Monitoring and observability
In the previous chapter, we talked about the need for automation to update applications with minimal human interaction. Monitoring, similarly, is key to knowing that edge devices are working properly and that the applications and models deployed on those devices are running. Note that there are two aspects: the physical hardware and the deployed software. The hardware in this case includes not only the various edge devices but also the edge hubs/servers.
Although sometimes used interchangeably, there are subtle differences between monitoring and observability. Based on our findings, in Table 8.1, we list some of the differences between the two:
Monitoring |
Observability |
Reactive in nature, collecting logs |
Proactively interpreting collected data |
Is the system working? |
What is... |