Decentralized Caching Framework Toward Edge Network Based on Blockchain

Edge cache service (ECS), as a prospective edge network service paradigm, can significantly reduce the data transmission latency and improve the Quality of Service (QoS) of digital content providers by offloading content data to edge devices in the network. Compared to centralized content service, ECS can provide digital content from nearby edge devices via a high-speed wireless network with fewer hops. However, how to motivate edge devices to share their cache resource and ensure the reliability of content data under the diversity of device behavior remains a challenging issue. In this article, we aim to design an ECS framework for cache resource trading and digital content sharing in the edge network. By using blockchain-based credentials, we first provide the cache resource trading mechanism for the trading between the content provider and edge devices. Then, we give a double auction mechanism for digital content trading between edge devices. The experimental results show the proposed framework can greatly improve the matching efficiency of cache resources and reduce the data transmission overhead in edge networks.