A Blockchain Framework for Secure Task Sharing in Multi-Access Edge Computing

In the context of Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC), the task sharing mechanism among edge servers is an activity of vital importance for speeding up the computing process and thereby improving the user experience. The distributed resources in the form of edge servers are expected to collaborate with each other in order to boost overall performance of a MEC system. However, there are many challenges to adopt global collaboration among the edge computing server entities and two of them are especially significant: ensuring trust among the servers and developing a unified scheme to enable real-time collaboration and task sharing. In this article, a blockchain framework is proposed to provide a trusted collaboration mechanism among edge servers in a MEC environment. In particular, a permissioned blockchain scheme is investigated to support a trusted design that also provides incentives for collaboration. Finally, Caliper tool and Hyperledger Fabric benchmarks are used to conduct an experimental evaluation of the proposed blockchain scheme embebbed in a MEC framework.

Automated summary

In the context of a Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) system, a task sharing mechanism among edge servers is essential for efficiency, but faces challenges in trust and real-time collaboration. This article introduces a blockchain framework with a permissioned scheme to address these challenges and provide incentives for collaboration among edge servers in a MEC environment. Experimental evaluation using Caliper tool and Hyperledger Fabric benchmarks demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed blockchain scheme within the MEC framework.