What Are Edge Nodes?
An Edge Node, also called a getaway node, is a physical or virtual computing device placed at the edge of a network. It acts as a bridge between local networks (e.g., your home or office) and the outside world (e.g., the World Wide Web).
An edge node is a resource dedicated to access private computing resources on the public cloud.
Cloudera
The simplest example of an edge node is a WiFi router. It handles data traffic between your home devices and the Internet while providing the necessary security for that network.
What are the Practical Use Cases of Edge Nodes?
Edge nodes are mainly used for three main tasks:
- Data Processing: Instead of sending all the data to a central location, edge nodes can process it locally. This reduces latency and conserves bandwidth by handling tasks such as data filtering, aggregation, and analysis.
- Real-Time Decision Making: Edge nodes can process data in real time, making decisions almost instantly. This is handy in Internet of Things applications, where edge nodes can instantly respond to sensor inputs to trigger actions.
- Content Delivery: With edge nodes, content delivery is faster and more efficient. These devices cache frequently accessed data and store it closer to the end user, improving the speed of access and reliability of content delivery services like Netflix or YouTube.
Edge Nodes in Crypto
A great example of how edge nodes are used by a Web3 project is Theta Network. Over 10000 active edge devices, or nodes, are combined in Theta’s Edge Network.
Their total computational output is equal to 80 petaFLOPS. For reference, the seventh largest supercomputer in the world, Summit, has an output of 149 petaFLOPS.
Theta Edge Network powers Theta EdgeCloud, a leading AI computing platform. Besides that, Theta’s decentralized edge network can be used for storage, video-on-demand, and much more.
Edge node providers are incentivized to share their computational power. To use Theta’s services, users pay $TFUEL, part of which goes to the edge node providers.
Summary
To sum it up, an edge node is the bridge that connects local devices (e.g., phones, PCs, smoke detectors) to a centralized data processing system.
These devices, either physical or virtual, help with data collection, preprocessing, and transmission while optimizing network traffic and latency.
Content delivery, edge computing, and security are some of the most important functionalities edge nodes provide.
Cloudera. (2024). Working with Edge Nodes. Cloudera Operational Database.
https://docs.cloudera.com/operational-database/cloud/working-with-edge-nodes/cod-working-with-edge-nodes.pdf
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