When to Implement Rugged Servers for Edge Computing

Edge computing is a crucial step in the cloud’s evolution. Distributing data processing tasks between local devices is key to pushing Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things (IoT) to their full potential. However, the hardware supporting such environments must advance alongside the networks themselves.

Conventional IT infrastructure is often too sensitive to be practical where the edge needs it to go. Building and implementing rugged servers instead can help bring it to some of its most impactful use cases.

What Are Rugged Servers?

As their name suggests, rugged servers are built to withstand extreme environments. While it’s more of a general category than a formal specification, the hardware typically follows a few consistent design principles.

Heat and humidity resistance are among the most critical considerations. Conventional standards dictate data centers should keep temperatures below 81 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent malfunctioning components. Similarly, strict moisture controls are common, but many outdoor or industrial settings can get far hotter, colder or wetter. Rugged equipment must, therefore, feature much hardier temperature and humidity control solutions.

Protection against physical shocks, vibration, foreign particles and electromagnetic interference (EMI) are also essential in rugged servers. Design choices like passive cooling to enable airtight enclosures or solid-state drives to minimize moving parts are typical ways to address such concerns.

Rugged Server Use Cases in Edge Computing

Whatever the specifics of their construction, rugged servers make it possible to bring edge computing to harsher settings. That resilience is important for a few key edge applications.

1. Construction

The construction industry stands to gain much from rugged edge servers. An impressive 68% of construction companies have begun implementing or plan to invest in artificial intelligence (AI). Technologies like the IoT and automation are also growing in the sector, but bringing such innovation to worksites is often challenging.

Cost and skills barriers aside, building sites are not optimal environments for conventional IT hardware. Temperatures can get extreme in the outdoor sun, dust and other particles are common, and vibrations are all but guaranteed.

Rugged edge servers can withstand such conditions, opening the door to further digital disruption. Bringing the edge to a construction site would enable more flexible automation and reliable IoT systems to boost workflow efficiency and safety in a historically slow and dangerous industry.

2. Energy

The energy sector is a similar story. Electrical grids and fuel pipelines need the IoT and AI to keep up with rising demands. Crucial upgrades like predictive maintenance and smart transformers to minimize waste and maximize uptime likewise depend on connected technologies. However, their harsh operating environments pose issues for traditional servers.

Most power generation and transmission systems are outdoors, and renewables introduce additional hazards. Solar panels remain in direct sunlight, leading to high temperatures, and more than 13,000 wind turbines in the U.S. are offshore. All this heat and moisture is too much for conventional edge deployments, so the sector needs rugged infrastructure.

3. Military Deployments

Rugged edge environments can benefit more than just private companies. The military can benefit from faster data analytics and connectivity but faces some of the most extreme conditions of anyone. All hardware must meet strict regulatory standards, including EMI shielding, shock resistance and extensive testing requirements.

Many organizations’ edge investments must withstand the elements, but military equipment may need to survive impact and interference from weapons. Outside of active combat zones, applications like naval ships and submarines must work for months on end in environmental extremes. In these use cases, rugged servers are the only way to enable edge computing feasibly.

4. Smart Cities

A less severe but still prominent edge application requiring rugged infrastructure is smart city technology. The edge is essential to functioning smart cities, as connected driverless cars could generate exabytes of data monthly and require near-zero latency. IoT-connected emergency services likewise need almost immediate data processing.

As beneficial as the edge can be in urban management, cities are not ideal operating environments for conventional servers. Edge endpoints must work on rooftops, near sidewalks and within streetlights, which are all exposed to temperature fluctuations, rain and interference from nearby activity.

Servers in these applications may not need to be as tough as military or construction deployments, but they still must be more resilient than the norm. A rugged server provides the reliability necessary to create safer, smarter cities.

Rugged Servers Take Edge Computing Further

Edge computing is at its most useful when it extends its benefits to use cases that have previously struggled to host advanced technologies. Rugged server design and construction enable such a shift. Businesses hoping to capitalize on the edge should consider this category to get more out of their tech investments.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Zac writes for ReHack as the Features Editor and covers cybersecurity, IT, and business tech. His work has been featured on publications like AllBusiness, CyberTalk, and BLR. For more of his writing, follow him on Twitter or LinkedIn.