What is the Edge and why are we all talking about it?
Edge Computing Today
After the cloud came the Edge. We take a look at the Edge computing phenomenon and attempt to assess what all the fuss is about.
Edge Computing is a popular term in the high tech media, and, like many buzzwords that rise to claim a place in the limelight, the term "Edge" appears to have emerged fully formed before the industry settled on a clear definition for what it is. So what is Edge computing, and how does it differ from other approaches? How is Edge computing related to IoT or other contemporary technologies? We decided it was time for a visit to the Edge.
Beyond the Cloud
For years now, large cloud providers have attempted to entice customers with the benefits of managing their data and infrastructure from a central, cloud-based location. For many companies, the cloud means abandoning their own on-premises data center and instead trusting their data to AWS, Azure, or another cloud company. The goal of the cloud is centralization. The data is all in one place, managed by experts with economies of scale. Security, fault tolerance, and other essential tasks are handled from the central facility. In many cases, all the data and processing power for an entire company might be in one or two locations, with branch offices accessing it from all over the world.
Edge computing is the exact opposite of this centralized cloud paradigm. The goal of Edge computing is to provide similar cloud-like services, but to move computing resources to the farthest edge of the environment – geographically close to where the data is gathered and accessed.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
CIQ Releases Compatibility Catalog for Rocky Linux
The company behind Rocky Linux is making an open catalog available to developers, hobbyists, and other contributors, so they can verify and publish compatibility with the CIQ lineup.
-
KDE Gets Some Resuscitation
KDE is bringing back two themes that vanished a few years ago, putting a bit more air under its wings.
-
Ubuntu 26.04 Beta Arrives with Some Surprises
Ubuntu 26.04 is almost here, but the beta version has been released, and it might surprise some people.
-
Ubuntu MATE Dev Leaving After 12 years
Martin Wimpress, the maintainer of Ubuntu MATE, is now searching for his successor. Are you the next in line?
-
Kali Linux Waxes Nostalgic with BackTrack Mode
For those who've used Kali Linux since its inception, the changes with the new release are sure to put a smile on your face.
-
Gnome 50 Smooths Out NVIDIA GPU Issues
Gamers rejoice, your favorite pastime just got better with Gnome 50 and NVIDIA GPUs.
-
System76 Retools Thelio Desktop
The new Thelio Mira has landed with improved performance, repairability, and front-facing ports alongside a high-quality tempered glass facade.
-
Some Linux Distros Skirt Age Verification Laws
After California introduced an age verification law recently, open source operating system developers have had to get creative with how they deal with it.
-
UN Creates Open Source Portal
In a quest to strengthen open source collaboration, the United Nations Office of Information and Communications Technology has created a new portal.
-
Latest Linux Kernel RC Contains Changes Galore
Linux kernel 7.0-rc3 includes more changes than have been made in a single release in recent history.