US Ignite: Focus Area 2: An Infrastructure to support Edge Computing in the Extreme

该项目侧重于可扩展基础设施的设计和实现，以支持一种特殊形式的边缘计算，其中第三方服务可部署在普通家庭网关中，以支持众多下一代低延迟千兆应用程序。在互联网的极端边缘，这些服务很容易获得，使应用程序和服务具有新的功能，否则是不可能的。该项目支持许多有形的应用，涵盖不同地点（威斯康星州麦迪逊市、阿蒙州和亚利桑那州）的不同国家优先领域（公共安全、教育、能源和交通）。提出的网络基础设施将边缘计算的概念发挥到了极致。它将“网络最终边缘”的普通WiFi接入点（AP，或普通家庭网关）视为真正的计算平台，并为其提供边缘云抽象。该平台通过以下三个主要组件实现了独特的功能：(i) WiFi AP上的轻量级虚拟化框架，允许按需部署和撤销独立的第三方服务；通过容器技术（LXC， Docker等）实现，我们在ParaDrop中称容器实例为一个滑道；（ii）基于云的网络脚手架框架，该框架允许第三方开发人员使用溜槽存储以动态和灵活的方式部署和管理此类溜槽，并利用软件定义的网络框架进行此类管理；以及（iii）针对此类滑道的增强API，该API利用了对ap附近移动设备无线环境的独特了解。该项目在多个地区建立了持续的合作伙伴关系，其应用具有直接的社会效益，包括：(i)在麦迪逊创建一个使用微型电动汽车的零净汽车共享平台；（ii）为麦迪逊本地巴士营运提供自动交通分析的服务；（iii）为麦迪逊的学术应用提供数字学术电视网络的新移动服务；（iv）数字公共安全服务，直接向爱达荷州阿蒙的家庭和公民广播强大的实时安全警报；以及(v)向远程教室广播增强现实内容，以便在亚利桑那州提供更加身临其境的学习体验。

This project focuses on the design and implementation of a scalable infrastructure to support a special form of edge computing in which third-party services are deployable in common home gateways in order to support numerous next-generation, low-latency, gigabit applications. Easy availability of such services in the extreme edge of the Internet, enables new capabilities in apps, and services not possible otherwise. The project supports many tangible applications covering different national priority areas (public safety, education, energy, and transportation) across diverse locations (Madison WI, Ammon ID, and Arizona).The proposed networking infrastructure takes the notion of edge computing to the extreme. It treats the common WiFi Access Point (AP, or a regular home gateway) 'at the ultimate edge of the network' as a true computing platform and provides an edge-cloud abstraction for it. The platform implements unique capabilities through the following three major components: (i) a lightweight virtualization framework on the WiFi AP that allows independent third party services to be deployed and revoked on-demand; implemented with container technologies (LXC, Docker, etc.) we call a container instance in ParaDrop, a chute; (ii) a cloud-based network scaffolding framework that allows third-party developers to deploy and manage such chutes using a Chute Store, in a dynamic and flexible manner and utilizes a software defined networking framework for such management; and (iii) an enhanced API for such chutes that leverages unique knowledge of the wireless context of mobile devices in the vicinity of the APs. The project has ongoing partnerships in multiple locations on applications with direct societal benefits including: (i) creation of a net-zero car-sharing platform in Madison using micro electric vehicles; (ii) a service to provide automated transit analytics to the local bus operation in Madison; (iii) enabling a new mobile service for the Digital Academic Television Network for academic applications in Madison; (iv) a digital public safety service to broadcast robust and real-time safety alerts directly to homes and citizens in Ammon, Idaho; and (v) educational broadcast of augmented reality content to remote classrooms to provide a more immersive learning experience in Arizona.