What is a cloudlet?
A localized edge computing platform
Cloudlets are small-scale clouds deployed at the network edge, bringing cloud capabilities closer to where data is created and consumed. Cloudlets complement large hyperscaler clouds by providing localized platforms near end-users, reducing latency, enabling real-time processing and improving performance for applications such as video streaming, AI and industrial automation. Cloudlet infrastructure can also provide edge networking, network-as-a-service (NaaS) or GPU-as-a-service (GPUaaS) by placing workloads exactly where they’re needed – whether at the edge or on-premises.
A cloudlet is a compact, edge-located cloud
Cloudlets deliver compute, storage and networking functions close to the user, enabling ultra-low latency and rapid response times for time-sensitive applications.
Cloudlets bring compute power to the network edge, enabling real-time performance for high-value, low-latency services.
Can cloudlets help reduce network congestion?
By processing data locally, cloudlets reduce the need to backhaul traffic to centralized data centers, easing bandwidth pressure and improving efficiency.
How do cloudlets differ from large data center clouds?
Cloudlets are smaller than data center clouds. They need to be cost-effective and capable of starting with as few as one or two servers. They must ensure high availability for applications without requiring the footprint or cost of dedicated storage area network (SAN) infrastructure. Because they’re more dispersed than data center clouds, they must provide zero-touch cloud and service activation to minimize the skill level required at these remote sites. And because cloudlets are far more numerous, orchestration and management platforms must scale to support tens of thousands of remote instances.
A foundation for next-generation edge services
Cloudlets support advanced applications at the network edge, from AI/ML inference to NaaS and multi-cloud access use cases.
Deploy edge services faster with Ensemble Edge Cloud
The Ensemble Edge Cloud solution is a compact, carrier-grade edge platform that helps service providers and enterprises quickly deploy VNFs, CNFs and applications at the far edge. Designed for network edge and on-prem locations, it combines Ensemble Cloudlet OS running on the servers with Ensemble EdgeView providing cloud-hosted orchestration and zero-touch provisioning. Ensemble supports open standards and interfaces, ensuring seamless integration into existing operations. With its support for real-time and high-bandwidth applications, it’s ideal for mobile, residential and enterprise edge deployments.
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