, Edge Computing can be quite useful in.

• Grid Edge Control and Analytics
• Oil and Gas Remote Monitoring
• Edge Video Orchestration
• Traffic Management
• Autonomous Vehicles
• Smart cities, smart buildings, and building management systemsare ideal for the use of Edge Computing. Sensors can make decisions on the spot, without waiting for a decision from another location. Edge Computing can be used for energy and power management, controlling lighting, HVAC, and energy efficiency.

Edge Computing Security There are two arguments regarding the security of Edge Computing. Some suggest security is better with Edge Computing because the data stays closer to its source and does not move through a network. They argue the less data stored in a corporate data center, or Cloud, the less data that is vulnerable to hackers. Others suggest Edge Computing is significantly less secure because “edge devices” can be extremely vulnerable, and the more entrances to a system, the more points of attack available to a hacker. This makes security an important aspect in the design of any “edge” deployment. Access control, data encryption, and the use of virtual private network tunneling are important parts of defending an Edge Computing system. Need of Edge Computing Edge Computing helps enterprises address cost, bandwidth and latency issues across a broad range of IoT applications. Here are three key reasons why you need Edge Computing:

• Reduce the Amount of Data Transmitted and Stored in the Cloud
• Reduce the Lag Time in Data Transmission/Processing
• Reduce the Signal to Noise Ratio

Challenges inEdge Computing

• Edge computing must be designed to work in the face of sporadic availability/connectivity of edge compute nodes, since edge nodes may only have power available sporadically.
• Edge computing requires operations to be able to deploy to a distributed set of edge nodes, coordinate cross-node state and storage, or handle inconsistent state gracefully.

References

• https://www.ge.com/digital/blog/what-edge-computing
• https://www.winsystems.com/
• https://www.dataversity.net/edge-computing-overview/#
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edge_computing