Three key approaches to optimize edge computing sites

Author: Schneider Electric

This audio was created using Microsoft Azure Speech Services

The vision of a data center with countless rows of equipment racks inside four walls presents an incomplete picture of today’s distributed environments. The modern data center spreads far beyond those walls to include hundreds or thousands of connected sites that either depend on one another or must operate independently. A growing number of sites operate at the edge, providing compute, storage, and analysis close to the data sources. Edge computing sites address multiple IT infrastructure needs, covering network connectivity, cloud integration, security applications, and notably, they are now increasingly vital for AI-intensive tasks like generative AI.

Since digitalization, workflow automation and autonomous agents are becoming more prevalent as core IT requirements, protecting them is imperative to business continuity. This means, as discussed in a recent webinar on optimizing data centers at the edge, that edge environments must be as resilient, secure, and sustainable as any traditional, four-wall data center.

Access the DCD Webinar | The smart way to optimize data centers at the edge

Resilience, security, and sustainability are the three fundamental pillars that support intelligent operations at edge computing sites, enabling organizations to implement the digital transformation that allows AI and other advanced technologies to work.

Building resilience

AI applications at the edge support various use cases, including hospital operations, manufacturing processes, and smart city systems. For example, AI is used in healthcare to streamline administrative processes, robot-assisted surgery, and even remote patient monitoring by collecting data from wearable devices. In manufacturing, AI can play a critical role in predictive maintenance with advanced algorithms and real-time data to schedule maintenance activities just before a potential equipment failure. In these types of applications, it is vital to prevent downtime, which makes building resilience at the edge a top priority. So, in addition to servers and storage, edge computing sites require power solutions that enable continued operation even when grid power is interrupted. 

Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) solutions are critical in such situations, providing an operational bridge between the time the power goes out and a generator starts up. In places without generators (or even where backup utility power is not seamless), a UPS may be the only available source of backup power, making it even more critical. Organizations are also looking at options such as microgrids that use renewable sources to provide redundancy and help keep the lights on.

Security at the edge

The need for robust security in any IT infrastructure is a given. But when we look at broadly distributed networks where human interaction is limited, layers of digital and physical security become more nuanced. Edge computing sites need well-defined, properly executed security strategies that address both cyber and physical risks. A robust security strategy is built on multiple elements, including technology tools, standardized practices, and mitigation plans that can rapidly be activated in the event of an attack.

Common practices such as multifactor authentication and limiting resource access to only those users who need them are essential to a robust security strategy. The choice of technology is also important. Organizations should choose connected products with built-in security and deploy security solutions that address all vectors to minimize the possibility of attack. And, of course, any comprehensive security plan should include 24/7 monitoring so that, should suspicious activity be detected, a response can be promptly activated.

Sustainable edge computing practices

As distributed IT environments grow, they create a paradox for operators – scaling operations at a time when reducing carbon emissions is paramount. Governments worldwide are placing demands on businesses to reduce emissions, and customers are gravitating to companies that take sustainability seriously. This puts pressure on companies that run data centers and distributed environments to handle fast-growing volumes of data while minimizing environmental impact.

Steps organizations can take toward sustainability include the implementation of microgrids. Edge deployments come in various sizes and a campus-wide install base of hundreds of network closets can be viewed in a single or collective edge operation. For example, at an airport where continuous operation is a must vs a nice to have, a microgrid would be a reliable and sustainable power source. 

Lastly, plenty of equipment options are built with recyclable and recycled materials to be more power efficient, deliver longer lifecycles, and require less maintenance. Remote monitoring and management also play a role, minimizing truck rolls for on-site maintenance and, therefore, reducing carbon emissions. In time, equipment with self-healing diagnostics will become more common and further contribute to sustainability.

Watch the webinar – The smart way to optimize data centers at the edge

Companies can optimize their operations at the edge by focusing on the three pillars of resilience, security, and sustainability. Learn more by watching the DCD Talks Webinar – The Smart Way to Optimize Data Centers at the Edge.

Tags: AI, DCD, Edge Computing, Sustainability, uptime