Introduction
Indian Institute of Technology Patna (IIT Patna) is offering a free online course on “Edge Computing” through the SWAYAM NPTEL platform. Led by the experienced Dr. Rajiv Misra, this course presents an excellent opportunity for students and enthusiasts to delve into the intricacies of edge computing, its applications, and its significance in overcoming the limitations of cloud computing.
Current state of the cloud infrastructure
Cloud computing is highly centralized, meaning all data needs to be sent to a sever to be processed. This resembles the structure of client/server operation. As we progress towards a data is the new gold era, computation at the cloud is getting challenging.
1.Data Volume: The proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices and the increasing generation of data are causing traditional cloud computing networks to face bottlenecks.
2.Latency: Edge computing brings data production closer to data usage, reducing the need for long-distance communications between clients and servers. This results in lower latency and faster data access
3.Bandwidth Usage: By processing data closer to the source, edge computing reduces the amount of data that needs to be transferred, thus saving bandwidth.
Read More: The Cloud is Broken: Why Edge AI is the Real Game Changer – techovedas
Why Edge computing matters?
Some key factors motivating researchers and industry towards edge AI/edge compute are
Edge compute reduces the latency by avoiding the roundtrip to the cloud
Moves core cloud services closer to the origin of data
Delivers storage, compute, and network services locally.
Brings in data sovereignty by keeping data where it actually belongs, savings on cloud and bandwidth usages.
Recent advances of Machine Learning Inferencing at the Edge for use cases such as predictive maintenance, image classifier, loT applications in industry 4.0 etc are in trend now.
Read More: 3 Reasons Why TSMC Won’t Adopt High-NA EUV Lithography Until 2032
5G Networks
5G networks, with their high speed and low latency, are a key enabler.The launch of 5G networks is expanding the number of network-connected devices, which further increases the demand for edge computing.
It can support a large number of devices, each generating data. Processing data at the edge of the network, closer to its generation point, accelerates insights and actions.
This combination of 5G and edge computing is leading to new technological advances in fields like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and analytics.
Read More: How will 5G Make a difference in Our lives in 2024 – techovedas
Serving the cause: IIT Patna Course Overview
1.Instructor – Dr. Rajiv Misra from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Patna.
2.Course Duration – January 22 to February 16, 2024.
3.Registration Deadline – Participants need to register and enroll on the official website before January 29, 2024.
4.Target Audience – The course is beneficial for undergraduate and postgraduate students pursuing computer science and engineering.
5.Pre-requisites – Computer networks
6.Credit Points – 2 credits
Five pillars of the course
Cloud – (the waves of innovation started with cloud) Globally available, unlimited compute resources
IoT – (IoT-as-SaaS platform is key drivers of public cloud) Harnessing signals from sensors and devices, managed centrally by the cloud
Edge – (IoT realize not everything needs to be in the cloud) Intelligence offloaded from the cloud to loT devices
ML – (rise of AI, ML models are trained in cloud are deployed at the edge to make inferencing for predictive analytics) Breakthrough intelligence capabilities, in the cloud and on the edge
Course modules
1.Overview of Cloud and Edge Computing
2.Fundamentals of Cloud Computing – current demand of Cloud Data Centres
3.Moving services from Cloud to the Edge
4.Functionality of Edge Computing – introduction to Edge Computing Architectures
5.Concepts of Distributed Systems in Edge Computing
6.Deep Learning On-Device Inference at the Edge
Enrollment Details
- Interested participants should register and enroll on the official website by January 29, 2024.
- Course link – Edge Computing – Course (nptel.ac.in)
Brief about the instructor
Dr. Rajiv Misra, currently affiliated with the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Patna, brings a wealth of expertise to the course. With over 70 publications in esteemed journals and conferences, including IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing and IEEE Systems Journal, Dr. Misra’s credentials speak to his profound understanding of the subject matter.
Conclusion
The VLSID24 conference had 5+ talks and tutorials on edge computing and course seems to provide a valuable opportunity for students interested in edge computing, offering both theoretical understanding and practical applications. Given the recent growth of edge AI, this free online course on Edge Computing will be an enabler to students and more importantly industry professionals current working in companies like Qualcomm, Renesas, and startups which address the IoT market.
