Distributed Key-Value Storage for Edge Computing and Its Explicit Data Distribution Method

In this article, we propose a data framework for edge computing that allows developers to easily attain efficient data transfer between mobile devices or users. We propose a distributed key-value storage platform for edge computing and its explicit data distribution management method that follows the publish/subscribe relationships specific to applications. In this platform, edge servers organize the distributed key-value storage in a uniform namespace. To enable fast data access to a record in edge computing, the allocation strategy of the record and its cache on the edge servers is important. Our platform offers distributed objects that can dynamically change their home server and allocate cache objects proactively following user-defined rules. A rule is defined in a declarative manner and specifies where to place cache objects depending on the status of the target record and its associated records. The system can reflect record modification to the cached records immediately. We also integrate a push notification system using WebSocket to notify events on a specified table. We introduce a messaging service application between mobile appliances and several other applications to show how cache rules apply to them. We evaluate the performance of our system using some sample applications.