ZEDEDA Edge Sync Resolves Numerous IoT Network and Edge Deployment Challenges

Here at IoT Evolution, one topic we’ve been dedicating ample coverage to as of late (apart from AI, of course) is device management at the edge.

So, let’s talk more about that and recent news from ZEDEDA.

As we know, the number of edge devices – part and parcel with the troves of data they produce – is rising; it certainly seems fast-tracked for exponential growth. According to MarketsandMarkets, the edge computing market size is expected to hit a truly unignorable $110.6 billion by 2029, representing a CAGR of 13%.

That’s huge, y’all – rightfully so, too. Enterprise businesses spanning IoT and beyond require real-time, data-driven insights that drive actual operational efficiency, enable better predictive maintenance in a ton of industries, and support measurably enriched customer experiences.

In this vein, edge computing makes this achievable. It facilitates data processing closer to the source, thus making possible more confident decision-making processes and significantly improved response times.

Put it this way (as I actually have previously; read that story about connectivity at the edge here) – I see edge devices as some of the “frontline workers” in IoT for reasons stated above. So by extension, then, smartly architected edge infrastructure (including edge servers and gateways) offers additional high-performance and cost-effective avenues down which reducing latency and processing data and services more efficiently can be explored. Managing edge infrastructure is like speaking a whole ‘nother language, in a sense.

And a company which has a track record of speaking this language well? (Better than I can, that’s for certain.)

ZEDEDA.

ZEDEDA operates in the management and orchestration of the distributed edge. Its teams keep edge computing straightforward, open and intrinsically secure, extending cloud experience and agility to the edge itself. ZEDEDA also greatly reduces the overall cost of managing and orchestrating distributed edge infrastructure and applications (while increasing visibility and control). The company introduced its ZEDEDA Edge Application Services last year, and its customers are continually able to configure and control edge applications simply by leveraging its many ecosystem resources.

And just last week, ZEDEDA made another must-see edge management-centric announcement:

Meet ZEDEDA Edge Sync, a convenient and secure solution tailored for air-gapped environments and edge deployments lacking consistent cloud connectivity.

ZEDEDA Edge Sync is ideal for deployments that face network challenges due to distributed (and/or unreliable) connections or ultra-secure systems that require a different approach.

Here’s a technical step-by-step of how it works, according to ZEDEDA experts:

1. The operator downloads configuration from ZEDEDA.
2. ZEDEDA creates a signed/encrypted configuration Blob, and the operator downloads to the preferred transport mechanism.
3. The operator manually transports the configuration inside the air gap to console on the local network.
4. After the operator manually posts config to Edge Sync, the edge node detects a connection to ZEDEDA is severed and downloads config from Edge Sync.
5. Then, the nodes implement configuration changes. When connection is restored, these nodes check for newer configuration. The cloud is the single source of truth, avoiding split-brain scenarios.

The long-story-short of it?

ZEDEDA Edge Sync allows monitoring and changes at a fleet level* (as long as the local edge nodes have access to the network the ZEDEDA Edge Sync service is on). It eliminates the need for expensive hardware components by running on standard systems, and supports varying levels of disconnectedness without compromising functionality.

“ZEDEDA Edge Sync provides peace of mind for customers with intermittent connectivity and strict security requirements who are looking to mitigate risks as they plan their path to the cloud,” said Eva Feng, ZEDEDA’s Vice President of Product Management.