Empirical Evaluation of QUIC-Based Software-Defined Service Migration in Multi-access Edge Computing Over 5G Networks

Abstract Live Service Migration in Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) environments is essential to ensure seamless service continuity for users in dynamic network scenarios. While advances such as QUIC-based connection migration and CRIU-based container migration have improved reliability, they remain dependent on maintaining active connections with the source server, which is impractical in conditions of high mobility, unstable links, or server outages. Additionally, existing solutions lack a centralized mechanism to optimally manage migration paths. This study introduces the Software-Defined Service Migration (SDSM) paradigm, leveraging a centralized SDN controller, the QUIC protocol, and MEC technologies to enhance service migration. Our approach overcomes the limitations of traditional methods by preemptively coordinating container and connection migrations. Empirical evaluations on a 5G-based testbed and emulated environments demonstrate significant reductions in migration times and improved recovery in mobile scenarios. These results establish SDSM as a robust solution for next-generation network applications, ensuring consistent and adaptive service quality.