Deep Reinforcement Learning for Online Resource Allocation in IoT Networks: Technology, Development, and Future Challenges

The growing number of complex and heterogeneous Internet of Things (IoT) applications has imposed a high demand for scarce communications and computing resources. To meet this stringent requirement, it is desirable to develop large-scale highly adaptive online resource allocation strategies to streamline existing network operations. Deep reinforcement learning (DRL), which combines the merits of reinforcement learning and deep learning, is capable of addressing complex decision-making tasks, thus enabling efficient online resource allocation. In this article, we present a DRL-based resource allocation framework. We begin a discussion on DRL basics and review its several recent applications. Then, we develop two new DRL algorithms that facilitate unlocking the potential of DRL and offer viable solutions to many more complex resource allocation problems. The first one tackles an optimization problem exposed to mixed (discrete and continuous) action spaces and bound by a number of highly non-linear quality-of-service (QoS) constraints. The second one extends the single-agent DRL to a more challenging multi-agent DRL by introducing a novel semi-distributed architecture. Finally, we discuss the challenges and future visions of applying DRL to real-world IoT networks.