What does 'Edge' mean to you?

[MarjorieFreeman]

At this point, I think everyone knows what Edge means, but few know of actual edge use cases. 

How would you describe Edge technology in layman's terms? 

For instance, Chick Fil A deploys Kubernetes at the Edge to run its internet-independent applications. Many people have had Chick Fil A or at least been through a drive-thru or two in their day!  

What are some everyday use cases of it that people may not think about? 

[TharunRaj]

KubeEdge is Opensource framework and  provides a containerized edge computing platform, which is inherently scalable. As it's modular and optimized, it is lightweight  and could be deployed on low resource devices. 

Use case is like it is using in modern 5G telecom infrastructures. IOT operations etc.
Advantage of Kubernetes edge use cases is the ease of deployment.Kubernetes architecture has proved to accelerate the automation of mission-critical workloads and reduce the overall cost of 5G deployment.

[MarjorieFreeman]

Thanks for your reply, @TharunRaj ! I have not heard of KubeEdge, but I have read about a 5G solution using hyperscalers called 5G Open HyperCore: https://www.redhat.com/architect/5g-open-hypercore-architecture

I'd love to learn more about KubeEdge, though! Do you contribute to the project at all? 

[TharunRaj]

While exploring tech news I read in some blog few days ago. I mentioned what I remember.

[MarjorieFreeman]

Cool, I'm going to read into this more. I'm not on the technical side of IT, but run a blog (redhat.com/architect) dedicated to enterprise architecture. We're exploring how people in the EA space use Edge. It's a "buzzy" word, but an important technology, all the same, so it's always interesting to hear what is ACTUALLY being done with it.

Thanks again!

[TharunRaj]

I wish I could work on same in future.You helped me to recap again.

Anyway thank you..! Good Day.!

[MarjorieFreeman]

Haha I'm super glad we could help each other! 

You have a great day as well!

[AY]

Edge is a way to bring data processing closer to the customer location where realtime processing and low-latency is a key factor. Data collected does not need to be sent to a centralized data center for proecssing; instead, it will be processed on the edge locations closer to the customer for faster feedback in realtime. Example use cases: Autonomous vehicles, VR, Gaming, IoT, Preventitive maintenance, Factory automation etc.,

[MarjorieFreeman]

Great definition! Do you think Edge is something the 'average person' feels the impact of (aside from the people on the development side)? 

I'm curious if edge technology is still in its nascent stages (aside from in the telecom industry) or if we are all taking part in it in some way, just unaware. 

Are you involved with it any way or just interested in the technology?

[AY]

Well, the average person may or may not realize that there is an edge component that is providing the feature/function that they are using on a daily basis but there are multiple  usecases that are widely serving general public today. A good example is how video and music streaming service providers and web sites leverage edge locations as part of their CDNs to provide customized content specific to the traffic patterns in a given area to provide better experience for the customers. Another example is smart homes where a lot of IoT devices are collecting data constantly and data is being processing closer to the smart home which is what provides the quick response time for house hold devies like google home and amazon alexa.

I support MSO customers and edge is a topic that I follow very closely.