To the Network Edge

The Journey to the Network Edge

October 10, 2024

Christina Cardoza

The advantages of moving to the network edge are clear: greater speed, enhanced security, and improved user experience. But how does a business actually make that move? What capabilities will best fit the bill and how much should it cost? Is there some kind of Platonic ideal solution out there that a company should search for?

We explore the network edge with CK Chou, Product Manager for IT/OT hardware-solution provider CASwell. He talks about difficulties in transitioning to the network edge, the role of AI there, and how old-school technology can point the way to a valuable solution with just a little creative thinking (Video 1).

Video 1. CASwell’s CK Chou talks about the challenges of moving to the edge and the role of network edge devices on the “insight.tech Talk.” (Source: insight.tech)

Why are businesses moving to the network edge these days?

If we are talking about edge computing, we all know that it is all about handling data right where it is created instead of sending everything to the central server. This means faster response and less internal traffic, so it is perfect for things that need instant reactions, like manufacturing, retail, transportation, financial services, et cetera.

Let me say it in this way: Imagine you are in a self-driving car and something unexpected happens on the road. You need your car to react instantly, because every millisecond counts; you cannot afford a delay waiting for data to travel to a distant server and back. It’s not like waiting for a loading sandbox when you’re using your computer, right? In self-driving scenarios, any delays could mean life or death. This is one example where edge computing comes in to handle data right at the source to make those split-second decisions.

And of course it’s not just about the speed; it’s also about keeping your information safe. If sensitive data like your financial information can be processed locally instead of being sent over the internet to the central server, there’s a lower chance of it being intercepted or hacked. The less your data travels around, the safer it stays.

By processing data on the spot, edge computing helps keep everything running smoothly, even in places where internet connections might be unreliable. In short, edge computing is all about speed, security, and reliability. It brings the power of data processing closer to where it’s needed most—whether it’s in your car or your doctor’s office or on the factory floor.

But moving to the network edge is not always easy. It’s a big step and comes with its own set of challenges. Companies face things like increased complexity in managing systems, higher infrastructure costs, limited processing power, data-management issues, and more. Despite these challenges, the benefits of edge computing are too significant to ignore. It can really boost the infrastructure performance, improve security, and save the overall cost, eventually making it worth the effort to overcome all those hurdles.

What capabilities of network-edge devices will help with business success?

It is a tricky question. If I’m talking about my dream edge device, it needs to be small and compact, also packed with multiple connection options like SNA, Wi-Fi, and 5G for different applications. And it would be nice to have a rack design that could operate in a harsh environment and handle the right range of temperatures if users want to install the equipment in stony cold mountains or hot deserts. Also, offer powerful processing but consume low power. And, of course, the most important thing is that the cost of this all-in-one box needs to be extremely low.

Getting all that in one device sounds perfect, right? But do you really think that would even be possible? The truth is, companies at the edge don’t really need an all-in-one box. What they really need is a device with the right features for their specific environment and application. And that’s what CASwell is all about.

We have a product line that can provide a variety of choices—from basic models to high-end solutions and from IT to OT applications. Whether it’s for a small office, a factory, or a remote location, we have got options designed for different conditions and requirements so companies can easily find the right edge device without paying for features they don’t really need.

What is the role of AI at the network edge?

Nowadays, AI-model training is done in the cloud, due to its need for massive amounts of data and high computational power. But think about how big an AI data center needs to be. Imagine something the size of a football field filled with dozens of big blocks, and each block is packed with hundreds of servers, all linked together and working nonstop on model training.

An AI server like that sounds amazing, but it is too far from our general use cases and not affordable by our customers. Remember: The concept of edge computing is all about handling data right where it is created instead of sending everything to a central server. So if we want to use AI to enhance our edge solutions, we cannot just move the entire AI factory to our server room—unless you are super rich and your server room is the size of a football field.

Instead, we keep the heavy-duty deep learning tasks in a centralized AI center and shift the inference part to the edge. This approach requires much less power and data, making it perfect for edge equipment. We’re already seeing this trend with AI integrated into our everyday devices like mobile phones and AI-enabled PCs. These devices use cloud-trained models to make smart decisions, provide personalized experiences, and enhance user interaction.

CASwell is right now building a new product line for edge-AI servers. It is designed to bring AI capabilities right from the data center to the edge, giving us the power of AI instantly. It puts AI directly in the hands of those who need it, right when they need it.

How does CASwell help businesses address their network edge challenges?

We saw a trend where edge environments were becoming more challenging than we initially expected. More end users were looking for solutions that could work in both IT and light OT environments. They wanted to install edge equipment not just in the office—with air conditioning and on clean, organized racks—but also in environments like warehouses, factory floors, or even just in cabinets without proper airflow.

CASwell decided to develop an entry-level desktop product—the CAF-0121—built around the Intel Atom^® processor, which offers a great balance of performance and power efficiency. The CAF-0121 can handle a wider temperature range, up to something like -20º to 60º from the typical 0º to 40º. This small box can also provide 2.5-gig support to fulfill the basic infrastructure connectivity. Plus, it is compact and fanless, with a passive-cooling design, which is suitable for edge computing applications.

Our goal with this new model was to provide OT-grade specs at an IT-friendly price. This means users could cut down on the resources needed to manage their infrastructure and make deployment much simpler. They could use the same equipment across both IT and OT applications, making it easier to standardize and maintain their technology setup. The approach for the CAF-0121 allows business to adapt to different environments without needing separate solutions for each scenario, so it is really an exciting product.

What were some of the challenges with creating CAF-0121?

The technology around the thermoelectric module—we call it TEM—is what we rely on for CAF-0121. TEM is already a proven solution for cooling overheating components; it is common in things like medical devices, car systems, refrigerators, water coolers, and other equipment that needs quick and accurate temperature control.

These devices work on creating a temperature difference when electric current passes through them, causing one side to heat up and the other side to cool down. The more current we send through, the bigger the temperature difference we get between the two sides.

People normally use the cooling capability of the TEM, but we had a different idea: Why not leverage both the cooling and heating capabilities to help our edge devices operate in a wider temperature range? The overall concept is that by leveraging the heating capability of the TEM we can indirectly expand the operation temperature range of the system to a lower degree. And, conversely, by using the cooling capability it can cool down the system when the internal ambient temperature rises to a certain high level. When the room is getting cold, TEM operates as a heater; when a room is getting hot, TEM operates as a cooler.

With a TEM, we are no longer limited to the operation temperature range of our individual components, allowing us to expand the temperature range of our equipment beyond what the components could typically allow. With the TEM we can push the temperature boundaries and the device can still maintain reliability.

And with this project we have gained some really valuable know-how using an old-school technology as an innovative solution to bring added volume to our products in this highly competitive market. We also want this small success to inspire our R&D team to stay creative and think outside the box, not just stick to the traditional way of doing things.

How does CASwell work with technology partners to make its product line possible?

A solid edge computing device should have just the right processing power, be energy efficient and packed in a compact size, with a variety of connection options, and of course have a competitive price. These are really the basic must-haves for any edge computing device.

That’s why we chose the Intel Atom processor for the CAF-0121 project. With the Atom we can provide the right level of performance and still keep power consumption low. And the Intel LAN controller helps us easily add the support for 2.5-gig Ethernet to this box, ensuring capability with most infrastructure requirements.

The Atom also has built-in instructions that can accelerate IPsec traffic, making it an excellent choice for security-focused applications. Whether you are dealing with data encryption, secure communications, or other security jobs, this processor is up to the challenge.

If we wanted to further enhance the security, Atom is also integrated with BIOS Guard and Boot Guard to provide a hardware root of trust. So we are not just talking about great performance and efficiency, we are delivering a high level of protection for the BIOS and the boot-up process. This level of security is crucial, especially for edge devices that need to handle sensitive information and critical tasks without compromising protection.

Among the various players in this market, only Intel offers a one-stop shop for all these features. Intel doesn’t just provide the hardware but also the driver and firmware support. This level of integration has made the development of the CAF-0121 project so much easier, and it has really shortened our time to market. When you have got the processing power, security features, and even software support all coming from one reliable partner, it certainly streamlines the whole process. It doesn’t just simplify the engineering and development work but also ensures that everything works seamlessly together.

Then the hardware designer—like CASwell—can focus more on optimizing performance and less on troubleshooting capability issues. This is a big win both for us and for our customers, allowing us to deliver high-quality, reliable edge computing solutions faster and very efficiently.

In the end, our goal is very simple: We aim to set a new standard of edge computing equipment and provide flexible edge solutions to help customers tackle challenges from the cloud and through the network and all the way to the intelligent edge.