A Blockchain-Enabled Multi Domain Edge Computing Orchestrator

Abstract

Today, management and orchestration are considered prime components of the new network management layer. Multi-domain orchestration has helped in simplifying infrastructural operations and enables better scaling and faster deployment of network services. However, resource provisioning considering network optimization and fulfillment of multi-constraint quality of service (QoS) is still a major concern. In this article, an architecture comprising multi-domain edge orchestration (MDEO) entrusted by blockchain designed to solve the problem of multi-constraint QoS is proposed. A dynamic end-to-end (E2E) network slicing algorithm is devised to execute at the MDEO to enable multi-tenant on-demand network infrastructure provisioning isolation and security. The algorithm first calculates an optimum network slice topology and then instantiates the involved virtual network functions. Based on multi-constraint QoS, it fulfills the E2E slice request. Blockchain is deployed to ensure trustworthiness between different telecom operators, introduce transparency and to automate the fulfillment of service-level agreements through smart contracts. In addition, an experimental simulation of the system is performed and the burst and response times of the proposed framework are analyzed using different distributions. The data in both cases demonstrates a lognormal distributed behavior.