Edge Computing: Does It Matter Which Servers You Choose for the Edge?

They won’t be overseen and administered daily, and they might be subject to wind gusts and hailstorms.

Scott Fulton III, Contributor

May 30, 2019

1 Min Read
Edge Computing: Does It Matter Which Servers You Choose for the Edge?

An edge data center is small, lightweight, in many cases surprisingly portable, and designed to withstand extreme climate differences without being staffed by human beings. It’s being marketed to enterprises as an alternative to colocation or the cloud, for specialized applications that require close access to the data being gathered, or stationed at a closer distribution point to the end customer, such as video analysis and pre-processing for remote cameras.

But the usefulness of an edge data center will only be determined by the performance of the edge servers it contains. And what are these things, really?

There are no fewer than three schools of thought with respect to what an edge server should be. They are notalternative strategies to one another — three choices on a shelf, where you pick the best for your particular needs. Each represents a design principle, a direction in which its proponents believe the direction of edge architecture should lead.

  1. Ruggedization. In many cases, edge data center environments are prone to greater climate extremes than the controlled, tempered, evened-out environments of enterprise facilities. Thus, the proponents of ruggedization argue that special concentrated, modular, and weather-resistant x86 servers offer the best option for reliable performance under pressure.

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About the Author

Scott Fulton III

Contributor

Scott M. Fulton, III is a 39-year veteran technology journalist, author, analyst, and content strategist, the latter of which means he thought almost too carefully about the order in which those roles should appear. Decisions like these, he’ll tell you, should be data-driven. His work has appeared in The New Stack since 2014, and in various receptacles and bins since the 1980s.

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