Network system, service provision and resource scheduling method, device and storage medium

Abstract

The present invention provides a network system, a service provision and resource scheduling method, a device, and a storage medium. In this embodiment, a central control device is combined with an edge cloud node. Under the control of the central control device, cloud computing can be placed in an edge cloud node closer to the terminal for processing. Cloud computing services can be provided to users using the resources in the edge cloud node, which helps reduce service response latency and bandwidth costs.

Description

[0001] This case is a divisional application of the patent application with application number 201910277898X, application date April 8, 2019, and patent name “Network system, service provision and resource scheduling method, device and storage medium”. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of computer technology, and in particular to a network system, a service provision and resource scheduling method, a device, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0003] Currently, the concept of cloud computing is based on centralized resource management and control. Even when multiple data centers are interconnected, all software and hardware resources are still managed, scheduled, and sold as a unified resource. With the advent of 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT), and the increasing use of cloud computing, terminals are placing increasingly stringent demands on cloud resource performance, such as latency and bandwidth. Centralized cloud networks are no longer able to meet these growing demands. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Various aspects of the present application provide a network system, a service provision and resource scheduling method, a device, and a storage medium to reduce service response latency and bandwidth costs.

[0005] An embodiment of the present application provides a network system, comprising: a central control device, and at least one edge cloud node; the central control device is used to schedule resources for the at least one edge cloud node based on service demand description information, and provide a mirror for the scheduled resources in the at least one edge cloud node; the edge control device is used to cooperate with the central control device to schedule resources for the at least one edge cloud node, and provide the mirror to the scheduled resources in the at least one edge cloud node, so that the scheduled resources in the at least one edge cloud node provide corresponding cloud computing services.

[0006] An embodiment of the present application also provides a service provision method, including: scheduling resources for at least one edge cloud node in a network system based on service demand description information; providing a mirror for the scheduled resources in the at least one edge cloud node to utilize the scheduled resources in the at least one edge cloud node to provide corresponding cloud computing services.

[0007] An embodiment of the present application also provides a service provision method, including: obtaining resource information scheduled in a target edge cloud node provided by a central control device and a mirror provided for the target edge cloud node; the target edge cloud node is an edge cloud node scheduled in a network system to which the central control device belongs; controlling the corresponding resource device in the target edge cloud node to allocate or reserve resources according to the resource information; and providing the mirror to the corresponding resource device so that the corresponding resource device can use the allocated or reserved resources to provide corresponding cloud computing services.

[0008] An embodiment of the present application also provides a central control device including: a memory and a processor; the memory is used to store a computer program; when the computer program is executed by the processor, the processor implements the steps in the method embodiment of the present application.

[0009] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to implement the steps of the method embodiment of the present application.

[0010] An embodiment of the present application also provides an edge management and control device, including: a memory and a processor; the memory is used to store a computer program; when the computer program is executed by the processor, the processor implements the steps in the method embodiment of the present application.

[0011] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to implement the steps of the method embodiment of the present application.

[0012] An embodiment of the present application also provides a network system, including: a central management and control device, and at least one edge cloud node; the central management and control device is used to schedule resources for the at least one edge cloud node according to service demand description information, and provide a mirror for the scheduled resources in the at least one edge cloud node, so as to utilize the scheduled resources in the at least one edge cloud node to provide corresponding cloud computing services.

[0013] An embodiment of the present application also provides a network system, including: a central control device, an edge control device, and at least one edge cloud node; the central control device is used to determine the scheduled target edge cloud node and the scheduled resource information in the target edge cloud node from the at least one edge cloud node based on resource demand description information, and provide the resource information to the edge control device; the edge control device is used to obtain the resource information provided by the central control device, and control the corresponding resource device in the target edge node to allocate or reserve resources according to the resource information.

[0014] An embodiment of the present application also provides a resource scheduling method, including: determining a target edge cloud node to be scheduled and resource information to be scheduled in the target edge cloud node from at least one edge cloud node of the network system based on resource demand description information; providing the resource information to an edge management device in the network system, so that the edge management device controls the corresponding resource device in the target edge node to allocate or reserve resources according to the resource information.

[0015] In an embodiment of the present application, a central control device is combined with an edge cloud node. Under the control of the central control device, cloud computing can be placed in an edge cloud node that is closer to the terminal for processing. Cloud computing services can be provided to users with the help of resources in the edge cloud node, which is conducive to reducing service response delay and reducing bandwidth costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present application and constitute a part of the present application. The illustrative embodiments of the present application and their descriptions are used to explain the present application and do not constitute an improper limitation on the present application. In the drawings:

[0017] Figure 1a A schematic diagram of the structure of a network system provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0018] Figure 1b A schematic diagram of the structure of another network system provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 1c A schematic structural diagram of a central control device provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 1d A schematic structural diagram of an edge management device provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 2a A flowchart of a service providing method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 2b A flowchart of another service providing method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 2c A flowchart of a resource scheduling method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of a central control device provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 4A schematic structural diagram of an edge management device provided for an exemplary embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of this application more clear, the technical solutions of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the specific embodiments of this application and the corresponding drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0027] In response to the technical problem that the existing centralized cloud network can no longer meet the increasing cloud resource demands of terminals, in some embodiments of the present application, the central control device is combined with the edge cloud node. Under the control of the central control device, cloud computing can be placed in the edge cloud node closer to the terminal for processing. Cloud computing services can be provided to users with the help of the resources in the edge cloud node, which is conducive to reducing the response delay of the service, alleviating the pressure on the central cloud or traditional cloud computing platform corresponding to the edge cloud node, reducing bandwidth costs, and meeting the terminal's demand for large connections, low latency, and large bandwidth cloud resources.

[0028] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] Figure 1a This is a schematic diagram of a network system structure provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. Figure 1a As shown, the network system 100 includes: a central control device 101 and at least one edge cloud node 102; at least one edge cloud node 102 is connected to the central control device 101 through a network.

[0030] The network system 100 of this embodiment is a cloud computing platform built on edge infrastructure based on cloud computing technology and edge computing capabilities. It is a cloud platform with computing, networking, storage, security and other capabilities at the edge.

[0031] In contrast to a central cloud or traditional cloud computing platform, the network system 100 of this embodiment can be considered an edge cloud network system. Edge cloud is a relative concept. It refers to a cloud computing platform that is relatively close to the terminal. In other words, unlike a central cloud or traditional cloud computing platform, which can include a data center with scaled resources and centralized locations, edge cloud nodes cover a wider network range and are therefore closer to the terminal. The resource scale of a single edge cloud node is relatively small, but the number of edge cloud nodes is large. Multiple edge cloud nodes constitute the components of the edge cloud in this embodiment. The terminal in this embodiment refers to the demand side of cloud computing services, such as a terminal or user end on the Internet, or a terminal or user end in the Internet of Things. The edge cloud network is a network built based on the infrastructure between the central cloud or traditional cloud computing system and the terminal. The network system 100 includes at least one edge cloud node 102. Each edge cloud node 102 includes a series of edge infrastructure, including but not limited to: distributed data centers (DCs), wireless computer rooms or clusters, operator communication networks, core network equipment, base stations, edge gateways, home gateways, computing devices, storage devices, and other edge devices and corresponding network environments. It is noted here that the locations, capabilities, and included infrastructures of different edge cloud nodes 102 may be the same or different.

[0032] Among them, the network system 100 of this embodiment is combined with central networks and terminals such as the central cloud or traditional cloud computing platform to form a "cloud-edge-end three-body collaboration" network architecture. In this network architecture, tasks such as network forwarding, storage, computing, and intelligent data analysis can be placed in each edge cloud node 102 in the network system 100 for processing. Since each edge cloud node 102 is closer to the terminal, the response delay can be reduced, the pressure on the central cloud or traditional cloud computing platform can be reduced, and the bandwidth cost can be reduced.

[0033] How to reasonably schedule the resources of multiple edge cloud nodes and how to manage and control multiple edge cloud nodes to provide cloud computing services with correct and stable logic is an important challenge. In the network system 100 of this embodiment, a central control device 101 is deployed. The central control device 101 takes the edge cloud node 102 as the control object and uniformly manages at least one edge cloud node 102 in the network system 100 in terms of resource scheduling, image management, instance management, operation and maintenance, network, security, etc., thereby placing cloud computing services on each edge cloud node 102 for processing. In terms of deployment implementation, the central control device 101 can be deployed in one or more cloud computing data centers, or it can be deployed in one or more traditional data centers. The central control device 101 can also form an edge cloud network together with at least one edge cloud node it manages, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0034] For an edge cloud node 102, various resources can be provided to the outside world, such as computing resources such as CPU, GPU, storage resources such as memory, hard disk, network resources such as bandwidth, etc. In addition, the edge cloud node 102 can also create corresponding instances based on the mirror, and provide various cloud computing services to the outside world through the instance. Among them, the mirror is the basic file required to create an instance in the edge cloud node, for example, it can be an image file such as an operating system, application, or operation configuration required to provide cloud computing services to users. It can be a file made in a certain format according to a specific series of files in accordance with the computing deployment requirements of the edge cloud node. In addition, the form of the mirror is diverse, and can be a virtual machine (VM) image file, a container (Docker) image file, or various types of application package files, etc. The mirror form can be related to the virtualization technology required to use the cloud computing service, and this embodiment does not limit this. Corresponding to the mirror, the implementation form of the instance can be a virtual machine, a container, or an application, etc.

[0035] In combination with the above, in this embodiment, the central control device 101 can perform resource scheduling for at least one edge cloud node 102 based on resource requirements, and can also manage and distribute images for at least one edge cloud node 102 based on image requirements. Of course, it can also perform resource scheduling for at least one edge cloud node 102 and provide images for at least one edge cloud node 102 based on cloud computing service requirements. Among them, cloud computing service requirements include resource requirements and image requirements. Optionally, the central control device 101 can provide a demand submission entrance to the outside world, and the demand submission entrance can be a web page, application page or command window, etc. The function of the demand submission entrance is for the demander to submit its own demand description information to the central control device 101.

[0036] For resource demanders, resource demand description information can be submitted to the central control device 101 through the above-mentioned demand submission entrance. The resource demand description information includes: edge cloud node selection parameters and resource selection parameters; edge cloud node selection parameters include scheduling domains and / or performance requirements for edge cloud nodes, etc., and resource selection parameters include resource types, resource quantities, and performance requirements for resource devices, etc. The central control device 101 can schedule resources for at least one edge cloud node based on the resource demand description information. Optionally, a resource scheduling method includes: the central control device 101 determines the target edge cloud node to be scheduled and the resource information to be scheduled in the target edge cloud node from at least one edge cloud node 102 of the network system 100 based on the resource demand description information; and controls the corresponding resource devices in the target edge cloud node to allocate or reserve resources based on the resource information.

[0037] For image demanders, they can submit image demand description information to the central control device 101 through the above-mentioned demand submission portal. This image demand description information can point to the image to be used. It can be the image itself, or identification information such as the image name and ID, or some functional description information of the cloud computing service. This information can reflect the required image. Central control device 101 can obtain the image based on the image demand description information and provide the image to the edge cloud node in network system 100 that requires the image. The edge cloud node can then create a corresponding instance based on the image, and the instance will provide the corresponding cloud computing service to the outside world.

[0038] For cloud computing service demanders, service demand description information can be submitted to the central control device 101 through the above-mentioned demand submission entrance. The service demand description information includes resource demand description information and mirror demand description information. For information about resource demand description information and mirror demand description information, please refer to the previous description and will not be repeated here. It is worth noting that the resource demand description information and mirror demand description information in the service demand description information can be submitted together or separately. The central control device 101 can schedule resources for at least one edge cloud node 102 in the network system 100 based on the service demand description information; provide a mirror for the scheduled resources in at least one edge cloud node 102, so as to utilize the scheduled resources in at least one edge cloud node to provide corresponding cloud computing services.

[0039] For a detailed description of the resource scheduling process and the image management and distribution process, please refer to the following embodiments and will not be described in detail here.

[0040] It is worth noting that in the network system 100, the central control device 101 can directly control and schedule at least one edge cloud node 102, but is not limited to this. Figure 1b As shown, in the network system 100, in addition to the central control device 101 and at least one edge cloud node 102, it also includes an edge control device 103. The number of edge control devices 103 can be one or more. In addition, the edge control device 103 can be deployed in one or more edge cloud nodes 102. In an optional embodiment, as shown in FIG. Figure 1bAs shown, an edge management and control device 103 is deployed in each edge cloud node 102. Furthermore, each edge cloud node includes one or more resource devices. Optionally, the edge management and control device 103 can be centrally deployed on one resource device, or can be dispersed across multiple resource devices. In addition, in addition to resource devices, each edge cloud node can also include one or more proprietary devices, wherein the edge management and control device 103 can be centrally deployed on one proprietary device, or dispersed across multiple proprietary devices. Among them, proprietary devices refer to physical devices used to deploy edge management and control devices 103, which are different from resource devices. In addition, the edge management and control device 103 can also be deployed together with the central management and control device 101, which is not limited here. Among them, the central management and control device 101 can be deployed in one or more cloud computing data centers or traditional data centers, and can also be deployed in an edge cloud network together with at least one edge cloud node.

[0041] In this embodiment, the edge control device 103 can assist and cooperate with the central control device 101 to control and schedule at least one edge cloud node 102. With the assistance of the edge control device 103, the central control device 101 can more conveniently and efficiently control and schedule at least one edge cloud node 102, thereby achieving the purpose of fully utilizing edge resources.

[0042] Among them, a secure and encrypted communication channel can be established between the central control device 101 and the edge control device 103, and interaction can be carried out based on the communication channel. The communication channel includes a control interface and a data interface. The central control device 101 interacts with the edge control device 103 on the control plane and data plane based on the control interface and the data interface to complete the scheduling and control of the edge cloud node 102. Among them, the data interface is used for data transmission between the central control device 101 and the edge control device 103. The control interface has but is not limited to the following functions:

[0043] 1. Resource scheduling capability: The central control device 101 can schedule resources for edge cloud nodes from multiple dimensions through a control interface with resource scheduling capability (referred to as a resource scheduling interface). Edge cloud nodes are the objects of resource scheduling by the central control device 101.

[0044] 2. Image management and distribution capabilities: The central control device 101 can provide images to edge cloud nodes through a control interface with image management and distribution capabilities (referred to as the image management interface). In this way, the edge cloud nodes can create corresponding instances based on the received images and provide corresponding cloud computing services through the instances;

[0045] 3. Operation and maintenance management capabilities: The central control device 101 performs operation and maintenance management on the edge cloud nodes through a control interface with operation and maintenance management capabilities (referred to as the operation and maintenance management interface). Operation and maintenance management includes but is not limited to: controlling applications and virtualization software in edge cloud nodes, monitoring instance status, resource usage, and infrastructure, etc.

[0046] Corresponding to the capabilities of the above control interface, the central control device 101 of this embodiment has, but is not limited to, the following functions:

[0047] 1. Edge cloud nodes can be scheduled based on service demand description information, such as cloud computing service specifications, the region where cloud computing services need to be deployed, the distribution of operator networks, network latency, load conditions, bandwidth costs, required resource types and / or performance requirements of resource devices;

[0048] 2. Obtain the image required for cloud computing services and provide it to the corresponding resource devices in the edge cloud node for configuration and installation, so that the corresponding resource devices can create corresponding instances to provide cloud computing services;

[0049] 3. It can perform operation and maintenance management of edge cloud nodes, including but not limited to: controlling the status of applications, virtualization components, instances, resource usage and / or infrastructure in edge cloud nodes, and realizing remote operation and maintenance, log management, etc.

[0050] In addition to the above functions, the central control device may also have other functions, such as security assurance functions, which involve the security of the central control device, the link security between the central control device and the edge control device and between the edge cloud nodes and / or the security of the edge cloud nodes; responsible for maintaining networking information in the network system, etc.

[0051] The following describes the process of the central control device 101 and the edge control device 103 working together:

[0052] In the network system 100, at least one edge cloud node 102 can form a resource pool. Each edge cloud node 102 serves as a scheduling object and provides various resources or cloud computing services to the outside world under the scheduling of the central control device 101. The central control device 101 and the edge control device 103 cooperate with each other to perform resource scheduling for the at least one edge cloud node 102, and to manage and distribute images for the at least one edge cloud node 102. Of course, it is also possible to both schedule resources for the at least one edge cloud node 102 and provide images for the at least one edge cloud node 102.

[0053] For example, for resource demanders, resource demand description information can be submitted to the central management and control device 101. The resource demand description information includes: edge cloud node selection parameters and resource selection parameters; edge cloud node selection parameters include scheduling domains and / or performance requirements for edge cloud nodes, etc., and resource selection parameters include resource types, resource quantities, and performance requirements for resource devices, etc.

[0054] Based on the resource requirement description information, the central control device 101 can determine the target edge cloud node to be scheduled and the resource information scheduled in the target edge cloud node from at least one edge cloud node 102, and provide the resource information to the edge control device 103, so that the edge control device 103 can control the corresponding resource devices in the target edge node to allocate or reserve resources based on the resource information. Optionally, if an edge control device 103 is deployed in the target edge cloud node, the central control device 101 can provide the resource information to the edge control device 103 in the target edge cloud node. The edge control device 103 can obtain the resource information provided by the central control device 101 and control the corresponding resource devices in the target edge node to allocate or reserve resources based on the resource information. The target edge cloud node to be scheduled may be one or more. It should be noted that "providing" in various embodiments of the present application includes sending the resource information to the other party or downloading the resource information from the other party. For example, providing the resource information to the edge control device 103 includes sending the resource information directly to the edge control device 103 or downloading the resource information from a designated storage location by the edge control device 103.

[0055] For another example, a cloud computing service demander can submit service demand description information to the central control device 101. Based on the service demand description information, the central control device 101 can schedule resources for at least one edge cloud node 102 and provide a mirror image for the scheduled resources in the at least one edge cloud node 102, so as to utilize the scheduled resources in the at least one edge cloud node 102 to provide corresponding cloud computing services. The edge control device 103 can cooperate with the central control device 101 to schedule resources for at least one edge cloud node 102 and provide the mirror image to the scheduled resources in the target edge cloud node, so that the scheduled resources in the at least one edge cloud node can provide corresponding cloud computing services.

[0056] It can be seen from this that under the control of central control equipment, cloud computing services can be placed in edge cloud nodes closer to the terminals for processing, and cloud computing services can be provided with the help of resources in edge cloud nodes, which is conducive to reducing service response delays, alleviating the pressure on the central cloud corresponding to the edge cloud nodes, reducing bandwidth costs, and meeting the terminal's demand for large connections, low latency, and large bandwidth cloud resources.

[0057] It is explained here that the central control device of this embodiment can be a logical device with capabilities such as resource scheduling and image management. These functions can be implemented on a physical machine or virtual machine, or they can be deployed in a decentralized manner on multiple physical machines or virtual machines. Of course, the central control device of this embodiment can also be one or more physical devices with capabilities such as resource scheduling and image management. Any device structure with the above capabilities is applicable to the embodiments of this application. The following lists an implementation structure of a central control device. This implementation structure is only an example and is not limited to this.

[0058] In an alternative embodiment, if Figure 1c As shown, an implementation structure of the central control device 101 includes: a resource scheduling control module 11a and a mirror control module 12a.

[0059] Among them, the resource scheduling control module 11a mainly implements the resource scheduling capability of the central control device, and is used to determine the target edge cloud node that can be scheduled and the resource information scheduled in the target edge cloud node from at least one edge cloud node 102 in the network system 100 according to the service demand description information; and provide the resource information to the edge control device 103 so that the edge control device 103 can control the corresponding resource equipment in the target edge cloud node to allocate or reserve resources. Optionally, the number of target edge cloud nodes can be specified by the user, or it can be determined independently by the resource scheduling control module 11a based on the service demand description information, which can be one or more. The service demand description information can be submitted directly by the cloud computing service demander, or it can be extracted or calculated from the cloud computing service-related information submitted by the cloud computing service demander. The cloud computing service demander can be a user, or it can be an application, a physical machine, or another cloud computing service that requires a certain cloud computing service.

[0060] The functions of the resource scheduling and control module 11a described here mainly include, but are not limited to, the selection of edge cloud nodes and the scheduling of resources within edge cloud nodes. Resource scheduling within edge cloud nodes specifically involves determining the resource information to be scheduled in the target edge cloud node and providing resource information. Its primary purpose is to allocate cloud computing services to the final basic resources, such as servers and other resource devices, at the granularity of each edge cloud node. The resource scheduling and control module 11a can maintain resource information in each edge cloud node as the basis for resource scheduling.

[0061] Optionally, the service requirement description information includes edge cloud node selection parameters and resource selection parameters. Edge cloud node selection parameters refer to the parameters required to select a target edge cloud node; resource selection parameters refer to the information required to select the resources to be scheduled. Based on this, the resource scheduling and control module 11a can parse the service requirement description information to extract the edge cloud node selection parameters and resource selection parameters; determine the target edge cloud node to be scheduled from at least one edge cloud node 102 based on the edge cloud node selection parameters; and determine the resource information to be scheduled in the target edge cloud node based on the resource selection parameters.

[0062] For example, the service demand description information may include the QoS requirements of the scheduling domain and / or cloud computing services, and these parameters can be used as edge cloud node selection parameters. Among them, the scheduling domain points to the area where the cloud computing service needs to be deployed, which determines the geographical location of the edge cloud node that should be scheduled. The QoS requirements of the cloud computing service may include the requirements of the cloud computing service for network latency, load conditions and / or bandwidth costs. Based on this, the resource scheduling and control module 11a can select an edge cloud node that can meet the scheduling domain and / or QoS requirements as the target edge cloud node based on the QoS requirements of the scheduling domain and / or cloud computing service, combined with the geographical location and resource surplus of at least one edge cloud node.

[0063] For example, the resource scheduling control module 11a can select the edge cloud node pointed to by the scheduling domain as the target edge cloud node based on the scheduling domain and the geographical location of at least one edge cloud node 102. Alternatively, the resource scheduling control module 11a can also select an edge cloud node that meets the network delay, load condition or bandwidth cost requirements from the edge cloud nodes based on the QoS requirements of the cloud computing service, such as network delay, load condition and / or bandwidth cost, as the target edge cloud node. Of course, the resource scheduling control module 11a can also combine the QoS requirements of the scheduling domain and the cloud computing service, and the geographical location and resource remaining amount of at least one edge cloud node to select an edge cloud node that can meet both the scheduling domain and QoS requirements as the target edge cloud node.

[0064] In addition to information about the scheduling domain and / or QoS requirements for the cloud computing service, the service requirement description information may also include parameters such as the resource type, resource quantity, and / or resource device performance required for the cloud computing service. These parameters can serve as resource selection parameters. Based on this, after determining the target edge cloud node, the resource scheduling and control module 11a can determine the resource information to be scheduled in the target edge cloud node based on the resource selection parameters. This resource information may include information such as resource type, resource quantity, and / or performance requirements for resource devices, allowing the edge control device 103 to control resource allocation or reservation for the corresponding resource devices in the target edge cloud node. For example, resource types may include, but are not limited to, computing resources such as CPUs and GPUs, storage resources such as memory and hard drives, and bandwidth resources. For example, for CPU resources, the resource quantity may be 12 CPUs, 24 CPUs, etc.; for memory resources, the resource quantity may be 16GB, 32GB, etc.; and for bandwidth resources, the resource quantity may be 1M bandwidth, 10M bandwidth, etc.

[0065] Optionally, the resource scheduling and control module 11a can also function as computing power orchestration. Computing power orchestration is targeted at relatively complex application scenarios and bundles multiple cloud computing services together as the smallest resource demand unit. In this way, during the resource scheduling process, these bundled cloud computing services can be treated as a whole, with the same or several edge cloud nodes selected for them to provide resources. Computing power orchestration essentially improves the diversity and flexibility of resource scheduling without affecting the overall resource scheduling process.

[0066] Among them, the image management and control module 12a mainly realizes the image management and distribution capabilities of the central management device 101, which is used to obtain the image required for cloud computing services and provide the image to the edge management device 103. The edge management device 103 provides the image to the corresponding resource device in the target edge cloud node so that the corresponding resource device can use the allocated or reserved resources to provide cloud computing services.

[0067] Optionally, in the network system 100, an image library is maintained, in which various images are stored. The image demander or the cloud computing service demander can choose to use the image in the image library. For example, an image configuration interface can be provided, on which a drop-down menu is provided. The drop-down menu includes many images for the user to choose from, and the image demander or the cloud computing service demander can choose the image they want to use. Based on this, the image management and control module 12a can obtain the image required for the cloud computing service from the image library, and then provide the image to the edge management and control device 103, and open the use rights of the image to the image demander or the cloud computing service demander.

[0068] Optionally, a set of rules and specifications for an image can also be provided to the user, allowing the user to make or generate the image required for the cloud computing service, and the image needs to comply with the relevant requirements of the edge cloud environment. After making or generating the image required for the cloud computing service, the user can submit the made or generated image to the image management and control module 12a. Based on this, the image management and control module 12a can receive the image submitted by the cloud computing service demander and perform a legitimacy check on the image; if the image passes the legitimacy check, the image is added to the image library and the image is provided to the edge management device 103. The legitimacy check here includes verifying whether the image format, generation rules, specifications, etc. comply with the relevant regulations of the edge cloud environment.

[0069] Similar to the central control device 101, the edge control device 103 can also be a logical device, and its capabilities can be deployed on a physical machine (such as a resource device or proprietary device in an edge cloud node) or a virtual machine, or can be deployed in a decentralized manner on multiple physical machines (such as a resource device or proprietary device in an edge cloud node) or virtual machines. Of course, the edge control device can also be one or more physical devices with corresponding capabilities. All device structures with corresponding capabilities are applicable to the embodiments of the present application. The following lists an implementation structure of an edge control device, which is only an example and is not limited to this.

[0070] Accordingly, if Figure 1d As shown, an implementation structure of the edge management and control device 103 includes: a resource scheduling service module 11b and a mirroring service module 12b.

[0071] The resource scheduling service module 11b primarily implements capabilities corresponding to the resource scheduling capabilities of the central control device. It is used to obtain resource information provided by the resource scheduling control module 11a and control the resource allocation or reservation of corresponding resource devices in the target edge cloud node based on this resource information. For example, the resource scheduling service module 11b can receive resource information sent by the resource scheduling control module 11a, or it can download the resource information from the storage location specified by the resource scheduling control module 11a.

[0072] Among them, depending on the resource information, the resource device responsible for resource allocation or reservation will also be different. The resource device responsible for resource reservation can be one or more. For example, if the resource information includes CPU resource information, storage resource information, and bandwidth resource information, the resource scheduling service module 11b can control a computing device with Internet access to allocate or reserve CPU resources, storage resources, and bandwidth resources based on the CPU resource information, storage resource information, and bandwidth resource information. In addition, the resource scheduling service module 11b can also control a computing device to allocate or reserve CPU resources and bandwidth resources based on the CPU resource information and bandwidth resources, and control a storage device to allocate or reserve storage resources based on the storage resource information.

[0073] Image service module 12b primarily implements capabilities corresponding to the image management and distribution capabilities of the central control device. It is used to obtain images provided by image control module 12a and provide these images to the corresponding resource devices in the target edge cloud node for resource allocation or reservation. These resource devices then use the allocated or reserved resources to provide the corresponding cloud computing services. Optionally, image service module 12b can receive images sent by image control module 12a or download images from a storage location specified by image control module 12a.

[0074] Optionally, after obtaining the image, the image service module 12b can store the image in a designated storage space and then notify the resource device that allocated or reserved resources to read the image. Under the control of the edge management device, the resource device can provide computing, network, and storage resources for the instance in a virtualized manner through hardware or software-supported capabilities. The corresponding image is mounted on the corresponding instance as a system disk. After the instance is created, the instance is attempted to be started. After the corresponding instance is successfully started, the capabilities of these resource devices can be used to provide cloud computing services. Under the control of the edge management device, the resource device provides computing, network, and storage resources for the instance, including: the edge management device requests relevant computing resources, storage resources, and / or network resources from the resources allocated or reserved within the target edge cloud node based on the resource template provided by the central management device; and creates relevant resources by invoking the computing, storage, and network executors within the target edge cloud node. Resource creation includes processing storage-related resources, creating the instance's system disk based on the image configuration information and image content, creating the corresponding data disk based on the resource template; creating network resources that the instance depends on, such as IP addresses or virtual switches; and creating computing resources based on the resource template.

[0075] In this embodiment, in addition to being responsible for receiving or downloading images from the image management and control module 12a and having image configuration and storage capabilities, the image service module 12b can also manage and control images in the edge cloud node and support image adaptation to different hardware and systems.

[0076] It is worth noting that the resource scheduling capabilities of the central control device 101 are not limited to those mentioned above. Any control operations related to the scheduled resources in the edge cloud node can also fall within the resource scheduling scope of the central control device 101. The following will exemplify other operations within the resource scheduling scope from the perspective of the resource scheduling control module 11a and / or the resource scheduling service module 11b.

[0077] In some optional embodiments, after controlling the resource allocation or reservation of the corresponding resource devices in the target edge cloud node according to the resource information, the resource scheduling service module 11b can also monitor the resource allocation or reservation status of the corresponding resource devices. If the resource allocation or reservation is successful, the resource scheduling control module 11a is notified to record the corresponding resource allocation or reservation success information; or, if the resource allocation or reservation fails, the reason for the resource allocation or reservation failure is reported to the resource scheduling control module 11a so that the resource scheduling control module 11a can re-determine a new target edge cloud node.

[0078] Accordingly, the resource scheduling control module 11a may also receive notifications of successful resource allocation or reservation from the resource scheduling service module 11b and record the corresponding successful resource allocation or reservation information. Optionally, the resource scheduling control module 11a may record the successful resource allocation or reservation information in a resource information library. Alternatively, the resource scheduling control module 11a may also receive the reason for the resource allocation or reservation failure reported by the resource scheduling service module 11b and re-determine a new target edge cloud node based on the failure reason.

[0079] In other optional embodiments, after the cloud computing service ends, or when an edge cloud node switch is required, a resource release operation may be involved. This resource release operation may be initiated by the resource scheduling control module 11a, or may be requested by the resource scheduling service module 11b. For example, after the cloud computing service ends, the resource scheduling control module 11a may send a resource release notification to the resource scheduling service module 11b, so that the resource scheduling service module 11b can notify the corresponding resource devices in the target edge cloud node to release the resources. For another example, if the resource scheduling service module 11b determines that a resource release operation is required, it may send a resource release request to the resource scheduling control module 11a. The resource release request includes a resource release reason, such as the end of the cloud computing service. Upon receiving the resource release request, the resource scheduling control module 11a may review the resource release reason in the resource release request and, if the review is passed, send a resource release notification to the resource scheduling service module 11b, indicating that the target edge cloud node is allowed to release the resources. The resource scheduling service module 11b may receive the resource release notification and then, based on the resource release notification, notify the corresponding resource devices in the target edge cloud node to release the resources.

[0080] In some alternative embodiments, the target edge cloud node currently in use may fail or have insufficient resources. In order to ensure the normal operation of the cloud computing service, it may be necessary to switch the edge cloud node. The switching operation of the edge cloud node can be initiated by the resource scheduling control module 11a or the resource scheduling service module 11b.

[0081] If the resource scheduling control module 11a initiates an edge cloud node switching operation, the target edge cloud node selection process can be restarted to select a new target edge cloud node for the user and determine the resource information to be scheduled in the new target edge cloud node. The scheduled resource information is sent to the resource scheduling service module 11b in the new target edge cloud node, and the resource scheduling service module 11b controls the corresponding resource equipment in the new target edge cloud node to allocate or reserve resources based on the resource information.

[0082] If the resource scheduling service module 11b initiates an edge cloud node switching operation, it can send an edge cloud node switching request to the resource scheduling control module 11a. The resource scheduling control module 11a receives the edge cloud node switching request and restarts the target edge cloud node selection process based on the edge cloud node switching request. It selects a new target edge cloud node and determines the resource information to be scheduled in the new target edge cloud node. The resource scheduling service module 11b controls the resource equipment in the new target edge cloud node to allocate or reserve resources based on the resource information.

[0083] Furthermore, after the resource allocation or reservation in the new target edge cloud node is completed, the resource scheduling control module 11a can send a resource release notification to the resource scheduling service module 11b in the original target edge cloud node to notify the original target edge cloud node to release the current resources.

[0084] Regardless of whether the resource scheduling control module 11a initiates the edge cloud node switching operation or the resource scheduling service module 11b initiates the edge cloud node switching operation, the image control module 12a will provide the image required for the cloud computing service to the image service module 12b in the new target edge cloud node, and the image service module 12b will provide the image to the corresponding resource device of the new target edge cloud node so that the corresponding resource device can use the allocated or reserved resources to provide cloud computing services.

[0085] Alternatively, in addition to switching edge cloud nodes, it is also possible that the current resource device in the target edge cloud node fails or has a problem. In this case, the instance corresponding to the cloud computing service can be migrated from one resource device to another resource device in the current edge cloud node. The migration process within the edge cloud node can be initiated by the resource scheduling control module 11a or the resource scheduling service module 11b.

[0086] In some other optional embodiments, as cloud computing services are continuously deployed, the resources in the target edge cloud node may be insufficient; of course, as cloud computing services are gradually completed (resources will be released after completion), the resources in the target edge cloud node may also become idle. In order to improve the resource utilization rate in the edge cloud node, the resource scheduling service module 11b can also monitor the resource usage rate in the target edge cloud node, and when the resource usage rate exceeds the set upper limit value, send a resource increase application to the resource scheduling control module 11a, or, when the resource usage rate region sets a lower limit value for the usage rate, send a resource reduction application to the resource scheduling control module 11a. In this embodiment, the values ​​of the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the resource usage rate are not limited, and can be flexibly set according to application requirements.

[0087] Furthermore, in order to reduce the rationality of resource increase or decrease and avoid excessively frequent requests for resource increase or decrease, a time threshold can also be set. Then, the resource scheduling service module 11b can monitor the resource utilization rate in the target edge cloud node. If the resource utilization rate exceeds the set utilization rate upper limit, and the time it exceeds the set utilization rate upper limit reaches the set time threshold, this indicates that the resource utilization rate of the target edge cloud node has been too high for a long time and resources are relatively scarce, so a resource increase application can be sent to the resource scheduling control module 11a. Similarly, the resource scheduling service module 11b can monitor the resource utilization rate in the target edge cloud node. If the resource utilization rate is lower than the set utilization rate lower limit, and the time it is lower than the set utilization rate lower limit reaches the set time threshold, this indicates that the resource utilization rate of the target edge cloud node has been idle for a long time and resources are relatively abundant, so a resource reduction application can be sent to the resource scheduling control module 11a.

[0088] For the resource scheduling and control module 11a, when receiving a resource increase application, it can also determine whether there are any spare physical machines in the target edge cloud node, and if there are spare physical machines, add the spare physical machines as available resources to the resource list of the target edge cloud node; or, when receiving a resource reduction application, it can also determine whether the target edge cloud node is suitable for reducing resources, and if it is suitable for reducing resources, delete the spare physical machines in the target edge cloud node from the resource list of the target edge cloud node.

[0089] Further, respectively Figure 1c and Figure 1d As shown, the central control device 101 further includes: an operation and maintenance control module 13a; correspondingly, the edge control device 103 further includes: an operation and maintenance service module 13b.

[0090] The operation and maintenance service module 13b in the edge control device is used to monitor the status (such as health status), resource usage and / or infrastructure of applications, virtualization components, instances in the target edge cloud node, and report the monitoring information to the central control device 101, specifically to the operation and maintenance control module 13a in the central control device 101.

[0091] The operation and maintenance control module 13a in the central control device 101 is used to receive monitoring information reported by the operation and maintenance service module 13b in the edge control device 103, and perform remote operation and maintenance and / or log management on the target edge cloud node according to the monitoring information.

[0092] Based on the operation and maintenance service module 13b and the operation and maintenance control module 13a, the central control device 101 can uniformly monitor the overall status of each edge cloud node, so as to facilitate more reasonable resource scheduling of the edge cloud nodes.

[0093] For edge cloud nodes, the central control device 101 performs multi-faceted management and control of resource scheduling, mirroring, instances, and / or operations and maintenance on edge cloud nodes through the resource scheduling and control module 11a, the image control module 12a, and the operation and maintenance control module 13a. The functional modules of the central control device can be centrally deployed on a single physical machine or virtual machine, or distributed across multiple physical machines or virtual machines.

[0094] For the central control device, the edge control device 103 cooperates with the central control device in resource scheduling, mirroring, instance and / or operation and maintenance through the resource scheduling service module 11b, the image service module 12b and the operation and maintenance service module 13b. The functional modules of the edge control device can be centrally deployed on a single physical machine or virtual machine, or they can be distributed across multiple physical machines or virtual machines.

[0095] It is explained here that when the central control device and the edge control device are logical devices, in the physical scope, the two can be separate or there can be overlap. For example, as a logical concept, part of the capabilities of the central control device can be deployed on the infrastructure in the edge cloud node. Preferably, the capabilities of the central control device can be deployed on physical devices within the central network (such as a data center, central cloud or public cloud), while the capabilities of the edge control device are deployed on physical devices within the edge cloud network (such as one or more edge cloud nodes). Of course, the capabilities of the central control device can also be deployed on physical devices within the edge cloud network (such as one or more edge cloud nodes).

[0096] In the network system provided in the embodiment of the present application, the resources, images, instances, operation and maintenance, network and / or security of the edge cloud nodes are uniformly managed and controlled based on a centralized management and control method, which can manage and coordinate the edge cloud nodes to the greatest extent, reduce errors caused by single-point self-management or information asynchrony across the entire network, and utilize the characteristics of centralized management and control to achieve optimal resource scheduling and avoid waste of local resources at the edge.

[0097] In addition to the above-mentioned network system, the embodiments of the present application provide a service provision method and a resource scheduling method from the perspective of a central control device and an edge control device, which are described in detail below.

[0098] Figure 2a This is a flow chart of a service provision method provided in an embodiment of the present application. This method is described from the perspective of a central control device, such as Figure 2a As shown, the method includes:

[0099] 21a. Schedule resources for at least one edge cloud node in the network system based on the service demand description information;

[0100] 22a. Provide a mirror for the resources scheduled in at least one edge cloud node to provide corresponding cloud computing services using the resources scheduled in at least one edge cloud node.

[0101] Figure 2b A flow chart of another service provision method provided in an embodiment of the present application. This method is described from the perspective of edge management equipment, such as Figure 2b As shown, the method includes:

[0102] 21b. Obtaining resource information scheduled in a target edge cloud node and an image provided for the target edge cloud node provided by the central control device; the target edge cloud node is an edge cloud node scheduled in a network system to which the central control device belongs;

[0103] 22b. Control the corresponding resource devices in the target edge cloud node to allocate or reserve resources according to the resource information;

[0104] 23b. Provide the image to the corresponding resource device, so that the corresponding resource device can use the allocated or reserved resources to provide the corresponding cloud computing service.

[0105] Combine Figure 2a and Figure 2b The central control equipment cooperates with the edge control equipment to perform resource scheduling and image management on the edge cloud nodes, and can put cloud computing into the edge cloud nodes closer to the terminals for processing. The resources in the edge cloud nodes can be used to provide cloud computing services to users, which is conducive to reducing response delays, alleviating the pressure on the central cloud or traditional cloud computing platform corresponding to the edge cloud nodes, reducing bandwidth costs, and meeting the terminal's demand for large connections, low latency, and large bandwidth cloud resources.

[0106] In an optional embodiment, step 21a, scheduling resources for at least one edge cloud node in the network system based on the service requirement description information, includes: determining a target edge cloud node to be scheduled and resource information to be scheduled in the target edge cloud node from the at least one edge cloud node based on the service requirement description information; and providing the resource information to an edge management and control device in the network system, so that the edge management and control device can control the corresponding resource device in the target edge cloud node to allocate or reserve resources. Optionally, if an edge management and control device is deployed in the target edge cloud node, the resource information can be provided to the edge management and control device in the target edge cloud node.

[0107] Optionally, the service requirement description information includes edge cloud node selection parameters and resource selection parameters. Edge cloud node selection parameters refer to parameters required for selecting a target edge cloud node; resource selection parameters refer to information required for selecting scheduled resources. Based on this, the edge cloud node selection parameters and resource selection parameters can be parsed from the service requirement description information; a target edge cloud node to be scheduled is determined from at least one edge cloud node based on the edge cloud node selection parameters, and the scheduled resource information for the target edge cloud node is determined based on the resource selection parameters.

[0108] Optionally, the edge cloud node selection parameters include: a scheduling domain and / or QoS requirements of the cloud computing service. Based on this, when determining the target edge cloud node, the geographic location and remaining resources of at least one edge cloud node may be combined to select an edge cloud node that meets the scheduling domain and / or QoS requirements as the target edge cloud node.

[0109] In an optional embodiment, step 22a, providing an image for the scheduled resources in at least one edge cloud node, includes: obtaining an image required for the cloud computing service; providing the image to an edge management and control device, which then provides the image to corresponding resource devices in the target edge cloud node, so that the corresponding resource devices can use allocated or reserved resources to provide the cloud computing service. Optionally, if an edge management and control device is deployed in the target edge cloud node, the image can be provided to the edge management and control device in the target edge cloud node.

[0110] Optionally, a mirror library can be maintained, in which various images are stored. The cloud computing service demander or the mirror demander can choose to use the image in the mirror library. Based on this, the image required for the cloud computing service can be obtained from the mirror library, and then the image can be provided to the edge management device, and the use rights of the image can be opened to the corresponding cloud computing service demander. Alternatively, a mirror rule and specification can be provided to the user, allowing the user to make or generate the image required for the cloud computing service by himself, and the image needs to meet the relevant requirements of the edge cloud environment. Based on this, the image submitted by the cloud computing service demander can be received and the legitimacy of the image can be verified; if the image passes the legitimacy verification, the image will be added to the mirror library, and the image will be provided to the edge management device.

[0111] In an optional embodiment, after the edge management device controls the corresponding resource devices in the target edge cloud node to allocate or reserve resources according to the resource information, it can also monitor the resource reservation status of the corresponding resource devices. If the resource allocation or reservation is successful, the central management device is notified to record the corresponding resource allocation or reservation success information; or, if the resource allocation or reservation fails, the reason for the resource allocation or reservation failure is reported to the central management device so that the central management device can re-determine a new target edge cloud node.

[0112] Accordingly, the central control device may also receive notifications of successful resource allocation or reservation from the edge control device and record the corresponding successful resource allocation or reservation information. Optionally, the central control device may record the successful resource allocation or reservation information in a resource information library. Alternatively, the central control device may also receive the reason for the failure of resource allocation or reservation reported by the edge control device and re-determine a new target edge cloud node based on the failure reason.

[0113] In an optional embodiment, after the cloud computing service ends or when an edge cloud node switch is required, a resource release operation may be involved. This resource release operation may be initiated by the central control device or requested by the edge control device.

[0114] For the central control device, it can also send a resource release notification to the edge control device after the cloud computing service ends or based on the resource release application of the edge control device, so that the edge control device can notify the corresponding resource device in the target edge cloud node to release resources.

[0115] For edge control devices, they can also send a resource release request to the central control device, which includes the reason for resource release; receive the resource release notification sent by the central control device after determining that the reason for resource release has passed the review; and based on the resource release notification, notify the corresponding resource device in the target edge cloud node to release the resources.

[0116] In an optional embodiment, the edge management device may also monitor the resource usage rate in the target edge cloud node; when the resource usage rate exceeds the set upper limit value, a resource increase application is sent to the central management device to request the central management device to increase resources for the target edge cloud node; or, when the resource usage rate region sets a lower limit value, a resource reduction application is sent to the central management device to request the central management device to reduce resources for the target edge cloud node.

[0117] Optionally, in order to reduce the rationality of resource increase or decrease and avoid excessively frequent requests for resource increase or decrease, a time threshold can also be set. Then, the edge management and control device can monitor the resource usage rate in the target edge cloud node. If the resource usage rate exceeds the set upper limit of the usage rate, and the time it exceeds the set upper limit of the usage rate reaches the set time threshold, this indicates that the resource usage rate of the target edge cloud node has been too high for a long time and resources are relatively scarce, so a resource increase application can be sent to the central management and control device. Similarly, the edge management and control device can monitor the resource usage rate in the target edge cloud node. If the resource usage rate is lower than the set lower limit of the usage rate, and the time it is lower than the set lower limit of the usage rate reaches the set time threshold, this indicates that the resource usage rate of the target edge cloud node has been idle for a long time and resources are relatively abundant, so a resource reduction application can be sent to the central management and control device.

[0118] Accordingly, the central control device can receive a resource increase request sent by the edge control device, determine whether there are any spare physical machines in the target edge cloud node, and if so, add the spare physical machines as available resources to the resource list of the target edge cloud node. Alternatively, the central control device can receive a resource reduction request sent by the edge control device, determine whether the target edge cloud node is suitable for resource reduction, and if so, delete the spare physical machines in the target edge cloud node from the resource list of the target edge cloud node.

[0119] For a detailed description of the above method embodiment and other contents, please refer to the description of the aforementioned system embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0120] Figure 2c This is a flow chart of a resource scheduling method provided in an embodiment of the present application. The resource scheduling method is described from the perspective of a central control device, such as Figure 2c As shown, the method includes:

[0121] 21c. Determine a target edge cloud node to be scheduled and resource information to be scheduled in the target edge cloud node from at least one edge cloud node in the network system according to the resource demand description information.

[0122] 22c. Provide the resource information to the edge management and control device in the network system, so that the edge management and control device can control the corresponding resource device in the target edge node to allocate or reserve resources according to the resource information.

[0123] In an optional embodiment, in step 21c, if an edge management and control device is deployed in the target edge cloud node, the resource information can be provided to the edge management and control device in the target edge cloud node.

[0124] Optionally, the service requirement description information includes edge cloud node selection parameters and resource selection parameters. Edge cloud node selection parameters refer to parameters required for selecting a target edge cloud node; resource selection parameters refer to information required for selecting scheduled resources. Based on this, the edge cloud node selection parameters and resource selection parameters can be parsed from the service requirement description information; a target edge cloud node to be scheduled is determined from at least one edge cloud node based on the edge cloud node selection parameters, and the scheduled resource information for the target edge cloud node is determined based on the resource selection parameters.

[0125] Optionally, the edge cloud node selection parameters include: a scheduling domain and / or QoS requirements of the cloud computing service. Based on this, when determining the target edge cloud node, the geographic location and remaining resources of at least one edge cloud node may be combined to select an edge cloud node that meets the scheduling domain and / or QoS requirements as the target edge cloud node.

[0126] For edge control devices, they can receive resource information and control the corresponding resource devices in the target edge cloud node to allocate or reserve resources based on the resource information. Furthermore, after controlling the corresponding resource devices in the target edge cloud node to allocate or reserve resources based on the resource information, they can also monitor the resource reservation status of the corresponding resource devices. If the resource allocation or reservation is successful, they can notify the central control device to record the corresponding resource allocation or reservation success information; or, if the resource allocation or reservation fails, they can report the reason for the resource allocation or reservation failure to the central control device so that the central control device can re-determine a new target edge cloud node.

[0127] Accordingly, the central control device may also receive notifications of successful resource allocation or reservation from the edge control device and record the corresponding successful resource allocation or reservation information. Optionally, the central control device may record the successful resource allocation or reservation information in a resource information library. Alternatively, the central control device may also receive the reason for the failure of resource allocation or reservation reported by the edge control device and re-determine a new target edge cloud node based on the failure reason.

[0128] It should be noted that in some of the processes described in the above embodiments and the accompanying drawings, multiple operations that appear in a specific order are included, but it should be clearly understood that these operations may not be executed in the order in which they appear in this article or may be executed in parallel. The sequence numbers of the operations, such as 21a, 22a, etc., are only used to distinguish between different operations, and the sequence numbers themselves do not represent any execution order. In addition, these processes may include more or fewer operations, and these operations may be executed in sequence or in parallel. It should be noted that the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. in this article are used to distinguish different messages, devices, modules, etc., and do not represent a sequential order, nor do they limit "first" and "second" to being different types.

[0129] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a central control device provided by an exemplary embodiment of this application. Figure 3 As shown, the device includes: a memory 31 and a processor 32.

[0130] The memory 31 is used to store computer programs and can be configured to store various other data to support operations on the central control device. Examples of such data include instructions for any application or method operating on the central control device, messages, images, videos, etc.

[0131] The processor 32 is coupled to the memory 31 and is used to execute the computer program in the memory 31 to: schedule resources for at least one edge cloud node in the network system according to the service demand description information; provide a mirror for the scheduled resources in the at least one edge cloud node to utilize the scheduled resources in the at least one edge cloud node to provide corresponding cloud computing services, such as cloud computing services.

[0132] In an optional embodiment, when the processor 32 schedules resources for at least one edge cloud node, it is specifically used to: determine the target edge cloud node to be scheduled and the resource information to be scheduled in the target edge cloud node from at least one edge cloud node based on the service demand description information; and provide the resource information to the edge management and control device in the network system so that the edge management and control device can control the corresponding resource device in the target edge cloud node to allocate or reserve resources.

[0133] Optionally, the service requirement description information includes edge cloud node selection parameters and resource selection parameters. Edge cloud node selection parameters refer to parameters required for selecting a target edge cloud node; resource selection parameters refer to information required for selecting scheduled resources. Based on this, when determining the target edge cloud node and the resource information scheduled in the target edge cloud node, the processor 32 is specifically used to: parse the edge cloud node selection parameters and resource selection parameters from the service requirement description information; determine the target edge cloud node from at least one edge cloud node based on the edge cloud node selection parameters, and determine the resource information scheduled in the target edge cloud node based on the resource selection parameters.

[0134] Optionally, the edge cloud node selection parameters include: a scheduling domain and / or QoS requirements of the cloud computing service. When determining the target edge cloud node, the processor 32 is specifically configured to: combine the geographical location and remaining resources of at least one edge cloud node to select an edge cloud node that can meet the scheduling domain and / or QoS requirements as the target edge cloud node.

[0135] In an optional embodiment, when the processor 32 provides an image for the resources scheduled in at least one edge cloud node, it is specifically used to: obtain the image required for the cloud computing service; provide the image to the edge management device, and the edge management device provides the image to the corresponding resource device in the target edge cloud node, so that the corresponding resource device can use the allocated or reserved resources to provide cloud computing services.

[0136] Optionally, a mirror library can be maintained, in which various images are stored. The cloud computing service demander can choose to use the image in the mirror library. Based on this, the processor 32 is specifically used to: obtain the image required for the cloud computing service from the mirror library, and then provide the image to the edge management and control device through the communication component 33, and open the use rights of the image to the corresponding user. Alternatively, a mirror rule and specification can be provided to the user, allowing the user to make or generate the image required for the cloud computing service by themselves, and the image needs to meet the relevant requirements of the edge cloud environment. Based on this, the processor 32 is specifically used to: receive the image submitted by the user, and perform a legitimacy check on the image; if the image passes the legitimacy check, the image is added to the mirror library, and the image is provided to the edge management and control device.

[0137] In an alternative embodiment, if Figure 3 As shown, the central control device also includes: a communication component 33. The processor 32 is also used to: receive a notification of successful resource allocation or reservation sent by the edge control device through the communication component 33, and record the corresponding resource allocation or reservation success information. Optionally, the processor 32 can record the resource allocation or reservation success information in the resource information library. Alternatively, the processor 32 is also used to: receive the reason for resource allocation or reservation failure reported by the edge control device through the communication component 33, and re-determine a new target edge cloud node that can provide cloud computing services to users based on the failure reason.

[0138] In an optional embodiment, the processor 32 is also used to: after the cloud computing service ends or based on the resource release request of the edge management device, send a resource release notification to the edge management device through the communication component 33, so that the edge management device can notify the corresponding resource device in the target edge cloud node to release the resources.

[0139] In an optional embodiment, the processor 32 is further configured to: receive a resource increase request sent by the edge management device through the communication component 33, determine whether there are any free physical machines in the target edge cloud node, and if there are free physical machines, add the free physical machines as available resources to the resource list of the target edge cloud node. Alternatively, the processor 32 is further configured to: receive a resource reduction request sent by the edge management device through the communication component 33, determine whether the target edge cloud node is suitable for reducing resources, and if it is suitable for reducing resources, delete the free physical machines in the target edge cloud node from the resource list of the target edge cloud node.

[0140] It is worth noting that the processor 32 can not only implement all the above functions, but also independently implement the resource scheduling function, which will not be described in detail.

[0141] Further, if Figure 3As shown, the central control device also includes other components such as a display 34, a power supply component 35 and an audio component 36. Figure 3 Only some components are shown schematically, which does not mean that the central control equipment only includes Figure 3 In addition, Figure 3 The components within the dashed box are optional and depend on the implementation form of the central control device. If the central control device is a server, the display 34 and audio component 36 may not be included. If the central control device is a terminal, the display 34 and audio component 36 may be included.

[0142] Accordingly, an embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program. When the computer program is executed by one or more processors, it causes one or more processors to implement the steps or operations that can be performed by the central control device in the above-mentioned service provision method or resource scheduling method embodiment.

[0143] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an edge management device provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 As shown, the device includes: a memory 41 and a processor 42.

[0144] Memory 41 is used to store computer programs and can be configured to store various other data to support operations on the edge management device. Examples of such data include instructions, messages, images, videos, etc. for any application or method operating on the edge management device.

[0145] The processor 42 is coupled to the memory 41 and is used to execute the computer program in the memory 41 to: obtain the resource information scheduled in the target edge cloud node provided by the central control device and the image provided for the target edge cloud node; the target edge cloud node is the edge cloud node scheduled in the network system to which the central control device belongs; control the corresponding resource device in the target edge cloud node to allocate or reserve resources according to the resource information; and provide the image to the corresponding resource device so that the corresponding resource device can use the allocated or reserved resources to provide corresponding cloud computing services.

[0146] In an optional embodiment, the processor 42 is also used to: after controlling the corresponding resource device to allocate or reserve resources according to the resource information, monitor the resource reservation status of the corresponding resource device, and when the resource allocation or reservation is successful, notify the central control device to record the corresponding resource allocation or reservation success information; or, when the resource allocation or reservation fails, report the reason for the resource allocation or reservation failure to the central control device so that the central control device can re-determine a new target edge cloud node.

[0147] In an alternative embodiment, if Figure 4 As shown, the edge control device also includes a communication component 43. The processor 42 is further configured to: send a resource release request to the central control device via the communication component 43, the resource release request including the resource release reason; receive a resource release notification sent by the central control device after determining that the resource release reason has been reviewed and approved via the communication component 43; and notify the corresponding resource device in the target edge cloud node to release the resource based on the resource release notification.

[0148] In an optional embodiment, the processor 42 is also used to: monitor the resource utilization rate in the target edge cloud node; when the resource utilization rate exceeds the set upper limit value of the utilization rate, send a resource increase application to the central control device through the communication component 43 to request the central control device to increase resources for the target edge cloud node; or, when the resource utilization rate region sets a lower limit value of the utilization rate, send a resource reduction application to the central control device through the communication component 43 to request the central control device to reduce resources for the target edge cloud node.

[0149] Optionally, in order to reduce the rationality of resource increase or decrease and avoid excessively frequent requests for resource increase or decrease, a time threshold can also be set. Then, the processor 42 is specifically used to: monitor the resource usage rate in the target edge cloud node, if the resource usage rate exceeds the set usage rate upper limit, and the time it exceeds the set usage rate upper limit reaches the set time threshold, send a resource increase application to the central control device through the communication component 43. Similarly, the processor 42 is specifically used to: monitor the resource usage rate in the target edge cloud node, if the resource usage rate is lower than the set usage rate lower limit, and the time it is lower than the set usage rate lower limit reaches the set time threshold, send a resource reduction application to the central control device through the communication component 43.

[0150] Further, if Figure 4 As shown, the edge management device also includes other components such as a display 44, a power supply component 45 and an audio component 46. Figure 4 Only some components are shown schematically, which does not mean that edge control equipment only includes Figure 4 In addition, Figure 4 The components within the dashed box are optional and depend on the implementation form of the edge management device. If the edge management device is a server, the display 44 and audio components 46 may not be included. If the edge management device is a terminal, the display 44 and audio components 46 may be included.

[0151] Accordingly, an embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program. When the computer program is executed by one or more processors, it causes the one or more processors to implement the steps or operations that can be performed by the edge management device in the above method embodiment.

[0152] above Figure 3 and Figure 4 The memory in the MCU may be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile memory device or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic memory, flash memory, magnetic disk or optical disk.

[0153] above Figure 3 and Figure 4 The communication component is configured to facilitate wired or wireless communication between the device where the communication component is located and other devices. The device where the communication component is located can access a wireless network based on a communication standard, such as WiFi, 2G or 3G, or a combination thereof. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component receives a broadcast signal or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management system via a broadcast channel. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component may also include a near field communication (NFC) module, radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, infrared data association (IrDA) technology, ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, Bluetooth (BT) technology, etc.

[0154] above Figure 3 and Figure 4 The display in the embodiment includes a screen, which may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a touch panel (TP). If the screen includes a touch panel, the screen may be implemented as a touch screen to receive input signals from a user. The touch panel includes one or more touch sensors to sense touches, slides, and gestures on the touch panel. The touch sensor may not only sense the boundaries of a touch or slide action, but also detect the duration and pressure associated with the touch or slide operation.

[0155] above Figure 3 and Figure 4 The power supply component in a device provides power to various components of the device in which the power supply component is located. The power supply component may include a power management system, one or more power supplies, and other components associated with generating, managing, and distributing power to the device in which the power supply component is located.

[0156] above Figure 3 and Figure 4The audio component in the device may be configured to output and / or input audio signals. For example, the audio component includes a microphone (MIC), and when the device where the audio component is located is in an operating mode, such as a call mode, a recording mode, and a voice recognition mode, the microphone is configured to receive an external audio signal. The received audio signal may be further stored in a memory or sent via a communication component. In some embodiments, the audio component also includes a speaker for outputting audio signals.

[0157] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that embodiments of the present invention may be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Thus, the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware. Furthermore, the present invention may take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to magnetic disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0158] The present invention is described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that each process and / or box in the flowchart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of processes and / or boxes in the flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device produce a device for implementing the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0159] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce a product including an instruction device that implements the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0160] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operating steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable device provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0161] In a typical configuration, a computing device includes one or more processors (CPUs), input / output interfaces, network interfaces, and memory.

[0162] Memory may include non-permanent storage in a computer-readable medium, random access memory (RAM) and / or non-volatile memory in the form of read-only memory (ROM) or flash RAM. Memory is an example of a computer-readable medium.

[0163] Computer-readable media includes permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media that can be implemented by any method or technology to store information. The information can be computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices or any other non-transmission media that can be used to store information that can be accessed by a computing device. As defined herein, computer-readable media does not include transitory computer-readable media (transitory media), such as modulated data signals and carrier waves.

[0164] It should also be noted that the terms "comprises," "includes," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, commodity, or apparatus that includes a series of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or includes elements inherent to such process, method, commodity, or apparatus. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprises a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, commodity, or apparatus that includes the element.

[0165] The foregoing is merely an embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various changes and variations. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application should all be included within the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A network system, characterized in that: include: Central control equipment, edge control equipment, and at least one edge cloud node; The central control device is configured to schedule resources for the at least one edge cloud node according to the service requirement description information, obtain an image for the scheduled resources in the at least one edge cloud node, and send the image to the edge control device; The edge management and control device is configured to cooperate with the central management and control device to perform resource scheduling on the at least one edge cloud node, and provide the image to a scheduled target edge cloud node among the at least one edge cloud node, so that the target edge cloud node provides cloud computing services according to the image; The central control device is also used to: upon receiving a resource increase request sent by the resource scheduling service module in the edge control device when monitoring that the resource utilization rate in the target edge cloud node exceeds the set utilization rate upper limit, determine whether there are any available physical machines in the target edge cloud node, and if there are any available physical machines, add the available physical machines as available resources to the resource list of the target edge cloud node.

2. The network system according to claim 1, wherein: The central control equipment includes: A resource scheduling and control module is used to determine the scheduled target edge cloud node and the scheduled resource information in the target edge cloud node according to the service demand description information, and provide the resource information to the edge control device so that the edge control device can control the corresponding resource device in the target edge cloud node to allocate or reserve resources; The image management and control module is used to obtain the image required for the cloud computing service and provide the image to the edge management device, which in turn provides the image to the corresponding resource device in the target edge cloud node so that the corresponding resource device can use the allocated or reserved resources to provide the cloud computing service.

3. The network system according to claim 2, wherein: The edge management and control device includes: A resource scheduling service module is used to obtain the resource information provided by the resource scheduling control module, and control the corresponding resource equipment in the target edge cloud node to allocate or reserve resources according to the resource information; The image service module is used to obtain the image provided by the image management and control module, and provide the image to the corresponding resource device so that the corresponding resource device can provide cloud computing services using allocated or reserved resources.

4. The network system according to claim 3, wherein: The resource scheduling control module is further configured to: after the cloud computing service ends or according to the resource release application of the resource scheduling service module, send a resource release notification to the resource scheduling service module, so that the resource scheduling service module notifies the corresponding resource device in the target edge cloud node to release the resources; and / or, In the event that resources of the current target edge cloud node are insufficient or a failure occurs, re-determining a new target edge cloud node to provide cloud computing services using the new target edge cloud node; and / or, Upon receiving a resource reduction request sent by the resource scheduling service module when monitoring that the resource utilization rate in the target edge cloud node is lower than the set utilization rate lower limit, it is determined whether the target edge cloud node is suitable for reducing resources, and if it is suitable for reducing resources, the spare physical machines in the target edge cloud node are deleted from the resource list of the target edge cloud node.

5. A service providing method, characterized in that: include: According to the service demand description information, resources are scheduled for at least one edge cloud node in the network system; Obtaining an image for a resource scheduled in the at least one edge cloud node, and sending the image to an edge management and control device in the network system, so that the edge management and control device provides the image to a target edge cloud node scheduled in the at least one edge cloud node, so that the target edge cloud node provides corresponding cloud computing services according to the image; Upon receiving a resource increase request sent by the edge management device when monitoring that the resource usage rate in the target edge cloud node exceeds the set usage upper limit, it is determined whether there are any free physical machines in the target edge cloud node, and if there are free physical machines, the free physical machines are added as available resources to the resource list of the target edge cloud node.

6. A network system, characterized in that: include: Central control equipment, edge control equipment, and at least one edge cloud node; The central management and control device is configured to determine, from the at least one edge cloud node, a scheduled target edge cloud node and resource information scheduled in the target edge cloud node based on the service requirement description information, obtain an image for the target edge cloud node, and provide the resource information and the image to the edge management and control device; The edge management and control device is used to control the target edge cloud node to allocate or reserve resources according to the resource information, and provide the image to the target edge cloud node, so that the target edge cloud node uses the allocated or reserved resources to provide cloud computing services according to the image; The central control device is also used to: upon receiving a resource increase request sent by the resource scheduling service module in the edge control device when monitoring that the resource utilization rate in the target edge cloud node exceeds the set utilization rate upper limit, determine whether there are any available physical machines in the target edge cloud node, and if there are any available physical machines, add the available physical machines as available resources to the resource list of the target edge cloud node.

7. A service providing method, characterized in that: A central control device applied to a network system, the method comprising: Determine, from at least one edge cloud node in the network system, a scheduled target edge cloud node and scheduled resource information in the target edge cloud node according to the service requirement description information, and obtain an image for the target edge cloud node; Providing the resource information and the image to an edge management device in the network system, so that the edge management device controls the target edge cloud node to allocate or reserve resources according to the resource information and provides cloud computing services by using the allocated or reserved resources according to the image; or providing the resource information and the image to the target edge cloud node, so that the target edge cloud node allocates or reserves resources and provides cloud computing services by using the allocated or reserved resources according to the image; When receiving a resource increase request sent by the edge management device when monitoring that the resource utilization rate in the target edge cloud node exceeds the set utilization rate upper limit, determine whether there are any free physical machines in the target edge cloud node, and if there are free physical machines, add the free physical machines as available resources to the resource list of the target edge cloud node.

8. A network system, characterized in that: include: Central control equipment, edge control equipment, and at least one edge cloud node; The central control device is configured to determine, from the at least one edge cloud node, a scheduled target edge cloud node and resource information scheduled in the target edge cloud node according to the service requirement description information, and provide the resource information to the edge control device; The edge management and control device is used to control the target edge cloud node to allocate or reserve resources according to the resource information, so that the target edge cloud node uses the allocated or reserved resources to provide cloud computing services; The central control device is also used to: upon receiving a resource increase request sent by the resource scheduling service module in the edge control device when monitoring that the resource utilization rate in the target edge cloud node exceeds the set utilization rate upper limit, determine whether there are any available physical machines in the target edge cloud node, and if there are any available physical machines, add the available physical machines as available resources to the resource list of the target edge cloud node.

9. A network system, characterized in that: include: Central control equipment and at least one edge cloud node; The central control device is configured to determine, from the at least one edge cloud node, a scheduled target edge cloud node and resource information scheduled in the target edge cloud node according to the service requirement description information, and provide the resource information to the target edge cloud node; The target edge cloud node is configured to allocate or reserve resources according to the resource information and provide cloud computing services using the allocated or reserved resources; The edge management and control device is used to send a resource increase application to the central management and control device when it monitors that the resource utilization rate in the target edge cloud node exceeds the set utilization upper limit, so that the central management and control device can determine whether there are any free physical machines in the target edge cloud node, and if there are free physical machines, add the free physical machines as available resources to the resource list of the target edge cloud node.

10. A resource scheduling method, characterized in that: A central control device applied to a network system, the method comprising: Determining, from at least one edge cloud node in the network system, a scheduled target edge cloud node and scheduled resource information in the target edge cloud node according to the service description information; Providing the resource information to an edge management device in the network system, so that the edge management device uses the resource information to control the target edge cloud node to allocate or reserve resources and provide cloud computing services using the allocated or reserved resources; or providing the resource information to the target edge cloud node, so that the target edge cloud node allocates or reserves resources according to the resource information and provides cloud computing services using the allocated or reserved resources; When receiving a resource increase request sent by the edge management device when monitoring that the resource utilization rate in the target edge cloud node exceeds the set utilization rate upper limit, determine whether there are any free physical machines in the target edge cloud node, and if there are free physical machines, add the free physical machines as available resources to the resource list of the target edge cloud node.

11. A central control device, characterized in that: include: memory and processor; The memory is used to store a computer program; when the computer program is executed by the processor, the processor is caused to implement the steps in the method according to any one of claims 5, 7 and 10.

12. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by one or more processors, the one or more processors are caused to implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 5, 7 and 10.

Images