THE ‘EDGE’ FORMULA

SOLVING CHALLENGES
IN THE EDGE AND vRAN
SPACE FOR A BETTER 5G
NETWORK
_
By Kontron S&T Group

  E-BOOK

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 4
X EDGE + 5G...............................................................3 X EDGE AND INCREASED
COST SAVINGS......................................................6
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 5
X RADIO ACCESS NETWORKS
(vRAN) IS THE FOUNDATION X TRENDS AT THE EDGE......................................7
FOR THE 5G EDGE...............................................4

CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 3
X HARDWARE PLATFORMS FOR vRAN
X WHY 5G AND EDGE COMPUTING AND EDGE...............................................................8
ARE PERFECT TOGETHER................................5

CHAPTER 7
X WHERE KONTRON FITS INTO THE
EDGE COMPUTING V
­ ALUE CHAIN..............10

THE ‘EDGE’ FORMULA // 02

CHAPTER 1
EDGE + 5G
X
Although many benefits come with
cloud com­puting, such as flexibility
and scalability, people would now
argue that large amounts of data
cannot always be migrated or
moved quickly to the Cloud, and
alternate strategies are needed.
What was once believed to be the foreseeable future
is happening right now, whether we are ready for it
or not. With the emerging 5G ecosystem, we are in
the middle of a data revolution that has operators
scrambling to overcome the challenges associated
with having a centralized cloud computing environ-
ment. Edge computing promises to remedy these
challenges by creating a distributed network archi-
tecture as a means to offload tasks from the core.
There are many facets to edge computing; however,
when we discuss digital transformation today,
similar to the real estate market, the hot topic
is – location, location, location. The growth of 5G
and the Internet of Things (IoT) are focused on the
geographic location in which the applications will
live, and the Edge of a network is where everything
is going.
THE BIRTH OF EDGE COMPUTING
Cloud computing architecture has been around for
a lot longer than Edge. People would send all data
to the Cloud and have it processed and analyzed in
THE ‘EDGE’ FORMULA
one centralized location. Although many benefits
come with cloud computing, such as flexibility
and scalability, people would now argue that large
amounts of data cannot always be migrated or
moved quickly to the Cloud, and alternate strategies
are needed. Thus, the birth of edge computing as
an efficient way to handle the massive explosions
in data volume that will continue to generate at
tremendous speeds.
WHY IS LOCATION SO IMPORTANT?
Organizations need a more natural way to access
the data, interact with it, and make faster decisions
in real-time. Enterprises, for example, require
a more intelligent placement of workloads and
division of tasks among multiple computers and
access points connected via a single network to
speed up those tasks. Having a distributed cloud in
your network infrastructure enables less strain on
the core network and provides the means to deploy
ultra low latency applications in remote locations.
The optimal time to have a distributed model –
including applications at the far Edge of the network
– is when endpoint devices leverage more and more
data. The emergence of 5G brings with it, increases
and surges in data traffic and speed demands of
next-generation networks. Edge computing allows
service providers to process much of the data
locally from a cell tower or as close to end-users as
a street cabinet. It helps offload data to the Cloud
during peak times, and information is sent to the
central Cloud only when the network becomes
overly congested.
// 03
CHAPTER 2

RADIO ACCESS NETWORKS (vRAN)

X
IS THE FOUNDATION FOR THE 5G EDGE

With the explosion of IoT and mobility, edge
devices are increasingly required to process more
information closer to the end-point. vRAN is not only
the foundation for 5G but also a way to improve
the congestion and performance of 4G and LTE
networks.
vRAN solutions also simplify the deployment of new
demanding services and algorithms for streaming
media, machine-to-machine (M2M) data, artificial
intelligence (AI), and other communications services.
 Cybersecurity is the biggest concern and driver
across all sectors with manufacturing (83%),
financial services (82%), and transportation (80%)
 Geographically, in Japan, 98% of firms surveyed
have begun migrating workloads from public
and private cloud environments to the Edge.
 In Germany, 80% of companies cite security
and privacy as a significant inhibitor to moving
workloads to the Edge.

 In the UK, 84% of respondents say the main

Communication technologies are
shifting from a centralized data
center model to a distributed model
to support customer demand.
driver for edge computing is to normalize data
and rationalize systems.
 While in North America, 80% stated Edge gives them
the ability to reduce overall infrastructure costs.
WHAT DOES THIS DATA TELL US?

1 Edge servers must be cost-effective.

In 2019, Kontron commissioned analyst firm
Analysis Mason to interview over 200 enterprises
and service providers on their plans, reasons, and
concerns when considering edge technologies.
Here are a few of those results:
 Most organizations expect a 30-50% reduction
in costs by moving workloads to the Edge. Retail,
Transportation, and Manufacturing especially
hope to see a significant cost reduction.
2 They must be secure and designed
for harsh environments.
3 Most importantly, Edge servers must
have a long product life cycle that
is flexible and powerful enough to
handle demanding applications.

 Companies are expecting an increase in revenue

by an average of 6% after 3-years by moving
workloads to the Edge. Healthcare, Transportation,
and Manufacturing are the top three.

THE ‘EDGE’ FORMULA // 04

CHAPTER 3
WHY 5G AND EDGE COMPUTING
X
ARE PERFECT TOGETHER
With 5G comes more smartphones, more data,
more network congestion, and unfortunately,
centralized cloud computing may be too slow for
devices that require data processed in milliseconds.
Take online gaming, for example. Edge computing
promises to offer much better in-game experiences
by reducing latency. Since latency is such a
fundamental component of online games, AR and
VR for that matter, the future of gaming is where
you think it is – at the Edge.
THE ‘EDGE’ FORMULA
Also, the potential for edge computing to transform
the telecommunications industry by leveraging
existing cellular networks is revolutionary. As
5G networks roll out more fully worldwide and
implementations by some of the big players
like AT&T and Verizon have already begun,
mobile edge computing plays a critical role in a
telecommunication company’s next-generation
infrastructure strategy, regardless of business size.
Thanks to 5G, people have
warmed up to edge technologies.
Although the idea may seem like a huge leap,
edge computing promises substantial economic
benefits by reducing datacenter costs. Datacenter
cost reduction alone is enough to drive many
organizations to move compute towards the Edge
as they transition to a network architecture that
supports 5G.
// 05
CHAPTER 4

EDGE AND INCREASED COST SAVINGS

X

Having a centralized architecture model means

storage is located close to compute resources. That
works well for companies looking for pay-per-use
billing, even if that means lower performance for
end-users. However, when vast loads of data are
transferred on or off the Cloud, data transfer is very
expensive, and as a result, much less appealing.

When vast loads of data are

transferred on or off the Cloud,
data transfer is very expensive.

Costs associated with bandwidth, distance data

is travelling, resources needed to monitor and
configure the transferred data, all tend to add up
very quickly. The ‘Edge’ equation is quite simple
– reduce data volumes sent to the Cloud and
automatically lower your costs.

Due to these cost savings, companies are forced

to rethink their IT infrastructure approach to incor-
porate Edge into their traditional data processing
strategies. With edge server hardware, part of the
data processing can be done closest to the users and
not automatically sent to the Cloud to be analyzed. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR CLOUD?
This distributed offloading solution reduces capital All of this means that the Cloud is coming closer
expenses as well as bandwidth costs. And by to us, the consumers of the data. An exciting
reducing the distance by which data travels before it challenge for forward-thinking companies will be
is processed, operators have more money to spend how to deploy both Cloud and edge computing
on modernizing legacy systems that, whereas prior, technologies and work with both simultaneously.
were considered barriers to entry for infrastructure
innovation.

THE ‘EDGE’ FORMULA // 06

CHAPTER 5
TRENDS AT THE EDGE
X
There are massive new demands on internet service
providers (ISP), especially those that deliver to
the consumer marketplace. There has never been
more pressure on service providers to provide high-
quality, video-based content over the last mile from
movies, video conferencing, and mobile streaming.
THE ‘EDGE’ FORMULA
In a recent discussion with an executive from
Cisco, he stated the internet is stretched to a near
breaking point at the top of every hour when
users log into their various web conferencing
systems. Capacity challenges are partially forcing
service providers, and ISPs to panic buy additional
hardware capacity to support new realities, such as
working from home.
Capacity challenges are partially
forcing service providers, and ISPs
to panic buy additional hardware
capacity to support new realities,
such as working from home.
3 REASONS FOR SIGNIFICANT REVENUE UPTICKS
IN THE EDGE MEDIA SPACE:
1 Capacity Support
the need to expand capacity at all points within
their networks from the core to the edge.
2 Supply Chain Visibility
with recent global supply chain disruptions,
service providers are reevaluating where
their components and parts originate from a
manufacturing and assembly perspective.
3 Future-Proofing
ensuring they have enough capacity to future-
proof their network infrastructure in the event
of another global catastrophe.
// 07
 CHAPTER 6

HARDWARE PLATFORMS FOR VRAN

X
AND EDGE

The industry is looking to deploy new, revenue-
generating services at the Edge. This can be
achieved with the help of smart infrastructure
platforms that are robust enough to handle vast
amounts of data, yet flexible enough to push
intelligence as close to users as physically possible.
A good example of these types of servers are
Kontron’s ME and RS product families, built to run
complex applications in extreme temperatures or
difficult environments. The Mobile Edge (ME) series
cabinet servers can be rack mounted on a base
station or encased on the tower. The ruggedized
server (RS) is ideal for wall or pole mounting.
EDGE SERVERS ADDRESS THE INDUSTRY`S competition, ME servers were built from the ground
NEEDS BY:
Because each environment is different, the servers
support both AC and DC power. Kontron’s Edge
series servers leverage high-performance materials
for maximum durability and performance.
Low Total Cost of Ownership, High Availability and
low size weight and power (SWaP)
A hallmark of Kontron's is to deliver solutions that
are reliable and cost-effective. With component
partners like Intel and vRAN software providers
like Altiostar and Mavenir, Kontron has developed
a long product roadmap that reduces costs
and improves efficiency. Further, it is known for
providing consistent and tested configurations
to ensure application functionality. Unlike the
up to be a distributed unit (DU).

A Ruggedized Form Factor .

taht scan
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the option for an IP65 hardened version to defend
against dust and water.

THE ‘EDGE’ FORMULA // 08

CHAPTER 6

HARDWARE PLATFORMS FOR VRAN

X LEARN MORE
AND EDGE (CONTINUED)

Operators need smart infrastructure platforms that are robust

enough to handle vast amounts of data, yet flexible enough to
push intelligence as close to users as physically possible.

Long Product Lifecycles

Hardware is nearly 70% of the overall cost in most
software deployments, and for now, it is the only
way to run the software. For the Edge market to
thrive, service providers must ensure predictability
and visibility into their planning and deployments.
At the Edge, truck-rolls and outages create margin
erosion and increased cost. By having a long
product lifecycle, a company`s customers and
partners can plan more efficiently, reduce their
time to market, lower market entry expenses,
and, most importantly, have consistent BIOS and
hardware settings provide for uniform patching
and maintenance.

Security & Servicing

The industry is constantly looking for improve-
ments and enhancements in Edge security and
service capabilities. From a physical security
standpoint, Kontron’s ME & RS servers each
have intrusion detection, alarms/alerts, and
monitoring functionality. On the management
front, they provide IoT patterns and practices,
and modern authentication and authorization
protocols, predictive analysis, upgrade services, and
preventative maintenance management. Secure
payload is another hot feature.

THE ‘EDGE’ FORMULA // 09

 CHAPTER 7

WHERE KONTRON FITS INTO

X
THE EDGE VALUE CHAIN

Kontron is at the much-needed hardware portion

of the value chain, enabling a more distributed
infrastructure from a single, intelligent platform,
including servers that sit inside the local datacenter,
in cell phone towers, street cabinets, etc. We provide
the compute infrastructure that resides near
the source of the data. In other words, hardware
that allows analytics and data gathering to occur
near mobile phones, tablets, laptops, the list goes
on. We’re beginning to see movement toward
this virtualized infrastructure and the numerous
benefits it brings to operators, thus enabling edge
services and essentially more computing power in
a smaller hardware footprint.
Although centralized datacenters will undoubtedly
continue to play a vital role in digital services, Edge
becomes a better option under these primary
conditions:
1 When there isn’t enough bandwidth or reliability
to send the data back to the Cloud.
2 When demand for low-latency is much more
complex, such as for critical applications,
autonomous vehicles (AV) applications, for
example, require response time in real-time
to avoid accidents or collisions or where the
situation might be a matter of life or death.
We’re beginning to see
movement toward this virtualized
infrastructure and the numerous
benefits it brings to operators.
As more compute power goes to the far Edge, it
will need a foundation. Operators are looking for
a converged platform that can help with storage,
processing, security, and networking, running
a software layer on top. Kontron’s ME Series of
mobile edge computing servers quickly adapt to
the service provider’s virtual infrastructure and
unlock IT and cloud computing capabilities within
the radio access network (RAN). Ideal for ultra-low
latency and high-bandwidth applications, these
short-depth Intel® Xeon® D servers enable content
closer to the Edge while allowing operators to solve
restricted space, power, environmental challenges,
and savings on costs.

3 When operators need better equipment and

security in harsh environments to deploy
applications anywhere like a street post cabinet.

THE ‘EDGE’ FORMULA // 10

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