Enabling a Scalable and Adaptive Cloud Infrastructure for Virtual Users in the Social Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a global network of intelligent interconnected objects, enabling remote recognition, detection, and control. Through virtualization, these devices exchange knowledge in the Cloud, bridging physical and virtual worlds. However, the rapid growth in connected objects and data production necessitates innovative system designs. While virtualization offers scalability and flexibility, it proves insufficient alone. Recent studies recommend integrating social network concepts into IoT, forming the Social Internet of Things (SIoT). SIoT, mirroring human social networks, enhances smart devices with relational capabilities, addressing challenges in managing the surge in connected devices. This paper introduces the “Virtual User” concept-an autonomous entity streamlining user-device interactions in the digital realm. The research proposes, elucidates, and evaluates a Cloud infrastructure integrating the Virtual User into the SIoT paradigm. This novel approach offers a modular, extendable, and secure communication platform, marking the first Cloud solution tailored for the Virtual User concept, leveraging SIoT virtualization through containerization and automated service setup processes.