A Deep Reinforcement Learning with Transformer Integration for Directed Acyclic Graph Scheduling in Edge Networks

The rapid adoption of 5G technology and Internet of things (IoT) devices has fueled significant growth in intelligent applications, increasing their complexity beyond simple task definitions. Scheduling intelligent applications modeled as directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) has thus emerged as a crucial challenge. Our proposed solution is a deep reinforcement learning (DRL) framework that uniquely integrates proximal policy optimization (PPO) with a transformer-based module for scheduling DAG applications. Unlike other approaches that rely on predefined priorities or static optimization algorithms, our approach enables agents to autonomously explore task execution orders and dynamically adapt to changing network resource conditions, learning optimal scheduling strategies. The algorithm leverages transformers to handle complex task dependencies, minimizing application duration and user energy consumption by jointly optimizing application processing order, task priorities, transmit power, offloading decisions, and computational frequency. Through a series of simulations, we prove the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm and demonstrate the performance comparison under different settings, providing a more flexible and robust solution for DAG scheduling in edge networks.