How edge helps solve connectivity issues

Edge devices are nodes on the network that perform computing at or near the physical location of a user or data source. Edge computing is a natural fit for organizations that generate or use data across many locations.

Many times, the actual work being done for an organization is outside of the core network. This could be the manufacturing of equipment, sales in a retail store, or even transportation that is always on the move. Since these devices are physically separated from the core network, instead of being in a centralized environment, connectivity issues are more likely to occur. 

Poor connectivity can have negative impacts on your business. Some are more obvious, easier to identify, and therefore easier to solve. On the other hand, some negative impacts are less clear and can wreak havoc if not swiftly corrected. Identifying and solving both types of disruptions are important to the smooth operation of a complex business with many edge devices. Find 5 examples to keep in mind, below:

• Security: Communications between edge devices and the network can be complex and labor-intensive. This means more opportunities for communication to be compromised and a greater risk of a security breach.
• Data loss: If the flow of critical data—from edge locations to your network, or from your network back to edge locations—is disrupted, time and money can be lost in order to access or recover the data.
• Latency: Even if the data relationship between your edge devices and core network is consistent, the speed at which the data transfers between them affects your outcomes. If slow, it can lead to a poor customer experience.
• Bandwidth costs and limitations: Some edge devices require large amounts of bandwidth to operate. More bandwidth means higher costs.
• Data sovereignty/compliance: Certain jurisdictions and industries like banking have robust rules about how data can be transmitted, which can limit applications at the edge of the network.

Edge solutions can help alleviate connectivity challenges by enhancing the efficiency and reliability of edge devices. These tools adapt to the specific demands of edge computing, increasing operational resilience and reducing downtime. This approach transforms how businesses manage connectivity by focusing on continuous operation and network integration.

Accelerate provisioning of edge devices

Edge solutions help with automated provisioning to streamline the process of setting up a device’s operating environment. These solutions not only help simplify the initial setup, but also facilitate remote configuration, which enhances the servicing and connectivity of devices in remote locations. These solutions reduce the need for on-site technical support and offer a practical approach to challenging environments.

Bring compute ability to edge devices and reduce reliance on the network

Shifting processing workloads to edge devices can give faster, more useful insights, even in conditions where network connectivity is inconsistent or limited. Increasing processing power and performance at the edge can directly decrease dependence on network support for operations, which becomes crucial when bandwidth is scarce or expensive, or in environments where external factors might disrupt communications channels.

Increase edge application availability

Edge devices are right where the work is being done. An edge device with a strong on-board OS and operating environment still works even when connectivity is intermittent. Maintaining the continuous operation of edge devices, or precisely forecasting their downtime, is vital for connectivity to the network at critical business moments.

Increase edge reliability with automation

Devices capable of resolving connectivity issues through automation offer the dual advantage of quicker service restoration (rather than manual interventions) and eliminating the need for costly on-site support. This enhances uptime and cuts down on operational costs.

Why IoT and edge need to work together

Telecommunications

Multiaccess edge computing (MEC) represents a transformative network architecture, integrating cloud computing capabilities, technologies such as private 5G, and IT service environments directly at the network's edge. MEC promises lower latency and supports a variety of applications and services, with more efficient network operations and service delivery. Red Hat and its certified partner ecosystem provide service providers with a unified, consistent operational platform that eliminates manual processes, provides higher flexibility, and makes monetization ideas a reality. 

Manufacturing

Implementing a complete edge solution at potentially thousands of manufacturing sites can require tools and processes from a wide range of vendors. To overcome the challenges of edge connectivity, these multi vendor solutions must work together consistently through a unified IT architecture such as Kubernetes.

Retail

Edge computing is a key component of retail transformation. This means bringing data closer to stores, distribution centers, and customer endpoints such as self-checkout machines. This helps retailers process data locally, lowering latency and increasing bandwidth. In turn, retailers can provide faster response times and data-driven decisions, more reliable services, and a better application experience for users.

Learn more about 5G

The Red Hat edge portfolio

Red Hat® Edge provides operational consistency across workloads and devices, no matter where they are deployed. The Red Hat edge portfolio includes:

Red Hat Enterprise Linux

Red Hat Enterprise Linux® (with edge features) offers a stable, adaptable, and security-centric foundation for enterprise tasks, facilitating accelerated data transmission, and fostering innovations at the edge. Its edge features are specifically designed to optimize edge computing environments.

Red Hat OpenShift

Red Hat OpenShift® offers a consistent experience using the same tools and processes, whether in a core datacenter, the public cloud, or now, at the edge. This allows teams to write an application once and deploy it anywhere, drastically reducing the development resources required and also reducing risk thanks to standardized, repeatable, automated processes. Red Hat OpenShift comes in multiple topologies to address various edge scenarios—but it’s all one application platform. Scalable management and security help manage and create a security-focused mindset for applications and infrastructure across an entire hybrid cloud—while composable installations allow the exclusion of optional components to minimize the footprint and power required in small, remote locations.

Red Hat Device Edge

Red Hat Device Edge provides a modular edge solution with a minimal footprint. This means that the operational consistency and flexibility of Red Hat’s open hybrid cloud architecture can be utilized by customers needing to deploy virtual or containerized workloads to resource-constrained edge devices in challenging field locations (e.g. drones, industrial controllers, point of sales terminals, etc). Red Hat Device Edge aggregates an enterprise-ready and supported distribution of the Red Hat-led open source community project MicroShift (a lightweight Kubernetes project built from the edge capabilities of Red Hat OpenShift) along with an edge-optimized OS built from Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform

With tools for both Day 1 device deployments and ongoing platform and workload operations, Red Hat Ansible® Automation Platform helps you quickly scale device and application lifecycle management. Ansible Automation Platform offers a single, consistent view of your IT landscape, so that your teams can reliably manage thousands of sites, network devices, and clusters. This unified approach to automation can help you lower operational expenses and deliver smoother customer experiences at edge sites, where resources are limited.

Here’s our approach to edge computing