Best Practices for Deploying Infrastructure at the Edge

When it comes to deploying new infrastructure, making those deployments at the edge is an entirely different beast.

Beyond the normal challenges of procuring hardware and navigating the logistics of components, edge deployments require specific value-engineered solutions—and the expertise to build them—that differ greatly from traditional infrastructure at datacenters or co-locations.

Additionally, infrastructure deployed at hundreds—or even thousands—of locations requires ongoing maintenance, creating all-new challenges once the infrastructure is out in the wild.

None of these hurdles are insurmountable when handled internally, of course, but it’s important to understand just what you’re getting into before you go the DIY route to tackle infrastructure at the edge. 

Specifically, you need to focus on these four areas:

1. Solid project management

Deploying infrastructure at the edge can be a major lift for any organization, especially if there are a large number of locations involved. Companies in retail and restaurant chains, for example, can have places spread far and wide—not just locally but globally.

To efficiently and effectively deploy infrastructure to these disparate locations, it’s critical that you have project management systems in place to monitor and manage the procurement, logistics, and build of new infrastructure from project kickoff to final deployment.

2. Dedicated supply chain and logistics teams

Purchasing and coordinating the various arrivals of components that will make up your edge infrastructure requires a constant flow of information from a range of suppliers.

Given the complexities of purchasing parts from vendors scattered across the globe, it can be easy for your organization to fall into the trap of having purchased parts—or even completed hardware—that sits unused due to shipping and travel delays.

You can mitigate these potential risks by having separate teams working in concert, with one focused on procurement and the other on shipping and deployment.

3. Centralize build and testing

As a general rule, you need to remember that the footprint at edge locations is going to be much more limited than at a datacenter or co-location. This limitation should not only inform the architecture of your infrastructure but how you handle deployment as well.

That’s why you need to make sure you centralize the building, software integration, and testing of your infrastructure at a single location—including any cabling and labeling. The last thing you want is for hardware to make the journey to your edge locations in need of final assembly or debugging in cramped environments. That’s a recipe for delays at best, major disruptions to your business at worst.

4. Plan for post-deployment

It’s an inescapable fact that technology breaks. Even the sturdiest of hardware encounters issues at some point, which is why you need to have a solid plan in place for ongoing maintenance after deployment.

While maintenance can be handled by your own teams or through third parties in various regions, it needs to be accounted for—and made a part of your expenses—at the very start of your deployment planning.

Trusting the experts

Due to all the above complexities, you may ultimately determine that building out the capabilities for edge infrastructure planning and deployment is not cost-effective for your organization.

If that happens to be the case, an integration services partner can offer a viable and affordable solution.

At Redapt, in partnership with Dell EMC, we provide full integration services focused on providing you with turnkey infrastructure that can be rapidly deployed at the edge. These services include:

• Hardware procurement and testing to expedite the deployment of new infrastructure
• Software installation and optimizing to ensure edge solutions are production-ready quickly
• Shipping and other logistics so that your new infrastructure is where it needs to be when it needs to be there
• Guidance for the adoption of emerging technology platforms, such as Kubernetes, that improve edge computing operations and reliability
• Ongoing maintenance of your edge infrastructure at all your locations

Did you know you can optimize your operations, reduce costs, and deliver better experiences for your customers with edge solutions? Learn more in our white paper Taking it to the Edge. Get your free copy now.