Dell Technologies has announced significant advancements in its edge operations software platform, Dell NativeEdge, designed to simplify the deployment and management of artificial intelligence (AI) at the edge. This expansion is part of the Dell AI Factory offering and addresses the growing need for agile and secure systems that can handle and deploy AI models across multiple edge locations, a demand driven by the increase in data processing outside traditional data centers.
The Importance of AI at the Edge
According to Gartner, it is estimated that by 2025, more than 50% of enterprise data will be created and processed at the edge, outside of data centers or the cloud. The expansion of Dell NativeEdge tackles this trend by providing an edge operations platform that allows easy, reliable, and secure scaling of AI applications, maximizing operational efficiency and continuity in distributed environments.
Advanced Features to Maximize Availability and Efficiency
Dell NativeEdge stands out as the only edge operations platform that enables secure large-scale device onboarding, remote management, and multicloud application orchestration. Recent enhancements include high availability (HA) multi-node clustering for endpoint devices such as Dell PowerEdge servers, OptiPlex and Precision workstations, and Dell gateways. These endpoints can be clustered to act as a unified system, maintaining critical operations and AI workloads at the edge even in the event of network or device failures.
Additionally, the platform supports virtual machine migration and automatic failover for applications, computing, and storage, providing organizations with greater resilience in their operations. Integration with external storage solutions such as Dell PowerStore and Dell PowerVault facilitates the deployment of AI models in flexible single, dual, or triple-layer configurations at the edge.
Expanded NativeEdge Blueprints Catalog
To simplify AI deployment, Dell has expanded its catalog of NativeEdge Blueprints with over 55 preconfigured solutions that enable rapid and efficient implementation of AI applications and frameworks. These Blueprints include open-source tools such as Apache Spark™, Apache Airflow®, MLflow, and Grafana, and are optimized for MLOps workflows at the edge. Other additions include:
- Aveva Unified Operations Center for the modernization of urban infrastructure, facilitating planning and connectivity in smart cities.
- EPIC iO, featuring real-time analytics to enhance the customer experience in retail operations.
- Dell Data Collector and Dell Data Lakehouse for collecting and analyzing data from IoT sensors and devices in real time.
- Intel® Geti™, which accelerates the development of computer vision models at the edge.
- Updates to the NVIDIA AI Enterprise platform, including NVIDIA’s NIM microservices, which simplify and secure the deployment of AI inference capabilities.
Dell NativeEdge: Operational Continuity at the Edge
Gil Shneorson, Senior Vice President of Solutions and Platforms at Dell Technologies, explained that “AI is accelerating opportunities and workloads at the edge at an unprecedented rate. Our expansion of NativeEdge automates the deployment and management of AI workloads at the edge, supporting operational continuity so organizations can benefit from the latest advancements in AI.”
Customer Experience with NativeEdge
Keith Bradley, Vice President of Information Technology at Nature Fresh Farms, highlighted the positive impact of Dell NativeEdge on their operations. “With over 1,000 IoT-enabled installations, NativeEdge helps us monitor infrastructure in real time, optimizing conditions for our products and gaining detailed insights into our packing operations. This has improved our operational efficiency and reduced costs, driving our growth and performance optimization.”
Availability and Support
The new features of Dell NativeEdge will be available to customers in January 2025. Additionally, users will be able to purchase NVIDIA AI Enterprise licenses for their NVIDIA GPUs directly from Dell, streamlining the deployment and support process in NativeEdge.
source: Dell