What the Heck is Edge Computing Anyway?

What if your app's biggest performance bottleneck isn't your code, but the speed of light? Edge computing offers a solution.

#1about 2 minutes

An introduction to edge compute using an analogy

Edge compute is defined as globally distributed serverless functions that run close to users, explained through an analogy of knitting dog hats.

#2about 3 minutes

Exploring the pros and cons of traditional servers

Traditional servers offer predictable pricing and full control but come with scaling challenges, idle costs, and maintenance responsibilities.

#3about 2 minutes

Understanding client-side rendering and its trade-offs

Client-side rendering moves compute to the user's device, enabling offline functionality but requiring larger initial downloads and lacking environmental control.

#4about 3 minutes

How static site generators deliver immediate responses

Static site generators pre-build all assets for immediate response times, but they cannot support dynamic content without other compute methods.

#5about 6 minutes

The power of cloud functions and serverless architecture

Cloud functions offer infinite scalability and a pay-for-what-you-use model, but they require stateless design and are tied to a specific region.

#6about 3 minutes

Explaining the edge through content delivery networks

The edge is a network of globally distributed computers, like a CDN, designed to reduce latency by serving content from a location near the user.

#7about 7 minutes

Combining serverless functions with a global CDN

Edge compute provides dynamic server-side functionality that executes close to the user, offering benefits like location awareness and key-value stores.

#8about 2 minutes

The rough edges and limitations of edge compute

Edge compute has limitations such as restricted runtimes, fewer resources, and challenges with data locality, especially when connecting to traditional databases.

#9about 4 minutes

Architectural patterns for when to use edge compute

Edge compute is ideal for scenarios like API orchestration but can introduce latency waterfalls in sequential requests that are far from the data source.

#10about 3 minutes

Practical use cases for edge compute in applications

Common applications for edge compute include dynamic ad injection, fast static search, redirect management, A/B testing, and stateless authorization.

#11about 3 minutes

How reducing latency impacts business and conversions

Even small latency improvements, like 100 milliseconds, can have a significant positive impact on sales and user conversion rates.

#12about 3 minutes

A look at a specific edge compute implementation

Akamai EdgeWorkers is presented as a mature edge compute solution with a large global network, customizable lifecycle hooks, and robust security features.