The Edge Computing Hardware Myth: You Don’t Need an Edge Appliance

Published On: 20th June 2023//4.9 min read//Tags: , , //

IT hardware vendors inevitably promote the message that hardware is a crucial element of any hyperconverged infrastructure solution for edge computing.

They’d be right, to a degree – the solution is made up of advanced software running on hardware, and is therefore dependent on that hardware. However, that hardware doesn’t have to be bespoke, nor does it need to be a specialist edge computing appliance, or even ‘designed for the edge’ – all things that many vendors are keen to tell you.

Find that hard to believe? Keep reading to discover six reasons why the type of edge computing hardware you deploy at your distributed sites isn’t so important, and how modern edge computing solutions are even lowering user costs while still delivering enterprise datacenter functionality through hardware flexibility.

Global IT hardware sourcing

edge computing vendors

The very nature of edge computing makes it critical that software is flexible enough to run on the hardware that is available to the administrator. While an ideal situation would see a cookie-cutter approach to hardware –  one that allows all sites to deploy the same brand and version of high-powered servers – this is not realistic in most environments.

When deploying across many locations, there are usually restrictions on budget or server vendor support capabilities that make doing so difficult. That’s why vendors serious about enhancing their users’ experience have changed this approach, switching instead to a pure software approach that allows their customers to run their solution on any server, anywhere in the world.

Flexibility

edge computing software flexibility

Many hyperconverged appliance providers will often prescribe over-provisioned solutions to customers, insisting that they need hardware that is more expensive and has significantly more power than their software requires.

A good edge computing hardware vendor will recommend that their customers t-shirt size their equipment. In doing so, they’re able to eliminate the need for customers to waste department budgets, which in many cases can be very limited.

Similarly, by using the same software stack you’ll gain the flexibility to utilize the hardware that suits you, whether that’s an HPE ProLiant Microserver in a cramped office space or cabinet, or a Lenovo SR650 with 100s of TB of storage and 20+ CPU cores in a large site.

Removes hardware vendor lock-in

Eliminate server hardware vendor lock-in

Traditionally, vendors offering edge software required customers to buy their hardware to run it, often as an integrated edge computing appliance. And while this may still be the case for a number, it is possible to find vendors who allow existing software licenses to be shifted to next-gen hardware of any type, as it is released.

This alternative to the ‘rip and replace’ strategy boasts many benefits to the user. By enabling a change of server generation, a change of networking, storage, or other internal hardware, or even a complete change of vendor, customers can experience a dramatic reduction in their CAPEX overheads. Some solutions can allow this work to be carried out non-disruptively, helping to minimize the amount of time systems are down and maintain application uptime.

Security

Security - Software Data Encryption

Since the dawn of the internet at the end of the last century, data protection has been a hot topic. Cybercriminals are forever becoming more creative with their attacks, putting increasing pressure on organizations that need to ensure that their data is secure, or else!

This is particularly prevalent at the edge, where servers may not operate with the same level of physical security as in larger datacenters. While this can be remedied by implementing expensive, hard-to-procure self-encrypting drives, utilizing a software-based SAN with data encryption built-in means data can be encrypted at the software level.

Not only does this remove the cost and wait times associated with physical hardware, but it also enables a hassle-free way to protect data right away.

Scalability

edge computing scalability

Ordinarily, hardware-centric hyperconverged edge computing appliances force users to buy specific models that are difficult, or impossible to change. In order to scale using this model, vendors will add more nodes to their customers’ solutions, all-too-often leading to over-provisioning, and unnecessary costs.

For this reason, many are moving away from these vendors in search of more affordable, flexible solutions. See, it’s not always necessary to add more storage and networking to a solution at exactly the same time as increasing the number of compute-only nodes for example. Scaling each of these features independently within the existing server hardware already deployed or as additional nodes when desired in this particular instance can even be achieved without any increase in licensing fees. Learn how in our in-depth, on-demand webinar ”Scaling Beyond 2 Nodes with StorMagic SvSAN”.

Performance

HCI PerformanceThe software approach allows users to size their hardware to their exact requirements and eliminate over-provisioning. Rather than relying on a strict appliance hardware compatibility list or forcing the customer to buy all-flash systems to deliver a few thousand IOPs, edge computing hardware can, and should be sized accordingly, be it all-flash, hybrid with NVMe or enterprise value SSDs, or even just all HDD.

 

How StorMagic SvSAN can help

Tailored to meet the demands of the harsh edge, StorMagic SvSAN is a simple, flexible, and reliable virtual SAN.

Capable of keeping the spiraling costs of edge computing hardware under control, it delivers enterprise datacenter functionality on any x86 server. Plus, its licensing enables admins to lift and shift existing software licenses over to next-gen hardware as it comes along.

Interested in discovering how StorMagic SvSAN’s lightweight solution can work for your company? Book a demo with one of our team members or check out our SvSAN product page for more information on the product:

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