Cloud Computing Part4

    

4. Cloud Computing Architecture

The Cloud Computing architecture comprises of many cloud components, each of them are loosely coupled. We can broadly divide the cloud architecture into two parts:

• Front End
• Back End

Each of the ends are connected through a network, usually via Internet. The following diagram shows the graphical view of cloud computing architecture:

Cloud Architecture

4.1 FRONT END

Front End refers to the client part of cloud computing system. It consists of interfaces and applications that are required to access the cloud computing platforms, e.g., Web Browser.

4.2 BACK END

Back End refers to the cloud itself. It consists of all the resources required to provide cloud computing services. It comprises of huge data storage, virtual machines, security mechanism, services, deployment models, servers, etc.

Important Points

• It is the responsibility of the back end to provide built-in security mechanism, traffic control and protocols.
• The server employs certain protocols, known as middleware, helps the connected devices to communicate with each other.

5. Cloud Computing Infrastructure

5.1 Cloud Infrastructure Components

Cloud infrastructure consists of servers, storage, network, management software, and deployment software and platform virtualization.

HYPERVISOR

Hypervisor is a firmware or low-level program that acts as a Virtual Machine Manager. It allows to share the single physical instance of cloud resources between several tenants.

MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

Management Software helps to maintain and configure the infrastructure.

DEPLOYMENT SOFTWARE

Deployment software helps to deploy and integrate the application on the cloud.

NETWORK

Network is the key component of cloud infrastructure. It allows to connect cloud services over the Internet. It is also possible to deliver network as a utility over the Internet, i.e., the consumer can customize the network route and protocol.

SERVER

Server helps to compute the resource sharing and offer other services such as resource allocation and deallocation, monitoring resources, security, etc.

STORAGE

Cloud uses distributed file system for storage purpose. If one of the storage resource fails, then it can be extracted from another one which makes cloud computing more reliable.

5.2 Infrastructural Constraints

Fundamental constraints that cloud infrastructure should implement are shown in the following diagram:

Infrastructural Costraints

TRANSPARENCY

Since virtualization is the key to share resources in cloud environment. But it is not possible to satisfy the demand with single resource or server. Therefore, there must be transparency in resources, load balancing and application, so that we can scale them on demand.

SCALABILITY

Scaling up an application delivery solution is not that easy as scaling up an application because it involves configuration overhead or even re-architecting the network. So, application delivery solution is need to be scalable which will require the virtual infrastructure such that resource can be provisioned and de-provisioned easily.

INTELLIGENT MONITORING

To achieve transparency and scalability, application solution delivery will need to be capable of intelligent monitoring.

SECURITY

The mega data center in the cloud should be securely architected. Also the control node, a entry point in mega data center also needs to be secure.