Scalable Edge Nodes (SEN) & Other Key Enablers for The Embedded Cloud

Scalable Edge Nodes (SEN)
& Other Key Enablers for
The Embedded Cloud
Potential Implications for
Military and Intelligence Programs
Chris Rezendes, Executive Vice President
VDC Research Focuses on Embedded
30 professionals, 3 offices, 1,000 clients annually, focus on embedded
1 –  2010 VDC Research Group, Inc.
Embedded Hardware & Systems Practice
Embedded Cloud, SEN & Other Enablers
• There is clear evidence that industrial and commercial operators are investing
in migration to an ‘Embedded Cloud’ … one that supports applications that are
deep in core process, mission critical, high availability
• In order to do this, most deployers are specifying a local point-of-presence
platform to support a wide range of local functions … primary, backup and
redundant
• The products that look most like the solution to the requirement, we are calling
Scalable Edge Nodes (SEN)
• There are few SEN solutions available on the market today, however, feverish
development is taking place among a number of stakeholder communities …
from services providers to embedded OS suppliers, hardware vendors from
multiple segments
• In parallel, many embedded equipment suppliers are exploring SoC designs
and alternative processing platforms and configurations
2 –  2010 VDC Research Group, Inc.
Embedded Hardware & Systems Practice
Defining the Embedded Cloud
SEN are the local points-of-presence enabling embedded application migration to cloud-based models
• Scalable Edge Node (SEN) =
Laboratory
Instrumentation
Health Care
Facilities
SEN
SEN
Process Control
Plants
Embedded
ISVs
SEN
Tier 2/3
Service
Providers
Hospitality/
Lodging Facility
SEN
Government
NOCs
Supply Chain/
Distribution
Battlefield
C4ISR
SEN
Embedded
OEMs
Tier 1
Enterprise
Data
Centers
SEN
• SEN represent a new class
SEN
Tier 1
Service
Providers
(CLOUD EPICENTER)
IT
Vendors
Retail
In-Store
Security/ Access
Control
SEN
Enterprise Networks/ Applications
3 –  2010 VDC Research Group, Inc.
Embedded Hardware & Systems Practice
SEN
SEN
dense, flexible hardware
platforms that reside on the
edges of networks –
enterprise, factory,
laboratory, retail floor.
CPE
IP/ Next-Gen
Discrete Mfg
Facility
Embedded Networks / Applications
of hardware platform that
incorporates the density of
an appliance, with the
flexibility of an embedded
industrial computer to
enable mission critical
applications, including
control application,
migration to cloud services.
Defining the Scalable Edge Node (SEN)
Technical definition / position of Scalable Edge Nodes with traditional hardware platforms
Enterprise Servers
Industrial /
Embedded
Computers
Appliances
Scalable Edge
Nodes
Form Factor
Rack
Multiple
Rack
Set-top
Multiple
Baseline Cost
High
High
Highest for COTs
Moderate
Low
Scalable
– Capacity
– Expandable with new apps
High
High
Moderate
High
High
Low
Moderate
Moderate
Power Requirement
High
High
Moderate
Low
High
Limited
Moderate
High
Moderate
Moderate
Moderate
High
High
High
Moderate
Low
Connectivity
– Capacity
– Protocol support
Management Requirement
4 –  2010 VDC Research Group, Inc.
Embedded Hardware & Systems Practice
Technical Requirements for SEN Deployment
Three major technical requirements: performance, reliability, and ease of use; Then the price point
Did You Define Any Specific Technical or
Commercial Requirements for SEN Platforms?
(% of IT end user respondents identifying)
Bandwidth support
40%
High availability - 99.999% uptime
39%
Ease of use / ongoing support
35%
Ease of initial deployment
good if it can’t keep up or operate in realtime – performance is absolutely vital;
remember: embedded often means real
time … and real time definitions vary
widely
31%
Lowest price point
• Reliability – provide typical embedded
29%
Remote management support
high availability or five 9s for SEN
28%
Reliability
25%
Security - current suite
• Ease of use – both in initial deployment
21%
Quality of construction
and in ongoing support.
 Remote management / support is likely the
20%
Scalable / upgradeable
19%
Security - upgrade potential
19%
Processor performance
easiest way for suppliers to address ongoing
support.
 Addressing security issues are also a major part
of ongoing support.
18%
Product size / form factor
14%
Low Power Requirements
13%
Interoo w/ legacy enterprise systems
11%
Interop w/ legacy embedded systems
Rugged packaging
• Bandwidth / scalability – the platform is no
• These must be addressed while keeping
8%
the SEN price point within customers’
price boundary.
6%
Other
9%
0%
10%
20%
5 –  2010 VDC Research Group, Inc.
Embedded Hardware & Systems Practice
30%
40%
Implementation Challenges for SEN Deployment
A complex installed base and vast array of investment options are presenting challenges
Biggest Challenges to Migrating Traditional
Enterprise & Embedded Class
Infrastructure to SEN Platforms
(% of IT end user respondents identifying)
Selecting/creating the right software
framework
32%
Selecting the right hardware
28%
Integrating stovepiped enterprise &
embedded software
Integrating stovepiped enterprise &
embedded hardware
Justifying budget to the transition to
SENs
26%
24%
products offered today.
21%
Seamlessly migrating legacy software
onto SENs
Selecting a service framework to
service SENs
• Integrating stove piped legacy enterprise
21%
and embedded software and hardware
systems are the next greatest challenges.
21%
Lack of cloud services available today
17%
Finding SEN products available on the
market
15%
Implementing cloud services on SENs
13%
Other
5%
0%
10%
6 –  2010 VDC Research Group, Inc.
Embedded Hardware & Systems Practice
20%
platforms requires adopters to choose a
software framework for their specific
implementation and picking the right one
is the greatest challenge cited by our
respondents.
 Not a lot of proven choices
 This is a 10-20 year commitment in some cases
• There are simply not a lot of proven
23%
Internal staff/people issues
• Migrating to SEN and cloud-based
30%
40%
SoC Platforms Are A Key Enabler for SEN
CPU – MultiCore SoC
GPU – FPGA SoC
• C
• D
• E
Image from www.hexus.com
Image from www.military embeddedsystems.com
7 –  2010 VDC Research Group, Inc.
Embedded Hardware & Systems Practice
System on Chip (SoC) Driving SEN Alternatives
Vertical Market OEM Expected Change in
Processing Platform Design Commit
CPU
FPGA w/
CPU Core
FPGA
NPU
GPU
Communications, Edge
-15%
250%
40%
15%
10%
Communications, Core
-15%
flat
flat
40%
15%
Industrial Automation
-25%
220%
60%
15%
flat
Medical
-20%
325%
flat
95%
flat
Transportation
-15%
flat
10%
flat
25%
Source: VDC Research
Number of OEMs citing each processing today and in 2014
8 –  2010 VDC Research Group, Inc.
Embedded Hardware & Systems Practice
Summary … Reality is Ahead of Hype
• The reality is not as clean as the statement, but it appears that market changes
are forcing industrial enterprises to …
 Become more agile
 Gain better real time visibility into operations
 Secure APPROPRIATE access to EXISTING data in at the RIGHT TIME
 Migrate to the embedded cloud to meet technical, operational and financial requirements
 Explore SoC designs and alternatives to CPUs to meet same
 The reality of these migrations is stronger than the hype
9 –  2010 VDC Research Group, Inc.
Embedded Hardware & Systems Practice