How to Optimize Your IT Infrastructure to Meet Edge Computing Requirements

Gartner predicts that edge computing will be a top priority for companies over the next decade – but there is still a long way to go towards widespread adoption. For instance, just 20% of edge computing deployments will be managed using hyperscale architecture by 2023. This article suggests five ways you can start preparing for the edge today and how to optimize your existing IT infrastructure for the future. 

As connected devices and high-speed networks become central to your IT infrastructure, preparing for edge computing adoption is the next logical step in your digital transformation journey. Edge computing can be defined as a distributed computing landscape where data processing is performed at the “edge” – i.e., remote devices and locations where the data is originally generated or consumed – rather than at the main server or routed through a cloud service. 

According to researchOpens a new window , the pace of edge computing adoption (along with distributed cloud) is accelerating, spearheaded by European countries and the big-five cluster. Between 2020 and 2025, edge computing will have become 60% more popular in the U.S. Several benefits propel this: for one thing, edge computing involves minimal initial costs, provided your remote devices and sensors are already in place. Maintenance overheads are also dramatically lower, as edge devices consume a fraction of energy and produce very little heat compared to traditional data servers. But most importantly, the edge delivers insights at exponentially faster speeds and accuracy levels, enabling new digital use cases in sectors like pharma, defense, manufacturing, transportation, and more. 

To get to these benefits, you need to optimize your IT infrastructure for edge computing adoption, following these best practices: 

Learn More: Tips, Not Tricks, to Keep IT Infrastructure Costs From Creeping Up

1. Prepare Your Network Infrastructure for 5G

5G will power the next evolution in edge computing, thanks to its ultra-low latency capabilities and high data capacity. This means that there is an extremely short interval between data origination and delivery, and 5G would be able to handle large data volumes. 

However, current network infrastructures aren’t necessarily 5G ready, and you might have to invest in a gap assessment to unlock the full potential of edge computing. For IT infrastructures still relying on hardware-based networks, moving to network function virtualization (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN) should be your top priority. These make networks more agile, redefining your network architecture for 5G compatibility while also enabling AI-based automation of network management. 

2. Switch to SASE as the Preferred Cybersecurity Model

Security is among the most common roadblocks faced when considering edge computing adoption. As data isn’t handled by a centralized system, governance can be a challenge, and your threat vector multiplies with every new edge device you onboard. For this reason, it is advisable to install a secure access service edge (SASE) solution, one of the key technologies to adopt in the next few years, as per GartnerOpens a new window . 

SASE is a cloud-based cybersecurity service delivered directly to remote and edge devices instead of being hosted on a centralized enterprise data center. SASE provides identity-based and contextual security, in addition to enforcing your corporate data compliance policies. As your edge landscape evolves, a robust SASE solution would be able to regularly map new data sources, orchestrate security, and prevent vulnerabilities. 

Learn More: SASE Ushering In the Future of Networking With Security At Its Core: AT&T VP

3. Partner With a Hyperscale Cloud Provider

This is among the most crucial elements of a successful edge computing strategy. Hyperscale is a specific type of cloud architecture that could scale up or down as per demand. New resources, network capacities, storage, and computing power, are automatically provisioned to distributed devices as required. Unfortunately, hyperscale utilization for edge computing deployments continues to be underwhelming, with less than 1 in 5 deployments leveraging a hyperscale cloud partner. Indeed, GartnerOpens a new window predicts that this number will increase by less than 1% by 2023. 

In order to correct this, you need to leverage hyperscale solutions from leading cloud providers such as AWS, Microsoft, Google, and Equinix, along with strategic consultancy and integration partners like Accenture or IBM. Hyperscale would help you optimize your existing cloud investments for edge deployments, ensuring that the landscape is ready for several thousands or even (theoretically) millions of devices and sensors. 

4. Align Your Edge Device Infrastructure Mix With Business Needs

Edge computing is a massive technology category with potential use cases for nearly every industry – indeed, for companies of every size. ResearchOpens a new window suggests that mobile devices and laptops (54%) are the top priority when moving to the edge, and this was amplified due to the pandemic. Additionally, remote servers (50%), remote software hosting (37%), remote asset monitoring (27%), content delivery networks (21%), IoT applications (8%), and smart vehicles (5%) are your other options. 

Be mindful of your business needs when selecting the edge device infrastructure mix. For example, a large retail chain might gain from a fleet of smart trucks, while a defense organization could benefit more from remote asset monitoring. Remote servers are highly recommended for large technology product companies, as it reduces maintenance overheads. 

Learn More: Edge Computing Is Changing the Way IT Pros Think About Infrastructure

5. Plan for Redundancy and Climate Control

By building your IT infrastructure for redundancy, you can prevent any negative impacts from downtime or device outage. Downtime is particularly harmful to edge computing landscapes because every device and node is responsible for data processing and insight generation. If a remote device is down, even if the central server hub is live, it means there will be an interruption in your business processes. That’s why it is vital to plan for redundancy – you might want to invest in duplicate devices in scenarios where they are affordable and business-critical. Power backup and network redundancy are also vital, ensuring uninterrupted data flows. 

Finally, you will need to revisit your IT infrastructure climate control policies once you move to the edge. Fortunately, edge devices produce very little heat, around 2-5 kilowatts (with a threshold of about 10 kilowatts), for a single cabinet. But other ambient conditions like moisture, dust, etc., can influence edge performance, especially as these devices are often left uninspected for long periods. You can consider dedicated climate control solutions like Uniflair by Schneider Electric or EDGE-5 by USystems. 

While edge computing always held a lot of promise, it’s only with the advent of 5G and affordable IoT endpoints that it has become feasible at scale. 

Over the next few years, companies across the board will leverage the edge in multiple ways – from powering entire smart office campuses to optimizing product shipment and transportation. But for this to happen, IT teams must first prepare the infrastructure and overcome challenges around physical conditions, device-business alignment, cloud scalability, security, and connectivity. The above five best practices elaborate the foundational moves in this direction, preparing for an expansive and powerful edge landscape. 

Have you started preparing your IT infrastructure or the edge? Comment below or tell us on LinkedInOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , or FacebookOpens a new window . We would love to hear from you.