Resource allocation for UAV-enabled multi-access edge computing

In Ultrareliable and Low Latency Communications (URLLC), balancing trade-offs between energy consumption, service availability, and strict reliability and latency requirements is a significant challenge, especially in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-enabled multi-access edge computing (MEC) environments. The constraints imposed by the size, weight and power limitations of UAVs further complicate this task. This study addresses optimizing resource allocation in such environments to meet URLLC demands while minimizing power consumption and maximizing service availability. We explore the virtualization layer of the network function virtualization (NFV)-MEC architecture, incorporating node availability and power consumption alongside conflicting URLLC reliability and latency demands. We introduce an energy-aware model based on continuous-time Markov chain (CTMC) with an embedded virtual resource scaling scheme for Dynamic Resource Allocation (DRA). To solve the optimization problem related to MEC-enabled UAV node dimensioning, we propose a genetic algorithm (GA)-based solution. Our results demonstrate that the proposed GA-based approach achieves a superior balance, with up to a 44% reduction in power consumption compared to the first fit with maximum resources strategy, while also improving service availability and meeting URLLC requirements. This work provides a comprehensive analysis of key virtualization parameters and their impact on critical services within a single NFV-MEC over a UAV node, offering a robust framework for future 6 G network applications.