Edge computing explained.
This edition of Ken’s Korner’s Newsletter covers August 2024.

What is edge computing?
The terms edge computing and cloud computing are often used synonymously. But they are not the same thing. Edge computing is a subset of Could computing but it is a very different animal.

Edge computing is a network philosophy that places the data storage and computing closer to the devices that produce the data and the users who consume it. Devices in remote locations, or at a distance from the main server, can process data locally. Usually by a local server or the device itself. The edge data center is kind of a mini data center. After processing the data that is deemed important is often shared with the main server at the data center.

While the use of edge computing has grown in recent years it is not a new concept. It can be traced back to the 1990’s when Akamai introduced its content delivery network (CDN). The CDN used nodes at locations geographically closer to the end users to store content such as images and videos.

Data is the life blood of both the private and public sector operations. The internet is a vast source of data that is constantly growing and changing. But this flood of information can prove to be unmanageable. Traditional cloud computing places all the data at a centralized datacenter but this isn’t well suited to moving the endlessly growing and ever-changing rivers of real-world data. Bandwidth, latency and unpredictable network disruptions can plague networks and block access to crucial data.

Edge computing offers a way to keep the most relevant data close to the source and the users. It can reduce the latency and bandwidth problems and eliminate many of the network disruptions by moving some of the data and compute resources out of the central data location and places them closer to the source. It can also improve the scalability of networks, making it easier to add resources when and where they are needed.

Edge computing is like fog computing. With fog computing the data is stored and processed somewhere between the source and the data center. A fog computer connects to a batch of edge computers simultaneously Unlike Edge computing where the data is usually stored and processed at or very close to the user’s location.

The downside of edge computing is that they are more prone to security threats and intrusions. The edge locations seldom have the kind of dedicated security that is found in a data center. Edge computing also requires at least some “racking and stacking” of hardware. Configuring and maintaining servers at the local level requires a certain level of IT skill. With standard cloud computing all of that is done by the data center personnel.

Some examples of edge computing:

• Autonomous Vehicles
• In-Hospital Patient Monitoring
• Traffic Manaegment
• Smart Homes

Some examples of fog computing:

• • Industrial Automation Systems
• • Smart City Applications
• • Wearable Health Monitoring Devices
• • Augmented Reality Devices like Google Glass

August 2024 Tip or Trick for Windows 11.
Use the Xbox Game Bar.
Even if you are not into games this feature has a number of handy options. To open the Xbox Game Bar, press the Windows Key + G. Click on the Performance icon and open a window that shows CPU, GPU, VRAM and System Ram usage.

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