Fog computing: Data analytics and cloud distributed processing on the network edges

The term fog computing was coined in 2012. However, the concept of pushing data and application logic to the network edges is not a novelty. Similar proposals were observed with edge computing, from the early 2000s, and cloudlets, from 2009. In fact, the cloudlet concept is a subset of edge computing applied to mobile networks and the fog concept is a subset of edge computing applied to Internet of Things (IoT). This paper demystifies these concepts and provides a comprehensive survey of references from academia and industry. It analyzes the terminology and dimensions of performance, security, and governance, based on a taxonomy proposed and presented in the paper. In addition we provide a thorough analysis of related topics, identifying the main research areas correlated to edge computing. Finally, we draw conclusions regarding the state of the art and the future of edge computing.