Edge computing system

1. A method of traffic reduction in a mesh bandwidth-constrained wireless computing system operably coupled to a central registry holding images, the mesh bandwidth-constrained wireless computing system comprising hosts located on edge nodes of the mesh bandwidth-constrained wireless computing system and configured to create containers from the images, the method comprising, at a first host located at a first edge node of the mesh bandwidth-constrained wireless computing system:

receiving a request from a client for an image;

sending a request for the image to at least one other host of the mesh bandwidth-constrained wireless computing system;

when the first host receives notification that at least a second host holds the image, the first host performs:

calculating a first value of a cost metric that indicates resources required to download the image, for a first route over which the image could be downloaded to the first host;

calculating a second value of the cost metric for a second route over which the image could be downloaded to the first host;

comparing the first value of the cost metric and the second value of the cost metric, to identify a lower of the first value of the cost metric and the second value of the cost metric;

selecting the first route when the first value of the cost metric is lower or selecting the second route when the second value of the cost metric is lower;

downloading the image over at least one wireless link of the selected route from the second host to the first host; and

when the first host does not receive notification that at least a second host holds the image, downloading the image from the central registry to the first host; and

creating a container from the image.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first host comprises a registry agent; the method further comprising, at the registry agent:

receiving a request from the client for the image;

recognizing the request for the image, before the request reaches the first host;

downloading the image from the second host, and

storing the image in a repository of the first host.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the second host comprises an Application Programming Interface, API, and a registry, the method further comprising, at the first host:

requesting the image from the API of the second host, and

downloading the image from a registry of the second host.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the first host comprises a local registry comprising an Application Programming Interface, API; the method further comprising at the API of the first host:

intercepting and stopping the request to the central registry for the image;

downloading the image from the second host, and

storing the downloaded image in a repository of the first host.

5. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising:

overriding the intercepted request to the central registry for the image from the central registry, before transmission of the request for the image; and

generating a command to download the image from the second host, when the first host receives notification that the second host holds the image.

6. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising, at the first host, accessing the downloaded image via an API pull command when any other host sends a command to the first host for the image.

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising, at the first host:

requesting the image from an Application Programming Interface, API of the second host, and

downloading the image from a registry of the second host.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first route and the second route comprises one or more wireless links; and wherein for each route, the cost metric uses at least one of the following parameters:

(i) a number of links over which the image must be transmitted;

(ii) a communication link quality of each of the links;

(iii) a loading on any intermediate edge nodes on the route that would result from downloading the image;

(iv) a loading of each link;

(v) a financial cost of transmitting on each link.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein when a route comprises two or more wireless links, the method further comprises:

calculating the cost metric in accordance with any of (i), (ii) or (iv); evaluating the parameter for each link in the route; and

combining the evaluated parameters for each link in the route to calculate a total cost metric for the route.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, when at least a second host and a third host of the at least one other host holds the image:

calculating the first value of the cost metric, for a first route over which the image could be downloaded to the first host from the second host;

calculating the second value of the cost metric, for a second route over which the image could be downloaded to the first host from the third host; and

selecting the second host to provide the image over the first route when the first value of the cost metric is lower; or

selecting the third host to provide the image over the second route when the second value of the cost metric is lower.

11. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising receiving the image from the second host using tape archive, tar, or a file transport protocol, ftp.

12. A node of a bandwidth-constrained wireless mesh computing system operably coupled to a central registry holding images, the node comprising a registry agent and a host comprising a local registry comprising an Application Programming Interface, API, wherein the host is configured to:

receive a request from a client for an image;

send a request for the image to at least one other host of the bandwidth-constrained wireless mesh computing system;

and when the host receives notification that at least a second host holds the image, the host:

calculates a first value of a cost metric that indicates resources required to download the image, for a first route over which the image could be downloaded to the host;

calculates a second value of the cost metric for a second route over which the image could be downloaded to the host;

compares the first value of the cost metric and the second value of the cost metric, to identify a lower of the first value of the cost metric and the second value of the cost metric;

selects the first route when the first value of the cost metric is lower or selecting the second route when the second value of the cost metric is lower;

download the image from a second host over at least one wireless link of the selected route;

and when the host does not receive notification that at least a second host holds the image, download the image from the central registry located outside the bandwidth-constrained wireless mesh computing system; and

create a container from the image.

13. The node according to claim 12 , wherein the host comprises a registry agent configured to:

receive a request from the client for the image;

recognize the request for the image, before the request reaches the host; download the image from the second host; and

store the image in a repository of the host.

14. The node according to claim 12 , wherein the host comprises a local registry, the local registry comprising an API and wherein the host is further configured to:

issue a request to the central registry for the image;

and wherein the API of the local registry is configured to:

intercept and stop the request to the central registry for the image; and

download the image from the second host, and

store the image in a repository of the host.

15. A bandwidth-constrained wireless mesh computing system comprising a node operably coupled to a central registry holding images, the node comprising a registry agent and a host comprising a local registry comprising an Application Programming Interface, API, wherein the host is configured to:

receive a request from a client for an image;

send a request for the image to at least one other host of the bandwidth-constrained wireless mesh computing system;

and when the host receives notification that at least a second host holds the image, the host:

calculates a first value of a cost metric that indicates resources required to download the image, for a first route over which the image could be downloaded to the host;

calculates a second value of the cost metric for a second route over which the image could be downloaded to the host;

compares the first value of the cost metric and the second value of the cost metric, to identify a lower of the first value of the cost metric and the second value of the cost metric;

selects the first route when the first value of the cost metric is lower or selecting the second route when the second value of the cost metric is lower;

download the image from a second host over at least one wireless link of the selected route; and

when the host does not receive notification that at least a second host holds the image, download the image from the central registry located outside the bandwidth-constrained wireless mesh computing system; and

create a container from the image.

16. The node according to claim 15 , wherein each of the first route and the second route comprises one or more wireless links; and wherein for each route, the cost metric uses at least one of the following parameters:

(i) a number of links over which the image must be transmitted;

(ii) a communication link quality of each of the links;

(iii) a loading on any intermediate edge nodes on the route that would result from downloading the image;

(iv) a loading of each link;

(v) a financial cost of transmitting on each link.

17. The node according to claim 16 , wherein when a route comprises two or more wireless links, the host is configured to:

calculate the cost metric in accordance with any of (i), (ii) or (iv);

evaluate the parameter for each link in the route; and

combine the evaluated parameters for each link in the route to calculate a total cost metric for the route.

18. The node according to claim 15 , further comprising, when at least a second host and a third host of the at least one other host holds the image, the host is configured to:

calculate the first value of the cost metric, for a first route over which the image could be downloaded to the host from the second host;

calculate the second value of the cost metric, for a second route over which the image could be downloaded to the host from the third host; and

select the second host to provide the image over the first route when the first value of the cost metric is lower; or

select the third host to provide the image over the second route when the second value of the cost metric is lower.

19. The node according to claim 15 , further comprising the host being configured to:

override the intercepted request to the central registry for the image from the central registry, before transmission of the request for the image; and

generate a command to download the image from the second host, when the host receives notification that the second host holds the image.

20. The node according to claim 15 , further comprising the host being configured to receive the image from the second host using one of:

tape archive, tar, a file transport protocol, ftp.