An Intelligent Algorithm for Edge Server Deployment Based on the N-1 Security Criterion

The study proposes an edge server deployment method based on the widely used N-1 security criterion in power systems to improve the security and reliability of edge computing systems in the event of single-point failures. The N-1 security criterion requires the system to remain operational without triggering broader system issues in the event of any single equipment failure. This paper designs redundancy mechanisms and backup server schemes to ensure that even if an edge server fails, its workload can be quickly and seamlessly transferred to a backup server, thereby avoiding negative impacts on service quality, especially in terms of latency and performance. This method effectively reduces the security risks that could arise from single-point failures in edge computing systems. Simulation results show that, compared with traditional server deployment methods, the N-1 security criterion-based approach performs significantly better in terms of system reliability, stability, and fault tolerance, substantially improving the security and service continuity of edge computing systems. Additionally, considering that the random nature of the initialization phase in traditional K-Means clustering algorithms may lead to instability in the final results and that servers may face overload issues, this study further proposes an improved K-Means algorithm. By optimizing the selection of initial cluster centres' and adjusting the clustering process, the new algorithm more effectively reduces communication latency and balances the load between servers. Experimental results indicate that the improved K-Means algorithm outperforms existing algorithms, including DBCA, K-Means, Top-K, and Random algorithms, in terms of reducing communication latency and achieving load balancing. Moreover, the deployment strategy based on the N-1 security criterion significantly enhances system robustness and security, ensuring stable system operation in the event of a single edge server failure.

Keywords: Edge server deployment, Mobile edge computing, N-1 security criterion, K-Means, Reliability and security.