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 Chris Taylor and Alan Renouf presented for VMware at Edge Field Day 3 |
Enabling Mass Innovation with the VMware Edge Compute Stack
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Across all industries, organizations are adding intelligence to enhance their business operations at the edge for lower costs, higher quality, and increased sales. But scaling out innovation across sites is challenging. VMware’s approach removes edge complexity with zero touch operations.
VMware’s approach to edge computing focuses on simplifying operations and enabling mass innovation across industries by addressing the unique challenges of managing distributed infrastructure at scale. The VMware Edge Compute Stack is designed to handle the complexities of edge environments, where organizations are increasingly deploying intelligent systems to enhance business operations. These edge environments, such as retail stores, manufacturing plants, and energy substations, require localized computing power to process large amounts of data in real-time, often without reliable network connectivity. VMware’s solution integrates edge computing with networking and security services, offering a full-stack approach that includes SD-WAN and SASE technologies to ensure reliable and secure operations across dispersed locations.
The VMware Edge Compute Stack is built to handle the specific constraints of edge environments, such as limited on-site personnel, ruggedized hardware, and the need for real-time processing. The platform supports both virtual machines and containerized applications, allowing organizations to run legacy systems alongside modern applications. VMware’s orchestration platform, Edge Cloud Orchestra, enables zero-touch provisioning, making it easier to deploy and manage edge infrastructure without requiring IT staff at each location. This pull-based management model, inspired by the way smartphones update themselves, allows edge devices to autonomously check for updates and install them, reducing the need for manual intervention and minimizing downtime.
VMware’s edge computing solutions are already being used in various industries, including retail, manufacturing, and energy. For example, in retail, edge computing is used for loss prevention through computer vision, while in manufacturing, companies like Audi are using edge AI to improve the precision of welding robots and torque wrenches. In the energy sector, virtualizing electrical substations allows for faster response times and reduced operational costs. VMware’s flexible and scalable platform is designed to meet the evolving needs of edge environments, ensuring that organizations can innovate and optimize their operations while maintaining security and reliability.
Presented by Alan Renouf, Technical Product Manager, Software-Defined Edge and Chris Taylor, Product Marketing, Software-Defined Edge
See how VMware Edge Compute Stack works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiJ3YAWDASw
Personnel: Alan Renouf, Chris Taylor
VMware Edge Compute Stack Deep Dive and Demo
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Deploying applications at edge sites, close to where data is generated, presents unique challenges compared to traditional cloud or data center environments. Edge sites face limited connectivity or private network constraints, physical security constraints, and typically lack trained IT staff. In this session, discover how VMware simplifies fleet management of edge applications and infrastructure across thousands of resource-constrained sites using a GitOps and desired state management approach.
Deploying applications at edge sites presents unique challenges, such as limited connectivity, physical security constraints, and a lack of trained IT staff. VMware’s Edge Compute Stack aims to simplify the management of edge applications and infrastructure across thousands of resource-constrained sites using a GitOps and desired state management approach. GitOps allows infrastructure to be defined through text files, such as YAML, which specify the desired state of the infrastructure, including virtualization layers, networking configurations, and applications. These files are stored in a Git repository, providing version control, auditing, and security benefits. The infrastructure at the edge site can reference these files to configure itself, ensuring it remains in the desired state even when connectivity is limited.
VMware’s solution integrates both infrastructure and application management, bridging the gap between developers and infrastructure administrators. Developers can focus on creating applications, while infrastructure admins manage the platform on which these applications run. The platform supports continuous integration and continuous deployment (CICD) pipelines, allowing for automated testing and deployment of edge configurations. For example, a virtual edge device can be spun up in a CICD pipeline to test infrastructure and application changes before they are deployed to production. This approach ensures that updates are thoroughly tested and can be rolled out incrementally, starting with a few edge sites and gradually expanding to thousands.
The demo showcased how VMware’s Edge Compute Stack can be deployed on a small device, such as an Intel NUC, and how it integrates with GitOps to manage edge infrastructure. The demo included deploying a computer vision application and configuring a display screen connected to the edge device. The platform allows for easy deployment and management of applications, with the ability to monitor and update edge sites remotely. VMware’s solution is designed to provide a complete edge stack, including virtualization, Kubernetes, networking, and monitoring, making it a comprehensive solution for managing edge environments.
Presented by Alan Renouf, Technical Product Manager, Software-Defined Edge
Try VMware Edge Compute Stack: https://images.sw.broadcom.com/Web/CAInc2/{e35e3a44-c0c1-44aa-9da0-7ab729b5348d}_ECS_Trial_License_Request_091724.pdf
Personnel: Alan Renouf
Transform Manufacturing with VMware Edge Compute Stack
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Smart Manufacturing, also known as Industry 4.0, has the potential to significantly improve operational technology (OT) environments by enhancing productivity and quality. VMware’s Edge Compute Stack is designed to optimize the deployment and management of these advanced technologies across factory settings. By leveraging real-time and deterministic processing of virtual Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and other industrial applications, VMware enables manufacturers to achieve greater agility, enhanced security, and improved sustainability in their operations.
Traditionally, manufacturing environments rely on separate systems for different functions, such as human-machine interfaces (HMI), robot control, and PLCs for conveyor belts. VMware’s solution allows for the virtualization of these systems, enabling them to run concurrently on a single server. This approach not only simplifies the infrastructure but also allows for the integration of both real-time and non-real-time applications. For example, VMware has been working with Audi, which operates with thousands of industrial PCs across its factories, to virtualize these systems and optimize their performance based on latency requirements.
By virtualizing the factory floor, VMware’s Edge Compute Stack offers manufacturers the flexibility to deploy applications either on the factory line or in the server room, depending on their specific needs. This approach reduces the need for multiple physical systems, streamlines operations, and enhances the overall efficiency of the manufacturing process. The collaboration with Audi demonstrates the practical application of this technology, showcasing how edge computing can transform traditional manufacturing environments into more agile, secure, and sustainable operations.
Presented by Chris Taylor, Product Marketing, Software-Defined Edge
See how Audi is using edge compute in their factory: https://www.vmware.com/explore/video-library/video/6360760638112
Personnel: Chris Taylor