Multidimensional Resource Fragmentation-Aware Virtual Network Embedding for IoT Applications in MEC Networks

The proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) applications has led to the interconnection of multiaccess edge computing (MEC) systems through metro optical networks. To cater to these diverse applications, network slicing has become a popular tool for creating specialized virtual networks. However, the uneven utilization of multidimensional resources can result in resource fragmentation, thereby reducing the utilization of limited edge resources. This article focuses on mitigating multidimensional resource fragmentation in virtual network embedding (VNE) to maximize the profit of the infrastructure provider (InP). The problem is converted into a bilevel optimization problem, taking into account the interdependence between virtual node embedding and virtual link embedding. To solve this problem, we propose a nested bilevel VNE approach named BiVNE. BiVNE leverages an ant colony system (ACS) algorithm for the upper layer problem and utilizes the Dijkstra algorithm and an exact-fit spectrum slot assignment method for the lower layer problem. Evaluation results demonstrate that BiVNE can greatly improve the profit of the InP by increasing the acceptance ratio and avoiding resource fragmentation simultaneously.