MESON: Optimized Cross-Slice Communication for Edge Computing

Network slicing is set out to address crucial needs of 5G, including support for multi-service provisioning. Focusing on resource and performance isolation, as well as security concerns associated with multi-tenancy, existing management and orchestration (MANO) frameworks typically offer network slices in the form of isolated bundles of computing, storage, and network resources across the network infrastructure, including the edge. However, network slice instantiation in its prevailing form raises significant concerns related to performance and resource utilization, hindering potential business-to-business (B2B) synergies. In this article, we discuss a new aspect of network slicing, optimized cross-slice communication (CSC). We argue that multi-tenancy and service co-location open up unique opportunities for B2B interactions, inter-service communications, and service composition, especially in the domain of edge computing and location-based services. In this context, we present optiMized Edge Slice OrchestratioN (MESON), a MANO-based architecture for optimized CSC in edge clouds. We discuss the main architecture components and descriptors, as well as the steps required for the discovery of CSC-enabled services and the establishment of optimized CSC among co-located slices.