Priority-Based Service Provision Using Blockchain, Caching, Reputation and Duplication in Edge-Cloud Environments

The integration of Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) and Dense Small Cell (DSC) infrastructures within 5G and beyond networks marks a substantial leap forward in communication technologies. This convergence is critical for meeting the stringent low latency demands of services delivered to Smart Devices (SDs) through lightweight containers. This paper introduces a novel split-duplicate-cache technique seamlessly embedded within a secure blockchain-based edge-cloud architecture. Our primary objective is to significantly shorten the service initiation durations in high density conditions of SDs and ENs. This is executed by meticulously gathering, verifying, and combining the most optimal chunk candidates. Concurrently, we ensure that resource allocation for services within targeted ENs is meticulously evaluated for every service request. The system challenges and decisions are modeled then represented as a mixed-integer nonlinear optimization problem. To tackle this intricate problem, three solutions are developed and evaluated: the Brute-Force Search Algorithm (BFS-CDCA) for small-scale environments, the Simulated Annealing-Based Heuristic (SACDCA) and the Markov Approximation-Based Solution (MACDCA) for complex, high-dimensional environments. A comparative analysis of these methods is conducted in terms of solution quality, computational efficiency, and scalability to assess their performance and identify the most suitable approach for different problem instances.