IPA FE Subject A 2023 Question 4

Primary processing close to where the data originates — edge computing moves processing from a distant centre to servers near the sensors and devices, cutting latency.

Sending every sensor reading to a central cloud adds network delay and load. Edge computing places servers at the edge of the network, near the devices, to filter, aggregate or act on the data at once; only results or summaries travel on to the cloud. That suits real-time uses such as factory control, vehicles and wearable devices.

Answer (b)

Why not others:

• •(a) — describes a rich client (RIA): screen creation and data processing move to the client for a more expressive UI
• •(c) — describes grid computing: many machines combined into one virtual high-performance computer
• •(d) — describes serverless computing: resources are allocated only while a request is being processed

Key rule: Edge computing is about location, near the data source for low latency; the cloud centralises processing for scale, and the two are usually combined.

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