Edge computing creates management challenges not found with data center or cloud computing.  Spreading mission critical applications and data to the Edge introduces scale and performance challenges which demand Edge environments function efficiently and reliably no matter how many instances are introduced.

Each Edge computing implementation has its own unique challenges, but to varying degrees they all share the following common characteristics.

Scale

Challenges: Each remote Edge location requires multiple monitors to understand the health and status of each IT component from physical access, the power and cooling to the servers and network devices. This makes it difficult to visualize and understand the state of the entire Edge environment and the impact each Edge component has on others.                                                                                

The Solution: Intelligent software that holistically manages highly distributed heterogeneous environments, accomplished by collecting, unifying and processing data from a wide range of sources. This management abstracted layer delivers simplified ‘low touch’ monitoring and administration to eliminating the need for human interaction.

Performance

The Challenge: Monitoring and managing the Edge performance in real-time to/from the consumer/end-point and to/from the Edge to the cloud/data center.

The Solution: Technology providing an end-to-end view, internal to, and to/from the Edge. This includes transactional performance to the end-point, the data flow from the Edge to the Cloud / Data Center and the performance of the data repositories in all locations.

Control

The Challenge: Edge locations run ‘lights out’ resulting in challenges to manage physical access, control IT equipment, manage the environment(power/cooling), track equipment and assess, isolate and remediate issues especially when the network is impacted or unavailable.

The Solution: Motion detection with low/no touch technology providing a holistic view and control of the Edge infrastructure environment and computer equipment that can function, at acceptable levels, even when there’s an impact on the power and network.

Security

The Challenge: Aspects of control (access), and all areas of access, threat and data security.

The Solution: Security solutions providing a unified view of physical, network, access and data, with automated responses or a security service that provides ‘total’ security without needing the client’s involvement.

Organization

The Challenge: Managing Edge, the same way as a traditional data center with different teams responsible for ‘slices’ of the infrastructure creates significant inefficiencies in respect to support, costs, skills, resources and business availability

The Solution: Technology that views the Edge holistically, consolidates and unifies data from multiple sources, turning data into information that is relevant to multiple roles. Providing mechanisms for collaboration and information sharing ensuring everyone responsible for the Edge is aware of Edge state. Advanced correlation, AI and analytics used to make information actionable and support automated activities. 

Heterogeneity

The Challenge: Infrastructure diversity (different IT and environment equipment) creates fragmented visualization, control and management resulting in high costs (including: skills, resources, resolution time) and the creation of Edge equipment ‘silo’s’.  Complexity will increase exponentially with every custom Edge location added.

The Solution: Technology is required that views, manages, monitors and processes data from multiple Edge sources providing holistic Edge management without creating equipment or domain silos. Accomplished with products that manage ‘above’ the individual Edge components, integrating, abstracting, processing data, irrespective of what equipment is used. This allows enterprises to choose equipment from multiple vendors without impeding the business or Edge efficiency. The technology allows enterprises to change without impact, evaluate and compare different vendors equipment, have the information to negotiate price and support and avoid vendor ‘lock-in’.