Container-Aware Service Function Chains Placement and Optimization in Vehicular Edge Computing
Kaixin Zhang, Shihong Hu, Zhihao Qu, Baoliu Ye · 2024
In the domain of Vehicular Edge Computing (VEC), this paper addresses the complex problem of Service Function Chain (SFC) placement, which is crucial for the efficient deployment of cloud applications in vehicular environments. Our approach leverages Virtual Network Function (VNF) technology, transitioning network services from traditional hardware to more flexible, container-based edge computing frameworks. The primary objective is to organize these VNFs into functional SFCs, thereby minimizing service delays in VEC systems. SFC placement faces two significant challenges. The first is the sequential dependency among VNFs within an SFC, which adds substantial complexity to container deployment. The second challenge is the cold start delay of VNF containers, a critical issue in scenarios requiring swift response times, which negatively impacts service quality in VEC applications. To address these challenges, we propose a comprehensive model for SFC placement that considers the deployment status of VNF containers, acknowledging the complexity of this NP-hard problem. The core of our contribution is the development of the Single SFC Placement Algorithm (SSPA), a sophisticated, greedy-based approach designed for the effective placement of individual SFCs. We enhance this algorithm by incorporating a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) technique, making it capable of efficiently handling the placement of multiple SFCs. Our solution aims to improve edge resource utilization and mitigate startup delays associated with the initial activation of containers, thereby reducing service delays. Extensive experimental evaluations demonstrate that our algorithm achieves a 34.3% average reduction in service delay compared to four baselines and a 5.8% average reduction compared to other container-aware algorithms.