A Two-stage Replica Management Mechanism for Latency-Aware Applications in Multi-Access Edge Computing

Yang Liang, Zhigang Hu, Liu Yang

Abstract: With the explosive increase of the various user equipments, access latency has become a paramount metric of QoS in multi-access edge computing (MEC). At the same time, cost expenditure affects and restrains the reduction of latency. To cope with these issues, a two-stage replica management mechanism (TRMM) for latency-aware applications in MEC is proposed. First, we design the system architecture of TRMM in MEC environment and construct a novel mathematical model to describe the replica placement decision problem as a dual-objective problem with both latency and cost constraints. Subsequently, in replica recommendation stage, we present a file prospective popularity model based on user mobility and a replica recommendation algorithm; in replica placement rule learning stage, we construct a Q-Learning model, in which a new reward function is defined in terms of data access latency and replica placement cost, and the replica placement rule is defined in terms of 0-1 matrix. Finally, numerical results demonstrate that the TRMM outperforms other replica placement schemes.