Software-Defined Edge Computing (SDEC): Principles, Open System Architecture and Challenges

摘要

Edge computing is a bridge for realizing the convergence between physical space and cyber space. Large numbers of physical objects produce a huge amount of data that needs to be efficiently processed in the edge side. This situation urgently requires novel ideas and framework in the design and management of edge computing to improve and enhance its performance. In this paper, we propose an approach and principles of Software-Defined Edge Computing (SDEC) from the perspective of cyber-physical mapping, where the ultimate goal is to achieve a highly automatic and autonomous edge computing system. And SDEC can also help realize flexible management and intelligent collaboration among various edge hardware resources and services by way of software. To this end, we design a SDEC-based open edge computing system architecture which decouples upper-level applications from the underlying physical edge resources and builds dynamically reconfigurable smart edge services. This approach can share, reuse and recombine edge resources and services so that overall service capability of the edge side is improved. Finally, we outline several challenges which are worthy of in-depth study and research.