Service Placement Strategies Across the Cloud-Fog-Edge Continuum: A Comprehensive Survey
Keywords:
Service Placement, Cloud Computing, Fog Computing, Edge ComputingAbstract
The proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices and latency-sensitive applications has driven a paradigm shift from centralized cloud computing to a more distributed continuum encompassing fog and edge computing. This integrated environment, often referred to as the Cloud-Fog-Edge continuum, brings computation and services closer to data sources, addressing critical concerns such as latency, bandwidth, and energy consumption. However, efficiently placing services within this heterogeneous and dynamic infrastructure is a complex, NP-hard problem. This survey provides a comprehensive review of service placement algorithms and strategies proposed for integrated Cloud-Fog-Edge environments. We categorize existing approaches based on their underlying methodologies, including optimization-based, heuristic and meta-heuristic, graph-based, and machine learning-driven techniques. Furthermore, we discuss key challenges, such as mobility, resource heterogeneity, multi-objective optimization, and the increasing adoption of microservices and containerization. Finally, we highlight open research directions and future trends to guide further advancements in this critical area.
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