Zeus: A resource allocation algorithm for the cloud of sensors

Abstract

The cloud of sensors (CoS) paradigm brings together cloud computing, edge computing and wireless sensor and actuator networks (WSAN) in the form of a three-tier CoS architecture. By employing CoS virtualization, a set of virtual nodes (VNs) is made available to applications, decoupling them from the CoS infrastructure. Assigning VNs to application requests, in order to timely and efficiently meet application requirements, gives rise to the challenge of resource allocation in CoS. In this work, we formulate the problem of resource allocation in CoS and propose Zeus, a hybrid (partly-decentralized) algorithm for solving it. Zeus has two key features. First, it is able to identify requests that are common for multiple applications and perform only once their required tasks, sharing the results among the applications for saving resources. Second, its hybrid approach leveraging edge computing, makes Zeus scalable in terms of the number of VNs and applications supported, and suitable for meeting delay-sensitive applications.