Edge Computing IoT

What Is Edge Computing IoT (EC-IoT)?

Edge Computing IoT introduces the concept of edge computing to the IoT domain, enabling data processing, storage, and applications to be performed at the edge in close proximity to the devices themselves. This approach effectively tackles the challenges associated with the final leg of IoT communication, commonly known as the "last mile" issue. It facilitates intelligent connectivity and efficient management of IoT devices.

The Significance of Edge Computing IoT

In the current era, the Internet of Things (IoT) has emerged as a pivotal driver of a new wave of global technological revolution and industrial transformation.

IoT, in simple terms, enables the connection of various objects to the Internet, with the ultimate objective of achieving universal connectivity.

With the rapid advancement of IoT technologies, diverse industries are embarking on digital transformation journeys to connect an ever-increasing number of devices to the Internet. According to statistical predictions, the global count of IoT device connections is projected to reach 100 billion by the year 2025. As this trend unfolds, enterprises are faced with the following challenges:

• The migration of massive data volumes to the cloud for processing creates a significant burden on cloud infrastructure due to the lack of real-time data analysis and processing capabilities.

• Managing and deploying a large number of IoT devices and applications, along with their diverse interfaces and protocols, becomes a complex task that is challenging to centralize and streamline.

Edge Computing IoT: Combination of Edge Computing and IoT

Edge computing revolutionizes the processing of massive amounts of terminal data on the cloud, simplifying the overall process.

Deployed at the network edge in close proximity to devices or data sources, edge computing offers edge intelligence services through an open platform that integrates network, computing, storage, and application capabilities. Terminal devices collect data, which is then locally analyzed and processed in real-time at the network edge, eliminating the need for data uploading to the cloud. Edge computing effectively fulfills the essential requirements of industry digitalization, facilitating agile connectivity and optimizing real-time data operations.

The fusion of edge computing and IoT technologies gives rise to edge computing IoT. This innovative approach integrates the architecture of edge computing into the IoT domain. An edge computing gateway, equipped with network, computing, storage, and application capabilities, is strategically deployed at the network edge, near the devices or data sources. This gateway enables the provision of device management and control services at the network edge nodes. By doing so, edge computing IoT successfully resolves the "last mile" challenge in industry IoT communication and establishes intelligent connectivity and efficient management of IoT devices.

What Is Edge Computing IoT Used for?

Edge computing IoT aims to fulfill the following requirements:

• Facilitates seamless and efficient access of IoT terminals to the Internet by accommodating diverse physical interfaces and protocols.

• Enables centralized management of a vast number of terminal devices.

• Supports local processing of local traffic, ensuring rapid response times.

• Promotes industry collaboration through open systems and interfaces.

The depicted architecture of edge computing IoT showcases the integration of edge intelligence and cloud management. Leveraging the open capabilities of gateways, edge computing IoT efficiently addresses the intelligent data processing needs across various industries. It enables rapid response times, within milliseconds, for critical services. Additionally, it facilitates local aggregation and optimization of data while proactively transmitting high-value data to the cloud.

The architecture of edge computing IoT comprises two key components: the edge computing gateway and the cloud-based IoT platform.

1. The edge computing gateway serves as an IoT gateway with embedded edge computing capabilities, enabling local analysis and processing of extensive terminal data.

• It supports a wide range of industrial IoT interfaces, including PLC, RF, RS-485, and DI, facilitating flexible integration with diverse sensors and terminals.

• The gateway provides open access to software and hardware resources, supporting container deployment. This allows industry applications to be deployed on-demand within containers for local data processing.

2. The cloud-based IoT platform facilitates seamless connectivity of terminal devices through integration with various industry application systems:

• It employs a cloud management architecture to centrally manage a large number of terminal devices, reducing operation and maintenance costs.

• The platform utilizes an open architecture and exposes standard northbound application programming interfaces (APIs) for seamless integration with third-party industry application systems.

Prominent Features of Edge Computing IoT

Openness of Cloud Platform

Within the edge computing IoT solution, the cloud-based IoT platform leverages cloud computing technologies to enable comprehensive management of networks, devices, containers, and applications on the cloud. This platform offers open northbound APIs that facilitate flexible integration with third-party industry application systems.

• Open architecture: The cloud-based IoT platform utilizes an open software architecture and provides standardized RESTful northbound APIs, enabling seamless integration with diverse industry application systems and enabling the delivery of value-added application services.

• Service convergence: The cloud-based IoT platform ensures unified management of gateways, containers, and applications, supporting the installation of containers and applications.

• Cloud-based deployment: The cloud-based IoT platform supports distributed cluster deployment, facilitating seamless capacity expansion, and centralized management of a large number of IoT gateways.

Openness of Gateway

The edge computing gateway promotes container deployment, allowing users to install their custom service applications within containers. Additionally, it offers various eSDK interfaces that enable containers and applications to access resources.

Containers are lightweight Linux-based virtualization isolation mechanisms. Unlike traditional virtual machines (VMs) that replicate the entire set of resources (CPUs, memory, disks, peripherals) of a physical machine, Linux containers provide resource isolation and allocation based on the Linux kernel. This approach allows applications within containers to function as if they were running on independent machines.

Typical Applications of Edge Computing IoT

Edge computing IoT has found widespread applications in various domains, including power distribution, smart cities, and smart Integrated Energy Service (IES). It has emerged as a pivotal driver for digital transformation across industries. The following illustrates how edge computing IoT is employed in power distribution and smart IES scenarios.

Power Distribution IoT

Power distribution IoT combines traditional power distribution automation technologies with IoT technologies to enable the digital transformation of power distribution networks. It addresses long-standing challenges beyond the capabilities of conventional industrial control technologies, such as managing a large number of terminal devices and enhancing service management and control. Power distribution IoT enhances user service experience and improves operational efficiency.

In power distribution IoT scenarios, edge computing IoT adopts the "cloud-pipe-edge-device" architecture to establish comprehensive connectivity and intelligent management.

• Cloud: Refers to the cloud master station, which encompasses a next-generation power distribution automation master station, a micro-application management and control center, and Agile Controller-IoT. These components collaborate to provide diverse services and functionalities, including distribution terminal unit (DTU) management, online device monitoring, power outage rectification, asset management, big data analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI) applications.

• Pipe: Represents the communication networks facilitating data exchange between the cloud and the edge. Wide-area network (WAN) communication networks employ Ethernet and wireless networks, while local communication networks utilize PLC-IoT, RF-Mesh, and other communication technologies to transmit data between terminal devices and the edge.

• Edge: A deployment of edge computing gateways at the network edge provides a container platform for users to install service applications within containers to meet specific requirements. Additionally, the edge computing gateway offers open APIs within containers to enable application invocation.

• Device: Intelligent core communication modules are employed in low-voltage distribution devices to establish communication between intelligent terminal devices and the edge computing gateway. Huawei provides intelligent core communication modules and open APIs to third-party vendors for secondary integration with low-voltage devices.

Smart IES

This architecture utilizes a cloud-based smart IES platform that facilitates data perception, edge processing, and smart applications. The platform displays network-wide terminal device alarm status, site status, and device status (e.g., electricity, water, and gas meters) and supports remote visualized management, enabling real-time monitoring of the entire network status.

• Platform layer and application layer: The cloud management architecture enables remote visualized management of a multitude of devices throughout their lifecycle, as well as analysis and processing of extensive energy consumption data.

• Network layer: Both wired and wireless communication modes are supported, allowing flexible selection based on the requirements of diverse application scenarios.

• Edge computing layer: Leveraging edge computing technology, this layer redefines the smart IES IoT gateway (edge computing gateway) and enhances its intelligence. The functions of the smart IES IoT gateway can be customized or loaded on-demand, and their data can be shared flexibly, enabling interconnection with different service ecosystems. Consequently, a single smart IES IoT gateway can serve multiple purposes, eliminating the need for redundant hardware system development.

• Collection terminal layer: Collection terminals or converters utilize PLC-IoT technology to connect terminal devices (e.g., electricity, water, and gas meters) to the smart IES IoT gateway through existing power lines. This enables reliable and efficient collection of various energy consumption information, providing a data foundation for integrated energy services.