LF Edge, an umbrella organization within the Linux Foundation (News - Alert) that creates an open, interoperable framework for edge computing independent of hardware, silicon, cloud, or operating system, recently announced the availability of Akraino Release 4.
Akraino’s fourth release enables additional blueprints that support various deployments of Kubernetes across the edge, from Industrial IoT to Public Cloud, Telco, and Machine Learning (ML). Designed to improve the state of carrier edge networks, edge cloud infrastructure for enterprise edge, and over-the-top (OTT) edge, it enables flexibility to scale edge cloud services quickly, maximize applications and functions supported at the edge, and to improve the reliability of systems that must be up at all times.
“Now on its fourth release, Akraino is a fully-functioning open edge stack,” said Arpit Joshipura (News - Alert), general manager, Networking, Edge and IoT, the Linux Foundation. “This latest release brings new blueprints that focus on Kubernetes-enablement across edges, as well as enhancements to other areas like connected cars, ML, telco, and more. This is the power of open source in action, and I am eager to see even more use cases of blueprint deployments.”
Akraino’s newest R4 delivers an open-source software stack that supports a high-availability cloud stack optimized for edge computing systems and applications while using blueprints in the Kubernetes-Native Infrastructure to leverage the best practices and tools from the Kubernetes community to declaratively and consistently manage edge computing stacks from the infrastructure up to the workloads.
Kubernetes, which is a portable, extensible, open-source platform for managing containerized workloads and services that facilitates both declarative configuration and automation, has been growing rapidly as more companies turn the platform to help manage their systems. Kubernetes provide businesses’ systems with service discovery and load balancing, storage orchestration, automated rollouts and rollbacks, automatic bin packing, self-healing, as well as secret and configuration management.
R4, just like its predecessors, uses the “blueprint” concept to address specific Edge use cases to support an end-to-end solution. A blueprint is a declarative configuration of the entire stack-- i.e., edge platform that can support edge workloads and edge APIs. Akraino R4 includes seven new blueprints for a total of 25+, all tested and validated on real hardware labs supported by users and community members and API map. Including both updates and long-term support to existing R1, R2, and R3 blueprints, new use cases, and new and existing blueprints provide an edge stack for Industrial Edge, Public Cloud Edge Interface, Federated ML, KubeEdge, and more.
Building on the success of R3, R4 was officially made available four days ago, on Feb. 25th. However, while Akraino’s R4 is new and young in itself, Joshipura stated that looking ahead to what could be next is the priority.
“The community is already planning R5,” said Joshipura. “This will include more implementation of public cloud and telco synergy, more platform security architecture, increased alliance with upstream and downstream communities, and development of IoT Area and Rural Edge for tami-COVID19. Additionally, the community is expecting new blueprints as well as additional enhancements to existing blueprints.”
Don’t miss the Open Networking and Edge Executive Forum (ONEEF), a virtual event happening March 10-12, where subject matter experts from Akraino and other LF Edge communities will present on the latest open-source edge developments. Registration is now open!