Mobility-aware hierarchical fog computing framework for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoTs) is an emerging area that forms the collaborative environment for devices to share resources. In IIoT, many sensors, actuators, and other devices are used to improve industrial efficiency. As most of the devices are mobile; therefore, the impact of mobility can be seen in terms of low-device utilization. Thus, most of the time, the available resources are underutilized. Therefore, the inception of the fog computing model in IIoT has reduced the communication delay in executing complex tasks. However, it is not feasible to cover the entire region through fog nodes; therefore, fog node selection and placement is still the challenging task. This paper proposes a multi-level hierarchical fog node deployment model for the industrial environment. Moreover, the scheme utilized the IoT devices as a fog node; however, the selection depends on energy, path/location, network properties, storage, and available computing resources. Therefore, the scheme used the location-aware module before engaging the device for task computation. The framework is evaluated in terms of memory, CPU, scalability, and system efficiency; also compared with the existing approach in terms of task acceptance rate. The scheme is compared with xFogSim framework that is capable to handle workload upto 1000 devices. However, the task acceptance ratio is higher in the proposed framework due to its multi-tier model. The workload acceptance ratio is 85% reported with 3000 devices; whereas, in xFogsim the ratio is reduced to approx. 68%. The primary reason for high workload acceptation is that the proposed solution utilizes the unused resources of the user devices for computations

Control over the Cloud : Offloading, Elastic Computing, and Predictive Control

The thesis studies the use of cloud native software and platforms to implement critical closed loop control. It considers technologies that provide low latency and reliable wireless communication, in terms of edge clouds and massive MIMO, but also approaches industrial IoT and the services of a distributed cloud, as an extension of commercial-of-the-shelf software and systems.First, the thesis defines the cloud control challenge, as control over the cloud and controller offloading. This is followed by a demonstration of closed loop control, using MPC, running on a testbed representing the distributed cloud.The testbed is implemented using an IoT device, clouds, next generation wireless technology, and a distributed execution platform. Platform details are provided and feasibility of the approach is shown. Evaluation includes relocating an on-line MPC to various locations in the distributed cloud. Offloaded control is examined next, through further evaluation of cloud native software and frameworks. This is followed by three controller designs, tailored for use with the cloud. The first controller solves MPC problems in parallel, to implement a variable horizon controller. The second is a hierarchical design, in which rate switching is used to implement constrained control, with a local and a remote mode. The third design focuses on reliability. Here, the MPC problem is extended to include recovery paths that represent a fallback mode. This is used by a control client if it experiences connectivity issues.An implementation is detailed and examined.In the final part of the thesis, the focus is on latency and congestion. A cloud control client can experience long and variable delays, from network and computations, and used services can become overloaded. These problems are approached by using predicted control inputs, dynamically adjusting the control frequency, and using horizontal scaling of the cloud service. Several examples are shown through simulation and on real clouds, including admitting control clients into a cluster that becomes temporarily overloaded

AORTA: Advanced Offloading for Real-time Applications

We are currently witnessing the second wave of cloud services that go beyond web storefronts and IT systems, aiming for digitalization of industrial systems. Automation and time-sensitive systems are now taking their first steps toward the cloud. The AORTA project aims to facilitate this transition by providing key technology components needed for real-time services running in the cloud. The ambition is to support a future robotics ecosystem that enables a new level of flexible productivity in industrial production. AORTA will develop technologies that allow offloading of real-time services/functions to the edge and cloud. We will build upon recent advances in 5G, cloud, and networking technologies. The AORTA framework will support a fluid compute model where functionality will be dynamically deployed locally, in the edge, or in the cloud and support integration and real-time performance irrespective of where it executes. Results of the project will be demonstrated in a real-world robotics manufacturing and construction scenarios operating via a 5G network with real-time edge and large-scale cloud service. The AORTA technologies will provide opportunities for automation enterprises and system integrators by adding real-time capabilities needed to evolve beyond the currently closed ecosystem. They will also add value to telecom providers and operators that may host these new automation services in addition to their current portfolio

Leveraging context-awareness to better support the IoT cloud-edge continuum

Novel Internet of Things (IoT) requirements derived from a broader interconnection of heterogeneous devices have pushed the horizons of Cloud computing and are giving rise to a wider decentralisation of applications and data centers. An answer to the underlying network concerns, such as the need to lower the resulting latency due to heavy computation needs, or safety aspects, gave rise to Edge/Fog computing, where IoT functionality can be also supported closer to data sources. While it is today feasible to perform some IoT functionality on the Edge, the orchestration of operations between Edge and Cloud requires an automated support, where context-awareness plays a key role in assisting the network in deciding when and where to store data and to perform computation. This work is focused on the application of context-awareness to support a smoother operation of the Edge to Cloud operation, aiming at lowering latency, in particular when real-time or close-to-real-time data exchange is present.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A Survey on Data Plane Programming with P4: Fundamentals, Advances, and Applied Research

With traditional networking, users can configure control plane protocols to match the specific network configuration, but without the ability to fundamentally change the underlying algorithms. With SDN, the users may provide their own control plane, that can control network devices through their data plane APIs. Programmable data planes allow users to define their own data plane algorithms for network devices including appropriate data plane APIs which may be leveraged by user-defined SDN control. Thus, programmable data planes and SDN offer great flexibility for network customization, be it for specialized, commercial appliances, e.g., in 5G or data center networks, or for rapid prototyping in industrial and academic research. Programming protocol-independent packet processors (P4) has emerged as the currently most widespread abstraction, programming language, and concept for data plane programming. It is developed and standardized by an open community and it is supported by various software and hardware platforms. In this paper, we survey the literature from 2015 to 2020 on data plane programming with P4. Our survey covers 497 references of which 367 are scientific publications. We organize our work into two parts. In the first part, we give an overview of data plane programming models, the programming language, architectures, compilers, targets, and data plane APIs. We also consider research efforts to advance P4 technology. In the second part, we analyze a large body of literature considering P4-based applied research. We categorize 241 research papers into different application domains, summarize their contributions, and extract prototypes, target platforms, and source code availability.Comment: Submitted to IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials (COMS) on 2021-01-2

Integrating Edge Computing and Software Defined Networking in Internet of Things: A Systematic Review

The Internet of Things (IoT) has transformed our interaction with the world by connecting devices, sensors, and systems to the Internet, enabling real-time monitoring, control, and automation in various applications such as smart cities, healthcare, transportation, homes, and grids. However, challenges related to latency, privacy, and bandwidth have arisen due to the massive influx of data generated by IoT devices and the limitations of traditional cloud-based architectures. Moreover, network management, interoperability, security, and scalability issues have emerged due to the rapid growth and heterogeneous nature of IoT devices. To overcome such problems, researchers proposed a new architecture called Software Defined Networking for Edge Computing in the Internet of Things (SDN-EC-IoT), which combines Edge Computing for the Internet of Things (EC-IoT) and Software Defined Internet of Things (SDIoT). Although researchers have studied EC-IoT and SDIoT as individual architectures, they have not yet addressed the combination of both, creating a significant gap in our understanding of SDN-EC-IoT. This paper aims to fill this gap by presenting a comprehensive review of how the SDN-EC-IoT paradigm can solve IoT challenges. To achieve this goal, this study conducted a literature review covering 74 articles published between 2019 and 2023. Finally, this paper identifies future research directions for SDN-EC-IoT, including the development of interoperability platforms, scalable architectures, low latency and Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees, efficient handling of big data, enhanced security and privacy, optimized energy consumption, resource-aware task offloading, and incorporation of machine learnin

AI-powered edge computing evolution for beyond 5G communication networks

Edge computing is a key enabling technology that is expected to play a crucial role in beyond 5G (B5G) and 6G communication networks. By bringing computation closer to where the data is generated, and leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities for advanced automation and orchestration, edge computing can enable a wide range of emerging applications with extreme requirements in terms of latency and computation, across multiple vertical domains. In this context, this paper first discusses the key technological challenges for the seamless integration of edge computing within B5G/6G and then presents a roadmap for the edge computing evolution, proposing a novel design approach for an open, intelligent, trustworthy, and distributed edge architecture.VERGE has received funding from the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) under the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 101096034.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft