Load Balancing (LB) is one of the most important tasks required to maximize network performance, scalability and robustness. Nowadays, with the emergence of Software-Defined Networking (SDN), LB for SDN has become a very important issue. SDN decouples the control plane from the data forwarding plane to implement centralized control of the whole network. LB assigns the network traffic to the resources in such a way that no one resource is overloaded and therefore the overall performance is maximized. The Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithm has been recognized to be effective for LB of SDN among several existing optimization algorithms. The convergence latency and searching optimal solution are the key criteria of ACO. In this paper, a novel dynamic LB scheme that integrates genetic algorithm (GA) with ACO for further enhancing the performance of SDN is proposed. It capitalizes the merit of fast global search of GA and efficient search of an optimal solution of ACO. Computer simulation results show that the proposed scheme substantially improves the Round Robin and ACO algorithm in terms of the rate of searching optimal path, round trip time, and packet loss rate.

In mobile edge computing (MEC), task offloading can significantly reduce task execution latency and energy consumption of end user (EU). However, edge server (ES) resources are limited, necessitating efficient allocation to ensure the sustainable and healthy development for MEC system. In this paper, we propose a dynamic pricing mechanism based near-optimal resource allocation for elastic edge offloading. First, we construct a resource pricing model and accordingly develop the utility functions for both EU and ES, the optimal pricing model parameters are derived by optimizing the utility functions. In the meantime, our theoretical analysis reveals that the EU’s utility function reaches a local maximum within the search range, but exhibits barely growth with increased resource allocation beyond this point. To this end, we further propose the Dynamic Inertia and Speed-Constrained particle swarm optimization (DISC-PSO) algorithm, which efficiently identifies the near-optimal resource allocation. Comprehensive simulation results validate the effectiveness of DISC-PSO algorithm, demonstrating that it significantly outperforms existing schemes by reducing the average number of iterations to reach a near-optimal solution by 86.88%, increasing the EU utility function value by 0.13%, and decreasing the variance of results by 96.78%.

Mobile edge computing (MEC) mitigates the energy and computation burdens on mobile users (MUs) by offloading tasks to the network edge. To optimize MEC server utilization through effective resource allocation, a well-designed pricing strategy is indispensable. In this paper, we propose a dynamic differential pricing scheme (DDPS) for an edge offloading scenario with energy harvesting devices, which determines prices based on computing resource usage to enhance edge server (ES) utilization. First, an offloading decision algorithm is proposed to balance harvested and consumed energy, determining whether and how much data to offload. Second, a Stackelberg game-based differential pricing algorithm is proposed to optimize computing resource allocation for MUs and reallocate surplus resources to delay-sensitive devices. Extensive simulations are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed DDPS scheme. Specifically, in comparison to the existing best-performing pricing scheme, for different task arrival rates, DDPS can achieve a 5.3% decrease in average execution delay, a 1.7% increase in ES utility ($U_{server}$, which represents the payment from MUs minus penalties for discarded tasks), and a 2.1% increase in the average ratio of service for MUs. In addition, DDPS also improves 2.8% $U_{server}$ on average with different ES computation capacities.

As the extension of cloud computing, edge computing has witnessed remarkable progress in the last few years. In edge computing, task offloading from edge device to edge server is becoming a promising technique that substantially enhances the quality of service for edge devices. Nevertheless, appropriate edge server selection for task offloading remains a challenge if multiple edge servers are selectable nearby. In this paper, we propose a parameter estimation-aided edge server selection scheme for task offloading (PEESS) with multiple potential edge servers. The proposed scheme jointly leverages Baum-Welch algorithm and forward algorithm of hidden Markov model. That is, PEESS leverages Baum-Welch algorithm to estimate the parameters of potential edge servers based on their time-sequential incoming task records. Subsequently, the forward algorithm is utilized for the probability calculation of the observations based on the estimated parameters. Eventually, the probability calculation results are sorted in descending order, and the edge device selects the target edge server based on the sequence of sending requests to the available edge servers from optimal to suboptimal. Extensive simulation results demonstrate that PEESS outperforms other conventional and state-of-the-art edge server selection schemes in terms of time consumption and energy consumption.

Resource pricing is an important issue in mobile edge computing, how to determine the bid of end user (EU) appropriately is an incentive factor for edge cloud (EC) to offer service. In this paper, we propose an equilibrium pricing scheme based on all-pay auction model in end-to-end collaboration environment, wherein the EUs can acquire service at a lower price than the own value of the required resource. In addition, we propose a set allocation algorithm to divide all bidders into different sets according to their resource valuations, which averts the situation of the higher bidder monopolizing the EC resources. Extensive simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme effectively maximizes the total profit of ECs while guaranteeing the EU can access services at a lower price.