Non-functional requirements
Edge computing architectures must satisfy several NFRs. While low latency and high bandwidth are two of the most common and obvious requirements, enterprises often list security as their most important requirement. The other NFRs are related to service management and operations.
Security
When discussing inferencing, we mentioned that one of the outcomes of real-time inferencing at the source of the data is a better security posture since data doesn’t have to travel far, thus reducing the attack area. That said, any and all data in transit must be sent using a secure protocol. Onboarded devices could use keys, security certificates, or both. As in all IT solutions, components in an edge solution more often than not must meet regulatory, compliance, and local security standards because they deal with data. For a discussion of this topic in depth, see Chapter 6, where we cover security aspects of data in motion and data at rest.