The network and security must converge for 5G-enabled edges

Network Management, Network Security

Article | July 17, 2023

If you are clued into IT, then most likely, you are aware of the latest trending technology, edge computing data centers. Edge Computing ensures exceptional speed, with firm privacy and security compared to the conventional cloud methods, thus making edge data centers an imperative option for everyone. The world is undoubtedly moving faster, thereby perpetually pushing the power of next-generation innovation. Edge computing data center has emerged as a substitute to cloud computing, that keeps the data processing power at the “edge” of the network. But, it also comes with a set of challenges to the network. Edge computing devices that have processing functions are expensive and to operate the older version, additional equipment is required, which incurs extra expenditure. Despite the challenges, edge computing has turned out to be the biggest technology investment. So, let’s break it down here with comprehensive details to understand how this latest trending technology is all set to shape the future of the data center. A Brief on Edge Computing The word edge refers to the literal geographic distribution that brings computation and data storage nearer to the data sources. It improves the response duration and saves bandwidth as it runs fewer processes in the cloud and shifts those processes to local destinations such as on a user’s computer, an edge server, or an IoT for that matter. In a nutshell, edge computing is a topology that enables data to be analyzed, processed, and transferred at the edge of a network, It helps diminish the long-distance communication that takes place between a client and server. A significant advantage of using edge computing lies in its high speed and better reliability. In addition, it offers improved security by distributing processing, storage, and applications across wide-ranging devices and data centers. What’s more, it paves the way for a budget-friendly route to scalability as well as versatility, enabling organizations to expand their computing capabilities through an amalgamation of IoT devices and edge computing data centers. Edge Data Centers and Their Usage! There isn’t any specific explanation that would describe the idea of an edge data center, considering it isn’t one consistent style of the facility. It instead consists of smaller facilities that serve both edge computing and larger-scale cloud services. Since they are located closer to the population, they could easily extend the edge of the network to deliver cloud computing resources and cached content to end-users. Typically, they connect to a larger central data center or multiple computer data centers seamlessly. Latency has forever been a matter of concern for cloud data center managers. In recent times, it has emerged as a key obstacle due to big data, the Internet of Things, cloud and streaming services, and other technology trends. Moreover, in today’s time and age, end-users and devices demand access to applications and services anytime and anywhere, which leaves no room for latency. Consequently, companies across the spectrum are establishing edge data centers to ensure cost-effective and high-functionality ways to provide customers with content and performance. A great way to learn more about the data center would be to understand its usage. The following are some of the services that primarily rely on edge computing: Internet of Things Internet of Things tools essentially require low latency and reliable connections to the data center to function with high intensity. IoT devices add up a vast number of edge computing utilities; thus using edge computing makes it simple and effective. Streaming Content Streaming content is one of the most consumed form of infotainment. Users today want their video to get started with a single click that edge facilities help achieve. Drones While Drones are increasingly getting popular, their features are also massively advancing. For example, with edge computing, drones could be controlled even from far-flung locations without any hitch. Artificial Intelligence AI is one of the most thriving technologies that have taken over the world with its magnificent scalability, To make AI advantageous to the system, it should be able to access data, process it, and communicate with the end-users effectively and quickly which an edge data center allows. Virtual Reality Virtual Reality needs to get updates as quickly as possible to create an immersive world for the users. Though primarily associated with gaming, VR has also gained recognition for different paradigms such as communication, education, and several other significant uses. Edge Computing and Data Centers – The Future! A dedicated 5G Provider Edge Computing is underway, building mammoth telecommunications capabilities into data center growth trends. These facilities could change the dynamics of 5G providers for enterprise brands and emerge as the dedicated 5G providers for organizations. Support sustainable business goals Edge data centers are being looked to as a periphery that can help build more efficient solutions to enable the sector’s sustainability. Edge computing is specifically designed to keep applications and data closer to devices and their users. Therefore, there is little doubt over the impact that edge computing will have on sustainable business goals. Making way for Robot Security Guards Evolution in AI and IoT has drastically changed the human staffing needs inside the data centers and made way for Robots. Currently, Robots have been deployed in some of the hyper-scale data centers for specific tasks. Whether it is the automated inspection, faulty disc locating, or disc charging, with Robots at the helm of affairs, everything can be completed seamlessly. Many data center and robotics professionals are predicting that the next couple of years will be big leaps when it comes to placing more robotics in the data center environment. Bill Kleyman - now Switch EVP of digital solutions - wrote in 2013. How Does One Choose a Location For a Data Center? Data centers are a critical part of any business enterprise operations. Hence, decisions regarding its locations cannot be relegated to an arbitrary choice. In the past, companies used to set up their edge data centers closer to their offices to maintain the proximity. However, that is swiftly changing now as the equipment administration and monitoring can be achieved remotely. With the data center industry transforming, performance is no longer the sole consideration. To create a defining success of the data centers, companies are now looking for different sites for their data centers, primarily focusing on factors like economic, political, social, and geographical. The current scenario highlights the significance of considering Energy efficiency, business continuity plan, and resource optimization. With so much at stake, the edge data centers should be effortlessly accessible. Conclusion Edge computing and data center growth has garnered a lot of interest among the users over the past few years. It will continue to thrive for many more years to come as it meets the eye of the global tech demands and the current and future needs of the users worldwide. Frequently Asked Questions What are the benefits of edge computing? One of the top benefits of edge computing is its quick response time and low latency period across all devices. It also simplifies the bandwidth and creates less risk in corporate security. What are the drawbacks of edge computing? A significant drawback of edge computing is the need of a huge storage capacity. The security challenge is also relatively high due to the massive amount of data stored in it. Moreover, the expensive cost factor is also a disadvantage of it. { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [{ "@type": "Question", "name": "What are the benefits of edge computing?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "One of the top benefits of edge computing is its quick response time and low latency period across all devices. It also simplifies the bandwidth and creates less risk in corporate." } },{ "@type": "Question", "name": "What are the drawbacks of edge computing?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "A significant drawback of edge computing is the need of a huge storage capacity. The security challenge is also relatively high due to the massive amount of data stored in it. Moreover, the expensive cost factor is also a disadvantage of it." } }] }

Enterprise Mobility, Mobile Infrastructure

Article | June 16, 2023

Although the cause is as yet unknown, this breach is likely to have the same culprit as most large scale data breaches that have occurred in recent memory, through a simple misconfiguration of a server or shared repository. As the sheer size, scale, and footprint of global technology vendors like Microsoft, Facebook, Google, and so on continues to grow, so too does the opportunity for simple errors to make their way into some infrastructure configurations that can then be exploited.

Network Infrastructure, Network Management

Article | July 10, 2023

We are surrounded by acronyms and buzzwords in technology. SD-WAN is one that is often used in the industry nowadays. Organizations embrace digital transformation to stay up with market developments, consumer needs, and competitiveness. Traditional network designs weren't meant to manage digital transformation workloads and complexity. Business-critical services are commonly spread over numerous clouds, compromising network performance, particularly at branch sites. Smart network operations teams opt for SD-WAN. SD-WAN reduces overhead and improves network performance. Routing and hardware expenses are saved through SD-WAN solutions while allowing multi-cloud access. SD-WAN also reduces overhead and supports new digital apps and services. This new technology streamlines WAN administration and operation and brings corporate advantages. Business Challenges that SD-WAN Addresses There has been a dramatic increase in the pressure on the network as a result of digitalization. Businesses must now rely on a stable and secure network, which conventional router-based network topologies are incapable of providing. An SD-WAN solution assists businesses in addressing use cases in order to expedite digital transformation efforts, lower cybersecurity risks, and increase revenue. Eases connectivity with far-flung factories and offices. Effectively deploys new sites and minimizes network equipment sprawl. Enhances the speed of file transfer and backups to disaster recovery facilities. Helps in moving applications to the cloud and protecting cloud app. data using Secure Access Service Edge (SASE). Safeguards IoT devices using a zero-trust network Helps in complying with the cybersecurity framework of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Ways SD-WAN Can Help Businesses Boost their Bottom Line Boosts Security Digital transformation is a double-edged sword. It can increase consumer satisfaction and market reach, but can pose security threats. According to the U.S. State of Cybercrime study, 41% of respondents stated more cybersecurity occurrences in 2017. The good news is that many SD-WAN solutions provide built-in security. Most SD-WAN systems only offer basic firewall and VPN functionalities, requiring IT teams to add security to elastic and dynamic SD-WAN connections after the fact. SD-WAN solutions with NGFW, IPS, encryption, AV, and sandboxing can avoid data loss, downtime, regulatory violations, and legal liability. Enables Cloud Usage Cloud services are rapidly being used by businesses. The great news is that SD-WAN enables direct cloud access at the remote branch, removing backhauling traffic – which routes all cloud and branch office traffic through the data center – allowing workers to directly access cloud applications irrespective of location without burdening the core network with additional traffic to manage and secure. Furthermore, SD-WAN enhances cloud application performance by prioritizing vital business apps and allowing branches to interact directly with the Internet. Reduces Costs As businesses deploy a growing number of cloud-based services, the volume of data traveling across a WAN rises dramatically, driving up operational expenses. SD-WAN, thankfully, can minimize this cost by utilizing low-cost local Internet connectivity, offering direct cloud access, and lowering traffic via the backbone WAN. According to an IDC poll (prediction), over a quarter of survey respondents anticipate SD-WAN cost reductions of up to 39%, with the other two-thirds anticipating more modest savings of 5–19%. Improves performance Data transfer over a network isn't created equal. Fortunately, SD-WAN can be set up to prioritize business-critical traffic and real-time services such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and then successfully guide it over the most efficient path. IT teams can help decrease packet loss and latency concerns by supporting important applications over dependable, high-performance connections, increasing employee productivity and morale. This is business-impacting performance. Closing Note Indeed, SD-WAN evolved and flourished in the data center over the first few years of development. However, the time has arrived to take it seriously as a tool for managing your wide area network. There are currently several vendors on the market, as well as several mature solutions to choose from. More significantly, the business cases for SD-WAN are expanding on a daily basis.

Article | May 11, 2021

Transparency, explainability and trust are big and pressing topics in AI/ML today. Nobody wants to find themselves at the receiving end of a black AI box system that makes consequential decisions (e.g., about jobs, healthcare, citizenship, etc.), especially if those decision are unfair, biased, or just plainly not in our favor. And most organizations agree that consumer trust and confidence that AI is being used ethically and transparently are key to unlocking its true potential. And while there are literally hundreds of documents describing and prescribing AI principles, frameworks and other good things, last year there was no practical tool that could help with implementing transparency. And this tool is AI registers… The Cities of Helsinki and Amsterdam jointly announce the launch of their public AI registers. The two registers were developed in collaboration with Saidot.ai, a Finnish company which specializes in “bringing transparency to consumer services” and which, to the best of my knowledge, is the only vendor in this space. The idea for the company grew from the personal frustration of its founder and CEO, Meeri Haataja, who was “seeing how important transparency of AI is for the future of each one of us, and not being able to find too many meaningful ways to act on it.”