Over-The-Air updates for Software Defined Vehicle services with IPFS

The process of software updates for future autonomous vehicles on the road can be a critical process since they are constantly moving. Therefore, V2X services are susceptible to occasional connectivity interruptions, which can render traditional Over-the-Air (OTA) updates on the Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) concept impractical. By leveraging Mobile Edge Computing, using its Edge Nodes, with the assistance of the distributed protocol InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) and tools like Ansible, an OTA update system was designed to enable agile updates of V2X services under the Fifth Generation (5G) network and current Software Defined Network (SDN). The system enhances the network’s adaptability and minimizes service disruptions, reducing operational costs, and ensuring timely deployment of software patches and feature upgrades. This paper shows the proposed Vehicle to Everything (V2X) OTA updates solution and the tests performed in a real-world environment, the Aveiro Tech City Living Lab City (ATCLL) in Aveiro, Portugal, and shows how the vehicles gather the content blocks through the distributed edge road side units while the vehicles travel around in the different roads. We believe that such an approach can be set as an exemplary standard for modern Smart cities globally, in regard to the V2X service deployment.