K
Kathleen Martin
Guest
Using edge compute over cloud compute means improved performance, reduced data backhaul, earlier threat detection and mitigation, and other benefits such as improved reliability and scalability. It is undeniable that running an application closer to the end user can provide an improved digital experience. In short, all things being equal, it’s better to run applications at the edge instead of in a centralized cloud or data center environment.
Given that fact, why, up until now, have we embraced the centralized cloud compute paradigm rather than a distributed hosting platform?
The answer is in that “all things being equal” statement. Historically, deploying applications at the edge adds technical and operational complexity — not to mention unfamiliar tools and requirements — that can, for many, outweigh its other benefits. These challenges of running distributed versus centralized applications have been with us for some time. We have seen pushes toward grid compute paradigms and, of course, the completely decentralized blockchain application approach. Each of which has represented fundamental shifts away from our current application security, architecture, and dev and ops lifecycles.
However, modern edge compute paradigms are a much more natural, and thus more mainstream, extension from the current operatives of a centralized cloud hosting model.
Is this enough to achieve the “all things equal” parity? How do you judge? It turns out we can demonstrate the natural extension a distributed deployment brings to the benefits of cloud by considering cloud vs. edge in equation format.
Setting the Equation
First, let’s restate that:
The Benefits of Distributed Edge Hosting > The Benefits of Centralized Cloud Hosting
What is missing from this statement is the accessibility of these benefits for either hosting paradigm. So, for purposes of creating an equation, we need to determine how to express an ability to access or enjoy the benefits of edge vs. cloud hosting.
The key is to recognize that the edge side of the compute equation is not dissimilar to the cloud portion, with one significant differentiator: distribution and how we handle that distribution.
Continue reading: https://thenewstack.io/when-to-move-to-the-edge-a-simple-equation-to-help-decide/
Given that fact, why, up until now, have we embraced the centralized cloud compute paradigm rather than a distributed hosting platform?
The answer is in that “all things being equal” statement. Historically, deploying applications at the edge adds technical and operational complexity — not to mention unfamiliar tools and requirements — that can, for many, outweigh its other benefits. These challenges of running distributed versus centralized applications have been with us for some time. We have seen pushes toward grid compute paradigms and, of course, the completely decentralized blockchain application approach. Each of which has represented fundamental shifts away from our current application security, architecture, and dev and ops lifecycles.
However, modern edge compute paradigms are a much more natural, and thus more mainstream, extension from the current operatives of a centralized cloud hosting model.
Is this enough to achieve the “all things equal” parity? How do you judge? It turns out we can demonstrate the natural extension a distributed deployment brings to the benefits of cloud by considering cloud vs. edge in equation format.
Setting the Equation
First, let’s restate that:
The Benefits of Distributed Edge Hosting > The Benefits of Centralized Cloud Hosting
What is missing from this statement is the accessibility of these benefits for either hosting paradigm. So, for purposes of creating an equation, we need to determine how to express an ability to access or enjoy the benefits of edge vs. cloud hosting.
The key is to recognize that the edge side of the compute equation is not dissimilar to the cloud portion, with one significant differentiator: distribution and how we handle that distribution.
Continue reading: https://thenewstack.io/when-to-move-to-the-edge-a-simple-equation-to-help-decide/
