Simple Edge Discovery API0.9.2

Simple Edge Discovery is a CAMARA-compliant API that returns the name of the closest network operator's Edge Computing platform to a user's device. 

Network operators might host multiple Edge Computing (this is also known as MEC or Edge) platforms in a given territory. As a result, network operators will calculate the Edge Computing platform with the shortest network path to the network-attached device identified in the API request. Due to how mobile operator networks are routed, the physical (GPS) location of a user device is not a reliable way to determine the closest Edge Computing platform.

Connecting your application to a server on the closest Edge Computing platform means packets travel the shortest distance between endpoints. This normally results in the lowest round-trip latency.

When you have the name of the closest Edge Computing platform to the user device, you can:

• Connect the application client on the user device to your application server instance on that Edge Computing platform; or
• If you have no instance on that Edge Computing platform, decide to deploy one there.

Note: Before you start, you will need to know the IP address of the server instance. This information is not part of the API response.

CAMARA is an open-source project to publish standardised definitions of telco network APIs that work across multiple networks in a single country.

CAMARA enables easy and seamless access by making the APIs available across telco networks and countries. This approach also simplifies telco network complexity, reduces costs, accelerates technology development, and supports application portability.

Changelog

Beta version for sandbox publication.

Protocol

HTTPS

URLs for Sandbox and Production environments

Sandbox:

https://api-sandbox.vf-dmp.engineering.vodafone.com/eds/v0

Production:

https://api.vf-dmp.engineering.vodafone.com/eds/v0

The API can be called either by an application client hosted on a device attached to the operator network (for example: phone or tablet), or by a server. It returns the name of the closest network operator's Edge Computing platform to a user's device. 

1. An application client hosted on a device attached to the operator network, or a server, makes a request to the API.
2. The API returns:
   
   • Provider: The name of the operator (or cloud provider) of the closest Edge Computing platform to the device.
   • Ern: The name of the closest Edge Computing platform to the user device.
3. The application client on the user device uses this information to connect to the application server instance on that Edge Computing platform.

Note: The device needs to be identifiable by the network. Our implementation requires the IP address to return a location. If an IP address is not provided by the user,  the system takes the sending IP address from the http request and then populates the IP header in the API call.