Edge Cloud Architecture
True edge content delivery leveraging cloud management and connectivity, open APIs and massively distributed, powerful small form factor software edge nodes. Built for tomorrow's application and content delivery demands.
Read The WhitepaperEdge Cloud Services Require a New Development Model
Five Architectural Principles
That Drive Qwilt's Edge Cloud
Content Delivery Platform
1 Common Compute and Storage
The edge cloud establishes a massively distributed layer of common-off-the-shelf (COTS) compute and storage enabling content delivery from the closest possible location to your subscribers. We built the software that can unlock the potential of this layer from our experience with hundreds of deployments at the true edge of the network - software that is 100% cloud managed, that packs maximum performance in a small form factor and that is elastic and resilient.
100% Cloud Managed
Our customers deploy on-net Qwilt QN software nodes, and this software connects over the Internet to Qwilt’s cloud. We do the heavy lifting of managing, monitoring, and maintaining these edge cloud nodes, making sure they're giving you the most performance for your unique needs. We also take care of management scaling using the cloud's elastic scaling capabilities.
Unlike traditional networking solutions, there’s no overlay management software or hardware that you need to deploy on site.
It’s all in the cloud.
2 Massively Distributed
The edge cloud delivers unmatched distributed performance enabling apps and content to be streamed from a distance of a few miles to several feet from your subscribers, thus reducing latency to levels that make future applications possible.
It's all about the distance
The three most important things in content delivery are: Location, Location, Location. Locations that are closer to the users mean there are fewer hops and shorter distance for light to travel. The result is that there's a smaller chance packets will encounter congestion and a greater ability to deliver high throughput and faster response times. Unlike traditional CDN nodes that are centrally located in the mid-mile, the edge cloud is deployed at the closest possible locations to the users - often tens of miles to a few feet away. This allows applications and content leveraging the edge cloud to achieve the ultimate QoE possible. That's good for you and great for your users.
3 Open API to Publishers
Publishers can use the edge cloud to unlock new content delivery capabilities that only in-network distance can deliver. To capture this opportunity, an open and comprehensive set of interfaces is required. Qwilt is already offering an ecosystem-friendly set of APIs as part of our work helping drive standardization activities within the Streaming Video Alliance in order to benefit the entire ecosystem.
Learn MorePublishers Onboard to 1 Cloud-based API to Reach Global Footprint of All ISPs with Open Caching
4 Match Resource to Application
Some applications, like video (especially 4K), require a lot of bandwidth and a lot of storage (so that the videos people watch can be cached). Others, like gaming and VR, require split second response time for in-game actions, but not a lot of storage. The edge cloud must have the flexibility to understand which application needs which resource - and be able to adapt accordingly.
Edge Cloud Solution Spotlight -
Open Caching
Open caching enables delivery of bandwidth intensive content from the network edge when requested – without requiring any change of the client side. The result is seamless delivery for applications like streaming video allowing publishers to deliver superior quality video to their subscribers.
Find Out How5 Complements Centralized Cloud
The centralized cloud is still of massive importance. The edge cloud creates a new layer that can work alongside the centralized cloud and when used smartly, establishes a superior application and content delivery infrastructure - the magic is to know when to use which cloud for getting the best performance - think about it like a hybrid car engine that needs to know when to kick in the electric engine and when to use the gas one. At Qwilt we created an end-to-end solution that has the smarts to create one secure fabric across the edge and centralized cloud.
Open Edge Cloud Connectivity Platform
The Qwilt Cloud - QC - delivers cloud management, edge node connectivity and open publisher APIs which ensure intelligent orchestration of in-network edge cloud resources.
Learn MoreQwilt's Open Edge Cloud Platform
Cloud Management - Just Sit Back and Relax
Think of QC as the brains behind the operation - all our QN software nodes connect to QC and allow us to proactively monitor and manage them, without needing to install any expensive management controllers inside your network. Cloud-powered Qwilt management and control provide you with increased resilience, simplicity and scalability that is secure, fast and reliable.
Third Party Publisher Global API Platform
Qwilt and the Streaming Video Alliance are driving standards based on open APIs.
The result is an open API that lets any publisher get access to last mile delivery in cable, telco and mobile networks.
Now publishers can get unified access to multiple network operators instead of requiring 100s of custom integrations.
The open API architecture also provides access to aggregate global CDN capacity for that extra boost just when you need it.
Open Edge Cloud Node
The Qwilt Edge Node - QN - Software that is built for the edge - maximum power, smallest footprint and simplest to deploy and manage.
Learn MoreTop Five Things
That Make Our Edge Cloud Nodes Better
1 Multiple acquisition and delivery
methods - we got it
Single unified edge cloud node - multiple ingest and delivery methods. Content is continously changing and evolving - so is your network. That's why our QN software provides you with multiple ways to acquire and deliver content - regardless of transport protocol (HTTP / HTTPS / HTTP/2.0), ABR format (HLS / HDS / MSS / DASH) or stream type (VOD / Linear / Live)
2 Software that runs on anything
We designed our software in a way that enables it to squeeze the most performance from any computing platform you may have. We understand that many people like to run different types of server infrastructure, so we made it easy for you to install and adapt the software to your individual needs. Qwilt’s unified solution is completely vendor-agnostic, and does not require special integrations or customization to become a functional component of the existing network infrastructure.
3 Telco Grade - Web Scale
QN is built for the rigorous demands of service provider networks, delivering true “five nine” reliability and 24/7 network continuity - all while being truly cloud-native with the ability to scale on demand and staying true to simplicity principles.
QN is turnkey software that is ready for plug-and-play insertion into the most complex and demanding network environments. Deployed completely out of band, Qwilt’s platform is completely non-intrusive, does not introduce any latency to the flow of traffic, and will keep the network functional even in the unlikely event of a device failure.
| Specification | QB-200 XL | QB-50 | NFV Edge Cloud Node |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classification and Analysis Throughput | 50 Gbps | 25 Gbps | Platform dependent |
| Delivery Throughput | Up to 18 Gbps | Up to 3 Gbps | Platform dependent |
| Storage | 43 TB hot-swappable disks. | 40 TB hot-swappable disks. | Platform dependent |
| Network Interfaces | 12 x 10 GbE SFP+ Classification and Analysis Interfaces | 8 x 1/10 GbE SFP+ Classification and Analysis Interfaces | Platform dependent |
| Delivery Interfaces | 2 X 1/10 GbE SFP+ Classification and Analysis Interfaces | Platform dependent | |
| Power Supply | 2 x AC power: 100-240 V, 50-60 Hz, 12.0-6.5 A. Redundant, hot-swappable power supplies. | 2 x AC power: 100-24 0V, 50-60 Hz, 9.0-4.5 A. Redundant, hot-swappable power supplies. | Platform dependent |
| Power Consumption | 495W typical | 450W typical | Platform dependent |
| Rack Support | 19" Rack mount (2EIA Units) | Platform dependent | |
| Form Factor | 2U | Platform dependent | |
4 Big power in a small package
Qwilt’s QN software delivers the highest performance per rack unit of any other edge cache solutions, resulting in a smaller footprint than any competing solution. Unlike legacy solutions comprised of disparate detection, caching, and storage components, Qwilt’s QN does more with less by combining all required functionality into a single, integrated platform that requires a fraction of rack space and power consumption of competing products.
5 Software-First SDN/NFV
QN is SDN-based software optimized to run on readily available, off-the-shelf commodity systems, leveraging Moore’s law. By focusing our product development efforts on key Video Fabric software functionality – open video caching, delivery, and analysis – we created a best-of-breed software that can run either as a virtualized network function (NFV) or on bare metal COTS hardware. As hardware continually improves and decreases in price over time, our customers enjoy the benefits of cutting-edge technology and deployment flexibility without the burden of hidden costs of custom hardware.
Learn More
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Case Studies and Resources