Blockchain-Based Resource Allocation Model in Fog Computing

Fog computing makes up for the shortcomings of cloud computing. It brings many advantages, but various peculiarities must be perceived, such as security, resource management, storage, and other features at the same time. This paper investigates the resource contribution model between the fog node and cloud or users when fog computing introduces blockchain. The proposed model practices the reward and punishment mechanism of the blockchain to boost the fog nodes to contribute resources actively. The behavior of the fog node in contributing resources and the completion degree of the task also for contributing resources are packaged into blocks and stored in the blockchain system to form a transparent, open, and tamper-free service evaluation index. The differential game method is employed to model and solve the above process and address the interaction between the optimal resource contribution strategy of the fog node and the optimal benefit under the optimal resource contribution strategy. Indirectly, this service evaluation index also brings long-term economic benefits to fog service providers. Besides, taking advantage of the performance characteristics of the collective maintenance of blockchain and the ability to establish a credible consensus mechanism in an untrusted environment, fog computing nodes, under the proposed architecture, can have specific security protection capabilities.