What is Fog Computing and How Does it Relate to Both Cloud and IoT?

Fog computing is a distributed infrastructure in which various specific application processes and/or services are managed at the most efficient place between the actual source of the data and the cloud. This type of computing is effectively working to extend the cloud computing capabilities and services to the very edge of the network which allows it to bring about advantages and power much closer to where the data can be executed and acted upon.

What is the Primary Goal of Fog Computing?

The primary goal of fog is to work to improve the efficient and reduce the redundancies associated with data being transported to the cloud for it to process and be stored. This is typically done in order to help improve the overall efficiency of the process. However, it can also be utilized in order to maximize security and for other compliance related reasonings.

How Exactly Does Fog Computing Work?

The devices where the data is generated and even collected do not have the kind of computation power nor the storage resources in order to perform all kinds of advanced analytical calculations nor machine learning tasks. As a result, fogging comes into play because it works on the edge and is able to bring the cloud closer in a sense. Cloud servers have all of the power necessary to do these things and they are typically too far away to really help in a timely fashion. Because fogging works to connect the endpoints closer, it is capable of bringing about great results. In a fog environment, all of the processing generally takes place within a specific smart device or particular gateway. As a result, all of the data requirements of what is being sent to the cloud is effectively reduced.

Fog Computing and Internet of Things:

Because cloud computing is not viable for IoT devices, it is necessary to utilize fog computing instead. This is because it provides better overall distribution capabilities and addresses the needs of IoT much better in the end. It is capable of handling the size of data that these kinds of devices end up generating which makes it the ideal style of computing to handle them. Because fogging can effectively reduce the amount of bandwidth that is needed and because it has the capability to reduce the needed back and forth communication with the cloud and the various sensors, it is going to help string everything together without reducing the overall performance of the processes or devices.

There is a great advantage that fog provides especially when you consider IoT devices. Because these devices are so incredibly resource intensive and demanding, they are prime devices to utilize fogging. While latency might negatively affect certain applications of it, it is generally going to be a good option for these kinds of complicated tasks and processes.