Networking models and protocols for/on edge computing

Edge computing is a distributed computing paradigm which brings the computing infrastructure at the edge of the network and close to the users in order to reduce the latency and improve the user experience. It is the realisation of a concept of an intermediate layer between the users and cloud computing infrastructure to accommodate explosive growth of data generated by underlying user devices and to process it with lesser response time than cloud computing systems. Mobile network operators are the potential providers of edge computing as a service by using the infrastructure of their service networks existing in close proximity to users. In order to establish the synergy between the devices or resources of user end, edge layer and cloud layer, a thorough understanding of networking models and communication protocols is required. This will help the researchers and system designers to design optimised and efficient edge computing systems, which will improve the user experience with minimum incurred costs. This chapter provides an overview of networking/reference models and the corresponding communication protocols for edge computing systems. First, the chapter starts with a layered system architecture representing interaction between the user devices with cloud computing infrastructure via fog layer followed by reference models corresponding to each layer. Description of communication protocols corresponding to each reference model is also provided besides a taxonomy classifying all the discussed communication protocols on the basis of their characteristics.