Joint Optimization of Task Planning and Service Function Chain Scheduling in the UAVs Networks

Natural disasters pose a significant threat to human life. In these extreme conditions, terrestrial networks frequently become incapacitated, hindering the provision of essential communication and computing services required for emergency response efforts. In recent years, the rapid advancement of drone technology, coupled with the maturation of lightweight communication and computing equipment, has led to the emergence of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) networks as a crucial asset in disaster rescue missions. These networks provide significant advantages, including rapid response times, flexible deployment capabilities, and heightened resilience to complex terrains, showcasing considerable potential for further development. UAV networks exemplify resource-constrained systems where efficient scheduling of computing resources is vital. Especially in emergency rescue scenarios, this complexity is exacerbated by the diverse range of tasks, varying demands, and stringent real-time requirements. Effectively managing and allocating the computational resources of drones is essential for maximizing their operational efficiency in response to the intricate dynamics of disaster situations. To improve the computational service efficiency of the network, this paper proposes an emergency rescue UAVs network architecture. Additionally, we investigate a joint optimization approach for task planning and SFC scheduling. Current research on SFC scheduling primarily focuses on ground data center networks, with comparatively limited investigation into UAV networks. Fully considering the mobility of computing nodes, as well as the wireless transmission modes within the aerial environment, we establish a joint optimization model for task planning and SFC scheduling aiming at minimizing the total weighted end-to-end delay. Then we design the A3C based algorithm to learn the optimization strategy. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the superiority of the proposed approach in the aspect of total weighted end to end delay and training time against other benchmark algorithms.