Computer scientists have created D-REC, an edge caching optimization method that uses a “digital twin” to forecast and improve data storage in wireless networks, thereby boosting speed and reliability.

A new edge caching method using a “digital twin” significantly improves wireless network efficiency by predicting user data needs and optimizing data storage, thereby enhancing network reliability and speed. Researchers are seeking to test this method in real-world applications.

Computer science researchers have pioneered a new technique for predicting the data needs of wireless computing users before they arise, enhancing the speed and reliability of wireless networks. This innovative method employs a “digital twin” technology, which replicates the network it supports, allowing for proactive data management.

At issue is something called edge caching. Caching refers to storing data on a server that a system or network thinks users will be using (or re-using) in the near future. This allows the system to meet user demands more quickly than if the system had to retrieve the data from the original source. Edge caching is when a system caches data in the server that is closest to the end user, such as computers that are incorporated into network routers or colocated with those routers.

“Two big challenges here are determining which data need to be cached and how much data the edge server should store at any given point in time,” says Yuchen Liu, corresponding author of a paper on the work and an assistant professor of computer science at SciTechDaily