In this article, we will explore “Fog Computing Characteristics” and other related information about fog computing. Scroll down to keep reading.
The features or advantages of using fog computing can be expressed with its 4 major benefits. Those are
- Control of Privacy: Fog computing offers more control of privacy. For example, one can easily handle sensitive data by storing it locally rather than sending it to the cloud depending on the scenario, which reduces the chances of vulnerability and ensures more security.
- Latency Reduction: As all the data is not stored on the cloud but on peripheral devices connected to cloud, , latency between input and response get reduced because the stored data often get pulled by the same device that stored the data itself, itself reducing response time, simply the data is deployed where it is collected.
- Improved Security: Data security holds tremendous importance for business. Risk and threat screening becomes little bit more easy for multiple connection connected to a network rather than one centralized for all. It is better to indentify where the threat or malware infecting on multiple end points comparing to only one end point or centralized network.
- Business Agility: Fog computing provides better and more effectively functioning of internal business service. It has common framework for communication and collaboration which adds benefits by enabling team to work together without much hassle. As data can be accessed immediately if anomalies found because of small scale data storage on peripheral device connected to cloud rather than whole complete data stored on cloud wholly.
The advantages of fog computing do not end here. It has some other valuable advantages too like reduced bandwidth usage, increased speed and efficiency, and more.
Fog computing definition in simple terms
The definition of Fog networking in simple terms would be a decentralized computing infrastructure in which resources and application services are deployed in a very efficient way from the data source to the cloud, not directly to the cloud thus reducing response time and latency. It offers multiple endpoints rather than a single one, and that allows reducing latency, more and bettering computing with increased security and privacy.
Fog computing offers location awareness with vast geographical distribution along with mobility. In a simpler term, its goal is to deliver data and place it in the closest location possible closer to the user at the edge of the network. And, because of that, it is also called edge computing.
Why do we need fog computing?
As a matter of fact, Fog networking had a market size of around $9.3 Million in 2016, and it is estimated that Fog computing will have a market size of around $617 million by 2025. The massive expansion of its market size itself providing insights into why it is important and why do we need fog networking .
Cost-saving increased operational efficiency, enhanced computational speed and power, all these combining together along with the expansion of the Internet of Things and 5G technology driving the need for edge computing.
Advantages of fog computing over cloud computing
The benefits of fog computing over cloud computing can be expressed in two major points.
- Faster Processing of data: When the data is stored on the cloud it takes more time to response to the input as the request needs to travel all over to reach to the cloud which is responsible for the latency in response. Fog computing offers reduced latency as peripheral devices stored the data and deploy on the stored place which reduces the latency between input and response making fog a better choice. Latency holds massive importance so it matters.
- Less Vulnerability, more security and better privacy control: Fog computing outweighs cloud computing by being less vulnerable, more secured and by offering more privacy control comparing to cloud computing.
Characteristic of fog computing
5 major characteristics of fog computing are:
- Geographical Distribution: the distribution is not central like cloud, its more widely deployed rather than being centrally distributed.
- Mobility Support: Fog computing is focusing on the mobile users at the edge and there it supports mobility techniques to communicate effectively and directly with mobile devices.
- Real-time interaction: Fog computing support and involve real time interaction.
- Edge location: Fog computing uses edge location ensuring low latency.
- Massive sensor networks: It offers large scale sensors networks for monitoring stuff like environment and smart grid.
Challenges of fog computing
- Management: It is one of the biggest issues in fog computing. As billions of small decentralized are devices need to be configured, its management becomes quite challenging as there are plenty to manage because of its decentralized system.
- Computing limitation: Although the computing powers of devices are increasing rapidly this is still an issue for fog computing.
- Security: Fog computing is quite secure yet there are issues, as it offers application to process data over third party hardware and software , this will create a little vulnerability in data privacy.
- Programmability: It will be difficult in fog computing as there are plenty of small functional units in plenty of location, the programmability of fog computing is a big issue.
Is Fog good or bad for security and privacy?
Fog offers a decentralized stream of connection which actually increases the security a little, as it is easier to assess and locate security risk placed on the endpoint. So yes it is good for security. As for privacy, fog computing offers Applications to process on 3rd party hardware and software proving access which could make privacy vulnerable.
In terms of security, of course, it is quite good not entirely as no system is completely safe ever, and for privacy, there is a little issue due to multiple connections and 3rd party access.
To wrap things up,
Fog computing (Fog Computing Characteristics) is gaining popularity at a quite good pace, and it is estimated to see some major expansion in the upcoming near future. And, these improvements are due to fog computing huge potential of reduced latency, lesser bandwidth consumption, better security, more agility in business along more control of privacy.
Although, there are certain issues that are connected with it, still the potential is massive for fog computing which I believe will be seen in the expansion of its use, mostly because of the booming of the Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G technology.