Fog Computing
Fog Computing
Cloud computing is a major reason for how traditional phones got "smart." Phones don’t have
ample, built-in space to store the information that is needed to access applications and services. All
the data is being transmitted to and from the cloud in order to provide the services we need. But,
there is a problem with cloud computing technology — it’s the limitation of bandwidth.
Fog computing has also been referred to as "edge computing." Edge computing is supposed to
resolve problems by storing data close to the "ground." In other words, it stores data in local
computers and storage devices, rather than routing all the information through a centralized DC in
the cloud.
The change in architecture wherein intelligence is pushed from the cloud to the "fog" or "edge."
Basically, fog computing is responsible for enabling quick response time, reducing network latency
and traffic, and supporting the backbone bandwidth savings to achieve a better Quality of Service
(QoS). It is also supposed to selectively relay applicable data to the cloud.
Fog computing is the concept of a network fabric that stretches from the outer edges of where data
is created to where it will eventually be stored, whether that's in the cloud or in a customer’s data
center.
Edge computing refers just to data being processed close to where it is created. Fog computing
encapsulates not just that edge processing, but also the network connections needed to bring that
data from the edge to its end point.
Connected Cars: The advent of semi-autonomous and self-driving cars will only increase the already
large amount of data vehicles create. Having cars operate independently requires a capability to
locally analyze certain data in real-time, such as surroundings, driving conditions and directions.
Other data may need to be sent back to a manufacturer to help improve vehicle maintenance or
track vehicle usage. A fog computing environment would enable communications for all of these
data sources both at the edge (in the car), and to its end point (the manufacturer).
Smart cities and smart grids Like connected cars, utility systems are increasingly using real-time data
to more efficiently run systems. Sometimes this data is in remote areas, so processing close to where
its created is essential. Other times the data needs to be aggregated from a large number of sensors.
Fog computing architectures could be devised to solve both of these issues.