Unit- V

Fog Computing
Fog computing, also known as fogging or fog networking, is a distributed computing architecture
that extends the cloud by placing nodes between the cloud and edge devices:
• How it works
Fog computing uses edge devices to perform computation, storage, and communication locally, and
then routes it over the internet. Fog nodes are physical or virtual devices that reside between smart
end-devices and centralized cloud services.
Fog computing is a form of distributed computing that brings computation and data storage closer to
the network edge, where many IoT devices are located. By doing this, fog computing reduces the
reliance on the cloud for these resource-intensive tasks, improving performance and reducing latency.

characteristics
Fog computing has several characteristics, including:
• Proximity to data sources
Fog computing processes data closer to its source, which reduces latency and improves efficiency.
• Scalability
Fog computing can support a large number of devices, making it ideal for Internet of Things (IoT)
applications.
• Decentralization

1
 Fog computing has no central server to manage computing resources and services.
• Heterogeneity
Fog computing collects data from various sources.
• Real-time interaction
Fog computing applications deal with real-time interactions instead of batch processing.
• Low latency
Fog computing keeps analysis closer to the data source, which prevents cascading system failures and
other major problems.
• Security
Fog computing can enhance security by keeping sensitive information from traversing the wider internet.
• Energy efficiency
Fog nodes don't consume a lot of energy because they are dispersed in the network.
• Mobility
Fog computing supports mobility.

Applications
Where Is Fog Computing Needed?
There are many potential applications for fog computing, including:
• Connected cars — collecting and processing data from sensors in real-time to enable features such as
autonomous driving and infotainment.
• Smart cities — monitoring traffic flows, managing public transportation, optimizing energy use, and more.
• Industrial IoT — enhancing efficiency and safety in factories, power plants, mines, and other industrial
infrastructure.
• Connected health — supporting remote patient monitoring, telemedicine, and other healthcare
applications.
• AR/VR — enabling low-latency, high-quality augmented and virtual reality experiences.
Fog computing can be used to support a wide range of applications that require data to be
processed at the edge of the network. In many cases, moving compute and storage resources
closer to the data source improves performance and reduces costs. For example, connected cars
generate a significant volume of data that needs to be analyzed in real-time to enable features
such as autonomous driving.

2
 Who Uses Fog Computing?
Fog computing is often used in cases where real-time response is needed, such as with industrial control
systems, video surveillance, or autonomous vehicles. It can also be used to offload computationally
intensive tasks from centralized servers or to provide backup and redundancy in case of network failure.

Issues or challenges
Fog computing, a technology that brings cloud applications to IoT devices, faces several challenges, including:
• Privacy
Fog nodes collect a lot of information from end users, making it difficult to protect their privacy. If an
intruder gains access to a fog node, it can be difficult to stop them.
• Security
Fog computing systems are susceptible to cyber-attacks because they contain data from both the cloud
and IoT environments.
• Latency
Latency is a major challenge in fog computing because mission-critical environments are often sensitive to
delay.
• Resource management
Resource management is a key challenge in fog computing, including tasks scheduling and resource
allocation.
• Data collection and protection
Data collection and protection is challenging in different conditions, such as environmental and
geographical limitations.
• Resource selection
Selecting the best resource for processing, saving, and transferring data is a challenge.
Other challenges include:
• Network bandwidth allocation policies
• Trust and fault tolerance
• Overhead management
• Mobility management
• Interoperability
• Scalability

3
Why Is Fog Computing Beneficial for IoT?
The internet of things (IoT) is a system of interconnected devices, sensors, and software
components that share data and information. The power of the IoT comes from its ability to
collect and analyze massive volumes of data from various sources. This data can be used to
improve efficiency, optimize operations and make better decisions.

Fog computing in IoT is a decentralized computing model that brings computation and data
storage closer to the edge of the network. In other words, fog computing moves processing
power and data storage away from centralized server farms and into local networks where
IoT devices are located.

Why Your IoT Application Needs Fog Computing

The promoters of the fog computing model acknowledge that the cloud computing is here
to stay and some functions in the IoT are better served by the cloud computing model.
However, there are some distinct benefits that the fog computing model can bring to your
IoT applications.

Latency: Sending data to the cloud can take a lot of time, which is not ideal for
applications that need quick responses. Fog computing processes data closer to where it's
generated, reducing delay and enabling faster decisions.

Security: Transferring sensitive data to the cloud increases risk. Processing data locally (at
the edge) helps protect data and allows quicker responses to security threats.

Data Integrity: Storing and processing data in the cloud can pose risks to its integrity,
especially since cloud providers may not disclose where data is physically stored. Local
processing reduces the risk of data corruption or unauthorized access.

Data Transfer and Bandwidth Cost: Sending large amounts of data to the cloud can be
slow and expensive. For example, offshore oil platforms generate huge amounts of data
daily, which can be costly and time-consuming to transfer. Fog computing cuts down on
these costs and speeds up processing.

Independent Operation in Remote Locations: Fog computing allows systems in remote

locations to function independently if the central system is down. This reduces downtime
and ensures that data can still be processed locally until the connection is restored.

4
What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Fog Computing?

There are several advantages to using a fog computing architecture:

1. Reduced latency: By processing data at or near the edge of the network, fog computing can
help reduce latency.
2. Improved security and privacy: By keeping data and applications closer to the user, fog
computing can help improve security and privacy.
3. Increased scalability: Fog computing can help increase scalability as more resources may be
added at the edge of the network.
There are also several disadvantages to using a fog computing architecture:
1. Limited resources: Because fog computing relies on devices at the edge of the network, there
may be limited resources available. This can impact performance.
2. Complex architecture: Fog computing can be complex to implement and manage because of
the distributed nature of the architecture.
3. Limited coverage: Because fog computing is still a relatively new technology, there may be
limited coverage in terms of devices and locations that support it.

5
Myths of fog computing
Fog computing is an exciting and evolving field, but like any technology, it comes with its share of
myths and misconceptions. Here are a few common myths about fog computing:
1. Fog Computing is the Same as Edge Computing: While both fog and edge computing involve
processing data closer to the data source, fog computing typically involves a more decentralized
approach, often using multiple nodes to process data, whereas edge computing usually refers to
processing data directly on devices at the network's edge.
2. Fog Computing Will Replace Cloud Computing: This is not true. Fog computing complements cloud
computing by addressing issues like latency and bandwidth usage, but it doesn't replace the
centralized data processing and storage capabilities of the cloud.
3. Fog Computing is Only for IoT: While fog computing is often associated with the Internet of Things
(IoT), it can be applied to a wide range of applications beyond IoT, including smart cities,
healthcare, and industrial automation.
4. Fog Computing is Too Complex to Implement: Implementing fog computing can be complex, but
with the right tools and expertise, it can be effectively integrated into existing systems to enhance
performance and efficiency.
5. Fog Computing is Not Secure: Security is a concern for any computing architecture, but fog
computing can be designed with robust security measures to protect data at every point in the
network.
6. Fog Computing is Only for Large Enterprises: While large enterprises can benefit significantly from
fog computing, smaller organizations and even individual developers can also leverage its
capabilities to improve their operations and services.

Why Is Fog Computing Used?(needs and resons)

There are several reasons why fog computing is used:
• To improve latency and performance: Because fog nodes are often deployed at the network edge,
closer to the IoT devices themselves, they can substantially reduce the processing time and
enhance performance for applications that demand low latency.
• To improve decision-making: It can help improve decision-making in real-time as fog computing
allows for real-time data collection and analysis from IoT devices.
• To reduce costs: Fog computing can also help reduce costs associated with data storage and
analysis. This is because, by bringing computation and data storage closer to the network edge, fog
computing reduces the amount of data that needs to be transmitted back to a central location for
processing.

6
Fog computing is used for a variety of reasons, including:
• Real-time response
Fog computing is used in situations that require a real-time response, such as autonomous
vehicles, video surveillance, and industrial control systems.
• Data processing
Fog computing allows data to be processed closer to the source, which can improve network
bandwidth, reduce latency, and increase data processing efficiency.
• Data security
Fog computing can enhance data security by processing data locally, which can improve privacy
and security.
• Backup and redundancy
Fog computing can be used to provide backup and redundancy in case of network failure.
• Offloading tasks
Fog computing can be used to offload computationally intensive tasks from centralized servers.

Fog vs. Edge Computing

Edge computing, a distributed computing model, processes data and applications at the
edge of the network, close to the data source. By contrast, in the traditional centralized
model of cloud computing, data and applications are stored in a central location and
accessed over the network.

The main difference between fog and edge computing is that fog computing extends cloud
services and connectivity to devices at the edge of the network. In contrast, edge computing
brings computation and data storage closer to devices at the edge of the network. In
contrast, edge computing brings computation and data storage closer to devices at the edge
of the network.

7
 Difference Between Edge Computing and Fog Computing
Edge Computing Fog Computing

Less scalable than fog computing. Highly scalable when compared to edge computing.

Millions of nodes are present. Billions of nodes are present.

Nodes are installed far away from the Nodes in this computing are installed closer to the
cloud. cloud(remote database where data is stored).

Edge computing is a subdivision of fog

Fog computing is a subdivision of cloud computing.
computing.

The bandwidth requirement is very low.

The bandwidth requirement is high. Data originating
Because data comes from the edge nodes
from edge nodes is transferred to the cloud.
themselves.

Operational cost is higher. Operational cost is comparatively lower.

High privacy. Attacks on data are very low. The probability of data attacks is higher.

Edge devices are the inclusion of the IoT

Fog is an extended layer of cloud.
devices or client’s network.

The power consumption of nodes filter important

The power consumption of nodes is low. information from the massive amount of data collected
from the device and saves it in the filter high.

Fog computing helps in filtering important information

Edge computing helps devices to get faster
from the massive amount of data collected from the
results by processing the data
device and saves it in the cloud by sending the filtered
simultaneously received from the devices.
data.

8
 Here are some examples of fog computing in the Internet of
Things (IoT):
• Smart grid
Fog computing can be used to create a smart grid architecture that delivers services and
applications more efficiently.
• Data analysis
Fog computing can perform massive IoT data analytics.
• Communication
Fog computing uses a distributed network with individual devices as points of contact
between users and data sources. This allows for faster communication speeds.
• Resource manager
A resource manager in fog computing allocates and deallocates resources to various nodes,
schedules data transfer, and takes care of data backup.

Conclusion
Finally, fog computing delivers cloud capabilities to the edge of networks, increasing
efficiency, lowering latency, and improving data processing capabilities. It is perfect for real-
time data analysis, low-latency applications such as IoT, and situations where data privacy
and security are critical. While it provides scalability and lower bandwidth usage, it also has
issues in managing data congestion and increasing power consumption. Fog computing is
making progress in applications such as healthcare monitoring, industrial IoT, and real-time
analytics across a variety of industries.

What Are the Four Types of Fog Computing?

Fog computing is a term for technology that extends cloud computing and services to the
edge of an enterprise’s network. It allows data, applications, and other resources to be
moved closer to, or even on top of, end users.
The four main types of fog computing are mentioned below.
• Device-level fog computing runs on devices such as sensors, switches, routers, and
other low-powered hardware. It can be used to gather data from these devices and
send it to the cloud for analysis.
• Edge-level fog computing runs on servers or appliances located at the edge of a
network. These devices can be used to process data before it is sent to the cloud.

9
• Gateway-level fog computing runs on devices that act as a gateway between the
edge and the cloud. These devices can be used to manage traffic and ensure that
only relevant data is sent to the cloud.
• Cloud-level fog computing runs on servers or appliances located in the cloud. These
devices can be used to process data before it is sent to end users.

10