A Framework for the Joint Placement of Edge Service Infrastructure and User Plane Functions for 5G

Area of Science:

• Telecommunications Engineering
• Network Optimization
• Edge Computing

Background:

• Next-generation networks require ultra-low latency (<1 ms) for advanced 5G services.
• Placing service infrastructure and User Plane Functions (UPFs) at the network edge is crucial but increases costs.
• Jointly optimizing edge node (EN) and UPF placement presents a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a cost-effective framework for the joint placement of edge nodes (ENs) and User Plane Functions (UPFs).
• To minimize overall deployment and operational costs while ensuring service requirements, including latency, are met.
• To determine the optimal number and locations for ENs and UPFs.

Main Methods:

• Integer Linear Programming (ILP) for optimal solutions.
• Heuristic algorithms for efficient placement strategies.
• Consideration of capacity, latency, costs, and site restrictions.

Main Results:

• Achieved over 20% cost savings in service infrastructure deployment.
• The heuristic solution for UPF placement showed minimal deviation from the optimal solution (one UPF difference in worst cases).
• Reduced computation time by over 35% across all studied use cases.

Conclusions:

• The proposed framework effectively addresses the joint placement problem of ENs and UPFs.
• The ILP and heuristic solutions offer a practical approach to cost-effective network edge deployment.
• The findings support the deployment of next-generation networks with reduced costs and improved efficiency.