The Intelligent Edge - CURING COMPLEXITY AND COST WITH EDGE COMPUTING Raj Saksena, CEO, Omnitrol Networks

The Intelligent Edge - CURING COMPLEXITY AND COST WITH EDGE COMPUTING Raj Saksena, CEO, Omnitrol Networks

OVERVIEW Placing business logic application intelligence at the edge of the network is essential to scaling and the full deployment of workflow optimization solutions. Sensor and RFID networks are able to pull vast amounts of information from an assembly line, warehouse, or an entire supply chain but edge computing elements are required to manage this data flow and make sense of it for the existing enterprise IT infrastructure. An Accelerator for RFID Deployments Appliances meet the needs of edge computing The integration of business process execution at the edge will not only minimize deployment costs but will substantially simplify RFID integration without disruption to existing business processes and backend systems. A fully integrated intelligent edge appliance opens the door to mass adoption of RFID via ultra-low cost deployments which is especially critical for the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME). By simplifying workflow development and deployment, edge appliances will also ensure nearly immediate ROI for large and small businesses with reduced cost of inventory, real-time visibility, reduction in exception handling, and much more efficient supply chain processes. As a result, the enhanced business process optimization can ultimately exceed customer, employee, and management satisfaction benchmarks. Impact on the Enterprise and Supply Chain Edge intelligence provides competitive advantage As RFID tags are applied on more and more objects, there will be potential to not only impact warehouse operations, the stock room and the manufacturing floor but, also, the efficiency of the entire B2B supply-chain, extending, ultimately, to improved employee performance and an enhanced consumer retail experience. Easy implementation of workflows and business logic at the edge will accelerate business process optimization company-wide and across trading partners. As the individual enterprise performs better through vastly improved workflow and access to information, the entire supply chain will also perform more efficiently and effectively. Deployment of edge intelligence will become a recognized enabler for providing significant competitive advantage. Enterprises are recognizing this potential and, as a result, trials are underway with intelligent edge appliances in Defense, Aerospace, Manufacturing, Retail, and Logistics. Driving the Migration from UPC to EPC/RFID Unlike UPC/Barcode solutions, EPC/RFID tags offer real-time event information on asset movement without requiring any human intervention. Furthermore, EPC tags can envelop far more information than traditional barcodes. Therefore, if the EPC tag information can be decoded in real-time with appropriate business application context at the originating reader, vast improvement in process efficiency, security and quality can be achieved at dramatically lower costs. EPC/RFID data traffic best handled at the edge of the network The migration from UPC/barcode to EPC/RFID represents a dramatic increase in real-time processing demands. The EPC tag represents a significant increase in contextual data processing and automation on tracking assets with a dramatic increase in messaging at the reader for appropriate handling. In today s fast-moving, information-rich trading partner networks, EPC/RFID tags provide much more asset and business context information detail. The associated information processing required to completely resolve and handle these information-rich events is best done at the edge where they originate.

RFID-based events lead to real-time implications on mission-critical workflows that need to dynamically adjust to the assets in question. This real-time event processing is not only best executed at the edge but, in most cases, can be localized in the edge work-floor business process without any impact to legacy back-end business logic and database management systems. Since RFID does not require manual intervention, the expectation of thousands of these events per second will be a reality in the near future. These systems will have to deal with substantial real-time processing to effectively resolve all of the dynamic data residing on these tags in milliseconds to make mission-critical decisions for workflow optimization, asset tracking and automation at the edge. Higher performance and real-time processing requirements are intrinsic with EPC/RFID deployments. This requires the data processing engine to be enabled with immediate actionable control to instantly resolve the event load at the source, at the edge. Addressing ROI Concerns Edge computing addresses ROI concerns Today s implementations are best characterized as pilots and trials, not deployments. Software pricing and integration and support costs have been prohibitive. This is largely rooted in the economics rooted in the software-centric architectural approach of today s solutions. The procurement, integration and support costs of upgrading or customizing backend systems, middleware licensing, and ALE enabled readers have escalated costs to a painful level for large enterprises and pushed the promise of RFID out of reach for small and medium-sized enterprises struggling to meet mandates, let alone financially justify RFID deployment. Most corporations committed to RFID have realized that in order for their pilots to emerge and gain broad-scale deployment, the solution architecture needs to evolve to an intelligent edge architecture which easily integrates the physical network with application level business processing to support RFID s edge computing demands. Exhibit 1 Application Intelligence in the Network at the Edge

Enter the latest in a string of successful dedicated appliance solutions. Appliances have provided plug and deploy for various application market deployments. Dedicated appliances have addressed the issues of scalability, performance, and integration complexity for numerous application deployments including networking, WiFi, storage, email, and security. RFID is the next application to be plug and deployed. The OMNITROL The Next Generation Edge Computing Software Platform and Appliance The OMNITROL appliance was designed on the premise that the edge is about to explode in terms of complexity. The accelerated proliferation of next-gen WiFi and RFID readers will dramatically change the dynamics in workflow automation while requiring seamless integration with existing barcode based infrastructure. The OMNITROL has been developed to uniquely address both the network infrastructure evolution at the edge while simultaneously managing the exponential growth of tagged objects and, most importantly, driving new, efficient business processes, workflows, and analytics promised by RFID technology. OMNITROL integrates all hardware components plus middleware EASE engine resolves all events at the network edge The OMNITROL appliance encompasses a scalable and modular multi-processor server architecture and a fully integrated WiFi LAN controller and switch, including sensor and multi-protocol device integration. The OMNITROL is the industry s first open network appliance that integrates best-in-class technologies, simplifying business process execution across both legacy and next-gen RFID and WiFi devices including Real-Time Location Services (RTLS) using WiFi tags. Furthermore, the OMNITROL empowers customers to fully own and drive their individual work-flow service creation using our patent-pending integrated service creation engine - Edge Application and Services Engine (EASE ). The OMNITROL seamlessly integrates massive event processing from barcode readers, PLC s, WiFi readers, active WiFi tags, Gen 2 RFID readers and other required sensors, radically simplifying workflow automation. The OMNITROL was engineered to deliver massive software processing power to huge numbers of extremely short-lived events, not the batch-mode long-duration processing that standard computing platforms are built for. This means that, in a few milliseconds, tagged objects are analyzed and asset information reconciled in real-time and, if warranted, appropriate sensors or application exceptions are triggered. As a network appliance, the OMNITROL delivers a secure VPN-based peer services network with other OMNITROL systems, securely providing real-time asset visibility, monitoring and reconciliation across the enterprise and, potentially, with integrated trading partners. The OMNITROL is the industry s first network server that integrates a peer-topeer real-time transaction database engine with the physical LAN, Barcode and WiFi infrastructure. Our EASE business process engine enables complete resolution of EPC and UPC events at the edge and, therefore, appropriate service execution can be delivered with complete application context, complementing existing backend ERP systems. For example, shipment reconciliation based on an Advanced Shipping Notice (ASN) can be resolved with immediate exception handling at the receiving dock door, thereby eliminating additional business impacts on exception cartons. Powerful real-time work-floor automation in shipping accuracy, mis-picks, mis-ships, asset visibility and traceability can be easily achieved across the OMNITROL peer-to-peer services network without re-architecting existing backend ERP systems.

The nature of this new approach also has the benefit of radically lowering deployment expenditures with lower overall TCO, so known ROI concerns start to disappear. Our team s extensive background in deploying massively scalable real-time distributed systems led us to create a new dynamic and intelligent network architecture, where realtime intelligence is truly scalable and delivered securely at the edge with complete customer control. Omnitrol The Intelligent Design Approach to Edge Computing Not all edge appliances were created equal. Many companies took a single task network appliance model yet others have introduced rack-mount PC s with basic middleware services. Most, however, implement device-centric management solutions that provide basic event filtering and aggregation services. These solutions rely on expensive backend server software to coordinate the activities at the edge. Companies that will be successful in their implementation of an intelligent edge architecture must deploy appliances that distribute complete business services execution over and above device management thereby removing the complexity and cost of deploying RFID while, simultaneously, enhancing business process functionality with real-time RFID processing. These solutions need to seamlessly interoperate and leverage already installed back-end systems used for barcode tags. Ultimately, adopters of intelligent edge appliances will acquire the means to realize immediate competitive advantage via simple, rapid and flexible incremental workflow and process optimization. RTLS, L2/L3 networking, and WiFi AP management built in. The OMNITROL, unlike most other single-purpose appliances, is an intelligent edge networking and server appliance that completely integrates Ethernet and WiFi network infrastructures for the next-generation of RFID and mobile readers along with direct connectivity to sensors, barcode readers and PLC control systems. The OMNITROL is also the industry s first network server appliance that integrates best-in-class Real-Time Location Services (RTLS), WiFi access points, passive Gen-2 (UHF and HF) and active RFID readers with a powerful open workflow automation and business process service creation engine (EASE). The powerful EASE service creation tools enables customers to rapidly and easily evolve their infrastructure in to powerful new workflows that are completely customer owned, eliminating licensing fees completely. Intelligent edge devices establish a new model of deployment economics by dramatically reducing the total cost of ownership, in some cases, by as much as 80% of today s market solutions. As a totally integrated networking server appliance, the OMNITROL is completely web and SNMP managed, with SNMP based device management for all sensors and RFID readers, a function which is performed today by first generation, single purpose edgeware solutions. But, beyond this, the OMNITROL implements a secure, federated, peer-to-peer deployment architecture for broad-scale service provisioning ideal for large enterprises and trading partner networks. The OMNITROL radically simplifies deployment through a unique fusion of network based connectivity with powerful business process execution. Managing RFID and Sensor Data The OMNITROL was designed as a multi-processor server appliance. The architecture of the OMNITROL is such that it can easily scale to support the ongoing demand of RFID events and associated messaging though upgradeable processor modules or stacking peer OMNITROL systems. The OMNITROL real-time services engine (EASE) can analyze thousands of EPC/RFID tags per second while simultaneously reconciling the information on the federated OMNITROL peer data network. The EASE workflows can, therefore, process the events to completion with appropriate back-end ERP context in the business process executed right on the work-floor. Programming in EASE is easy with OMNITROL s open, powerful and versatile workflow Service Description Language (SDL) that enables customer-driven and customer-owned services creation and execution. The open OMNITROL Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) adapters enable easy integration via XML/SOAP, EDI and ODBC interfaces.

Complete traceability and asset visibility. In order to fully realize the potential of the events generated by an EPC/RFID deployment, real-time actions need to be executed seamlessly over the work-floor operations. These actions can include immediate notifications using stack lights and other sensors to notify operations staff on mis-picks, mis-ships at origination or receipt, inventory discrepancies in incoming and outgoing shipments, immediate reconciliation and exception carton handling. The use of RFID can easily enable complete traceability and visibility of assets, not only on the work-floor but across the entire OMNITROL peer network. With the OMNITROL, asset pedigree information can now be analyzed in real-time at the edge, thereby providing proactive monitoring of recalls, fraud and returned merchandise without any human intervention. These are only some examples, but the utility of real-time service execution at the edge can be extended to cover a whole host of information that can drive operations based on timing, asset movement, velocity, out-of-stock alerts, promotions monitoring, and so on. CONCLUSION With a scalable edge intelligent appliance, EPC/RFID can be extended easily to item-level asset tracking for real-time order processing, delivery scheduling, improved factory performance, enhanced employee productivity and more responsive customer service. Real-time edge applications enable always-on visibility and monitoring to reduce human error and delays, reconcile exceptions, highlight problem areas and, through appropriate levels of automation, deliver superior customer experience and satisfaction. The integration, simplicity, scalability and low cost of an edge appliance allows for a very low Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and ushers in the era of mass sensor computing at the edge of the network. OMNITROL Networks, Inc. 2063 Landings Drive Mountain View, CA 94043 Tel: 650-625-1400 Fax: 650-625-1414 Email: info@omnitrol.com Raj Saksena/Omnitrol Networks/President and CEO Mr. Saksena, brings over 20 years of real-time distributed systems experience successfully pioneering the evolution and commercialization of next-generation network infrastructure and service deployments. He has served as both a successful entrepreneur as well as a senior executive in business development, operations, and engineering. Prior to founding Omnitrol Networks, Mr. Saksena pioneered key developments in VoIP and broadband networks, as President of NeoVIN Networks, founder of EmpowerTel Networks, and Vice President of Business Development at Lara Technology. Mr. Saksena also held senior management roles in business development, engineering management at Nortel Networks; Cantel/McCaw Cellular (AT&T Wireless); NYNEX/Verizon; AT&T Bell Laboratories (Lucent). Mr. Saksena has a B.S./B.E. Electrical Engineering (Hons) and Computer Science from the City College of New York and NYU. Raj Saksena is the CEO of Omnitrol Networks. He can be reached at rsaksena@omnitrol.com www.omnitrol.com 2004-2006 OMNITROL Networks Inc., All rights reserved. All other registered trademarks and service marks are property of their respective owners.