Every industry must be ready to incorporate new processes and approaches in a world of constant technological innovation. One innovation data center operators should consider to better serve clients and overcome technical obstacles is the edge data center. Learn more about how edge data centers work and how they can better support user needs.
What Is an Edge Data Center?
An edge data center sits on the edge of the network so it’s close to the user. Because the location is a significant determinant in the performance of data centers, the edge data center is particularly beneficial, allowing businesses to quickly process data thanks to its proximity. In turn, users experience much faster performance.
Also called edge computing, edge data centers are an alternative to cloud computing that operates between two different networks. An edge data server is placed closer to the requesting machine inside of the internet exchange point to allow numerous devices to request data simultaneously.
Though the need for the origin server is still present, edge computing reduces how much work it must do.
Where an Edge Data Center Is Positioned
Specifically, edge data centers must be placed where several network carriers meet at an internet exchange point. There are a couple of ways organizations might implement edge data centers. Some create micro data centers at their physical locations, while others position their servers in data centers located nearest to their end users. That said, the location of an edge data center depends on its use.
As an example, telecommunications companies can place small edge data centers near cell towers to extend the capabilities of 5G networks. When someone with a 5G phone drives by the cell tower, the phone receives a response much faster than if the data center had been located several miles away. Essentially, edge servers lead to minimal latency, speeding up processes.
Applications of Edge Data Centers
Overall, edge data centers can effectively transform the performance and resilience of current data storage processes. Looking at how one can use edge data servers will help organizations better understand why industry experts herald it as the future of data storage. As a result, they can make informed decisions about when and where to implement the edge.
Here are several examples aside from 5G infrastructure:
- Video streaming: Between the dozens of available streaming platforms, users have more options than ever when it comes to watching their favorite content. An edge data server allows viewers to download and watch high-quality video without buffering. Furthermore, production teams can send daily uncut footage back to their studios on the same day to keep things moving.
- Self-driving vehicles: As autonomous cars become more advanced, they’ll require extensive computer processing to operate and most, if not all, will feature 5G. These features will rely on edge data centers for optimal performance.
- Gaming: With the gaming industry expanding through the boom of live streaming and e-sports, people require low-latency connectivity to increase frame rates for a smoother playing experience. This is also applicable to virtual (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences. An edge data center can be the solution.
- Automation: To streamline processes in factories and similar operations, automation is helpful. For example, recognizing product issues as they hit the line ensures no faulty products leave the warehouse. Using edge data centers gives operators the speed they need to analyze that information in real-time.
These are just a few applications for edge data centers. With some of the challenges of data storage in mind, one can clearly see the case for edge computing. This data storage configuration makes sense for numerous uses, making it important for enterprises to realize its benefits.
The Advantages of Edge Data Centers
Spending on edge computing is expected to reach $250 billion by 2024. Over time, thousands more organizations will begin to process data outside of traditional systems and processes. Here are the key advantages of edge data storage:
- Increased availability: When system issues occur that would otherwise take servers offline, edge data centers keep operations running as usual so long as they’re configured properly. These setups move only the necessary information from the edge back to the data center when the system goes back online. Similarly, edge data servers allow stakeholders to access and process data seamlessly, leading to less downtime.
- Higher productivity: The presence of an edge data center reduces how often employees need to rely on centralized data centers for their applications. Therefore, their efficiency levels increase.
- Better scalability: As organizations’ needs grow, they can expand the presence and reach of their edge data centers. A secondary benefit is that expanding edge servers is often more affordable than scaling centralized data centers.
- Improved security: Keeping data out of centralized data centers and in edge data servers instead improves its security. While edge data servers can still experience cyberattacks, they hold and process fewer data sets. Furthermore, edge data centers don’t contain complete sequences of data, so the data is effectively useless to bad actors.
- Faster processing: The most obvious benefit of edge computing is that it eliminates the need to move data between endpoints. As a result, latency is reduced to provide a streamlined and instantaneous experience with data processing.
Ultimately, edge data centers can be powerful and advantageous complements to centralized data processing centers.
The Edge Data Center Is Data Storage’s Next Big Thing
Of course, edge data centers won’t replace the need for centralized data storage – they’ll simply work in tandem. This new setup will allow organizations to run their applications and seamlessly meet their customers’ needs with lower-latency processing.
However, it’s ultimately up to each enterprise to determine when to rely on the edge vs. the center, meaning organizations need to be properly informed about how the process works. With time, more businesses will understand how to split their data processing between the two to create a truly interconnected experience.
