Fog Computing: Extending the Reach of Edge Computing

In this article we share with you the basics of fog computing, its advantages and disadvantages

FOG COMPUTING; WHAT IS IT?

A dispersed computing infrastructure known as fog computing places data, processing power, storage, and applications in between the cloud and the data source. Fog computing, like edge computing, brings the benefits and strength of the cloud closer to the point of creation and action for data. Since both refer to moving processing and intelligence closer to the point of data creation, many people confuse the words edge computing and fog computing. Though it may also be done for security and compliance concerns, efficiency improvement is the main motivation for this.

Just as fog focuses on the network's edge, the fog metaphor originates from the meteorological word for a cloud near the ground. The phrase is frequently linked to Cisco; it is said to have been created by Ginny Nichols, the product line manager for the corporation. Fog computing is available to the general public and is registered under the term Cisco Fog Computing.

Cloud computing is not a replacement for fog networking; cloud computing handles resource-intensive, longer-term analytics, whereas fogging facilitates short-term analytics at the edge. Even while data is created and gathered by edge devices and sensors, these devices may lack the processing and storage capacity to carry out complex analytics and machine learning operations. Even if cloud servers are capable of doing this, they are frequently too far away to process the data and react quickly enough.

Furthermore, there may be privacy, security, and legal ramifications from having all endpoints connect to and transmit raw data to the cloud over the internet, particularly when handling sensitive data that is subject to international legislation. Smart grids, smart cities, smart buildings, automotive networks, and software-defined networks are a few common uses for fog computing.

The location of the intellect and processing capacity is the primary distinction between edge and fog computing, according to Cisco's OpenFog Consortium. The local area network (LAN) is the hub of intelligence in a purely fog environment. Data is sent from endpoints to a fog gateway, where it is processed and then sent back to the sources.

ADVANTAGES OF FOG COMPUTING:

preservation of bandwidth. By lowering the amount of data transferred to the cloud, fog computing lowers bandwidth use and associated expenses.

faster reaction times. The first data processing happens close to the data, which lowers latency and increases overall responsiveness. The objective is to achieve responsiveness at the millisecond level, allowing data to be handled very instantly.

independent of networks. While edge computing often operates at the device level, fog computing typically operates at the LAN level. Nevertheless, the network may be viewed as an integral component of the fog computing architecture. Fog computing is, however, network-agnostic in that it works with wired, Wi-Fi, or even 5G networks.

DISADVANTAGES OF FOG COMPUTING:

Geographical position. Fog computing erodes some of the "anytime/anywhere" advantages of cloud computing since it is location-specific.

Possible problems with security. In certain situations, fog computing may be vulnerable to security flaws like man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks or IP address spoofing.

initial expenses. Fog computing is a system that makes use of cloud and edge resources, hence there are hardware expenses involved.

Concept unclear. Despite the fact that fog computing has been around for a while, different vendors have varied definitions of what it is, therefore there is still some confusion over it.