L’edge computing represents an emerging paradigm in the field of distributed computing, designed to address challenges related to the growing complexity and demands for increasingly high performance in telecommunications networks. Instead of using provider cloud which centralize user data and applications on a limited number of data centers, the idea behind theedge computing is to move the processing as close as possible to the source of the data, “to the margins” of the network (hence the use of the term edge).
This approach obviously contributes to reducing latency, i.e. the delay in sending and receiving data, and reduces delays that are a consequence of the phenomenon of network congestion. Just think of the architectures that use the platforms streaming video: the multicast scheme combined with theedge computingallows you to maximize performance by avoiding phenomena of buffering and reaching the user, making the contents accessible, from a physical position as close as possible to the latter.
How to test cloud provider response times
We want to point out a useful tool, whose source is also published on GitHub, which allows you to “ping” the servers of the main cloud providers.
By visiting the Cloud Ping Test page, you access a convenient web application that allows you to launch a ping test to the main data centers used in Europe and around the world by the main cloud service providers, including Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud and OVHCloud. The ping command is used to test network connectivity between two devices: send a data package to the destination device and measures the time it takes for that packet to travel from the sender to the destination host, then back.
The value in milliseconds which is obtained downstream of pingcoincides with latency and can be subject to jitter that is, a variation between one measurement and another. We talked about it in detail, focusing on the best tools for doing speed tests.
The web application Cloud Ping Testfirst allows you to choose the cloud provider you want to check and then allows you to carry out a series of measurements to remote data centers. The tests involve the visualization of latency values averages, maximums and minimums. Furthermore, by blocking the real-time verification activity, it is possible to obtain in descending order the providers and corresponding servers that highlight the better performance.
Obviously, the values indicated are directly influenced by the user’s geographical position, the type of connection in use and the possible presence of data transfers in progress (to and from his network).