SD-RSU: Software-Defined Roadside Units in Blockchain-Integrated VANETs

Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs) in intelligent transportation systems (ITS) facilitate communication and data exchange between vehicles and roadside infrastructure. Although integrating blockchain technology with VANETs enhances security and reliability, it poses significant challenges due to the high computational demands of the consensus process, leading to resource consumption and data processing delays. To address these issues, we introduce software-defined road-side units (SD-RSUs) that leverage Software-Defined Everything principles to transform traditional RSUs into multifunction, adaptive edge nodes, thereby improving network efficiency. We propose a novel network architecture for blockchain-integrated VANETs featuring Comprehensive Validator Nodes (CVNs) and Streamlined Interact Nodes (SINs). Simulations demonstrate that our approach enhances edge computing tasks and scalability while mitigating service disruptions typically associated with blockchain computations.