WASM Edge Computing: Introduction
WASM Edge Computing: Introduction
Part of: WASM Edge Computing User Guide
What is Edge Computing?
Edge computing brings computation and data storage closer to users by distributing workloads across geographically distributed servers. Instead of routing all requests to centralized data centers, edge computing processes data at the “edge” of the network, near the end user.
Why Database at the Edge?
Traditional databases face fundamental latency challenges:
- Network Distance: Speed of light limits - data traveling from California to Australia takes ~60ms minimum
- Round Trips: Each database query requires network round trips
- Contention: Centralized resources create bottlenecks
- Regional Compliance: Data sovereignty requirements
HeliosDB’s Edge Solution:
- Local Reads: <1ms latency from in-memory edge cache
- Global Writes: <100ms propagation using CRDTs
- Automatic Failover: Instant rerouting on failures
- Multi-CDN: 6 providers for 99.99%+ availability
Key Benefits
| Feature | Traditional DB | HeliosDB Edge |
|---|---|---|
| Read Latency | 50-500ms | <5ms (P99) |
| Global Locations | 1-5 regions | 50+ locations |
| CDN Providers | None | 6 providers |
| Failover Time | 30-300s | <1s automatic |
| Cache Tiers | 1-2 | 3-tier (L1/L2/L3) |
| Consistency | Strong | 4 models available |
| Geographic Routing | Manual | Automatic |
Navigation
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- Related: Edge Architecture