FOG COMPUTING concept aims to gather services, workloads, applications and large data volumes in the same place and to deliver it all to the edge of the new generation network. The main goal is to offer core data, computing power, storage, memory and application services at a really distributed level.
An essential item in HEALTH 4.0 using IoE (Internet of Everything) through Bluetooth 4.1 in sensor devices that connect directly into the cloud.
The idea of Fog Computing is to distribute all data and place it closer to a user, removing network delays and other possible obstacles related to data transfer. The new Fog Computing concept is based on the abstract concept of the “DROP”, a micro-controller chip with built-in memory and data transfer interface, which combined with wireless connection. Mesh chip can connect different sensors for temperature, light, voltage, etc. in a really distributed network of data or devices, located all around the world.
Fog Computing is a big step to a distributed cloud – by controlling data in all node points, fog computing allows turning datacenter into a distributed cloud platform for users. Fog is an addition which develops the concept of cloud services. Thanks to the “drops” it is possible to isolate data in the cloud systems and keep them close to users.
Fog computing, also known as fogging, is a model in which data, processing and applications are concentrated in devices at the network edge rather than existing almost entirely in the cloud. That concentration means that data can be processed locally in smart devices rather than being sent to the cloud for processing. Fog computing is one approach to dealing with the demands of the ever-increasing number of Internet-connected devices sometimes referred to as the Internet of Things (IoT).
Esential when we are going to deal with “small data” meaning data that is mainly relevant for the user itself in the Healthcare environment and that require real time procesing in some cases.
The key advantages of Fog Computing are related to:
- Data placed closer to the final user – the Drops allow keeping the data close to a user instead of storing them in a far datacenter, and eliminate possible delays in data transfer.
- Creating dense geographical distribution – Fog computing extends direct cloud services by creating an edge network which sits at numerous points. This, dense, geographically dispersed infrastructure helps in numerous ways: big data and analytics can be done faster, administrators are able to support location-based mobility demands and not have to traverse the entire WAN, and finally, these edge (Fog) systems would be created in such a way that real-time data analytics become a reality on a truly massive scale.
- True support for mobility and the IoE – there is a direct increase in the amount of devices and data that we use. Administrators are able to leverage the Fog and control where users are coming in and how they access this information. As more services are created to benefit the end-user, edge and Fog networks will become more prevalent.
- Numerous verticals are ready to adopt – The term “fog computing” has been embraced by Cisco Systems as a new paradigm to support wireless data transfer to support distributed devices in the “Internet of Things.” A number of distributed computing and storage start-ups are also adopting the phrase. It builds upon earlier concepts in distributed computing, such as content delivery networks, but allows the delivery of more complex services using cloud technologies.
- Seamless integration with the cloud and other services – With Fog services is possible to enhance the cloud experience by isolating user data that needs to live on the edge. From there, administrators are able to tie-in analytics, security, or other services directly into their cloud model. This infrastructure still maintains the concept of the cloud while incorporating the power of Fog Computing at the edge.
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Fog Computing extends the cloud computing paradigm to the edge of the network (Edge computing) . While fog and cloud use the same resources (networking, compute, and storage) and share many of the same mechanisms and attributes (virtualization, multi-tenancy) the extension is a non-trivial one in that there exist some fundamental differences stemming from the reason fog computing was developed: to address applications and services that do not fit the paradigm of the cloud.
These applications and services include:
- Applications that require very low and predictable latency. The cloud frees the user from many implementation details, including the precise knowledge of where the computation or storage takes place. However, this freedom from choice, welcome in many circumstances becomes a liability when any significant degree of latency is unacceptable(gaming, videoconferencing).
- Geographically distributed applications (pipeline monitoring, sensor networks to monitor the environment).
- Fast mobile applications (smart connected vehicle, connected rail).
- Large-scale distributed control systems (smart grid, connected rail, smart traffic light systems).
