Blockchain and 5G integrated softwarized UAV network management: Architecture, solutions, and challenges

Abstract

Network management for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is challenging, keeping in view the high mobility of the vehicles. Hence, for smooth execution of various operations such as rescue, surveillance, and crowdsensing in a UAV environment, softwarization of UAV networks becomes essential, which separates control functions from hardware, i.e., data from the control plane. Using softwarization, various complex operations in the UAV environment can be executed with an increase in UAVs. However, with an increase in the complexity of UAV network management, secure communication among UAVs becomes a tedious task as most of the communication among UAVs takes place using an open network, i.e., the Internet. Software-defined networking (SDN) and network function virtualization (NFV) are the key softwarization enabling techniques in fifth-generation (5G) networks, which are used to manage secure network services with reduced capital and operating expenditures. However, different softwarization layers may suffer from controller hijacking, user authentication, access control, and resource consumption attack. Many solutions reported in the literature for this problem are centralized controlled that suffers from single-point of failure and also prone to various security attacks. Motivated from this, in this paper, a systematic and comprehensive survey is presented, which is based on blockchain (BC)-envisioned secure and trusted softwarized UAV network management. We also propose a BC-based softwarized UAV architecture to make the communication network secure and easily manageable. It can offer flexible and dynamic decision capabilities for network management services even in open 5G-enabled UAV networks. Finally, we analyzed the research challenges posed and future challenges in this area.