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Couchbase’s release Tuesday of Couchbase Edge Server heralds a number of significant advancements for the growing prevalence and utility of edge computing. Firstly, since it was built on the core engine of Couchbase Lite, Couchbase Edge Server provides a multipurpose, NoSQL database that natively supports JSON and transactional and analytical workloads.
Secondly, since it was designed to accommodate small form factor edge devices, it has minimal hardware requirements. The server runs on devices with as little as a gigabyte of RAM, making it ideal for Raspberry Pis, tablets, and other mobile gadgets.
Lastly, Couchbase Edge Server operates without an internet connection and has robust capabilities for syncing to edge gateways and centralized Couchbase cloud deployments for comprehensive aggregation, analytics, and data accountability.
“I think that’s the advantage of our stack in general, being able to work offline in a disconnected environment,” commented Matt McDonough, SVP of product and partners at Couchbase. “Then, when you’re back online, being able to re-connect and re-sync the data.”
Couchbase Edge Server promises secure transmissions, high availability at the edge, and computing in remote, resource-challenged surroundings.
Minimal Hardware Requirements
In addition to prioritizing offline computing, Couchbase Edge Server facilitates fast data access and processing with minimal hardware requirements. It’s optimal for use cases in which organizations don’t have the luxury of a centralized cloud environment’s resources to power their applications. Instead, it was devised to provide rapid, localized computations without the need to transmit data to centralized data centers, for example, which strains networks and burgeons cost.
“What’s different about Edge Server is it’s targeted at extremely constrained storage and memory environments, where you have maybe tens to low hundreds of clients, more simple data access requirements, so it’s running on this resource-constrained hardware, things like that,” McDonough revealed.
One of the most compelling use cases for Couchbase Edge Server involves supporting in-flight entertainment services for airlines on aircraft bereft of larger, more sophisticated servers. After planes land, it’s possible to tally up data and analyze it across the board in centralized cloud environments. According to McDonough, for such a use case, “Edge Server can manage the connectivity to dozens or low hundreds of seatback entertainment devices, and manage that whole experience that they have on the airplane.”
Instantaneous Syncing
Couchbase Edge Server is particularly useful for syncing data accessed and processed parochially with that in gateway devices or central clouds. The data syncing process is largely automated and entails multiple options. The first revolves around a RESTful API interface “that allows any http client, including browser applications, to access, query, and listen to changes in the data,” McDonough said. “This all happens on the device.”
With this option, the data is automatically updated—even when users were previously offline. Another option pertains to what McDonough described as a “remote sync capability that enables the Edge Server to sync data with a remote upstream sync gateway, or app services, over a web socket-based replication protocol. There’s also the edge sync that allows downstream Couchbase Lite applications at the edge to sync data with the Edge Server.”
With these approaches, organizations can utilize Couchbase Edge Server for remote or mobile ticketing scenarios for large sporting events, concerts, and arena-based entertainment. Couchbase Edge Server can help modernize digital ticket scanning mechanisms at respective gates at such venues, which expedites the time required for patrons to enter and for back office personnel to correlate sales information. “You can deploy an Edge Server for each gate, which allows the venues to run local data processing for digital entry turnstiles, which provides very fast, accurate scanning and prevents a lot of confusion, or conflicts, or connectivity issues,” McDonough said.
High Availability and Security
Another potential use case for Couchbase Edge Server is to provide high availability for edge devices. According to McDonough, there’s a server sync feature for syncing data between different instances of Couchbase Edge Server. As such, organizations aren’t limited to a single Couchbase Edge Server instance for a specific location, which is critical for implementing applications at the edge with credible resiliency.
“You can have another Edge Server that provides that backup for High Availability,” McDonough said. “You can rely on more than one Edge Server. It would just be a topology configuration a customer would leverage.” Security on devices that are potentially resource constrained has long been a caveat about edge deployments. Couchbase Edge Server addresses this issue by encrypting transmissions with TLS. It’s also possible to encrypt local database content via AES 256.
Closer to the Edge
Couchbase Edge Server is the latest addition to Couchbase’s commitment for computing in mobile, remote, and edge environments. The small form factor it supports, along with the server’s reduced hardware requirements and seamless syncing capabilities, make it a credible option for advancing deployments at the edge.
Also, since Couchbase Edge Server is based on Couchbase Lite, it presents yet another advantage for customers. “This is not the typical sort of 1.0 solution because it’s based on battle-tested technologies that we deployed in production environments for over a decade,” McDonough commented. “It’s one of those new releases at full production quality that’s ready to go on day one.”
