Edge Computing Deployment: Best Practices all businesses should be implementing
Edge Computing Deployment: Edge computing reduces latency and conserves bandwidth by bringing compute, data, storage, and power closer to the point of action or event. However, edge deployment can be challenging and complex.
Here are 10 best practices all businesses should be implementing when deploying edge-computing enabled digital transformation efforts.
Edge Computing deployment: Best Practices for implementing Edge computing
1. Assign clear ownership
Before initiating a project involving edge computing, it is vital to identify all parties involved and whether they share the same objectives.
Edge computing applies information technologies (IT) that manage information processing technologies. Next, it involves communication technologies (CT) and the individuals responsible for information processing and transmission. Lastly, it includes operational technologies (OT), which are in charge of controlling and monitoring hardware and software at client endpoints.
The difficulty is in fostering collaboration and cooperation amongst these parties. In this situation, dismantling silos is vital since one party cannot comprehend or perform the responsibilities of the other.
2. Educate key personnel
When it comes to a comprehensive grasp of edge computing, the three parties above must be familiar with the implementation process.
Together, these three parties are responsible for implementation and must collaborate to support edge computing resources in developing a long-term strategy, vision, budget, and overall action plan. Recruit qualified personnel within and beyond the firm to construct the ideal team with well-defined goals and outcomes.
These teams can be the foundation for your cutting-edge project, from establishing operations to maintaining efficiency and ensuring smooth operation.
3. Deploy edge as an extension to the Cloud
Contrary to common misconception, edge and cloud are not competing for the top position. Edge can instead be implemented as a supplement to the cloud. In conjunction with cloud computing, edge computing can facilitate an organization’s digital transformation.
Implementing edge in isolation is not optimal; edge and cloud can successfully scale corporate operations when implemented jointly. In the case of large-scale digital transformations, combining edge computing and cloud computing can yield favorable benefits.
4. Understand data analysis situation & project environment
The number of data sources, such as IoT, sensors, applications, and devices, increases exponentially. Therefore, it is vital to swiftly analyze data to establish the scope of your project and enhance the consumer experience.
This is especially true for isolated or rugged installations with insufficient connectivity and infrastructure. When choosing a platform, choosing those with streamlined security and reduced downtime is essential.
5. Engage with a trusted partner
Engaging with a provider with a proven multi-cloud platform portfolio and a comprehensive set of services is crucial to improving scalability, performance, and security at edge deployments.
Asking your vendor pertinent questions like security, performance, the size and cost of the engineering staff and the ROI realized is an additional best practice. It is also permissible to seek a quick demonstration of a product vendor’s security capabilities and management.
6. Address security concerns
The security checkpoint merits special consideration. The same security strategy should be applied to the edge as it is to the broader cybersecurity landscape. Establishing enterprise security standards alone is insufficient, depending on patch management systems whenever a flaw is uncovered.
A clever plan will aid in establishing a secure and orderly environment. Every nook and cranny requires the same level of security and service visibility as the central data center regarding edge computing security.
Implement cybersecurity best practices, such as malware protection, multi-factor authentication, endpoint protection, and training for end users.
7. Think zero trust
Cyberattack concerns, including ransomware, have become an immediate issue for edge owners and operators, mainly due to the distributed design of the edge. Consider the zero trust paradigm while looking for strategies to lower the risk of security breaches.
Edge locations fit and comply with the zero-trust security model with relative ease. In addition to protecting edge resources from assaults and threats, enterprises must encrypt data in transit and at rest.
8. Establish architecture & design
When making design-related decisions, reviewing existing use cases is best and allows sufficient time to achieve clarity. Not many businesses have the exact needs, objectives, and budgets.
It is essential to realize that the use case in question will affect the landscape’s overall architecture and design. Investing in technology that can be accessed from anywhere – on-premise, in the cloud, or at the edge, is a second excellent option.
Containers and Kubernetes are lightweight application technologies that facilitate cloud-to-edge application development.
9. Use cloud-native programming approaches
In a dispersed computing context, cloud-native techniques frequently address problems caused by uneven development platforms and security frameworks.
Workloads should be categorized and containerized around a collection of microservices. Utilize APIs to promote interoperability and provide previously unsupported services.
10. Consider service level agreements, compliance, and support
Finally, it is essential to consider service-level agreements (SLA) and compliance from the outset. A slowdown or interruption can significantly damage your company in today’s fast-paced business environment.
All collected data and information must be safeguarded from an unauthorized party’s hands. Consequently, it is essential to address maintenance, resilience, security, scalability, and sustainability.
In addition, it is necessary to guarantee that the edge computing landscape is resilient enough to withstand technological shifts and easy enough to evolve.
Edge Computing Deployment: Next Steps
Edge computing has caused a seismic upheaval in the business landscape. Unlocking the power of data is an intriguing notion that presents enormous opportunities.
This entails processing, rejecting, and displaying information close to where it is used and only send results to a central location for additional processing and storage if necessary.
As a natural extension of cloud computing, edge computing is viewed as a critical enabler for Industry 4.0, providing unprecedented communication-driven opportunities with massive economies of scale.
Edge computing is the future, whereas centralized cloud has been the standard for many years. Life at the edge can assist businesses in saving time and money, establishing autonomous systems, enhancing response times, and providing deeper insights.
It makes shopping, leisure, and healthcare more convenient, farms and factories more productive, and customer experiences more enjoyable. Edge computing is a rising technology that will usher in a new era of data analytics.
