Cloud Computing-Architecture

The Cloud Computing architecture comprises of many cloud

components, each of them is loosely coupled. We can broadly divide the
cloud architecture into two parts:

 Front End
 Back End
Each of the ends is connected through a network, usually via Internet.
The following diagram shows the graphical view of cloud computing
architecture:-

Front End :-
front end refers to the client part of cloud computing system. It
consists of interfaces and applications that are platforms, e.g., Web
Browser.
BACK END
Back End refers to the cloud required to access the cloud computing
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.
Cloud computing distributes the file system that spreads over
multiple hard disks and machines. Data is never stored in one place only
and in case one unit fails the other will take over automatically. The user
disk space is allocated on the distributed file system, while another
important component is algorithm for resource allocation. Cloud
computing is a strong distributed environment and it heavily depends upon
strong algorithm

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.
Infrastructure as a Service | IaaS:-
Iaas is also known as Hardware as a Service (HaaS). It is one of the layers of the
cloud computing platform. It allows customers to outsource their IT
infrastructures such as servers, networking, processing, storage, virtual
machines, and other resources. Customers access these resources on the Internet
using a pay-as-per use model.

In traditional hosting services, IT infrastructure was rented out for a specific

period of time, with pre-determined hardware configuration. The client paid for
the configuration and time, regardless of the actual use. With the help of the
IaaS cloud computing platform layer, clients can dynamically scale the
configuration to meet changing requirements and are billed only for the services
actually used.

IaaS cloud computing platform layer eliminates the need for every organization
to maintain the IT infrastructure.

IaaS is offered in three models: public, private, and hybrid cloud. The private
cloud implies that the infrastructure resides at the customer-premise. In the case
of public cloud, it is located at the cloud computing platform vendor's data
center, and the hybrid cloud is a combination of the two in which the customer
selects the best of both public cloud or private cloud.

IaaS provider provides the following services -

Compute: Computing as a Service includes virtual central processing units and
virtual main memory for the Vms that is provisioned to the end- users.

Storage: IaaS provider provides back-end storage for storing files.

Network: Network as a Service (NaaS) provides networking components such

as routers, switches, and bridges for the Vms.

Load balancers: It provides load balancing capability at the infrastructure layer.

Advantages of IaaS cloud computing layer

There are the following advantages of IaaS computing layer -

1. Shared infrastructure

IaaS allows multiple users to share the same physical infrastructure.

2. Web access to the resources

Iaas allows IT users to access resources over the internet.

3. Pay-as-per-use model

IaaS providers provide services based on the pay-as-per-use basis. The users are
required to pay for what they have used.

4. Focus on the core business

IaaS providers focus on the organization's core business rather than on IT

infrastructure.

5. On-demand scalability

On-demand scalability is one of the biggest advantages of IaaS. Using IaaS,

users do not worry about to upgrade software and troubleshoot the issues related
to hardware components.

Disadvantages of IaaS cloud computing layer

1. Security

Security is one of the biggest issues in IaaS. Most of the IaaS providers are not
able to provide 100% security.

2. Maintenance & Upgrade

Although IaaS service providers maintain the software, but they do not upgrade
the software for some organizations.

3. Interoperability issues

It is difficult to migrate VM from one IaaS provider to the other, so the

customers might face problem related to vendor lock-in.

Platform as a Service | PaaS

Platform as a Service (PaaS) provides a runtime environment. It allows
programmers to easily create, test, run, and deploy web applications. You can
purchase these applications from a cloud service provider on a pay-as-per use
basis and access them using the Internet connection. In PaaS, back end
scalability is managed by the cloud service provider, so end- users do not need
to worry about managing the infrastructure.

PaaS includes infrastructure (servers, storage, and networking) and platform

(middleware, development tools, database management systems, business
intelligence, and more) to support the web application life cycle.

Example: Google App Engine, Force.com, Joyent, Azure.

PaaS providers provide the Programming languages, Application frameworks,

Databases, and Other tools:

1. Programming languages

PaaS providers provide various programming languages for the developers to

develop the applications. Some popular programming languages provided by
PaaS providers are Java, PHP, Ruby, Perl, and Go.

2. Application frameworks

PaaS providers provide application frameworks to easily understand the

application development. Some popular application frameworks provided by
PaaS providers are Node.js, Drupal, Joomla, WordPress, Spring, Play, Rack,
and Zend.

3. Databases
PaaS providers provide various databases such as ClearDB, PostgreSQL,
MongoDB, and Redis to communicate with the applications.

4. Other tools

PaaS providers provide various other tools that are required to develop, test, and
deploy the applications.

Advantages of PaaS

There are the following advantages of PaaS -

1) Simplified Development

PaaS allows developers to focus on development and innovation without

worrying about infrastructure management.

2) Lower risk

No need for up-front investment in hardware and software. Developers only

need a PC and an internet connection to start building applications.

3) Prebuilt business functionality

Some PaaS vendors also provide already defined business functionality so that
users can avoid building everything from very scratch and hence can directly
start the projects only.

4) Instant community

PaaS vendors frequently provide online communities where the developer can
get the ideas to share experiences and seek advice from others.

5) Scalability

Applications deployed can scale from one to thousands of users without any
changes to the applications.

Disadvantages of PaaS cloud computing layer

1) Vendor lock-in

One has to write the applications according to the platform provided by the
PaaS vendor, so the migration of an application to another PaaS vendor would
be a problem.
2) Data Privacy

Corporate data, whether it can be critical or not, will be private, so if it is not

located within the walls of the company, there can be a risk in terms of privacy
of data.

3) Integration with the rest of the systems applications

It may happen that some applications are local, and some are in the cloud. So
there will be chances of increased complexity when we want to use data which
in the cloud with the local data.

Software as a Service | SaaS

SaaS is also known as "On-Demand Software". It is a software distribution
model in which services are hosted by a cloud service provider. These services
are available to end-users over the internet so, the end-users do not need to
install any software on their devices to access these services.

There are the following services provided by SaaS providers -

Business Services - SaaS Provider provides various business services to start-up

the business. The SaaS business services include ERP (Enterprise Resource
Planning), CRM (Customer Relationship Management), billing, and sales.

Document Management - SaaS document management is a software application

offered by a third party (SaaS providers) to create, manage, and track electronic
documents.

Example: Slack, Samepage, Box, and Zoho Forms.

Social Networks - As we all know, social networking sites are used by the
general public, so social networking service providers use SaaS for their
convenience and handle the general public's information.

Mail Services - To handle the unpredictable number of users and load on e-mail
services, many e-mail providers offering their services using SaaS.

Advantages of SaaS cloud computing layer

1) SaaS is easy to buy
SaaS pricing is based on a monthly fee or annual fee subscription, so it allows
organizations to access business functionality at a low cost, which is less than
licensed applications.

Unlike traditional software, which is sold as a licensed based with an up-front

cost (and often an optional ongoing support fee), SaaS providers are generally
pricing the applications using a subscription fee, most commonly a monthly or
annually fee.

2. One to Many

SaaS services are offered as a one-to-many model means a single instance of the
application is shared by multiple users.

3. Less hardware required for SaaS

The software is hosted remotely, so organizations do not need to invest in

additional hardware.

4. Low maintenance required for SaaS

Software as a service removes the need for installation, set-up, and daily
maintenance for the organizations. The initial set-up cost for SaaS is typically
less than the enterprise software. SaaS vendors are pricing their applications
based on some usage parameters, such as a number of users using the
application. So SaaS does easy to monitor and automatic updates.

5. No special software or hardware versions required

All users will have the same version of the software and typically access it
through the web browser. SaaS reduces IT support costs by outsourcing
hardware and software maintenance and support to the IaaS provider.

6. Multidevice support

SaaS services can be accessed from any device such as desktops, laptops,
tablets, phones, and thin clients.

7. API Integration

SaaS services easily integrate with other software or services through standard
APIs.
8. No client-side installation

SaaS services are accessed directly from the service provider using the internet
connection, so do not need to require any software installation.

Disadvantages of SaaS cloud computing layer

1) Security

Actually, data is stored in the cloud, so security may be an issue for some users.
However, cloud computing is not more secure than in-house deployment.

2) Latency issu

Since data and applications are stored in the cloud at a variable distance from
the end-user, there is a possibility that there may be greater latency when
interacting with the application compared to local deployment. Therefore, the
SaaS model is not suitable for applications whose demand response time is in
milliseconds.

3) Total Dependency on Internet

Without an internet connection, most SaaS applications are not usable.

4) Switching between SaaS vendors is difficult

Switching SaaS vendors involves the difficult and slow task of transferring the
very large data files over the internet and then converting and importing them
into another SaaS also.
Types of Hypervisior:
The hypervisor, also known as a Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM) is the
software layer which enables virtualization. It is responsible for creating the
virtual environment on which the guest virtual machines operate. It supervises
the guest systems and makes sure resources are allocated to the guests as
necessary. Generally hypervisors are classified into one of two categories; Type
1 and Type 2.

1) Type 1

The Type 1 hypervisor is considered a native or bare metal hypervisor. This

type of hypervisor is the lowest level hypervisors, running directly on the host
hardware. It is responsible for allocation of all resources (disk, memory, CPU,
and peripherals) to its guests. These hypervisors typically have a rather small
footprint and do not, themselves, require extensive resources. Occasionally,
they have very limited driver databases limiting the hardware on which they can
be installed. Some also require a privileged guest virtual machine, known as a
Domain-0 or Dom0, to provide access to the management and control interface
to the hypervisor itself. The Type 1 hypervisor is what is most typically seen in
the server virtualization environment.
2) Type 2 Hypervisor.

This model (shown below) is also known as a hosted hypervisor. The software
is not installed on bare-metal, but loaded on top of an already live operating
system. This has some advantages in that it typically has fewer hardware issues
as the host operating system is responsible for interfacing with the hardware.
Type 2 hypervisor can be used for application portability such is the case for the Java
Virtual Machine (JVM) or to run operating systems. The downside being additional
overhead can cause a hit on performance compared to Type 1 hypervisors.