Unlocking Edge Compute — A

CDN Era
In the age of digital transformation, where speed and reliability are
paramount, edge computing has emerged as a transformative
technology. By bringing computation and data storage closer to the
source of data generation, edge computing minimizes latency and
enhances performance.

The Edge Computing Industry: The edge computing market has

experienced exponential growth in recent years, fueled by
advancements in IoT (Internet of Things), 5G connectivity, and the
proliferation of smart devices. Major players in the industry include
tech giants like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure,
Google Cloud Platform, as well as specialized edge computing
providers such as Akamai, Fastly, and Cloudflare. These companies
offer a range of edge computing solutions tailored to meet the
specific needs of various industries.

Edge computing offers developers the capability to process data and

execute tasks closer to the point of data generation, resulting in
reduced latency and enhanced performance for applications.
Developers can leverage edge computing to build responsive and
scalable applications that deliver real-time insights and experiences
to users. By deploying code and computation resources at the edge
of the network, developers can optimize their applications for low-
latency interactions, making them ideal for use cases such as IoT,
real-time analytics, and content

Stateless by Design
Edge computing architectures often prioritize statelessness,
meaning that computation and data processing are performed
without reliance on stored state information. This design choice is
driven by the need to ensure scalability, fault tolerance, and efficient
resource utilization in edge environments. Stateless architectures
enable edge nodes to handle requests independently, without the
need for shared state storage or coordination between nodes.

To build statefull application

Edge computing and key-value (KV) stores can be used together to
develop stateful applications that leverage the benefits of edge
computing while maintaining state information efficiently. KV’s
Eventual consistency poses a challenge for key-value (KV) stores due
to its implications on data integrity, reliability, and the complexity of
maintaining consistency across distributed systems. Here’s why
eventual consistency can be challenging for KV stores:

1. Data Replication and Distribution: KV stores often replicate

data across multiple nodes or partitions to ensure fault
tolerance and scalability. As data is distributed across
nodes, ensuring consistency becomes complex, especially
when updates are made concurrently or when network
partitions occur.
 2. Concurrency and Conflicts: In a distributed environment,
multiple clients may attempt to update the same key
simultaneously or make conflicting updates to different
replicas of the same data. Resolving concurrency and
conflict resolution issues while maintaining consistency is
challenging, particularly in scenarios where strict
consistency requirements are necessary.

3. Latency and Network Conditions: Eventual consistency

allows for temporary inconsistencies between replicas, with
the expectation that these inconsistencies will be resolved
over time. However, variations in network latency,
communication delays, and network partitions can prolong
the time it takes for updates to propagate across replicas,
potentially leading to prolonged periods of inconsistency.

4. Trade-offs Between Consistency and Performance:

Achieving strong consistency guarantees in a distributed
KV store often comes

Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) have emerged as pioneers in the

realm of edge computing, serving as the forefront technology for
building both stateless and stateful applications. CDNs excel in
leveraging their distributed network of edge servers strategically
positioned across the globe, bringing computation and data storage
closer to end-users. For stateless applications, CDNs offer
unparalleled performance enhancements by caching and serving
static content, reducing latency, and improving load times. This
architecture allows developers to deploy applications without
reliance on maintaining session state or user data at the edge,
ensuring scalability and resilience. Moreover, CDNs are increasingly
evolving to support stateful applications, integrating edge
computing capabilities with key-value stores and other data
management solutions. By harnessing the power of distributed
computing at the edge, CDNs enable stateful applications to process
data, execute business logic, and manage application state
efficiently. This paradigm shift empowers developers to build
sophisticated applications that leverage real-time data processing
and analysis, offering users seamless experiences with enhanced
responsiveness and reliability

Who offers what?

Akamai and Cloudflare dominate the edge computing sector,

offering diverse solutions. Fastly is striving to catch up, offering a
narrower range of database services and a limited regional presence.