Module 1 - Data Storage
Edge Computing
Moving computation closer to users for lower latency and better performance.
1The Coffee Shop Analogy
Simple Analogy
Traditional (Origin Server): Order coffee, barista ships it from headquarters across the country. Takes forever.
Edge Computing: Coffee shops in every neighborhood. Your order is prepared at the nearest location. Fast and fresh.
Edge Computing: Coffee shops in every neighborhood. Your order is prepared at the nearest location. Fast and fresh.
Edge Computing: Running code and storing data at locations geographically close to users, rather than in a centralized data center. Part of a CDN strategy for dynamic content.
2Edge vs Origin
| Aspect | Origin Server | Edge |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Centralized data center | 200+ locations globally |
| Latency | 100-300ms | 10-50ms |
| State | Full database access | Limited (KV stores, caches) |
| Compute | Full server capabilities | Limited execution time |
| Cost | Standard hosting | Pay per request |
3Use Cases
A/B Testing
Route users to different variants at the edge, no origin roundtrip
Authentication
Validate JWT tokens at the edge, reject invalid requests early
Geolocation
Personalize content based on user location
Bot Protection
Block malicious traffic before it reaches origin
Image Optimization
Resize and format images on the fly
API Aggregation
Combine multiple API calls at the edge
4Edge Platforms
Cloudflare Workers
V8 isolates, KV storage, Durable Objects. 0ms cold start.
Vercel Edge Functions
Built on Cloudflare. Integrates with Next.js.
AWS CloudFront Functions
Lightweight functions at CloudFront edge.
Fastly Compute@Edge
WebAssembly-based edge compute.
5Limitations
⚠
Limited Execution Time
Usually 50ms-30s max. Not for long-running tasks.
⚠
No Traditional Database
Use KV stores, Durable Objects, or call origin for DB access.
⚠
Cold Starts (some platforms)
Lambda@Edge has cold starts. Workers don't.
⚠
Debugging Complexity
Distributed execution makes debugging harder.
6Key Takeaways
1Edge computing runs code close to users for low latency
2Great for authentication, A/B testing, geo-personalization
3Limited execution time and storage compared to origin
4Cloudflare Workers and Vercel Edge are popular choices
5Use edge for lightweight, latency-sensitive operations
?Quiz
1. What's the main benefit of edge computing?
2. Which task is NOT suitable for edge?