You Didn't Know You Needed This – DevEdgeOps
In today’s digital world, the widespread use of edge computing has fundamentally changed how we process and manage data. However, this evolution brings new challenges, such as managing the lifecycle of software and AI on edge devices and efficiently handling numerous edge deployments. Dell Technologies is promoting the adoption of processes and methods called DevEdgeOps and offers a leading product in this space – Dell NativeEdge – which provides a comprehensive solution to these challenges.
The DevEdgeOps Revolution
Dell NativeEdge, Dell’s leading edge-computing management product developed in Israel, adopts the DevEdgeOps approach. This approach integrates operational tasks during product development, addressing relevant challenges early in the product’s lifecycle rather than as a separate task handed off to operations teams later. This method facilitates collaboration between IT and OT teams and streamlines the management of edge components. By combining DevOps principles with advanced edge computing capabilities, DevEdgeOps allows organizations to accelerate software delivery, execute it efficiently and reliably, support continuous product improvement, and reduce costs.
Simplifying Complex Tasks through Automation
One of the main advantages of DevEdgeOps is its ability to automate complex tasks related to deploying multi-component software products, thereby realizing the vision of modern edge computing with increasingly complex software components at the edge. Traditional methods for managing complex edge environments often require manual interventions, which are time-consuming and prone to errors. By shifting to automation-based deployments, organizations can optimize these processes by using standard deployment templates and even automating corrective actions. This widespread use of centralized or cloud-based automation reduces the burden on IT teams, minimizes downtime risk, and improves system reliability.
A Proactive Approach to Edge Management
Using automation and well-tested, repeatable application templates based on virtual machines and containers allows thorough testing of deployment and upgrade processes long before they reach edge devices. Comprehensive pre-release testing significantly reduces the risks of deploying new versions and updates to AI models. However, the possibility of rare issues still exists. Adopting the DevEdgeOps concept allows organizations to implement a proactive approach to edge computing management. Alerts, dashboards, and built-in troubleshooting tools provide visibility into the state of distributed systems, immediate awareness of issues, and the ability to investigate and resolve rare faults quickly.
Rapid Development and Deployment
In principle, DevEdgeOps tools can be used independently of any specific manufacturer. Adopting a holistic system like Dell NativeEdge is the only way to achieve unified, end-to-end management, covering the lifecycle of hardware maintenance, operating systems, hypervisors, container infrastructure, and the applications themselves. Today, the importance of timely BIOS and firmware updates is clear to security teams. Additionally, using new features of AI accelerators like GPUs requires the ability to update components at the driver level. Therefore, when choosing a DevEdgeOps infrastructure, it is highly recommended to consider a unified product that offers a holistic solution from hardware and firmware to the application level.
In Conclusion
The advantages of automating edge operations with DevEdgeOps are vast and are quickly becoming a “best practice.” By leveraging application templates, improving proactive management, integrating early in the development process, and performing end-to-end testing before releasing new versions, organizations can fully realize the potential of the edge computing concept. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, adopting the DevEdgeOps approach and tools will be essential for organizations aiming to stay competitive, agile, and resilient in the face of changing market and customer demands.
