CNS Core: Small: Bridging the Silos of Edge Computing with Connected Namespaces

边缘计算提供了在数据网络路径中嵌入的计算元素上处理更接近其来源的数据的机会。对于许多重要类别的延迟敏感型和数据密集型应用，例如智能城市、自主系统和交通、增强和虚拟现实(AR/VR)、视觉分析等，边缘计算可能具有变革性。然而，实现边缘计算的潜在优势并不是微不足道的，因为它依赖于跨不同资源和服务做出及时决策的能力，跨多个孤立的提供商分散，并受动态变化的运营条件控制。对于寻求从边缘计算中获益的应用程序来说，这给获取正确的可用资源集带来了挑战。对于为边缘计算贡献资源的利益相关者来说，这带来了对其资源保持所需程度的控制的挑战。为了解决这一问题，该项目开发了一个新的分散式边缘交换，该交换建立在称为连接命名空间的新的系统级抽象之上，以支持边缘计算中的动态、细粒度和跨利益相关者的资源编排。重要的是，该交易所在本地集成了定制加密技术的使用，即多方计算(MPC)，以实现完全隐私，同时满足整个系统的所有实时性能要求。该项目中开发的技术允许边缘计算应用程序利用最佳可用的边缘资源，即使这些资源分散在多个参与方并由多方拥有，同时仍为每个利益相关者提供对其资源使用和共享策略的控制。在不牺牲机密性和控制的情况下提供性能的能力消除了对边缘计算的关键担忧，否则会阻碍其采用。因此，这项研究为新的EDGE基础设施层、支持重要的新兴应用程序类别、包含EDGE的新硬件和软件技术的新执行平台的未来发展提供了一条途径，并促进了边缘计算作为收入来源和经济增长的新来源的采用。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Edge computing provides opportunities to process data closer to its sources, on computing elements embedded in the data network path. It can be transformative for many important classes of latency-sensitive and data-intensive applications, such as Smart City, autonomous systems and transportation, augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), visual analytics, etc. However, realizing the potential benefit of edge computing is not trivial, because it relies on the ability to make timely decisions across diverse resources and services, disaggregated across many siloed providers, and governed by dynamically changing operating conditions. For applications seeking benefits from edge computing, this presents challenges in obtaining the right set of available resources. For stakeholders contributing resources to edge computing, this presents challenges in maintaining desired degree of control over their resources. To address this problem, this project develops a new Decentralized Edge Exchange that builds on a new system-level abstraction, called connected namespaces, to enable dynamic, fine-grained, and cross-stakeholder resource orchestrations in edge computing. Importantly, the exchange natively integrates use of tailored cryptographic techniques, namely, multi-party computation (MPC), to achieve full privacy while meeting all the real-time performance requirements of the complete system. The technologies developed in this project permit edge computing applications to utilize the best available edge resources, even when those are fragmented across and owned by multiple parties, while still providing each stakeholder with controls regarding their resource use and sharing policies. The ability to deliver on performance without sacrificing confidentiality and controls removes critical concerns about edge computing, which otherwise hamper its adoption. As a result, this research presents a path for future developments in the new edge infrastructure tier, support for important classes of emerging applications, new execution platforms comprising novel hardware and software technologies for the edge, and catalyzes the adoption of edge computing as a new source of revenue streams and economic growth.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.