Router-Based Brokering for Surrogate Discovery in Edge Computing

In-network processing pushes computational capabilities closer to the edge of the network, enabling new kinds of location-aware, real-time applications, while preserving bandwidth in the core network. This is done by offloading computations to more powerful or energy-efficient surrogates that are opportunistically available at the network edge. In mobile and heterogeneous usage contexts, the question arises how a client can discover the most appropriate surrogate in the network for offloading a task. In this paper, we propose a brokering mechanism that matches a client with the best available surrogate, based on specified requirements and capabilities. The broker is implemented on standard home routers, and thus, leverages the ubiquity of such devices in urban environments. To motivate the feasibility of this approach, we conduct a coverage analysis based on collected access point locations in a major city. Furthermore, the brokering functionality introduces only a minimal resource overhead on the routers and can significantly reduce the latency compared to distant, cloud-based solutions.