Journal of ISMAC
IRO Journals
Volume 8 — Issue 1 — March 2026

Edge and Fog Computing for Autonomous Network Management: A Comprehensive Survey

https://doi.org/10.36548/jismac.2026.1.005
Pages: 84-108
PDF
Pasumpon Pandian A.
Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, CARE College of Engineering, Trichy, India
PDF

How to Cite

A., Pasumpon Pandian. 2026. “Edge and Fog Computing for Autonomous Network Management: A Comprehensive Survey”. Journal of ISMAC 8 (1): 84-108. https://doi.org/10.36548/jismac.2026.1.005.
ACM ACS APA ABNT Chicago Harvard IEEE MLA Turabian Vancouver AMA

Download Citation

Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS) BibTeX

Keywords

— Fog Computing
— Edge computing
— Network management
— Internet of Things
— Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
— Mobile networks
— Cloud Computing
Published: 16-03-2026

Abstract

Fog computing is becoming popular as a way to reduce the bottlenecks that occur in computing and networking when deploying large numbers of IoT devices. Edge computing utilizes autonomous network management by performing local data processing (at the edge or source) which reduces both latency and network congestion. This also enables fog computing to provide a significant addition to cloud computing (where compute, network, store, and accelerate resources are located at the edge and network tiers) through the use of distributed, cooperative, and multi-tiered deployment of these elements. The purpose of this survey is to provide one of the first comprehensive reviews of edge and fog computing technologies for supporting autonomous network management. It discusses the role that Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning play within the context of closed-loop control systems, intent-based networking, and zero-touch operations across the fog/edge layers of the network. The application areas considered in this report include 5G and future generations of mobile networks, the IoT, software-defined networking, and network function virtualization. For each of these application areas, specific challenges related to distributed resource management, scalability, interoperability, security, privacy, and reliability are also identified and discussed in detail.

 

References

  1. Habibi, Pooyan, Mohammad Farhoudi, Sepehr Kazemian, Siavash Khorsandi, and Alberto Leon-Garcia. "Fog Computing: a Comprehensive Architectural Survey." IEEE access 8 (2020): 69105-69133.
  2. Mouradian, Carla, Diala Naboulsi, Sami Yangui, Roch H. Glitho, Monique J. Morrow, and Paul A. Polakos. "A Comprehensive Survey on Fog Computing: State-of-the-art and Research Challenges." IEEE communications surveys & tutorials 20, no. 1 (2017): 416-464.
  3. Walia, Guneet Kaur, Mohit Kumar, and Sukhpal Singh Gill. "AI-empowered fog/Edge Resource Management for IoT Applications: A Comprehensive Review, Research Challenges, and Future Perspectives." IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials 26, no. 1 (2023): 619-669.
  4. Hong, Cheol-Ho, and Blesson Varghese. "Resource Management in Fog/Edge Computing: a Survey on Architectures, Infrastructure, and Algorithms." ACM computing surveys (csur) 52, no. 5 (2019): 1-37.
  5. Alsadie, Deafallah. "A Comprehensive Review of AI Techniques for Resource Management in Fog Computing: Trends, Challenges, and Future Directions." IEEE Access 12 (2024): 118007-118059.
  6. Kuchuk, Heorhii, and Eduard Malokhvii. "Integration of IoT with Cloud, Fog, and Edge Computing: a Review." Advanced Information Systems 8, no. 2 (2024): 65-78.
  7. Rafique, Wajid, Lianyong Qi, Ibrar Yaqoob, Muhammad Imran, Raihan Ur Rasool, and Wanchun Dou. "Complementing IoT Services through Software Defined Networking and Edge Computing: A Comprehensive Survey." IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials 22, no. 3 (2020): 1761-1804.
  8. Boubaker, Nour El Houda, Karim Zarour, Nawal Guermouche, and Djamel Benmerzoug. "A Comprehensive Survey on Resource Management for IoT Applications in edge-fog-cloud Environments." IEEE Access (2025).
  9. Ren, Ju, Deyu Zhang, Shiwen He, Yaoxue Zhang, and Tao Li. "A Survey on end-edge-Cloud Orchestrated Network Computing Paradigms: Transparent Computing, Mobile Edge Computing, Fog Computing, And Cloudlet." ACM Computing Surveys (CSUR) 52, no. 6 (2019): 1-36.
  10. Khan, Latif U., Ibrar Yaqoob, Nguyen H. Tran, SM Ahsan Kazmi, Tri Nguyen Dang, and Choong Seon Hong. "Edge-computing-enabled Smart Cities: A Comprehensive Survey." IEEE Internet of Things journal 7, no. 10 (2020): 10200-10232.
  11. Costa, Breno, Joao Bachiega Jr, Leonardo Rebouças De Carvalho, and Aleteia PF Araujo. "Orchestration in Fog Computing: A Comprehensive Survey." ACM computing surveys (CSUR) 55, no. 2 (2022): 1-34.
  12. Chuan, Wu Chia, Shams Ul Arfeen Laghari, Selvakumar Manickam, Erum Ashraf, and Shankar Karuppayah. "Challenges and Opportunities in Fog Computing Scheduling: A Literature Review." IEEE Access 13 (2025): 14702-14726.
  13. Puliafito, Carlo, Enzo Mingozzi, Francesco Longo, Antonio Puliafito, and Omer Rana. "Fog Computing for the Internet of Things: A Survey." ACM Transactions on Internet Technology (TOIT) 19, no. 2 (2019): 1-41.
  14. Weng, Chi-Yao, Chun-Ta Li, Chin-Ling Chen, Cheng-Chi Lee, and Yong-Yuan Deng. "A Lightweight Anonymous Authentication and Secure Communication Scheme for Fog Computing Services." IEEE Access 9 (2021): 145522-145537.
  15. Kadhum, Methaq, Saher Manaseer, and Abdel Latif Abu Dalhoum. "Cloud-edge Network Data Processing based on User Requirements using Modify Mapreduce Algorithm and Machine Learning Techniques." International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications 10, no. 12 (2019).
  16. Ullah, Inam, Ali Arishi, Sushil Kumar Singh, Faisal Alharbi, Anwar Hassan Ibrahim, Muhammad Islam, Yousef Ibrahim Daradkeh, and Chang Choi. "Autonomous Network Management for 6G Communication: a comprehensive survey." Digital Communications and Networks (2025).
  17. Dlamini, Sabelo & Mwangama, Joyce & Ventura, Neco & Magedanz, Thomas. (2018). Design of an Autonomous Management and Orchestration for Fog Computing. 10.1109/ICONIC.2018.8601272.
  18. Basheer, Hanaa, and May Itani. "Zero touch in fog, IoT, and MANET for Enhanced Smart City Applications: A survey." Future Cities and Environment 9, no. 1 (2023).
  19. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/next-gen-autonomous-network-ai-saraswathi-singaravelu-2iyjc