Edge Computing: A Comprehensive Survey of Current Initiatives and a Roadmap for a Sustainable Edge Computing Development
Andrea Hamm, Alexander Willner, Ina Schieferdecker
Abstract
Edge Computing is a new distributed Cloud Computing paradigm in which computing and storage capabilities are pushed to the topological edge of a network.However, various standards and implementations are promoted by different initiatives.Lead by a reference architecture model for Edge Computing, current initiatives are analyzed by explorative content analysis.Providing two main contributions to the field, we present, first, how current initiatives are characterized, and second, a roadmap for sustainable Edge Computing relating three dimensions of sustainable development to four cross-concerns of Edge Computing.Findings show that most initiatives are internationally organized software development projects; important branches are currently telecom and industrial sectors; most addressed is the network virtualization layer.The roadmap reveals numerous chances and risks of Edge Computing related to sustainable development; such as the use of renewable energies, biases, new business models, increase and decrease of energy consumption, responsiveness, monitoring and traceability.