Edge Networking

Introduction

I.1. The Edge

The Internet of Edges, the subtitle of this book, is the formulation in simple terms of a new generation of networks: an infrastructure of communications and services that is realized at the edge of the network. The Internet of Edges is an interconnection of Edge networks. There are three levels of Edge networks: Skin networks, Fog networks and Mobile/Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) networks. Skin networks connect clients to each other on the far edge, and the network nodes that support services are within a few meters of the users. Fog networks are more for company use. In a sense, they are replacing local area networks. However, their structure is a little different since the objective is to connect the company’s employees to a small data center located within the company. MEC networks originate from the Edge networks of telecommunications operators. These are the networks using 5G and connecting customers to an operator’s data center located very close to a 5G antenna. We have represented an Internet of Edges in Figure I.1.

Skin, Fog and MEC networks can themselves be participatory networks or not. A participatory network is built by interconnecting the electronic machines of its participants, which can be a user’s terminal, a nearby box, a drone, a robot or a vehicle, etc. Participatory networks are distinguished from other types of networks by their totally distributed aspect. A non-participatory network is a network where services are centralized ...