René Blaschke studied Information Technology & Systems Management at the University of Applied Sciences in Salzburg and started his professional career in various positions at Salzburg AG for energy, transport and telecommunications. In March 2017, he moved to B&R Industrial Automation, where he works in the IoT division. He has been Head of Product Management - IoT at B&R since February of this year.

The Industrial Internet of Things is generating more and more data. This data complexity needs to be mastered. What role does edge computing play in this?

Blaschke : Mastering this complexity requires a well thought-out and scalable system architecture. Edge computing plays a central role in this. Edge computing refers to data processing at the edge of a network. This means that data is processed closer to where it is generated. Shorter distances enable faster data transmission.

Machine operating data can be automatically recorded, standardized and analyzed. This works via an edge device that is attached directly to the machine. For example, production rates can be improved, energy consumption optimized or maintenance work optimally planned.

Sensor data is preselected at the edge, software applications are processed or even AI calculations are carried out. What should users bear in mind with regard to the edge software landscape? Which technologies should/must be taken into account?

Blaschke: Edge computing faces the challenge that devices are becoming increasingly intelligent. There are more and more communicating sensors that generate more and more data. However, there are currently still many devices without a permanent internet connection. Edge computing makes it possible to evaluate the data with an edge device where it is generated.

This is where container technologies such as Docker come into play. A container visualization offers the possibility of flexibly assembling applications and using them in different environments. This makes it easy to deploy these applications on different devices.

As the tasks grow, so do the hardware requirements. What should users look out for when choosing the right edge computing hardware?

Blaschke: An edge device operates as a multifunctional server outside of air-conditioned data centers, for example in a factory. It is important that the hardware is resistant to industrial conditions such as dust or vibration. In addition, the hardware dimensions must be selected according to the underlying application areas. These range from simple store-and-forward to applications with real-time analysis.

The edge hardware must also have the appropriate components to guarantee modern security standards. For example, a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is required to equip the hardware with basic security functions, as well as two Ethernet interfaces to separate the machine network from the IT network.