6GSoft: Software for Edge-to-Cloud Continuum
Muhammad Azeem Akbar, Matteo Esposito, Sami Hyrynsalmi, Karthikeyan Dinesh Kumar, Valentina Lenarduzzi, Xiaozhou Li, Ali Mehraj, Tommi Mikkonen, Sergio Moreschini, Niko Mäkitalo, Markku Oivo, Anna-Sofia Paavonen, Risha Parveen, Kari Smolander, Ruoyu Su, Kari Systä, Davide Taibi, Nan Yang, Zheying Zhang, Muhammad Zohaib
TL;DR
The paper targets software engineering for 6G's edge-to-cloud continuum, emphasizing sustainable, energy-efficient methods and AI-assisted orchestration across massively distributed devices. It proposes the 6GSoft program, a Finland-based consortium of four universities and four industrial partners, with four main objectives: sustainable SE practices, energy-aware orchestration models, architectural support for cloud-continuum systems, and business-driven development models. Current contributions include a literature review on AI-assisted requirements tracing, energy-aware orchestration approaches, and architectural considerations such as ADLs, complemented by insights on 6G software ecosystems and industry collaboration. The work aims to accelerate secure, scalable edge-to-cloud implementations, improve software productivity, and strengthen academia–industry ties to advance Finland's leadership in 6G software engineering for edge-to-cloud deployments.
Abstract
In the era of 6G, developing and managing software requires cutting-edge software engineering (SE) theories and practices tailored for such complexity across a vast number of connected edge devices. Our project aims to lead the development of sustainable methods and energy-efficient orchestration models specifically for edge environments, enhancing architectural support driven by AI for contemporary edge-to-cloud continuum computing. This initiative seeks to position Finland at the forefront of the 6G landscape, focusing on sophisticated edge orchestration and robust software architectures to optimize the performance and scalability of edge networks. Collaborating with leading Finnish universities and companies, the project emphasizes deep industry-academia collaboration and international expertise to address critical challenges in edge orchestration and software architecture, aiming to drive significant advancements in software productivity and market impact.