A Survey for Blockchain-Enabled Resource Management in Edge Networks

Abstract

As more people and devices come online with the rapid growth of the internet, the need for secure and efficient network resource management becomes increasingly important. The boom of these connections on Next Generation Wireless Networks through the advent of technologies like the Internet of Things has changed the landscape of traditional edge networks. This necessitates a drastic change in the existing edge network infrastructure. As these devices come online, make requests, and go offline, the allocation and management of edge network resources become paramount. Blockchain, with its growing popularity, presents itself as a potential solution. The inherent features of blockchain, such as decentralization, transparency, security, and immutability, make it possible for network providers to manage network resources efficiently. This survey paper delves into the diverse applications of blockchain in edge network resource management, offering a comprehensive discussion of its potential to revolutionize network infrastructure. Unlike other surveys, we focus this work on three specific contexts of blockchain integration for network resource management: Cloud and Edge Computing, Radio Access Networks in Next Generation Wireless Networks, Reinforcement Learning, and Federated Learning. We provide an extensive analysis of recent research advances in these areas, and the main findings are highlighted. Understanding the current use of blockchain and network resource management opens the door to new research and more efficient and secure networks. The open research issues that arise from the combination of blockchain with the management of edge network resources are identified. Finally, the future directions to fuel innovative research are presented in this survey.