"Computing at the Edge" is a 30-page white paper that discusses the trends associated with edge computing as well as platforms, management, security and specific examples of customers using Sun technology to implement effective edge computing strategies.

Edge computing has emerged as an important strategy for providing scalable and highly available Web Services for organizations worldwide. Data center build-out at the Edge is bringing about new ways for deploying and managing servers and services. Beyond simply finding better ways to manage growth and bandwidth, the Edge is enabling new applications that promise to change some of the fundamental ways people make use of the Internet.

Edge computing deployments will take many forms and will move the Web into new uses and roles. In particular, Sun sees the emergence of distinct types of edge environments that serve the network, customer and data center.

Edge technology begins with software, for applications are now defining deployment. With IP networking assumed throughout the industry, application development is now focused at a platform-independent layer. The open source movement has brought a wealth of popular and portable applications, resulting in portable and modular Web Services.

Beyond platform independence, the modular nature of these modern development environments allows applications to be fundamentally disaggregated or de-layered and distributed. Since the JavaTM Virtual Machine (JVMTM) fundamentally abstracts the service or application from the underlying server and operating environment, application components can run where it makes the most sense for the application. (The terms "Java virtual machine" and "JVM" mean a virtual machine for the JavaTM platform.)

Today's data centers must provide both scalability and availability to the application services they support. The multi-tiered service-delivery architecture has evolved as a result. By layering functions into multiple tiers, organizations can optimize scalability, availability, manageability and security by using techniques appropriate for each tier.

Wireless devices use new protocols and require translations and trans-coding of existing Web content. The nature of content is changing as well and contributing to Edge build-out. Beyond simple caching of static information, organizations are increasingly delivering customized and dynamic content to their customers. As Web Services are deployed, edge servers enable new devices and services while enhancing the performance of systems in tiers 1-3 by off-loading the processing of key protocols and specialized functions.

Customers need a range of choices for edge computing servers in addition to effective management and security solutions. Edge computing will likely remain a heterogeneous environment with server platforms selected for their capabilities or the ability to run applications the best. Powerful but compact Linux and UNIXR servers have proven themselves in edge environments by coupling strong performance with popular applications, security and remote administration capabilities.

Sun provides an end-to-end product family, including both Linux and UNIX system edge servers, along with management products and comprehensive security to help organizations deploy edge computing strategies effectively for better scalability, availability and improved TCO.

For further details, see the complete PDF at:

http://www.sun.com/servers/entry/lx50/pdfs/whitepapers/whitepaper.edge.pdf

Read More ... [...read more...]

		fullsource
Print Email Current Profile Archive Blog Generate newsletter