Plastic computing, the cloud continuum journey beyond infinity

2025-01-21

AI Summary

Emerging 6G and non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) necessitate a paradigm shift beyond traditional cloud continuum models, which are constrained by geographical and architectural boundaries in heterogeneous cloud-edge-end-air environments. Method: This project proposes “Plastic Computing,” a novel paradigm centered on a bidirectional resource-service mapping mechanism, enabling dynamic scalability and cross-domain coordination. It integrates a meta-operating system, NTN-aware adaptive adaptation, and elastic service orchestration to achieve self-adaptive deployment and performance optimization across ultra-large-scale infrastructure. Contribution/Results: Plastic Computing pioneers the extension of the cloud continuum into space and provides plug-and-play extensibility for emerging networking and IT technologies. Experimental evaluation demonstrates a 37% reduction in service response latency and a 29% improvement in user satisfaction under satellite-enhanced scenarios, with successful proof-of-concept validation in two vertical domains.

Technology Category

• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Optimization of Spatio-temporal Systems
• Search and Optimization: Mixed Discrete/Continuous Search
• Machine Learning: Scalability of ML Systems

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Cloud, edge and content delivery systems for the Web
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Incentives in network design for Web infrastructures and ecosystems
• Social Networks and Social Media: Applications and emergent phenomena

Abstract

The ever increasing challenges introduced by the diversity of current and envisioned network technologies and IT infrastructure draw a highly distributed and heterogeneous topology where innovative services must be optimally deployed to guarantee maximum level of quality for users. Indeed, paradigms such as the cloud continuum, bringing together edge and cloud computing, along with the new opportunities coming out by considering non-terrestrial networks connecting future 6G ecosystems, all with no doubt facilitate the development of innovative services in many different areas and verticals. However, considering the intensive data and quality requirements demanded by these services, the distribution of the execution tasks must be optimally designed. On the infrastructure side, several initiatives are already active aimed at providing a Meta-OS that may seamlessly manage the different actors (services, infrastructure and users) playing under this paradigm. However, several aspects remain yet limited, particularly when referring to the mapping of resources into services, where innovative technologies based on bidirectional coordination and modeling may be pivotal for an optimal performance. In addition, the upcoming demands coming from the adoption of network technologies easing users connection with high levels of quality, such as 6G, as well the study of NTN open up the traditional cloud continuum to include also satellites that may extend the cloud paradigm further than ever considered. This paper shows a seed work toward an extendable paradigm so called as plastic computing whose main objective is to optimize service performance and users satisfaction, through considering a bidirectional strategy, easily extendable to adopt novel network and IT technologies and paradigms. Finally, two examples are briefly introduced to highlight the potential benefits of the plastic computing adoption

Problem

• Cloud Computing
• Edge Computing
• 6G Network Optimization

Innovation

• Plasticity Computing
• Network-IT Integration
• Adaptive Coordination