CCS367 STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES

Lecture
Unit STORAGE SYSTEMS 1
No
Introduction to Information Storage: Digital data and its types, Information storage,
Topic
Evolution of Storage Technology and Architecture
Bloom’s
Learning Outcome (LO) At the end of this lecture, students will be able to
Knowledge Level
LO1 Define Information Storage. K1
LO2 Differentiate between Data and Information. K2
LO3 Recognizes the types of Digital data. K1
LO4 Explain the Evolution of Storage Technologies. K2

Lecture notes

Introduction
Information is increasingly important in our daily lives. We have become information dependents of the twenty-
first century, living in an on-command, on-demand world that means we need information when and where it is
required. We access the Internet every day to perform searches, participate in social networking, send and
receive e-mails, share pictures and videos, and scores of other applications. Equipped with a growing number of
content-generating devices, more information is being created by individuals than by businesses.
Information created by individuals gains value when shared with others.

Information Storage
Businesses use data to derive information that is critical to their day-to-day operations. Storage is a repository
that enables users to store and retrieve this digital data.

Data
Data is a collection of raw facts from which conclusions may be drawn. Handwritten letters, a printed book, a
1
 family photograph, a movie on video tape, printed and duly signed copies of mortgage papers, a bank’s ledgers,
and an account holder’s passbooks are all examples of data.
The data can be generated using a computer and stored in strings of 0s and 1s. Data in this form is called digital
data and is accessible by the user only after it is processed by a computer.

The following is a list of some of the factors that have contributed to the growth of digital data:
1. Increase in data processing capabilities: Modern-day computers provide a significant increase in
processing and storage capabilities. This enables the conversion of various types of content and media from
conventional forms to digital formats.
2. Lower cost of digital storage: Technological advances and decrease in the cost of storage devices have
provided low-cost solutions and encouraged the development of less expensive data storage devices. This cost
benefit has increased the rate at which data is being generated and stored.
3. Affordable and faster communication technology: The rate of sharing digital data is now much faster than
traditional approaches. A handwritten letter may take a week to reach its destination, whereas it only takes a few
seconds for an e‑ mail message to reach its recipient.
The importance and the criticality of data vary with time. Most of the data created holds significance in the
short-term but becomes less valuable over time. This governs the type of data storage solutions used.
Individuals store data on a variety of storage devices, such as hard disks, CDs, DVDs, or Universal Serial
Bus (USB) flash drives.
Types of Data
Data can be classified as structured or unstructured based on how it is stored and managed. Structured data is
organized in rows and columns in a rigidly defined format so that applications can retrieve and process it
efficiently. Structured data is typically stored using a database management system (DBMS).

Data is unstructured if its elements cannot be stored in rows and columns, and is therefore difficult to query and
retrieve by business applications. For example, customer contacts may be stored in various forms such as sticky
notes, e-mail messages, business cards, or even digital format files such as .doc, .txt, and .pdf.

2
 Information
Information is the intelligence and knowledge derived from data. Data, whether structured or unstructured, does
not fulfill any purpose for individuals or businesses unless it is presented in a meaningful form. Businesses need
to analyze data for it to be of value.
Effective data analysis not only extends its benefits to existing businesses, but also creates the potential for new
business opportunities by using the information in creative ways.
Example: Job portal. In order to reach a wider set of prospective employers, job seekers post their résumés on
various websites offering job search facilities. These websites collect the résumés and post them on centrally
accessible locations for prospective employers. In addition, companies post available positions on job search
sites. Job-matching software matches keywords from résumés to keywords in job postings. In this manner, the
job search engine uses data and turns it into information for employers and job seekers.
Storage
Data created by individuals or businesses must be stored so that it is easily accessible for further processing. In
a computing environment, devices designed for storing data are termed storage devices or simply storage.
Devices such as memory in a cell phone or digital camera, DVDs, CD-ROMs, and hard disks in personal
computers are examples.
Evolution of Storage Technology and Architecture
Historically, organizations had centralized computers (mainframe) and information storage devices (tape reels
and disk packs) in their data center. The evolution of open systems and the affordability and ease of deployment
that they offer made it possible for business units/departments to have their own servers and storage. In earlier
implementations of open systems, the storage was typically internal to the server.
Originally, there were very limited policies and processes for managing the servers and the data created. To
overcome these challenges, storage technology evolved from non-intelligent internal storage to intelligent
networked storage (see Figure 1-4).

3
The technology evolution includes:

1. Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID): This technology was developed to address the cost,
performance, and availability requirements of data. It continues to evolve today and is used in all st orage
architectures such as DAS, SAN, and so on.

2. Direct-attached storage (DAS): This type of storage connects directly to a server (host) or a group of
servers in a cluster. Storage can be either internal or external to the server. External DAS alleviated the
challenges of limited internal storage capacity.

3. Storage area network (SAN): This is a dedicated, high-performance Fibre Channel (FC) network to
facilitate block-level communication between servers and storage. Storage is partitioned and assigned to a server
for accessing its data. SAN offers scalability, availability, performance, and cost benefits compared to DAS.

4. Network-attached storage (NAS): This is dedicated storage for file serving applications. Unlike a SAN, it
connects to an existing communication network (LAN) and provides file access to heterogeneous clients.
Because it is purposely built for providing storage to file server applications, it offers higher scalability,
availability, performance, and cost benefits compared to general purpose file servers.

5. Internet Protocol SAN (IP-SAN): One of the latest evolutions in storage architecture, IP-SAN is a
convergence of technologies used in SAN and NAS. IP-SAN provides block-level communication across a
local or wide area network (LAN or WAN), resulting in greater consolidation and availability of data.

4
Assessment questions to the lecture

Bloom’s
Qn
Question Answer Knowledge
No
Level
1. Which type of storage device is a hard disk?
a. Tertiary
b. Offline d. K1
c. Primary
d. Secondary
2. These are raw facts, figures, values or instructions with
no specific meaning by themselves.
a. Data
a.
b. Information

c. Meaning K1
d. Program

3. ________________ is data that has been given a

meaning or context. Information K1
4. The difference between memory and storage is that
memory is and storage is
a. Temporary, permanent a.
b. Permanent, temporary
c. Slow, fast K2
d. All of above
5. What is the full form of RAID?
a. Redundant Array of Independent Disks a.
b. Reliable Array of Independent Disks
c. Redundant Asset Increment Data K1
d. Reliable Aggravation of Immaculate Data

Students have to prepare answers for the following questions at the end of the lecture

Marks CO Bloom’s
Qn
Question Knowledge
No
Level
1 Define Digital Data.(AU 2017) 2 1 K1
2 Differentiate between Data and Information.(AU 2015) 2 1 K2
3 Point out the challenges faced by Information Storage. 2 1 K2
4 List the advantages of digital data 2 1 K1
5 Discuss the evolution of storage architecture with neat 13 1 K2
diagram.
Reference Book

Author(s) Title of the book Page numbers

G Somasundaram EMC Corporation, Information Storage and 5-10
Alok Shrivastava Management, Wiley, India

5
 Lecture
Unit STORAGE SYSTEMS 2
No

Topic Data Center Infrastructure, Key Characteristics of data center, Managing Storage
Infrastructure, Key Challenges in Managing Information.
Bloom’s
Learning Outcome (LO) At the end of this lecture, students will be able to
Knowledge Level
LO1 Define Data Center. K1
LO2 Identify the core elements of Data Center. K2
LO3 Describe the key characteristics of Data Center. K1
LO4 Illustrate the functionalities of Data Center Elements. K2
LO5 Explain the key challenges in Managing Information. K2
CCS367 STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES

Lecture notes

Data Center Infrastructure

Organizations maintain data centers to provide centralized data processing capabilities across the
enterprise. Data centers store and manage large amounts of mission-critical data.
A data center is a physical facility that organizations use to house their critical applications and
data. A data center's design is based on a network of computing and storage resources that enable
the delivery of shared applications and data.
The data center infrastructure includes 1) computers, 2) storage systems, 3) network devices, 4)
dedicated power backups, 5) and environmental controls (such as air conditioning and fire
suppression).
Core Elements

Five core elements are essential for the basic functionality of a data center:
1. Application: An application is a computer program that provides the logic for computing
operations. Applications, such as an order processing system, can be layered on a database, which
in turn uses operating system services to perform read/write operations to storage devices.

2. Database: More commonly, a database management system (DBMS) provides a structured

way to store data in logically organized tables that are interrelated. A DBMS optimizes the
storage and retrieval of data.

3. Server and operating system: A computing platform that runs applications and databases.

4. Network: A data path that facilitates communication between clients and servers or between
servers and storage.

5. Storage array: A device that stores data persistently for subsequent use.

Example: Figure 1-5 shows an order processing system that involves the five core elements of a
data center andillustrates their functionality in a business process.
 Figure 1-5: Example of an order processing system

Step 1: A customer places an order through the AUI of the order processing application software
located on the client computer.
Step 2: The client connects to the server over the LAN and accesses the DBMS located on the
server to update the relevant information such as the customer name, address, payment method,
products ordered, and quantity ordered.
Step 3: The DBMS uses the server operating system to read and write this data to the database
located on physical disks in the storage array.
Step 4: The Storage Network provides the communication link between the server and the storage
array and transports the read or write commands between them.
Step 5: The storage array, after receiving the read or write commands from the server, performs
the necessary operations to store the data on physical disks.
Key Characteristics of Data Center Elements

Uninterrupted operation of data centers is critical to the survival and success of a business. It is
necessary to have a reliable infrastructure that ensures data is accessible at all times. While the
requirements, shown in Figure 1-6, are applicable to all elements of the data center infrastructure,
our focus here is on storage systems.

1 Availability: All data center elements should be designed to ensure accessibility. The
inability of users to access data can have a significant negative impact on a business.
 2 Security: Polices, procedures, and proper integration of the data center core elements that will
prevent unauthorized access to information must be established. In addition to the security
measures for client access, specific mechanisms must enable servers to access only their allocated
resources on storage arrays.
3 Scalability: Data center operations should be able to allocate additional processing capabilities
or storage on demand, without interrupting business operations. Business growth often requires
deploying more servers, new applications, and additional databases. The storage solution should
be able to grow with the business.
4 Performance: All the core elements of the data center should be able to provide optimal
performance and service all processing requests at high speed. The infrastructure should be able
to support performance requirements.
5 Data integrity: Data integrity refers to mechanisms such as error correction codes or parity bits
which ensure that data is written to disk exactly as it was received. Any variation in data during
its retrieval implies corruption, which may affect the operations of the organization.
6 Capacity: Data center operations require adequate resources to store and process large
amounts of data efficiently. When capacity requirements increase, the data center must be able to
provide additional capacity without interrupting availability, or, at the very least, with minimal
disruption.
Capacity may be managed by reallocation of existing resources, rather than by adding new
resources.
7 Manageability: A data center should perform all operations and activities in the most efficient
manner. Manageability can be achieved through automation and the reduction of human (manual)
intervention in common tasks.
Managing Storage Infrastructure
Managing a modern, complex data center involves many tasks. Key management activities include:
1 Monitoring is the continuous collection of information and the review of the entire data center
infrastructure. The aspects of a data center that are monitored include security, performance,
accessibility, and capacity.
2 Reporting is done periodically on resource performance, capacity, and utilization. Reporting
tasks help to establish business justifications and chargeback of costs associated with data center
operations.
3 Provisioning is the process of providing the hardware, software, and other resources needed to
run a data center. Provisioning activities include capacity and resource planning. Capacity
planning ensures that the user’s and the application’s future needs will be addressed in the most
cost-effective and controlled manner. Resource planning is the process of evaluating and
identifying required resources, such as personnel, the facility (site), and the technology.
Key Challenges in Managing Information
In order to frame an effective information management policy, businesses need to consider the
following key challenges of information management:
1 Exploding digital universe: The rate of information growth is increasing exponentially.
Duplication of data to ensure high availability and repurposing has also contributed to the
multifold increase of information growth.
2 Increasing dependency on information: The strategic use of information plays an important
role in determining the success of a business and provides competitive advantages in the
marketplace.
3 Changing value of information: Information that is valuable today may become less
important tomorrow. The value of information often changes over time.
Assessment questions to the lecture

Bloom’s
Qn
Question Answer Knowledge
No
Level
1. This is a repository for the storage, management, and
dissemination of data in which the mechanical, lighting,
electrical and computer systems are designed for
maximum energy efficiency and minimum
environmental impact. b. K1
a.Storagelab
b.Datacenter
c.Datawarehouse
d.Fabric
2. Which of the following is NOT a part of a Data Center?
a. Storage
b. Memory b. K1
c. Networking
d. None
3. Which of the following is a Data Center Infrastructure
Management activity?
a. Using a word processor.
b. Adding a user c. K2
c. Printing a report.
d. None of the answers are correct.

Students have to prepare answers for the following questions at the end of the lecture

Marks CO Bloom’s
Qn
Question Knowledge
No
Level
1 What is Data Center? 2 1 K1
2 List the core elements in a business process.(AU 2016) 2 1 K2
3 Describe the Key characteristics of a data center. 8 1 K1
4 What are the key challenges in managing 8 1 K1
information?(AU 2017)
5 Describe the core elements of Data Center with neat 13 1 K2
diagram.(AU 2017)

Reference Book

Author(s) Title of the book Page

numbers
G Somasundaram EMC Corporation, Information Storage and 10-13
Alok Shrivastava Management, Wiley, India
9
CCS367 STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES
LO5 Explain Information Lifecycle Management LectureK2
Unit STORAGE SYSTEMS 3
No

Topic Information Lifecycle: Information Lifecycle Management, ILM Implementation

ILM Benefits.
Bloom’s
Learning Outcome (LO) At the end of this lecture, students will be able to
Knowledge Level
LO1 Define Information Lifecycle Management K1
LO2 Describe the characteristics of ILM. K1
LO3 Identify the process in implementation of ILM. K2
LO4 Discuss the benefits of ILM K2
LO5 Explain Information Lifecycle Management K2

Lecture notes

Information Lifecycle

The information lifecycle is the “change in the value of information” over time. When data is
first created, it often has the highest value and is used frequently. As data ages, it is accessed less
frequently and is of less valueto the organization.
For example, in a sales order application, the value of the information changes from the
time the order isplaced until the time that the warranty becomes void (see Figure 1-7). The value
of the information is highest when a company receives a new sales order and processes it to
deliver the product.
After order fulfillment, the customer or order data need not be available for real-time access. The
company can transfer this data to less expensive secondary storage with lower accessibility and
availability requirements unless or until a warranty claim or another event triggers its need.
 Information Lifecycle Management
Today’s business requires data to be protected and available 24 × 7. Data centers can accomplish
this with the optimal and appropriate use of storage infrastructure.
Information lifecycle management (ILM) is a proactive strategy that enables an IT organization
to effectively manage the data throughout its lifecycle, based on predefined business policies.
This allows an IT organization to optimize the storage infrastructure for maximum return on
investment.
Information lifecycle management (ILM) refers to the process of overseeing business data to
optimize its use and lower a company's costs. ILM also tries to reduce the compliance and legal
risks that the data might present. ILM helps businesses use data, metadata, and applications.
It begins with creating or recording information and covers usage, maintenance, storage, and
retrieval. The last stage of ILM involves disposing of, destroying, or permanently keeping the
data. It's important for organizations to manage all their information in a secure and protected
way, especially if they work with personal and confidential information. Information lifecycle
management best practices include storage optimization and methods to improve data quality,
utility, and safety.
An ILM strategy should include the following characteristics:
1 Business-centric: It should be integrated with key processes, applications, and initiatives of the
business to meet both current and future growth in information.
2 Centrally managed: All the information assets of a business should be under the purview of
the ILM strategy.
3 Policy-based: The implementation of ILM should not be restricted to a few departments. ILM
should be implemented as a policy and encompass all business applications, processes, and
resources.
4 Heterogeneous: An ILM strategy should take into account all types of storage platforms and
operating systems.
5 Optimized: Because the value of information varies, an ILM strategy should consider the
different storage requirements and allocate storage resources based on the information’s value to
the business.
ILM Implementation
The process of developing an ILM strategy includes four activities—classifying, implementing,
managing, andorganizing:
1 Classifying data and applications on the basis of business rules and policies to enable
differentiated treatmentof information
2 Implementing policies by using information management tools, starting from the creation of
data and ending with its disposal
3 Managing the environment by using integrated tools to reduce operational complexity
4 Organizing storage resources in tiers to align the resources with data classes, and storing
information in theright type of infrastructure based on the information’s current value.
Implementing ILM across an enterprise is an ongoing process. Figure 1-8 illustrates a three-
step road map to enterprise-wide ILM.
Step 1 the goal is to implement a storage networking environment. Storage architectures offer
varying levels of protection and performance and this act as a foundation for future policy-based
information management in Steps 2 and 3. The value of tiered storage platforms can be exploited

11
by allocating appropriate storage resources to the applications based on the value of the
information processed.
Step 2 takes ILM to the next level, with detailed application or data classification and linkage of
the storage infrastructure to business policies. These classifications and the resultant policies can
be automatically executed using tools for one or more applications, resulting in better
management and optimal allocation of storage resources.
Step 3 of the implementation is to automate more of the applications or data classification and
policy management activities in order to scale to a wider set of enterprise applications.

ILM Benefits
Implementing an ILM strategy has the following key benefits that directly address the challenges
of information management:
1 Improved utilization by using tiered storage platforms and increased visibility of all enterprise
information.
2 Simplified management by integrating process steps and interfaces with individual tools and
by increasing automation.
3 A wider range of options for backup, and recovery to balance the need for business continuity.
4 Maintaining compliance by knowing what data needs to be protected for what length of time.
5 Lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) by aligning the infrastructure and management costs
with information value. As a result, resources are not wasted, and complexity is not introduced by
managing low-value data at the expense of high-value data.

Assessment questions to the lecture

Bloom’s
Qn
Question Answer Knowledge
No
Level
1. Which of the following is a challenge in implementing
Information Lifecycle Management?
a. Increased storage costs
b. Improved data accessibility a. K1
c. Simplified data management
d. Enhanced data security
2. Which ILM process involves moving data to a lower-cost
storage tier based on its changing value over time?
a. Data classification
b. Data archiving d. K1
 c. Data replication
d. Data migration

3. What is the primary goal of Information Lifecycle

Management (ILM)?
a. To maximize data storage
b. To minimize data access
c. To optimize the management of information c. K1
throughout its lifecycle
d. To restrict data sharing

Students have to prepare answers for the following questions at the end of the lecture

Marks CO Bloom’s
Qn
Question Knowledge
No
Level
1 What is Information Lifecycle Management? 2 1 K1
2 Discuss the characteristics of ILM. 2 1 K2
3 Explain the process in implementation of ILM.(AU 2016) 13 1 K2
4 Discuss the benefits of ILM. 8 1 K2
5 Explain the ILM strategy for Implementation. 8 1 K2

Author(s) Title of the book Page

numbers
G Somasundaram EMC Corporation, Information Storage and 13-17
Alok Shrivastava Management, Wiley, India

13
CCS367 STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES
 Lecture
Unit STORAGE SYSTEMS 4
No
Third Platform Technologies: Implementation of Third Platform Technologies, Cloud
Topic
computing and its essential characteristics.
Bloom’s
Learning Outcome (LO) At the end of this lecture, students will be able to
Knowledge Level
LO1 Discuss about Third Platform Technologies. K1
LO2 State the importance of Third Platform Technologies K1
LO3 Define Cloud Computing K1
LO4 Explain the characteristics of Cloud Computing K2
Lecture notes
Third Platform Technologies

The third platform technology is a term coined by the IDC (International Data Corporation) for the
new computing platform. This advancement in technology has promoted interdependency between
social media, cloud computing, big data (information/ analytics) and mobile computing. According
to the research done on third platform technologies, it is considered as the next phase of the IT
revolution.
As per information available about this technology, the first platform was the mainframe computer,
the was PCs (personal computers) that has dominated the IT sector from 1985 to 2005 and now we
come to the 3rd platform which is considered as the backbone of today’s IT sector.
It consists of mobile computing, cloud services and big data analytics which makes it a revolutionary
phase of the IT sector. According to the directions of IDC, these Third Platform Technologies and
social networking will play a major role in future.
We are introducing you to these technologies that lay more emphasis on the improvement of the
working environment of an organization. It is one of the key disruptive forces in the field of
technology.
Implementation of Third Platform Technologies
There are so many uses of Third Platform technologies. Currently there is no third-platform product,
but there are so many proprietary products from open source software which can be used to cr eate,
operate and deploy solutions that use the Third Platform Technologies.
The combination of these products will fulfill the needs of an organization. Other than its operation
its design is also created according to the functioning of the organization. The following are the list
of some suitable products.
 Apache Hadoop big data framework
 The Kubernetes container management and deployment environment
 Eclipse the integrated development environment
 The Docker container environment
 Get cloud application platform as a service by the cloud foundry
How many types of Platforms are there?
We are going to discuss the platforms from the first to the latest one. The following is a list of those
platforms.
1. First Platform
The first platform technology is considered as the mainframe computer system which began its
journey in the 1950s and is still going on.
2. Second Platform
The second platform technology is known as the technology of the client/server system. This
technology began in the 1980s with personal computers that are tapping into the mainframe
databases and applications.
3. Third Platform
The third platform has been introduced in the early 2010s and in use till the present. These Third
Platform Technologies help enterprises to get various types of business benefits. This technology is
based on online computing.
4. Fourth Platform
The fourth platform is just a term used in IT companies right now and there is no proof of its actual
implementation. According to the research done on the fourth platform, it is found that there is no
clear definition available for it. But it is said that it might consist of Quantum computing, IoT, AI
and a largely distributed Grid computing system.
Important Technologies of the Third Platform
1. Mobile Computing
This is one of the major factors of the 3rd platform. If you talk about cloud, social networks, and big
data; all of these can also be accessed by this device. It offers the advantage of mobility to the
employee. It is also labelled as BYOD (Bring your own device).
According to research done on mobile computing, it was found that around more than half of the IT
sector companies are spending money on purchasing tablets, smart phones and e-readers to enhance
work efficiency and overall work productivity.
2. Social Technology
Any technology that enables social interactions and offers communication capability is a part of
social technology. This technology has made social interaction easy. Every company big or small
needs social media. Companies are adding these social elements to their products and services.

15
3. Cloud Computing
The technology of cloud computing has given a major boost to every organization. It is a trending
technology that is usually focused on mid-size companies. This has changed the thinking of people
about working in an organization.
Now with this technological advancement employees don’t need to be anchored to one physical
location. This technology has created a great pathway for an increase in the productivity of an
organization.
4. Big Data Analytics
The concept of big data is to properly increase the utility of all data. It helps an employee at any
organization to have easy access to all the data of their organization like personnel information, sales
figure, accounting data, financials and more. These data can be used to make important decisions in
major areas of business. This big data has three features when we differentiate it. They are variety,
volume and velocity.
5. Internet of Things
The Internet of things is a network of devices that enables the computer system to control and
monitor the physical environment. It is applicable in a personal environment, factory automation,
transport and many other areas.
It is another one of the major technological aspects in the third platform’s technologies that enables it
to interact with the system. The sensors and actuators technology in the computer system has already
been in use for many years. This helps in the future of computing.
Cloud computing
Cloud computing is also referred to as Internet-based computing, it is a technology where the
resource is provided as a service through the Internet to the user. The data which is stored can be
files, images, documents, or any other storable document.
Some operations which can be performed with cloud computing are –
 Storage, backup, and recovery of data
 Delivery of software on demand
 Development of new applications and services
 Streaming videos and audio
Cloud Computing Architecture:
Cloud computing architecture refers to the components and sub-components required for cloud
computing. These components typically refer to:
1. Front end(fat client, thin client)
2. Back-end platforms(servers, storage)
3. Cloud-based delivery and a network(Internet, Intranet, Intercloud)
Why Cloud Computing?
Here are the top reasons why to switch to Cloud Computing instead of owning a database server.
1. Reduces cost:
The cost-cutting ability of businesses that utilize cloud computing over time is one of the main
advantages of this technology. On average 15% of the total cost can be saved by companies if
they migrate to the cloud. By the use of cloud servers businesses will save and reduce costs with
no need to employ a staff of technical support personnel to address server issues. There are many
great business modules regarding the cost-cutting benefits of cloud servers such as the Coca-
Cola and Pinterest case studies.
2. More storage:
For software and applications to execute as quickly and efficiently as possible, it provides more
servers, storage space, and computing power. Many tools are available for cloud storage such as
Dropbox, Onedrive, Google Drive, iCloud Drive, etc.
3. Employees using cloud computing have better work-life balance:
Direct connections between cloud computing benefits, and the work and personal lives of an
enterprise’s workers can both improve because of cloud computing. Even on holidays, the
employees have to work with the server for its security, maintenance, and proper functionality.
But with cloud storage the thing is not the same, employees get ample of time for their personal
life and the workload is even less comparatively.
Characteristics of Cloud Computing
There are many characteristics of Cloud Computing here are few of them :
1. On-demand self-services: The Cloud computing services does not require any human
administrators, user themselves are able to provision, monitor and manage computing
resources as needed.
2. Broad network access: The Computing services are generally provided over standard
networks and heterogeneous devices.
3. Rapid elasticity: The Computing services should have IT resources that are able to scale
out and in quickly and on as needed basis. Whenever the user require services it is provided
to him and it is scale out as soon as its requirement gets over.
4. Resource pooling: The IT resource (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and
services) present are shared across multiple applications and occupant in an uncommitted
manner. Multiple clients are provided service from a same physical resource.
5. Measured service: The resource utilization is tracked for each application and occupant,
it will provide both the user and the resource provider with an account of what has been
used. This is done for various reasons like monitoring billing and effective use of resource.
6. Multi-tenancy: Cloud computing providers can support multiple tenants (users or
organizations) on a single set of shared resources.
7. Virtualization: Cloud computing providers use virtualization technology to abstract
underlying hardware resources and present them as logical resources to users.
8. Resilient computing: Cloud computing services are typically designed with redundancy
and fault tolerance in mind, which ensures high availability and reliability.
9. Flexible pricing models: Cloud providers offer a variety of pricing models, including
pay-per-use, subscription-based, and spot pricing, allowing users to choose the option that
best suits their needs.
10. Security: Cloud providers invest heavily in security measures to protect their users’ data
and ensure the privacy of sensitive information.
11. Automation: Cloud computing services are often highly automated, allowing users to
deploy and manage resources with minimal manual intervention.

17
Assessment questions to the lecture

Bloom’s
Qn
Question Answer Knowledge
No
Level
1. What type of computing technology refers to services
and applications that typically run on a distributed
network through virtualized resources? b. K1
a. Distributed Computing
b. Cloud Computing
c. Soft Computing
d. Parallel Computing
2. Which one of the following is Cloud Platform by
Amazon?

a. Azure b. K1
b. AWS
c. Cloudera
d. All of the mentioned

3. Which of the following are the features of cloud

computing?
a. Security a. K1
b. Availability
c. Large Network Access
d. All of the mentioned

Students have to prepare answers for the following questions at the end of the lecture

Marks CO Bloom’s
Qn
Question Knowledge
No
Level
1 Define Cloud Computing 8 1 K1
2 Why Cloud Computing? 8 1 K1
3 State the implementation of Cloud. 8 1 K1
4 Discuss about Third Platform Technologies 2 1 K2
5 List the important technologies in Third Platform 2 1 K1
6 Explain the characteristics of Cloud Computing 2 1 K2

Reference Book:

Author(s) Title of the book Page

numbers
Web Resources
CCS367 STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES

Lecture
Unit 1 STORAGE SYSTEMS 5
No
Topic Cloud services and cloud deployment models
Bloom’s
Learning Outcome (LO) At the end of this lecture, students will be able to
Knowledge Level
LO1 Describe Cloud service models. K1
LO2 List the types of cloud service models K1
LO3 Explain the various types of cloud service models K2
LO4 Discuss about Cloud deployment models K2
LO5 Compare the different types of deployment model K2

Lecture notes
Cloud Service Models
Most cloud computing services fall into five broad categories:
1. Software as a service (SaaS)
2. Platform as a service (PaaS)
3. Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)
4. Anything/Everything as a service (XaaS)

These are sometimes called the cloud computing stack because they are built on top of one
another. Knowing what they are and how they are different, makes it easier to accomplish your
goals. These abstraction layers can also be viewed as a layered architecture where services of a
higher layer can be composed of services of the underlying layer i.e, SaaS can provide
Infrastructure.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is a way of delivering services and applications over the Internet.
Instead of installing and maintaining software, we simply access it via the Internet, freeing
ourselves from the complex software and hardware management. It removes the need to install
and run applications on our own computers or in the data centers eliminating the expenses of
hardware as well as software maintenance.
SaaS provides a complete software solution that you purchase on a pay-as-you-go basis from a
cloud service provider. Most SaaS applications can be run directly from a web browser without
any downloads or installations required. The SaaS applications are sometimes called Web-based
software, on-demand software, or hosted software.
Advantages of SaaS
1. Cost-Effective: Pay only for what you use.
2. Reduced time: Users can run most SaaS apps directly from their web browser without
needing to download and install any software. This reduces the time spent in installation and
configuration and can reduce the issues that can get in the way of the software deployment.
3. Accessibility: We can Access app data from anywhere.
4. Automatic updates: Rather than purchasing new software, customers rely on a SaaS 19
provider to automatically perform the updates.
5. Scalability: It allows the users to access the services and features on-demand.
The various companies providing Software as a service are Cloud9 Analytics, Salesforce.com,
Cloud Switch, Microsoft Office 365, Big Commerce, Eloqua, dropBox, and Cloud Tran.
Disadvantages of Saas :
1. Limited customization: SaaS solutions are typically not as customizable as on-premises
software, meaning that users may have to work within the constraints of the SaaS provider’s
platform and may not be able to tailor the software to their specific needs.
2. Dependence on internet connectivity: SaaS solutions are typically cloud-based, which
means that they require a stable internet connection to function properly. This can be
problematic for users in areas with poor connectivity or for those who need to access the
software in offline environments.
3. Security concerns: SaaS providers are responsible for maintaining the security of the data
stored on their servers, but there is still a risk of data breaches or other security incidents.
4. Limited control over data: SaaS providers may have access to a user’s data, which can be
a concern for organizations that need to maintain strict control over their data for regulatory
or other reasons.

Platform as a Service

PaaS is a category of cloud computing that provides a platform and environment to allow
developers to build applications and services over the internet. PaaS services are hosted in the
cloud and accessed by users simply via their web browser.
A PaaS provider hosts the hardware and software on its own infrastructure. As a result, PaaS frees
users from having to install in-house hardware and software to develop or run a new application.
Thus, the development and deployment of the application take place independent of the
hardware.
The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure including network,
servers, operating systems, or storage, but has control over the deployed applications and possibly
configuration settings for the application-hosting environment. To make it simple, take the
example of an annual day function, you will have two options either to create a venue or to rent a
venue but the function is the same.
Advantages of PaaS:
1. Simple and convenient for users: It provides much of the infrastructure and other IT
services, which users can access anywhere via a web browser.
2. Cost-Effective: It charges for the services provided on a per-use basis thus eliminating the
expenses one may have for on-premises hardware and software.
3. Efficiently managing the lifecycle: It is designed to support the complete web application
lifecycle: building, testing, deploying, managing, and updating.
4. Efficiency: It allows for higher-level programming with reduced complexity thus, the
overall development of the application can be more effective.
The various companies providing Platform as a service are Amazon Web services Elastic
Beanstalk, Salesforce, Windows Azure, Google App Engine, cloud Bees and IBM smart cloud.
Disadvantages of Paas:
1. Limited control over infrastructure: PaaS providers typically manage the underlying
infrastructure and take care of maintenance and updates, but this can also mean that users
have less control over the environment and may not be able to make certain customizations.
2. Dependence on the provider: Users are dependent on the PaaS provider for the
availability, scalability, and reliability of the platform, which can be a risk if the provider
experiences outages or other issues.
3. Limited flexibility: PaaS solutions may not be able to accommodate certain types of
workloads or applications, which can limit the value of the solution for certain organizations.
Infrastructure as a Service

Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) is a service model that delivers computer infrastructure on an

outsourced basis to support various operations. Typically IaaS is a service where infrastructure is
provided as outsourcing to enterprises such as networking equipment, devices, database, and web
servers.
It is also known as Hardware as a Service (HaaS). IaaS customers pay on a per-user basis,
typically by the hour, week, or month. Some providers also charge customers based on the
amount of virtual machine space they use.
It simply provides the underlying operating systems, security, networking, and servers for
developing such applications, and services, and deploying development tools, databases, etc.
Advantages of IaaS:
1. Cost-Effective: Eliminates capital expense and reduces ongoing cost and IaaS customers
pay on a per-user basis, typically by the hour, week, or month.
2. Website hosting: Running websites using IaaS can be less expensive than traditional web
hosting.
3. Security: The IaaS Cloud Provider may provide better security than your existing
software.
4. Maintenance: There is no need to manage the underlying data center or the introduction
of new releases of the development or underlying software. This is all ha ndled by the IaaS
Cloud Provider.
The various companies providing Infrastructure as a service are Amazon web services,
Bluestack, IBM, Openstack, Rackspace, and Vmware.

Disadvantages of laaS:
1. Limited control over infrastructure: IaaS providers typically manage the underlying
infrastructure and take care of maintenance and updates, but this can also mean that users
have less control over the environment and may not be able to make certain customizations.
2. Security concerns: Users are responsible for securing their own data and applications,
which can be a significant undertaking.
3. Limited access: Cloud computing may not be accessible in certain regions and countries
due to legal policies.

Anything as a Service

It is also known as Everything as a Service. Most of the cloud service providers nowadays offer
anything as a service that is a compilation of all of the above services including some additional
services.
Advantages of XaaS:
1. Scalability: XaaS solutions can be easily scaled up or down to meet the changing needs of
an organization.
2. Flexibility: XaaS solutions can be used to provide a wide range of services, such as
storage, databases, networking, and software, which can be customized to meet the specific
needs of an organization.
3. Cost-effectiveness: XaaS solutions can be more cost-effective than traditional on-
premises solutions, as organizations only pay for the services.
Disadvantages of XaaS:
1. Dependence on the provider: Users are dependent on the XaaS provider for the
availability, scalability, and reliability of the service, which can be a risk if the provider 21
experiences outages or other issues.
2. Limited flexibility: XaaS solutions may not be able to accommodate certain types of
workloads or applications, which can limit the value of the solution for c ertain organizations.
3. Limited integration: XaaS solutions may not be able to integrate with existing systems
and data sources, which can limit the value of the solution for certain organizations.

Cloud Deployment Model functions as a virtual computing environment with a deployment

architecture that varies depending on the amount of data you want to store and who has access to
the infrastructure.
Cloud Computing Deployment Models
The cloud deployment model identifies the specific type of cloud environment based on
ownership, scale, and access, as well as the cloud’s nature and purpose. The location of the
servers you’re utilizing and who controls them are defined by a cloud deployment model. It
specifies how your cloud infrastructure will look, what you can change, and whether you will be
given services or will have to create everything yourself. Relationships between the infrastructure
and your users are also defined by cloud deployment types. Different types of cloud computing
deployment models are described below.
 Public Cloud
 Private Cloud
 Hybrid Cloud
 Community Cloud
Public Cloud
The public cloud makes it possible for anybody to access systems and services. The public cloud
may be less secure as it is open to everyone. The public cloud is one in which cloud infrastructure
services are provided over the internet to the general people or major industry groups. The
infrastructure in this cloud model is owned by the entity that delivers the cloud services, not by
the consumer. It is a type of cloud hosting that allows customers and users to easily access
systems and services. This form of cloud computing is an excellent example of cloud hosting, in
which service providers supply services to a variety of customers. In this arrangement, storage
backup and retrieval services are given for free, as a subscription, or on a per-user basis. For
example, Google App Engine etc.

Public Cloud

Advantages of the Public Cloud Model

 Minimal Investment: Because it is a pay-per-use service, there is no substantial upfront
fee, making it excellent for enterprises that require immediate access to resources.
 No setup cost: The entire infrastructure is fully subsidized by the cloud service providers,
thus there is no need to set up any hardware.
 Infrastructure Management is not required: Using the public cloud does not necessitate
infrastructure management.
 No maintenance: The maintenance work is done by the service provider (not users).
 Dynamic Scalability: To fulfill your company’s needs, on-demand resources are
accessible.
Disadvantages of the Public Cloud Model
 Less secure: Public cloud is less secure as resources are public so there is no guarantee of
high-level security.
 Low customization: It is accessed by many public so it can’t be customized according to
personal requirements.
Private Cloud
The private cloud deployment model is the exact opposite of the public cloud deployment model.
It’s a one-on-one environment for a single user (customer). There is no need to share your
hardware with anyone else. The distinction between private and public clouds is in how you
handle all of the hardware. It is also called the “internal cloud” & it refers to the ability to access
systems and services within a given border or organization. The cloud platform is implemented in
a cloud-based secure environment that is protected by powerful firewalls and under the
supervision of an organization’s IT department. The private cloud gives greater flexibility of
control over cloud resources.

Private Cloud

Advantages of the Private Cloud Model

 Better Control: You are the sole owner of the property. You gain complete command
over service integration, IT operations, policies, and user behavior.
 Data Security and Privacy: It’s suitable for storing corporate information to which only
authorized staff have access. By segmenting resources within the same infrastructure,
improved access and security can be achieved.
 Supports Legacy Systems: This approach is designed to work with legacy systems that are
unable to access the public cloud.
 Customization: Unlike a public cloud deployment, a private cloud allows a company to
tailor its solution to meet its specific needs.
Disadvantages of the Private Cloud Model
 Less scalable: Private clouds are scaled within a certain range as there is less number of
clients.
 Costly: Private clouds are more costly as they provide personalized facilities.
Hybrid Cloud
By bridging the public and private worlds with a layer of proprietary software, hybrid cloud
computing gives the best of both worlds. With a hybrid solution, you may host the app in a safe
environment while taking advantage of the public cloud’s cost savings. Organizations can move
data and applications between different clouds using a combination of two or more cloud
23
deployment methods, depending on their needs.
 Hybrid Cloud

Advantages of the Hybrid Cloud Model

 Flexibility and control: Businesses with more flexibility can design personalized solutions
that meet their particular needs.
 Cost: Because public clouds provide scalability, you’ll only be responsibl e for paying for
the extra capacity if you require it.
 Security: Because data is properly separated, the chances of data theft by attackers are
considerably reduced.
Disadvantages of the Hybrid Cloud Model
 Difficult to manage: Hybrid clouds are difficult to manage as it is a combination of both
public and private cloud. So, it is complex.
 Slow data transmission: Data transmission in the hybrid cloud takes place through the
public cloud so latency occurs.
Community Cloud
It allows systems and services to be accessible by a group of organizations. It is a distributed
system that is created by integrating the services of different clouds to address the specific needs
of a community, industry, or business. The infrastructure of the community could be shared
between the organization which has shared concerns or tasks. It is generally managed by a third
party or by the combination of one or more organizations in the community.

Community Cloud

Advantages of the Community Cloud Model

 Cost Effective: It is cost-effective because the cloud is shared by multiple organizations or
communities.
 Security: Community cloud provides better security.
 Shared resources: It allows you to share resources, infrastructure, etc. with multiple
organizations.
 Collaboration and data sharing: It is suitable for both collaboration and data sharing.
Disadvantages of the Community Cloud Model
 Limited Scalability: Community cloud is relatively less scalable as many organizations
share the same resources according to their collaborative interests.
 Rigid in customization: As the data and resources are shared among different
organizations according to their mutual interests if an organization wants some changes
according to their needs they cannot do so because it will have an impact on other
organizations.

Assessment questions to the lecture

Bloom’s
Qn
Question Answer Knowledge
No
Level
1. In which of the following service models the hardware is
virtualized in the cloud?
a) NaaS d. K1
b) PaaS
c) CaaS
d) IaaS
2. Which of the following is a type of cloud computing
service?
a) Service-as-a-Software (SaaS) c. K1
b) Software-and-a-Server (SaaS)
c) Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
d) Software-as-a-Server (SaaS)
3. Which of the following is the deployment model?
a) public
b) private d. K1
c) hybrid
d) all of the mentioned

Students have to prepare answers for the following questions at the end of the lecture

Marks CO Bloom’s
Qn
Question Knowledge
No
Level
1 List the types of cloud service models. 2 1 K1
2 Define cloud deployment model 2 1 K1
3 What are advantages of SaaS,PaaS and IaaS 8 1 K1
4 Explain the various types of cloud service models 13 1 K2
5 Discuss about Cloud deployment models 8 1 K2
6 Compare the different types of deployment model 8 1 K2

25
Reference Book:

Author(s) Title of the book Page

numbers
Web Resources
CCS367 STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES

Lecture
Unit STORAGE SYSTEMS 6
No
Topic Big data analytics, Types of Big Data Analytics, Examples & Tools.
Bloom’s
Learning Outcome (LO) At the end of this lecture, students will be able to
Knowledge Level
LO1 Define Big Data Analytics. K1
LO2 Explain the different types of Big Data Analytics. K2
LO3 Discuss the Uses of Big Data Analytics in Business. K2
LO4 Explain the tools of Big Data Analytics. K2

Lecture notes

Big Data Analytics

Big Data analytics is a process used to extract meaningful insights, such as hidden patterns,
unknown correlations, market trends, and customer preferences. Big Data analytics provides
various advantages—it can be used for better decision making, preventing fraudulent activities,
among other things.

Big Data
Big Data is a massive amount of data sets that cannot be stored, processed, or analyzed using
traditional tools.

Today, there are millions of data sources that generate data at a very rapid rate. These data sources
are present across the world. Some of the largest sources of data are social media platforms and
networks. Let’s use Facebook as an example—it generates more than 500 terabytes of data every
day. This data includes pictures, videos, messages, and more.

Data also exists in different formats, like structured data, semi-structured data, and unstructured
data. For example, in a regular Excel sheet, data is classified as structured data—with a definite
format. In contrast, emails fall under semi-structured, and your pictures and videos fall under
unstructured data. All this data combined makes up Big Data.

Different Types of Big Data Analytics

Here are the four types of Big Data analytics:

1. Descriptive Analytics

This summarizes past data into a form that people can easily read. This helps in creating reports,
like a company’s revenue, profit, sales, and so on. Also, it helps in the tabulation of social media
metrics. 27
 Use Case: The Dow Chemical Company analyzed its past data to increase facility utilization across
its office and lab space. Using descriptive analytics, Dow was able to identify underutilized space.
This space consolidation helped the company save nearly US $4 million annually.

2. Diagnostic Analytics

This is done to understand what caused a problem in the first place. Techniques like drill-
down, data mining, and data recovery are all examples. Organizations use diagnostic analytics
because they provide an in-depth insight into a particular problem.

Use Case: An e-commerce company’s report shows that their sales have gone down, although
customers are adding products to their carts. This can be due to various reasons like the form didn’t
load correctly, the shipping fee is too high, or there are not enough payment options available. This
is where you can use diagnostic analytics to find the reason.

3. Predictive Analytics

This type of analytics looks into the historical and present data to make predictions of the future.
Predictive analytics uses data mining, AI, and machine learning to analyze current data and make
predictions about the future. It works on predicting customer trends, market trends, and so on.

Use Case: PayPal determines what kind of precautions they have to take to protect their clients
against fraudulent transactions. Using predictive analytics, the company uses all the historical
payment data and user behavior data and builds an algorithm that predicts fraudulent activities.

4. Prescriptive Analytics

This type of analytics prescribes the solution to a particular problem. Perspective analytics works
with both descriptive and predictive analytics. Most of the time, it relies on AI and machine
learning.

Use Case: Prescriptive analytics can be used to maximize an airline’s profit. This type of analytics
is used to build an algorithm that will automatically adjust the flight fares based on numerous
factors, including customer demand, weather, destination, holiday seasons, and oil prices.

Examples of Big Data Analytics

There are many different ways that Big Data analytics can be used in order to improve businesses
and organizations. Here are some examples:

 Using analytics to understand customer behavior in order to optimize the customer

experience
 Predicting future trends in order to make better business decisions
 Improving marketing campaigns by understanding what works and what doesn't
 Increasing operational efficiency by understanding where bottlenecks are and how to fix
them
 Detecting fraud and other forms of misuse sooner
 Big Data Analytics Tools

Here are some of the key big data analytics tools :

 Hadoop - helps in storing and analyzing data

 MongoDB - used on datasets that change frequently
 Talend - used for data integration and management
 Cassandra - a distributed database used to handle chunks of data
 Spark - used for real-time processing and analyzing large amounts of data
 STORM - an open-source real-time computational system
 Kafka - a distributed streaming platform that is used for fault-tolerant storage

Assessment questions to the lecture

Bloom’s
Qn
Question Answer Knowledge
No
Level
1. Data in ____ bytes size is called Big Data.

a. Tera
b. Giga c. K1
c. Peta
d. Meta

2. Amongst which of the following is/are not Big Data

Technologies?

a. Apache Hadoop
b. Apache Spark d. K2
c. Apache Kafka
d. Apache Pytarch

3. Descriptive analytics is a statistical method that is used to

search and summarize ____ in order to identify patterns
or meaning.

A. Account data b. K1
B. Historical data
C. Financial data
D. None of the mentioned above

29
Students have to prepare answers for the following questions at the end of the lecture

Marks CO Bloom’s
Qn
Question Knowledge
No
Level
1 Define Big Data Analytics 2 1 K1
2 What is Big Data? 2 1 K1
3 List the tools used for Big Data Analytics. 2 1 K1
4 Explain the various types of Big Data Analytics. 8 1 K2
5 Discuss the examples and uses of Big Data Analytics. 8 1 K2

Reference Book

Author(s) Title of the book Page

numbers
Web Resources
CCS367 STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES
Lecture
Unit STORAGE SYSTEMS 7
No
Topic Data Center Environment, Types of data centers, Data center infrastructure
components
Bloom’s
Learning Outcome (LO) At the end of this lecture, students will be able to
Knowledge Level
LO1 Define Data Center. K1
LO2 Explain the different types of Data Center. K2
LO3 Elaborate the architecture of Data Center K2
LO4 Explain the Components of DataCenter Infrastructure K2

Lecture notes

Data Center Environment

A data center is a physical room, building or facility that houses IT infrastructure for building,
running, and delivering applications and services, and for storing and managing the data associated
with those applications and services.

Types of data centers

There are different types of data center facilities, and a single company may use more than one
type, depending on workloads and business need.

Enterprise (on-premises) data centers

In this data center model, all IT infrastructure and data is hosted on-premises. Many companies
choose to have their own on-premises data centers because they feel they have more control over
information security, and can more easily comply with regulations such as the European Union
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPAA). In an enterprise data center, the company is responsible for all
deployment, monitoring, and management tasks.

Public cloud data centers

Cloud data centers (also called cloud computing data centers) house IT infrastructure resources for
shared use by multiple customers—from scores to millions of customers—via an Internet
connection.

Many of the largest cloud data centers—called hyperscale data centers—are run by major cloud
service providers like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform, IBM Cloud,
Microsoft Azure, and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. In fact, most leading cloud providers run several
hyperscale data centers around the world. Typically, cloud service providers maintain smaller, edge
data centers located closer to cloud customers (and cloud customers’ customers). For real-time,
data-intensive workloads such big data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and content delivery
applications, edge data centers can help minimize latency, improving overall application
performance and customer experience. 31
Managed data centers and colocation Facilities

Managed data centers and colocation facilities are options for organizations that don’t have the
space, staff, or expertise to deploy and manage some or all of their IT infrastructure on premises—
but prefer not to host that infrastructure using the shared resources of a public cloud data center.

In a managed data center, the client company leases dedicated servers, storage and networking
hardware from the data center provider, and the data center provider handles the administration,
monitoring and management for the client company.

In a colocation facility, the client company owns all the infrastructure, and leases a dedicated space
to host it within the facility. In the traditional colocation model, the client company has sole access
to the hardware and full responsibility for managing it; this is ideal for privacy and security but
often impractical, particularly during outages or emergencies. Today, most colocation providers
offer management and monitoring services for clients who want them.

Managed data centers and colocation facilities are often used to house remote data backup and
disaster recovery technology for small and midsized businesses (SMBs).

Data center architecture

Virtualization also enables software-defined infrastructure (SDI)—infrastructure that can be

provisioned, configured, run, maintained and ‘spun down’ programmatically, without human
intervention.

The combination of cloud architecture and SDI offers many advantages to data centers and their
users, including the following:

 Optimal utilization of compute, storage, and networking resources. Virtualization enables

companies or clouds to serve the most users using the least hardware, and with the least
unused or idle capacity.

 Scalability. Virtualized IT infrastructure is far easier to scale than traditional IT

infrastructure. Even companies using on-premises data centers can add capacity on demand
by bursting workloads to the cloud when necessary.

 Variety of services and data center solutions. Companies and clouds can offer users a range
of ways to consume and deliver IT, all from the same infrastructure. Choices are made ba sed
on workload demands, and include infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service
(PaaS), and software as a service (SaaS). These services can be offered in a private data
center, or as cloud solutions in either a private cloud, public cloud, hybrid cloud,
or multicloud environment.

 Cloud-native development. Containerization and serverless computing, along with a robust

open-source ecosystem, enable and accelerate DevOps cycles and application
modernization as well as enable develop-once-deploy-anywhere apps.
Data center infrastructure components

Servers

Servers are powerful computers that deliver applications, services and data to end-user devices.
Data center servers come in several form factors:

 Rack-mount servers are wide, flat standalone servers—the size of a small pizza box—
designed to be stacked on top of each other in a rack, to save space (vs. a tower or desktop
server). Each rack-mount server has its own power supply, cooling fans, network switches,
and ports, along with the usual processor, memory, and storage.

 Blade servers are designed to save even more space. Each blade contains processors,
network controllers, memory and sometime storage; they’re made to fit into a chassis that
holds multiple blades and contains the power supply, network management and other
resources for all the blades in the chassis.

 Mainframes are high-performance computers with multiple processors that that can do the
work of an entire room of rack-mount or blade servers. The first virtualizable computers,
mainframes can process billions of calculations and transactions in real time.

The choice of form factor depends on many factors including available space in the data center, the
workloads being run on the servers, the available power, and cost.

Storage systems

Most servers include some local storage capability—called direct-attached storage (DAS)—to
enable the most frequently used data (hot data) to remain close the CPU.

Two other data center storage configurations include network-attached storage (NAS), and a storage
area network (SAN).

NAS provides data storage and data access to multiple servers over a standard Ethernet connection.
The NAS device is usually a dedicated server with multiple storage media—hard disk drives
(HDDs) and/or solid state drives (SSDs).

Like NAS, a SAN enables shared storage, but a SAN uses a separate network for the data and
consists of a more complex mix of multiple storage servers, application servers, and storage
management software.

A single data center may use all three storage configurations—DAS, NAS, and SAN—as well
as file storage, block storage and object storage types.

Networking

The data center network, consisting of various types of switches, routers and fiber optics, carries
network traffic across the servers (called east/west traffic), and to/from the servers to the clients
(called north/south traffic).

As noted above, a data center’s network services are typically virtualized. This enables the creation
of software-defined overlay networks, built on top of the network’s physical infrastructure, to 33
accommodate specific security controls or service level agreements (SLAs).
Power supply and cable Management

Data centers need to be always-on, at every level. Most servers feature dual power supplies.
Battery-powered uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) protect against power surges and brief
power outages. Powerful generators can kick in if a more severe power outage occurs.

With thousands of servers connected by various cables, cable management is an important data
center design concern. If cables are too near to each other, they can cause cross-talk, which can
negatively impact data transfer rates and signal transmission. Also, if too many cables are packed
together, they can generate excessive heat. Data center construction and expansion must consider
building codes and industry standards to ensure cabling is efficient and safe.

Redundancy and disaster recovery

Data center downtime is costly to data center providers and to their customers, and data center
operators and architects go to great lengths to increase resiliency of their systems. These measures
include everything from redundant arrays of independent disks (RAIDs) to protect against data loss
or corruption in the case of storage media failures, to backup data center cooling infrastructure that
keeps servers running at optimal temperatures, even if the primary cooling system fails.

Many large data center providers have data centers located in geographically distinct regions, so
that if a natural disaster or political disruption occurs in one region, operations can be failed over to
a different region for uninterrupted services.

Assessment questions to the lecture

Bloom’s
Qn
Question Answer Knowledge
No
Level
1 What is the primary purpose of a data center?
a. Web hosting
b. Data storage and processing K1
c. Social networking b.
d. Gaming
2 What does RAID stand for in the context of data storage?
a) Redundant Array of Independent Disks
b) Random Access Integrated Drive
c) Remote Authentication and Intrusion Detection a. K1
d) Real-time Automated Information Database

3 What is the function of a UPS (Uninterruptible Power

Supply) in a data center?
a) Cooling system
b) Backup power
c) Network routing b. K1
d) Server storage

Students have to prepare answers for the following questions at the end of the lecture
 Marks CO Bloom’s
Qn
Question Knowledge
No
Level
Lecture
Unit STORAGE SYSTEMS 8
No
1 Define Data Center. 2 1 K1
2 List the components of Datacenter. 2 1 K1
3 What is the primary goal of Datacenter? 2 1 K1
4 Explain the different types of Data Center. 8 1 K1
5 Elaborate the architecture of Data Center 8 1 K1
6 Explain the Components of DataCenter Infrastructure 13 1 K1

Reference Book

Author(s) Title of the book Page

numbers
G Somasundaram EMC Corporation, Information Storage and 10-13
Alok Shrivastava Management, Wiley, India

35

CCS367 STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES

 Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC): Components of an SDDC, SDDC benefits
Topic
and challenges, Compute System and Compute Virtualization
Bloom’s
Learning Outcome (LO) At the end of this lecture, students will be able to
Knowledge Level
LO1 Define SDDC. K1
LO2 Elaborate the components of SDDC. K2
LO3 Discuss the benefits and challenges of SDDC K2
LO4 Explain Compute System and Compute Virtualization K2

Lecture notes

Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC)

An SDDC (software-defined data center) is a data storage facility in which all infrastructure
elements -- networking, storage, CPU and security -- are virtualized and delivered as a service.
Deployment, operation, provisioning and configuration are abstracted from hardware. Those tasks
are implemented through software intelligence. Former VMware CTO Steve Herrod is widely
credited with coining the term around 2012.

An SDDC is currently more of a concept than a commonly implemented practice, but it has seen
incremental adoption by cloud service providers and data-center-as-a-service providers. The list
includes Amazon, Google and the Open Compute Project.

Components of an SDDC

Virtualization is central to the software-defined data center. There are three major SDDC building
blocks:

 Network virtualization combines network resources by splitting the available bandwidth into
independent channels that can each be assigned -- or reassigned -- to a particular server or device
in real time.

 Storage virtualization pools physical storage from multiple network storage devices into
what appears to be a single storage device managed from a central console.

 Server virtualization masks server resources, including the number and identity of individual
physical servers, processors and operating systems (OSes), from server users. The intention is to
spare users from managing complicated server-resource details. It also increases resource
sharing and utilization, while maintaining the ability to expand capacity at a later date.
A business-logic layer is needed to translate application requests, policies and service-level
agreements.

SDDC benefits and challenges

A software-defined data center is a way to dynamically configure and provision applications,

infrastructure and IT resources. The design allows the data center to be managed as a unified system
or aggregate set of domains. A key factor is the separation of control planes and data planes.

An SDDC provides an organization with its own private cloud for better control of hosted data.

Software-defined data centers capitalize on the agility, elasticity and scalabilty of cloud computing.
The chief advantage is automating all functions through intelligent software, especially manually
intensive tasks related to provisioning and operational management.

This allows for a high degree of flexibility within a traditional data center. Resources are pooled
and provisioned in the manner of a private cloud or hybrid cloud. Workloads operate independently
of the physical IT infrastructure.

Both infrastructure management and workload management are controlled programmatically. The
intended result is to reduce cost and management overhead.

An SDDC is composed of different components from various vendors. That complicates planning
and integration of SDDC architecture, although enterprises can avoid vendor lock -in as a result.
37
Compute System and Virtualization (Containers and Virtual machines)

Virtual Machines

Back in the days, a physical server would only run a single operating system with one or a few
applications. We started with CPUs with a single core, then hyperthreading, and then multiple
cores. The amount of memory in a single physical server also increased and became more
affordable.

One of the reasons virtualization is now so popular is that servers were under-utilized. We can
easily run multiple operating systems and multiple applications on a single physical server. A
virtual machine is pretty identical to a physical server except it’s virtual. We have virtual hardware
(CPUs, memory, storage, etc.) which runs on a hypervisor.

The hypervisor is the server virtualization software that runs on the physical server. This is where
we create virtual machines and configure how much CPU cores, memory, storage, etc. each virtual
machine has. There are two hypervisor types:

 Type 1: this hypervisor runs directly on hardware, which means you can assign more
resources to virtual machines. Examples are VMware ESXi, Citrix Xen, KVM, and
Microsoft Hyper-V.
 Type 2: this hypervisor runs on top of an operating system like Microsoft Windows, Apple
MacOS, or Linux. We usually use a type 2 hypervisor on desktops or laptops. Two popular
hypervisors are Oracle VM Virtualbox and VMWare Workstation. If you have never played
with virtual machines before, give Virtualbox a try. You can download it for free.

When the hypervisor or the underlying physical server crashes, all your virtual machines disappear.
Fortunately, there are products so you can migrate virtual machines from one physical server to
another with no downtime or noticeable latency.
One advantage of virtual machines is that we are familiar with physical servers. It’s easy to
understand, it’s a server, but virtual. We can use all the management and security tools we know to
manage our physical or virtual servers.

One disadvantage of virtual machines is that there is a lot of overhead. For example, let’s say I want
to run the application. A virtual machine with the Ubuntu 18.04 LTS operating system and nothing
else installed is already ~3400 MB. Freeradius and its dependencies require about 5 MB. This
brings my total storage to 3400 + 5 = 3405 MB.

That’s 3405 MB of storage only to run a simple application. Starting a virtual machine can take
minutes, it has to boot the OS and start your applications

Containers

Containers are sometimes called light-weight virtual machines, but they are nothing like virtual
machines.

A container is a “package” that only contains an application and its dependencies, nothing more.
This package is stored as a container image. Containers run on top of a container engine, which
runs on top of an operating system. Starting a container is very quick since the operating system is
already running. Containers are isolated from each other by the container engine.

Containerization has many advantages:

 Small: the container image only has the application and its dependencies, nothing more.
This results in a small container image. For example, I created a container image with
freeradius. It’s only ~ 5 MB and has everything you need to run freeradius.
 Fast: you don’t have to start a virtual server with a virtual BIOS and virtual operating
system. Spinning up a container is as fast as starting an application and only takes
milliseconds.
 Portability: The container image has everything the application needs. I can create a
container image on my local machine, then ship somewhere else like a remote server. If it
runs on my computer, it will run on other computers or servers.
39
 Isolation: containers run on the same operating system but are isolated from each other.
When one container crashes, it doesn’t affect the other containers.
  Scalability: You can add more identical containers when you need to scale out. Since
containers are small and start quickly, you can scale out and in easily.
 Immutability: container images are built based on a “blueprint”. The freeradius image I
mentioned earlier is a Docker container; the blueprint is called a Dockerfile. When you
change your code, you build a new container image.

Are there any disadvantages to containers? Containers are isolated from each other on the process
level which could be less secure than a virtual machine which is fully isolated.

Another issue is security. Containers are based on a blueprint which is basically like a snapshot.
You build the container image from the blueprint, and the container doesn’t change anymore. If you
want to update your container, you rebuild a new container image. This is different from a (virtual)
server which you configure to install the latest security updates automatically.

Assessment questions to the lecture

Bloom’s
Qn
Question Answer Knowledge
No
Level
1. What is the primary goal of a Software-Defined Data
Center (SDDC)?
a. Increased hardware dependency c.
b. Manual infrastructure management
K1
c. Automation and abstraction of data center resources
d. Limited scalability
2. In an SDDC, what is responsible for automating and
managing storage resources?

a. Hypervisor

b. Storage Virtualization a. K1

c. Network Virtualization

d. Server Virtualization

3. Which technology allows multiple operating systems to

run on the same physical hardware simultaneously?
a. Virtual Memory
b. Hypervisor b. K1

c. Containerization
d. Cloud Computing
4. What is a hypervisor?
a. A type of computer memory
b. An operating system for virtual machines K1
c. Software that manages and runs virtual machines c.
d. A network protocol for virtualization
5. Which component is responsible for temporarily storing
data and instructions that the CPU needs during K1
operation?
 a. Hard Disk Drive (HDD) b.
b. Random Access Memory (RAM)
c. Central Processing Unit (CPU)
d. Motherboard

Students have to prepare answers for the following questions at the end of the lecture

Marks CO Bloom’s
Qn
Question Knowledge
No
Level
1 What is SDDC? 2 1 K1
2 Elaborate the components of SDDC. 8 1 K2
3 Discuss the benefits and challenges of SDDC 2 1 K2
4 Explain Compute Virtualization. 8 1 K2
5 Explain Containers. 8 1 K2

Reference Book

Author(s) Title of the book Page

numbers
Web Resources

CCS367 STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES

41
 Lecture
Unit STORAGE SYSTEMS 9
No

Topic Social networking and mobile computing, Applications of Mobile Computing

Bloom’s
Learning Outcome (LO) At the end of this lecture, students will be able to
Knowledge Level
LO1 Define Mobile Computing K1
LO2 Discuss the types of mobile communication K2
LO3 Describe the applications of Mobile computing K2
LO4 Explain social networking and K2
Lecture notes

Mobile Computing is a technology that allows transmission of data, voice and video via a computer
or any other wireless enabled device without having to be connected to a fixed physical link.

Mobile Communication

Mobile Communication specifies a framework that is responsible for the working of mobile
computing technology. In this case, mobile communication refers to an infrastructure that ensures
seamless and reliable communication among wireless devices. This framework ensures the
consistency and reliability of communication between wireless devices. The mobile communication
framework consists of communication devices such as protocols, services, bandwidth, and portals
necessary to facilitate and support the stated services. These devices are responsible for delivering a
smooth communication process.

Mobile communication can be divided in the following four types:

1. Fixed and Wired

2. Fixed and Wireless

3. Mobile and Wired

4. Mobile and Wireless

Fixed and Wired: In Fixed and Wired configuration, the devices are fixed at a position, and they
are connected through a physical link to communicate with other devices.

For Example, Desktop Computer.

Fixed and Wireless: In Fixed and Wireless configuration, the devices are fixed at a position, and
they are connected through a wireless link to make communication with other devices.

For Example, Communication Towers, WiFi router

Mobile and Wired: In Mobile and Wired configuration, some devices are wired, and some are
mobile. They altogether make communication with other devices.
For Example, Laptops.

Mobile and Wireless: In Mobile and Wireless configuration, the devices can communicate with
each other irrespective of their position. They can also connect to any network without the use of
any wired device.

For Example, WiFi Dongle.

Mobile Hardware

Mobile hardware consists of mobile devices or device components that can be used to receive or
access the service of mobility. Examples of mobile hardware can be smartphones, laptops, portable
PCs, tablet PCs, Personal Digital Assistants, etc.

These devices are inbuilt with a receptor medium that can send and receive signals. These devices
are capable of operating in full-duplex. It means they can send and receive signals at the same time.
They don't have to wait until one device has finished communicating for the other device to initiate
communications.

Mobile Software

Mobile software is a program that runs on mobile hardware. This is designed to deal capably with
the characteristics and requirements of mobile applications. This is the operating system for the
appliance of mobile devices. In other words, you can say it the heart of the mobile systems. This is
an essential component that operates the mobile device.

This provides portability to mobile devices, which ensures wireless communication.

Applications of Mobile Computing

Following is a list of some significant fields in which mobile computing is generally applied:

o Web or Internet access.

o Global Position System (GPS).

o Emergency services.

o Entertainment services.

o Educational services.

43

Social networking
A social network is a website that allows users to connect with other people and businesses online.
Social networks typically have a similar format, where each business or person has their own
profile, which provides personal or business details. Most social networks allow users to send
messages, request information, share information, send connection or friend requests and search for
people or businesses in a large online database. Many social networks have specific functions, like
only sharing videos, pictures or connecting professionals and businesses.

Social networking involves the development and maintenance of personal and business
relationships using technology. This is done through the use of social networking sites, such
as Facebook, Instagram, and X.

These sites allow people and corporations to connect with one another so they can develop
relationships and share information, ideas, and messages.

Major Social Networking Platforms

Facebook
Facebook is a social network that allows users to connect with people, businesses, and
organizations. They can post updates and respond to the posts of others. They can share
photographs and links to online content. Users can chat live and upload and share videos.

Users can also communicate directly with each other via Facebook Messenger. They can join
groups with similar interests and be notified of friends' activities and pages they elect to follow.

Facebook was designed to be open and social. However, while the platform encourages publicly
available content, it also has privacy controls that can restrict access to, for instance, friends.

Facebook was created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg while he went to Harvard University. Today, it
is owned by Meta Platforms (of which Zuckerberg is CEO). Facebook is the world's largest social
network, with about 2 billion daily active users.1

Instagram
Instagram is a social network that focuses on sharing visual media like photos and videos. It's
similar to Facebook in that users create a profile and have a news feed. It allows them to upload
media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts
can be shared publicly or with followers.Users can browse other u sers' content, view trending
content, and follow others. Additionally, they can add the content others upload to their
personal feed. Over time, Instagram has added new features, such as Instagram Stories, Instagram
Reels, and access to shopping.

Instagram was founded in 2010 by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger. In 2012, it was acquired by
Meta (formerly Facebook). Instagram boasts 6.18 billion visits per month.2

X is a social network that allows people to communicate with short messages called tweets. The
social platform limits tweets to 280 characters. Users publish posts (formely "tweets") that may be
useful, interesting, or even inflammatory for readers.

Assessment questions to the lecture

 Bloom’s
Qn
Question Answer Knowledge
No
Level
1. Which mobile operating system is developed by Apple
Inc.?
a. Android
K1
b. iOS
c. Windows Mobile b.
d. BlackBerry OS
2. What is the term for the ability of a mobile device to
determine its geographical location using GPS or other
technologies?

a. Location-based services
K1
b. Geo-tagging

c. Mobile tracking a.

d. Wireless positioning

3. Which social networking platform is known for its

character limit on posts, originally set to 140 characters?
a. Facebook
b. Instagram K1

c. Twitter c.
d. LinkedIn
4. Which of the following is a primary purpose of social
networking platforms?
a. Online shopping
K1
b. Gaming
c.
c. Connecting and sharing with others
d. File storage

Students have to prepare answers for the following questions at the end of the lecture 45

Qn Question Marks CO Bloom’s

 No Knowledge
Level
1 Define Mobile Computing 2 1 K1
2 Explain the types of mobile communication 13 1 K2
3 Describe the applications of Mobile computing 2 1 K2
4 Explain social networking. 13 1 K2

Reference Book

Author(s) Title of the book Page

numbers
G Somasundaram EMC Corporation, Information Storage and 20-23
Alok Shrivastava Management, Wiley, India