Integrating Edge Computing and Software Defined Networking in Internet of Things: A Systematic Review

Abstract

 The Internet of Things (IoT) has transformed our interaction with the world by connecting devices,
sensors, and systems to the Internet, enabling real-time monitoring, control, and automation in various applications
such as smart cities, healthcare, transportation, homes, and grids. However, challenges related to latency, privacy,
and bandwidth have arisen due to the massive influx of data generated by IoT devices and the limitations of
traditional cloud-based architectures. Moreover, network management, interoperability, security, and scalability
issues have emerged due to the rapid growth and heterogeneous nature of IoT devices. To overcome such
problems, researchers proposed a new architecture called Software Defined Networking for Edge Computing in the
Internet of Things (SDN-EC-IoT), which combines Edge Computing for the Internet of Things (EC-IoT) and
Software Defined Internet of Things (SDIoT). Although researchers have studied EC-IoT and SDIoT as individual
architectures, they have not yet addressed the combination of both, creating a significant gap in our understanding
of SDN-EC-IoT. This paper aims to fill this gap by presenting a comprehensive review of how the SDN-EC-IoT
paradigm can solve IoT challenges. To achieve this goal, this study conducted a literature review covering 74
articles published between 2019 and 2023. Finally, this paper identifies future research directions for SDN-EC-IoT,
including the development of interoperability platforms, scalable architectures, low latency and Quality of Service
(QoS) guarantees, efficient handling of big data, enhanced security and privacy, optimized energy consumption,
resource-aware task offloading, and incorporation of machine learning.