# Navigating the Edge-Cloud Continuum: A State-of-Practice Survey

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.02003 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.02003/

## Key facts

- Cited by 3 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 22 May 2025.

## Built on by (most cited first, 3 of 3)

- [Downsides of Smartness Across Edge-Cloud Continuum in Modern Industry](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.29289/) (2026)
- [From Prompt to Service: An SLM-Based Agent Orchestration Gateway for AI-Driven Virtual Worlds](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.03557/) (2026)
- [AgentWare: Automating the Lifecycle of Agentic Applications across the Edge-to-Cloud Continuum](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.34586/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

The edge-cloud continuum has emerged as a transformative paradigm that meets the growing demand for low-latency, scalable, end-to-end service delivery by integrating decentralized edge resources with centralized cloud infrastructures. Driven by the exponential growth of IoT-generated data and the need for real-time responsiveness, this continuum features multi-layered architectures. However, its adoption is hindered by infrastructural challenges, fragmented standards, and limited guidance for developers and researchers. Existing surveys rarely tackle practical implementation or recent industrial advances. This survey closes those gaps from a developer-oriented perspective, introducing a conceptual framework for navigating the edge-cloud continuum. We systematically examine architectural models, performance metrics, and paradigms for computation, communication, and deployment, together with enabling technologies and widely used edge-to-cloud platforms. We also discuss real-world applications in smart cities, healthcare, and Industry 4.0, as well as tools for testing and experimentation. Drawing on academic research and practices of leading cloud providers, this survey serves as a practical guide for developers and a structured reference for researchers, while identifying open challenges and emerging trends that will shape the future of the continuum.