Edge Persistence Explained

Have you heard the term “edge persistence” floating around the webiverse? If so what does it mean to you? If your answer is “not sure” then this blog is for you! If you think you have an idea, let me know where you think I got it right and where I might have been off. Edge computing is the first aspect of this concept. Edge computing is the salt to cloud’s pepper. Blending edge computing with the cloud creates flexibility you would not be able to achieve with one or the other, with the added benefits of improved performance and reduced latency. So what do I mean when I say salt and pepper? They go great on dishes separately, but when combined can add the perfect finish to your cooking. Edge computing brings your computation and data storage closer to the location where you need it. It improves performance and reduces latency when running your application or technology. Now for the word persistence, I used a good old-fashioned dictionary. To be persistent is “existing for a long or longer than usual time or continuously.”

So edge persistence allows companies to globally distribute their applications, software, and technologies closer to the end-user location where it improves performance and reduce latency. When I say latency, what does that mean? Latency “is an expression of how much time it takes for a data packet to travel from one designated point to another”. It does so continuously for long periods of time.” I could end this blog here, but that wouldn’t be a very informative blog, so let’s go deeper.

UE Application Initiation and Offloading on MEC Deployments in a Standalone 5G Network

5G is a disruptive technology mandatorily needed to meet the capacity and performance requirements of future networks. Massive bandwidth needs and extremely low latency requirements, needed by burgeoning applications (like AI, IoT, AR/VR), require 5G to be facilitated by other emerging technologies like SDN/NFV and multi-access edge computing (MEC). By bringing the computing closer to the user, MEC promises to meet the desired latency and bandwidth constraints. Standardization bodies, like 3GPP (for 5G) and ETSI (for MEC), have been working towards streamlining the procedures for interworking of 5G core and MEC systems. The 5G and MEC specifications give an insight into the future integration strategy expected – making MEC work as a 5G application function to interact with the 3GPP 5G system for traffic steering and reception of mobility events. But a complete flow of information between MEC function entities and the 5G core network functions on application initiation and UE mobility seems to be missing at this point of time. This paper intends to dig into some of these interworking issues and explains the interactions between the participating entities during the complete application lifecycle.

Keywords — MEC (Multi-access edge computing), 5G (5th generation), UE application offloading, 5G application functions