Method and apparatus for downloading an application to an edge computing system
An edge computing system comprises an application store, an edge server and a cloud computing system comprising a backend server. The edge server is configured to receive an application from the application store with additional information defining capabilities of the edge server that are required for the application to run on the edge server and/or capabilities of devices connected to the edge server. The edge server determines whether the application can run, and indicates the result to the application store. The edge server keeps a record of applications that can start to run and/or continue to run, when the edge server is or becomes disconnected from the cloud computing system. The application store keeps records of successful application downloads, and of edge servers that indicated they could not run applications.
1. An edge computing system, comprising:
an application store running on a backend server;
an edge server, operably coupled to the application store, the edge server configured to:
receive additional information related to an application to be run on the edge server from the application store, the additional information defining hardware capabilities required for the application to run on the edge server;
determine whether the edge server has the hardware capabilities required to run the application;
indicate to the application store that the edge server does not have the hardware capabilities required to run the application, when the edge server does not have the hardware capabilities required to run the application; and
indicate to the application store that the edge server has the hardware capabilities required to run the application, when the edge server has the hardware capabilities required to run the application; and
download the application to the edge server.
2. The edge computing system of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one device connected to the edge server;
the additional information defining hardware capabilities of the at least one device connected to the edge server required for the application to run on the edge server;
the edge server being configured to:
determine whether the at least one device has the hardware capabilities required for the application to run;
indicate to the application store that the at least one device has the hardware capabilities required for the application to run, when the at least one device has the hardware capabilities required for the application to run; and
indicate to the application store that the at least one device does not have the hardware capabilities required for the application to run, when the at least one device does not have the hardware capabilities required for the application to run.
3. The edge computing system of claim 2 , further comprising the edge server being configured to: complete download of the application, when the at least one device has the hardware capabilities required for the application to run on the edge server.
4. The edge computing system of claim 1 , further comprising the edge server being configured to:
complete download of the application, in response to the edge server having determined that it has the hardware capabilities required for the application to run on the edge server; and
reject the download of the application, in response to the edge server having determined that it does not have the hardware capabilities required for the application to run on the edge server.
5. The edge computing system of claim 1 , wherein a cloud computing system comprises the backend server, the edge computing system further comprising the edge server being configured to:
maintain a first record of applications that can start to run when the edge server is disconnected from the cloud computing system;
maintain a second record of applications that can continue to run when the edge server becomes disconnected from the cloud computing system;
when the edge server is disconnected from the cloud computing system, check the first record and only start the application in response to a request to start the application, if the first record indicates that the application can start; and
when the edge server becomes disconnected from the cloud computing system, check the second record and close applications that cannot continue to run when the edge server becomes disconnected.
6. An application store, the application store configured to:
store an application for download to at least one edge server over a cloud computing system;
store additional information for the application, the additional information related to an application to be run on the edge server and comprising hardware capabilities required of the at least one edge server in order for the at least one edge server to run the application;
send the additional information to the at least one edge server, either before or at the same time as sending the application to the at least one edge server; and
receive an indication from the at least one edge server whether or not the at least one edge server has the hardware capabilities required to run the application.
7. The application store of claim 6 , wherein the application store is further configured to:
store further additional information for the application, the further additional information comprising hardware capabilities required of at least one device connected to the at least one edge server in order for the at least one edge server to run the application; and
receive an indication from the at least one edge server whether or not the at least one device has the hardware capabilities required in order for the edge server to run the application.
8. The application store of claim 7 , the application store further configured to maintain a register of:
a) edge servers that have successfully received applications from the application store, and the applications downloaded to those edge servers;
b) edge servers that have indicated that the at least one device does not have the hardware capabilities required to run applications.
9. The application store of claim 6 , the application store further configured to: complete download of the application to the at least one edge server over the cloud computing system, when the indication is that the at least one edge server has the hardware capabilities required to run the application.
10. The application store of claim 6 , the application store further configured to maintain a register of:
a) edge servers that have successfully received applications from the application store, and applications downloaded to those edge servers;
b) edge servers that have indicated that they do not have the hardware capabilities required to run applications.
11. An edge server operably coupled to an application store and configured to:
receive an application from the application store;
receive additional information related to an application to be run on the edge server from the application store, the additional information defining hardware capabilities required for the application to run on the edge server;
determine whether the edge server has the hardware capabilities required to run the application; and
indicate to the application store whether the edge server does not have the hardware capabilities required to run the application, when the edge server does not have the hardware capabilities required to run the application; and
indicate to the application store that the edge server has the hardware capabilities required to run the application, when the edge server has the hardware capabilities required to run and download the application to the edge server.
12. The edge server of claim 11 , further comprising:
at least one device connected to the edge server, the additional information further defining hardware capabilities of the at least one device required for the application to run on the edge server; the edge server being configured to:
a) determine whether the at least one device has the hardware capabilities required for the application to run;
b) indicate to the application store whether the at least one device has the hardware capabilities required for the application to run.
13. The edge server of claim 12 , further comprising the edge server being configured to: complete download of the application, when the at least one device has the hardware capabilities required for the application to run on the edge server.
14. The edge server of claim 11 , further comprising the edge server being configured to: complete download of the application, when the edge server has the hardware capabilities required for the application to run on the edge server.