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Why You Should Consider Visibility and Performance Monitoring for Edge Computing

Keith Bromley

Edge computing usage is starting to increase. See my previous posting from September 2019 that illustrates what is driving this network change. The obvious follow-up question is, "So, what can I do with edge computing?" I'm glad you asked. There are lots of things you can do.

In fact, here are six fundamental use cases that you allow you to:

1. Improve network visibility

2. Improve network performance monitoring

3. Reduce the cost of MPLS circuits for transport

4. Improve troubleshooting capabilities

5. Enhance endpoint security

6. Upgrade compliance support

Improving network visibility is the first use case. Use of IP enables NOC engineers to see all the way out to the edge of the network. They can use application intelligence to look at application performance and NetFlow information to these locations. Currently, many (maybe most) enterprises lose visibility for the "last mile" of their network. This is especially true when using Telco circuits.

So why is this important? Are there potential problems (outages) getting ready to happen? Without visibility — who knows. It's easy to know once it happens but this puts IT into a reactive position that consumes more time, more money, and creates unnecessary problems for customers and senior management. It would be better if you could start to "see" the problem before everything goes bad.

Taking this one step further, a network packet broker (NPB) equipped with proactive performance monitoring features integrated into the architecture provides the NOC with an easy way to check latent network performance and also the ability to actively test performance at will all the way to the edge using synthetic traffic.

Network and IT teams need remote access to server and network traffic activity for performance monitoring and troubleshooting. Active monitoring (also known as "synthetic monitoring") is used to actively monitor latency/performance of WAN/SD-WAN links. This type of tool simulates traffic by sending synthetic packet data to various endpoints across the network to measure performance metrics.

Enterprises also want to reduce, if not eliminate, MPLS circuit costs and move to IP links. Remote sites typically have low speed internet access (100 MB). IP gives them more flexibility, less headaches (as they don't have to strip off MPLS headers), and lower cost to get IP links from ISPs and CLECs.

Troubleshooting can also be improved with edge computing. The shift to IP links allows the NOC to use IP-based tools and application intelligence to troubleshoot problems as fast as possible, all the way to the edge of the network.

Network security can be improved by placing next generation firewalls (NGFW) right up to the edge. A NPB is very useful here to integrate the security device along with other edge devices and capabilities into the network.

With regard to regulatory compliance, several organizations (including utilities) require that all control traffic to remotely manageable systems to be monitored, logged and analyzed. Data needs to be replicated and sent to different locations. A small NPB and taps can be placed at the last routing hop, or even the last switch and the controller.

Join the "shift" and live on the edge!

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Why You Should Consider Visibility and Performance Monitoring for Edge Computing

Keith Bromley

Edge computing usage is starting to increase. See my previous posting from September 2019 that illustrates what is driving this network change. The obvious follow-up question is, "So, what can I do with edge computing?" I'm glad you asked. There are lots of things you can do.

In fact, here are six fundamental use cases that you allow you to:

1. Improve network visibility

2. Improve network performance monitoring

3. Reduce the cost of MPLS circuits for transport

4. Improve troubleshooting capabilities

5. Enhance endpoint security

6. Upgrade compliance support

Improving network visibility is the first use case. Use of IP enables NOC engineers to see all the way out to the edge of the network. They can use application intelligence to look at application performance and NetFlow information to these locations. Currently, many (maybe most) enterprises lose visibility for the "last mile" of their network. This is especially true when using Telco circuits.

So why is this important? Are there potential problems (outages) getting ready to happen? Without visibility — who knows. It's easy to know once it happens but this puts IT into a reactive position that consumes more time, more money, and creates unnecessary problems for customers and senior management. It would be better if you could start to "see" the problem before everything goes bad.

Taking this one step further, a network packet broker (NPB) equipped with proactive performance monitoring features integrated into the architecture provides the NOC with an easy way to check latent network performance and also the ability to actively test performance at will all the way to the edge using synthetic traffic.

Network and IT teams need remote access to server and network traffic activity for performance monitoring and troubleshooting. Active monitoring (also known as "synthetic monitoring") is used to actively monitor latency/performance of WAN/SD-WAN links. This type of tool simulates traffic by sending synthetic packet data to various endpoints across the network to measure performance metrics.

Enterprises also want to reduce, if not eliminate, MPLS circuit costs and move to IP links. Remote sites typically have low speed internet access (100 MB). IP gives them more flexibility, less headaches (as they don't have to strip off MPLS headers), and lower cost to get IP links from ISPs and CLECs.

Troubleshooting can also be improved with edge computing. The shift to IP links allows the NOC to use IP-based tools and application intelligence to troubleshoot problems as fast as possible, all the way to the edge of the network.

Network security can be improved by placing next generation firewalls (NGFW) right up to the edge. A NPB is very useful here to integrate the security device along with other edge devices and capabilities into the network.

With regard to regulatory compliance, several organizations (including utilities) require that all control traffic to remotely manageable systems to be monitored, logged and analyzed. Data needs to be replicated and sent to different locations. A small NPB and taps can be placed at the last routing hop, or even the last switch and the controller.

Join the "shift" and live on the edge!

Hot Topics

The Latest

According to Auvik's 2025 IT Trends Report, 60% of IT professionals feel at least moderately burned out on the job, with 43% stating that their workload is contributing to work stress. At the same time, many IT professionals are naming AI and machine learning as key areas they'd most like to upskill ...

Businesses that face downtime or outages risk financial and reputational damage, as well as reducing partner, shareholder, and customer trust. One of the major challenges that enterprises face is implementing a robust business continuity plan. What's the solution? The answer may lie in disaster recovery tactics such as truly immutable storage and regular disaster recovery testing ...

IT spending is expected to jump nearly 10% in 2025, and organizations are now facing pressure to manage costs without slowing down critical functions like observability. To meet the challenge, leaders are turning to smarter, more cost effective business strategies. Enter stage right: OpenTelemetry, the missing piece of the puzzle that is no longer just an option but rather a strategic advantage ...

Amidst the threat of cyberhacks and data breaches, companies install several security measures to keep their business safely afloat. These measures aim to protect businesses, employees, and crucial data. Yet, employees perceive them as burdensome. Frustrated with complex logins, slow access, and constant security checks, workers decide to completely bypass all security set-ups ...

Image
Cloudbrink's Personal SASE services provide last-mile acceleration and reduction in latency

In MEAN TIME TO INSIGHT Episode 13, Shamus McGillicuddy, VP of Research, Network Infrastructure and Operations, at EMA discusses hybrid multi-cloud networking strategy ... 

In high-traffic environments, the sheer volume and unpredictable nature of network incidents can quickly overwhelm even the most skilled teams, hindering their ability to react swiftly and effectively, potentially impacting service availability and overall business performance. This is where closed-loop remediation comes into the picture: an IT management concept designed to address the escalating complexity of modern networks ...

In 2025, enterprise workflows are undergoing a seismic shift. Propelled by breakthroughs in generative AI (GenAI), large language models (LLMs), and natural language processing (NLP), a new paradigm is emerging — agentic AI. This technology is not just automating tasks; it's reimagining how organizations make decisions, engage customers, and operate at scale ...

In the early days of the cloud revolution, business leaders perceived cloud services as a means of sidelining IT organizations. IT was too slow, too expensive, or incapable of supporting new technologies. With a team of developers, line of business managers could deploy new applications and services in the cloud. IT has been fighting to retake control ever since. Today, IT is back in the driver's seat, according to new research by Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) ...

In today's fast-paced and increasingly complex network environments, Network Operations Centers (NOCs) are the backbone of ensuring continuous uptime, smooth service delivery, and rapid issue resolution. However, the challenges faced by NOC teams are only growing. In a recent study, 78% state network complexity has grown significantly over the last few years while 84% regularly learn about network issues from users. It is imperative we adopt a new approach to managing today's network experiences ...

Image
Broadcom

From growing reliance on FinOps teams to the increasing attention on artificial intelligence (AI), and software licensing, the Flexera 2025 State of the Cloud Report digs into how organizations are improving cloud spend efficiency, while tackling the complexities of emerging technologies ...