HomeCloud: An edge cloud framework and testbed for new application delivery

Conventional centralized cloud computing is a success for benefits such as on-demand, elasticity, and high colocation of data and computation. However, the paradigm shift towards “Internet of things” (IoT) will pose some unavoidable challenges: (1) massive data volume impossible for centralized datacenters to handle; (2) high latency between edge “things” and centralized datacenters; (3) monopoly, inhibition of innovations, and non-portable applications due to the proprietary application delivery in centralized cloud. The emergence of edge cloud gives hope to address these challenges. In this paper, we propose a new framework called “HomeCloud” focusing on an open and efficient new application delivery in edge cloud integrating two complementary technologies: Network Function Virtualization (NFV) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN). We also present a preliminary proof-of-concept testbed demonstrating the whole process of delivering a simple multi-party chatting application in the edge cloud. In the future, the HomeCloud framework can be further extended to support other use cases that demand portability, cost-efficiency, scalability, flexibility, and manageability. To the best of our knowledge, this framework is the first effort aiming at facilitating new application delivery in such a new edge cloud context.