CDN: THE ORIGINAL EDGE
COMPUTE APPLICATION
A content delivery network (CDN) is used every time
someone watches an online video, downloads something
from the internet, and accesses content via social
media. With a CDN, content is uploaded to an origin
server, which then distributes that content to all the
points of presence (PoP) in the CDN. Once distributed,
end users pull the content from the closest CDN PoP,
rather than the origin server (Figure 2).
Consider this example: An end user near Chicago
wants to download content housed on a server
in London with no CDN. The downloading of that
FIGURE 2: A content delivery network (CDN) puts content closer
to the user and is one of the first uses of edge computing.
28 I ICT TODAY
• Remote and geographically
distributed sites
• Lack of dedicated on-site IT
and ICT personnel
• Non-traditional IT spaces with limited
security and environmental controls
Edge deployments are no different than
other data centers where operators expect
consistent uptime. Additionally, if IT or ICT
personnel are required to travel to the site
to address network issues, the price tag associated
with that travel and the extended downtime
to allow for travel can quickly get out
of hand. This makes it imperative to have
systems in place that help to ensure reliable,
long-term, and hands-off operation.
The infrastructure selected for an edge
deployment can help address these challenges.
Specifically, infrastructure serves as building
blocks that address consistency, reliability,
security, and remote management.
• Consistency: Edge is not a single
instance but a multitude of instances
across a broad geographic landscape.
Consistent preconfigured designs
enable efficient deployments across
a multi-site distributed architecture,
as well as ongoing maintenance
of that network.
With CDN
content will suffer from high latency, potentially 220 ms.
This will appear as buffering, lagging or pixilation.
If a CDN is present, with a PoP in or near Chicago, the
content downloads quickly and consistently with the
latency potentially at 10 ms. The end user experience
is much better, and the content provider benefits from
reduced costs due to reduced bandwidth. It is a win-win
solution for all parties.
OPTIMIZING EDGE DEPLOYMENTS
WITH INFRASTRUCTURE
Locating compute functions at the edge comes with
a unique set of challenges for IT and ICT managers: