Big data, AI, IoT- these are some of the most impact words in the IT business currently and all these technologies affect the core that allows such seamless transactions of data across the dense network of machines and sensors. The technology is cloud computing and it has become a rage in the recent years. However, experts are observing the rise of a new technology that will soon oust cloud and also outlast cloud in terms of its efficiency and demand.
The technology is known as fog computing, a term bestowed by Cisco. It basically refers to an advanced method of more decentralized cloud computing such that the storage system is not located in a giant server somewhere. Instead of a physical, tangible server to fetch data from, such a network of computing keeps its files closer to the user for easy fetching.
The magic of fog computing
Cloud computing has definitely solved issues of cost, efficiency and burden of maintaining an on-premise data centre with huge servers for each companies. Public clouds have surely mitigated the cost concern for many small companies and allow them to participate in the IT exodus. However, as IoT becomes prevalent on everyday devices, a simple IoT function requires data fetching whenever the IoT feature is used. This data has to be fetched from a server thousands of miles away.
Fog computing ensures that the cloud servers, decentralized from core, are spread across a wide area in the form of small data centers. So, your device is ideally nearer to the servers and a quicker response can be obtained. Basically, you need not worry about your internet connection when you use Google voice command or a similar feature. However, there is another breakthrough that needs to be talked about.
Fogging the hackers
The hackers are always on the prowl and hence, the more centralized your server is, the easier it is for the hackers to attack a single source and harm the whole system. However, such a method of computing fools the hackers by an endless process of data packet redistribution. So, with no file being a single location at any moment, information is passed around in a fog-like manner which, even when tracked down, only provides garbage value to the hacker.
Basically, from its materiality in a server, information suddenly becomes immaterial and fluid across the network which cannot be tied down to a source and destroyed by the attacker. Cisco’s initial attempts at fog computing has catapulted this project to another orbit altogether as they provide a dual layer of security by decentralizing the server and turning the data into an immaterial fog that hovers around the network without any specific grounding.
What it means for the new technologies
Fog computing allows various technologies like AI, IoT and big data to explore the unexplored as of now. Features that would require extremely strong network connection otherwise can now be easily implemented on mobile devices across the globe. In fact, there are fields where such secure communication is extremely important such as medicine, telecommunication fields and autonomous vehicles. Big data experts, on the other hand, believes that fog computing empowers big data to do much more with private data now as there is a guarantee of security with it.
Give the hullabaloo around cloud computing, experts are confident that when fog arrives, it will break a few glass ceilings. Already, there has been involvement of names like ARM, Dell, Microsoft, Cisco, Intel as well as Princeton University. Electrical firms like Hitachi are also joining hands to make it a reality as soon as possible.