A Survey on Software Defined Network-Enabled Edge Cloud Networks: Challenges and Future Research Directions

The Internet of Things (IoT) era’s proliferation of linked devices and data transmission places a significant strain on cloud computing’s capacity. Furthermore, the majority of these IoT devices are situated at a network’s periphery and have limited resources. Edge cloud-distributed computing networks are emerging as a solution to these problems. Numerous studies examining software-defined networks (SDNs) and network-function- virtualization (NFV) may be crucial due to the dispersed nature of edge cloud networks. Facilitators for resource management, orchestration, and load balancing. With an emphasis on SDN controllers, orchestration, and the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in improving the capabilities of controllers inside edge cloud computing networks, this article offers a thorough overview of these cutting-edge technologies. To be more precise, we offer a comprehensive assessment of research suggestions on the integration of SDN controllers and orchestration with edge cloud networks. We also present an extensive synopsis of edge cloud use cases and their main obstacles, as well as a comprehensive analysis of SDN-enabled edge cloud networks. Lastly, we discuss some issues and possible avenues for further research in this crucial field.