I like to notice patterns emerging around me, and certainly where technology is involved. The rise of the Internet has pushed many applications from distributed to centralized. In the 90’s we were all evolving from mainframe computers to local area networks and client/service development.
This was a paradigm change, but now we’re back to mainframe computing again. If you’re keeping track, we did mainframe (old) computing, then small distributed systems (client/server), and now cloud computingwhich shares central resources.
Carefully Edge computingAnd Internet of Things (IoT)And 5G connectionsWe are moving from “centralized delivery” to “ubiquitous computing”. What the hell does that mean?
First, I realized that cloud computing is also ubiquitous in architecture. However, we use these resources as if they were located in a central location, at least approximately. Moving to a more pervasive model means we can take advantage of any connected platform, at any time, for any purpose. This means that processing and storage is done via public clouds, your desktop computer, smartwatch, phone, or car. You get the idea — anything that has a processor and/or storage.
With a common abstraction platform, we push applications and data into an abstracted space, and you find the best, most optimized platform to run on or across platforms as distributed applications.
For example, we develop an application, design a database on a public cloud platform, and push it into production. The application and data set are then pushed to the best and most optimized combination of platforms. This could be the cloud, your desktop computer, your car, or something else, depending on what the application does and needs.
Of course, this is not revolutionary. We have been building complex distributed systems for years. What’s new is the mechanism that can support the stripping of many different types of platforms, from wall thermostats to the processors and storage inside your smartphone.
Aspects of the computing paradigm are everywhere
These are the critical aspects of computing everywhere, at least the way I see it:
Decentralization: Unlike the centralized architecture of cloud computing, ubiquitous computing distributes computing power to the edges of the network, thus reducing the need for a static connection to the network. It also allows many other devices and platforms to be a resource for processing applications and storing data. This is the essential feature of ubiquitous computing. Let’s pay attention and see how this approach and technology evolve from where we are now.
Contextual Awareness: Systems are designed to respond to application and/or user requirements. For example, a smart home system adjusts temperature and lighting based on occupants’ preferences and presence based on where the system is physically located.
Real-time interaction: Devices or platforms interact in real time, providing instant feedback and personalized experiences. This was the main reason for choosing edge computing and the Internet of Things, which brings data and processing as close as possible to the entity that interacts with the data. For example, a factory bot manages basic generative AI processes for quality control via imaging.
Enhanced user experience: Seamlessly integrating technology into everyday life enhances user experiences by removing barriers between humans and machines. If you look at the goals of digital transformation, technology provides a better customer experience. Companies that can improve their user experience are more likely to be successful, regardless of their products or services.
The benefits of computing are everywhere
Based on the attributes of this model, we will likely see an increase in accessibility. This means that ubiquitous computing reduces reliance on a constant Internet connection. While the dependence on connectivity is not fading away, it is much easier to take advantage of platforms that won’t break when the internet goes out.
Improving efficiency is at the core of why we do this. Context-aware systems can optimize energy consumption and resource allocation. If you have redundant MIPS (one million instructions per second) on your smartwatch, why not use it? More realistically, we can put applications and data on the platforms that make the most sense in terms of purpose and resource optimization. We can work on specific platforms faster and cheaper.
What’s new here?
Of course, widely distributed but loosely coupled systems are familiar. We have been building this type of architecture for years. What should be new is the ability to manage the distribution of applications on a heterogeneous set of platforms and allow those applications or components to run successfully over a long period.
Better development and deployment mechanisms and processes must exist for applications. We have one logical platform that can connect many different platforms, such as phones, smart garage doors, cars and of course cloud and traditional hardware platforms that you may own.
This magical technology can profile connected applications and data and place them on the appropriate physical platform for processing. It can also drive it if things change, such as higher prices for a particular cloud service provider or lower reliability of remote platforms. It can provide redundancy by running mirrored copies of the application and data on many different platforms.
What we’ll likely see
Of course, this won’t happen overnight. We are likely to see new applications built on different platforms to meet specific requirements, such as autonomous driving systems. This has been happening for about 10 years and is accelerating.
Once we have enough of those, we should probably call for better platform-to-platform integration. One abstract platform will appear once it has enough types of hardware and computers. You are on your way to computing everywhere.
Remember, this is a trend, not a new type of technology. It will involve many types of technologies, including cloud computing. I’m excited about that. What about you?
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