IoT Data Management at the Edge of the Enterprise

Published On: 26th April 2023//3.6 min read//Tags: , , //

IoT Data ManagementThe Internet of Things (IoT) is the networking of physical devices, vehicles, buildings, and other items which have embedded software, sensors, and network connections that enable these items to collect and exchange data. With the explosion of connected devices, IoT is a hot topic and experiencing dramatic growth, driven by ever-increasing ways to leverage the data being generated. IoT platforms and devices are generating enormous amounts of data at the edge of the network – far more than could be economically stored in the datacenter. Latest IDC predictions state that the sum total of IoT devices will generate 175 zettabytes (ZB) of data by 2025 with 90 ZB of that figure being created at the edge – all needing to be aggregated, processed, stored, and managed!

The historic assumption was that those processes would always be done centrally in the datacenter. But as the theory of IoT technology is increasingly applied in practice, operators are realizing that the optimal location for application and data storage varies according to the quantity of data generated, and the economics of the business case. This must be balanced against data access, analysis, and the technical demands of the targeted use case.

What are the requirements for IoT applications?

For many IoT applications, the data needs to be analyzed in real time so that appropriate remedial action can take immediate effect if required. Cloud-based analytic applications are great for developing what-if scenarios and algorithms for predictive failure analysis, but there’s no value in predicting a historical failure. Many IoT solutions (like those controlling sensors on oil rigs, tunnel management systems, and even smart cities) depend on fast data processing with zero latency. This can be tough to achieve if the data created needs to be sent off to a datacenter on the other side of the country, or even across the ocean, where bandwidth is low and unreliable at best.

In order to function correctly, IoT applications instead require solutions capable of processing this data where it is created; onsite and at the edge. Discover how IoT edge computing can deliver this solution in this blog.

How does edge computing help with data storage and management for IoT devices in distributed environments?

The majority of IoT devices operate in environments that are a far cry from the pristine datacenter. Many don’t have onsite IT staff to fix equipment faults and failures, lack the equipment to keep data secure and safe from a breach, and often have higher than optimum  moisture, dust, and temperature levels, too. Moreover, organizations tend to own more than one edge site, making the purchase of a physical SAN or other datacenter-class infrastructure for each location expensive and unrealistic.

Edge computing location conditions

There are many technologies designed specifically for large datacenters and cloud implementations. But solutions for IoT, which require real-time, highly available onsite data processing, need to receive a similar amount of attention. Lightweight shared storage software such as virtual SANs, partnered with servers tailored for the edge, offer an ideal solution to these problems, reducing per-site acquisition and maintenance costs.

How does StorMagic help enable IoT technology at the edge?

StorMagic partners with leading server manufacturers such as HPE and Lenovo to create solutions with the perfect economic balance for organizations wishing to store and analyze IoT-generated data when and where it is needed. Enabling customers to make the most informed decisions and optimizations in real-time, these solutions assist in driving continual improvements through deeper analytics to drive down risk and cost whilst maximizing ROI.

Leveraging robust, simple-to-manage infrastructure, StorMagic SvSAN supports the performance and availability demands of real-time sensor data and process-control applications in key markets such as energy, manufacturing, telecommunications, and city municipalities across the globe. It can also be employed at one or multiple sites while enabling lightweight, low-cost, globally distributed but centrally maintained infrastructure.

Whether you use IoT solutions to optimize monitoring and control of wind farms, oil rigs, or manufacturing plants, StorMagic SvSAN can help you create a  highly available hyperconverged infrastructure supporting advanced virtualization functions that keep the IoT-fuelled applications running.

To learn more about SvSAN and how it can facilitate greater levels of efficiency and reliability for your IoT devices, check out our product white paper:

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