10 pain points: How IT departments face edge computing

From networking and integration to failover, asset management and security, IT departments have a lot of work to do to ensure adequate support for edge technologies. Here are 10 key areas of work:

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1. Zero Trust Networking and Security

One approach to edge security is to implement a zero-trust network, which automatically verifies IP addresses and authenticates users from inside and outside the company. Zero-trust networks are well suited for edge applications because they do not rely on end users to manage day-to-day security.

2. Coordination with terminal business areas

Edge technologies require proper security, governance, integration, data handling, and communication. IT departments need to do this and provide technical support. These tasks should be performed in a spirit of cooperation and support. The more harmonious the cooperation between IT departments and end users, the more technical advantages.

3. Supplier Management

End users may initially contact and contract with edge vendors, but IT will ultimately manage these vendor relationships. IT must identify and keep pace with edge software, hardware, device, and network vendors to ensure all products and vendor relationships are documented.

4. Audit suppliers

Like other vendors, edge vendors should be financially stable, have excellent and scalable solutions, and be willing to support the technology they provide. Also important is the vendor's commitment to enterprise security, as too many edge products are installed with default security based on the technology's minimum requirements. Therefore, IT departments should actively participate in ensuring that new edge technologies are properly protected to meet enterprise security standards.

5. Disaster recovery planning and testing

When deploying edge computing, the enterprise disaster recovery plan should be constantly updated. This is difficult to plan, budget, develop, and test because disaster recovery has historically been a background project that has to wait until other mission-critical projects with higher visibility are completed.

This shouldn’t be the case with edge technology, which carries greater risks and vulnerabilities than technology managed 24/7 in a data center.

Dan Olds, partner at research firm OrionX Network, said that enterprises are lagging behind in updating disaster recovery plans for edge computing. “Mission-critical systems, networks and devices that exist at the edge should be identified and planned for, and disaster recovery plans should be tested regularly.”

6. Equipment Tracking and Asset Management

An asset management system with the IT department as the command center can attach sensors to equipment for tracking.

7. Develop strategies for timely handling of software updates and operating system anomalies

There is a wide variety of edge technologies and devices (many with proprietary operating systems), and all software must be kept up to date. This is especially important when vendors release operating system updates to correct security flaws.

An automated software distribution system with a push update setup can help in this process.

8. System upgrade

When new technology is deployed at the edge, older technology is often replaced, and business users often end up leaving older devices lying around, oblivious to the sensitive data that may be stored on that device. IT departments can help by regularly reviewing technology inventory and developing “sunset” policies and procedures to retire obsolete devices.

9. Bandwidth Strategy

Have you revisited your IT data, network, storage and processing architectures for optimal performance at the edge and in the data center?

The right approach is to store data locally at the edge location and then import the data into a central data repository or keep the data where it is. Alternatively, cloud services can be used for storage and processing. In other cases, real-time data must be sent to remote and central sites around the company.

However, planning for the edge may disrupt previous bandwidth allocations because the data payload to and from the edge will increase.

In addition, the emergence of 5G will result in many communication protocols being incompatible with the large number of edge and mobile devices put into production, IT departments need to plan in advance, and 5G deployment may also need to be carried out in parallel with the scrapping and replacement cycle of assets.

10. Integration and investment protection

For example, a company has thousands of legacy scanners that need to be integrated with its ERP, manufacturing, and supply chain systems. Since each scanner costs thousands of dollars, the company cannot afford it. So the company hired a data integration expert (HULFT) to connect all the scanners to its systems using HTML calls developed by HULFT.

This is just one example of how companies need to modernize and embed new technology without disrupting existing systems.

Ultimately, IT and end users need to work together to agree on policies and processes for edge security, software updates, asset management, and technology deployment.