Cloud Computing Architecture Front End It Provides application and interface that are required for the cloud based service These applications are web browsers, such as google chrome It includes clients and computing device and also provide Graphical User Interface Back End It manages all the programs that run the application on the front end It has a large number of data storage systems and servers.
Cloud Computing Architecture Back End Application Service Storage Management Security It can be a software or a platform Provides output to the end user in the back end. Its task is to provide utility in the architecture. It maintains and manages any amount of data over the internet. It allocates specific resources to a specific task. It provides security to the cloud server with virtual firewalls which results in preventing data loss
Layers of Cloud
Layers of Cloud Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) The basic layer of cloud is the infrastructure –IaaS (Infrastructure as a service). This layer is basically hardware and network. Platform as a Service (PaaS) The second layer of the cloud is the platform – the PaaS (Platform as a service). The platform layer provides resources to actually build applications. In combination with IaaS, PaaS provides the ability to develop, test, run, and host applications. Software as a Service (SaaS) The third cloud layer is the actual Software – the SaaS (Software as a service). SaaS has been used for many years, but in a Cloud setting, it is the layer in which the user consumes the offering from the service provider. Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) The top layer of the cloud is Business Process Outsourcing (BPO).Layer concerned with consuming services from a vendor, BPO is about outsourcing services to a vendor
Layers of Cloud
Layers of Cloud User/Client Layer: Lowest Layer in the cloud Architecture All Client / Users belong to this layer Client initiates the connection to the Cloud Client can be any device Network Layer: This layer allows User to connect to the Cloud Public Cloud exist in a specific location and user won’t know the location . It can accessed all over the world. In Private Cloud the connectivity may be provided by a Local Area Network(LAN). Cloud Management Layer Software's that are used in managing the cloud. Software's can be a cloud operating system or interface between the data center and the user that allows managing resources.
Hardware Resource Layer Consist of actual hardware resources. In Cloud a data center is used in the back end which is a huge collection of hardware resources interconnected to each other
Anatomy of the Cloud
Cloud Networking Cloud networking refers to the practice of utilizing cloud computing technologies to provide networking services, such as data storage, computing power, and network connectivity. Organizations can use virtualized infrastructure in cloud networking to create and manage their networks rather than relying on physical hardware. Cloud networking enables businesses to easily scale their network resources up or down as needed without having to invest in additional hardware. Some common cloud networking services include virtual private clouds (VPCs), which allow organizations to create their own private networks within a cloud environment, and software-defined wide area networks (SD-WANs), which can be used to manage network traffic across multiple locations. Cloud networking also enables remote access to network resources, allowing employees to access company data from anywhere with an internet connection securely.
Cloud networking is a type of IT infrastructure in which some or all of an organization’s network capabilities and resources are hosted in a public or private cloud platform, managed in-house or by a service provider, and available on demand. Companies can either use on-premises cloud networking resources to build a private cloud network or use cloud-based networking resources in the public cloud , or a hybrid cloud combination of both. These network resources can include virtual routers, firewalls, and bandwidth and network management software, with other tools and functions available as required .
Why cloud networking ? Businesses today turn to the cloud to drive agility, deliver differentiation, accelerate time-to-market, and increase scale. The cloud model has become the standard approach to build and deliver applications for the modern enterprise. Cloud networking has also played a critical role in the way organizations address their growing infrastructure needs, regional expansions, and redundancy plans. Many organizations are adopting a multi- data center strategy and leveraging multiple clouds from multiple cloud service providers (CSPs).
Cloud Networking Protocols Cloud networking protocols are a set of rules and standards that govern the transfer and management of data between cloud resources. These protocols are used to ensure that data is transmitted efficiently and securely within a cloud network environment. Some common cloud networking protocols include: Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP): TCP/IP is a set of protocols that define how data is transmitted between devices on the internet. It is the backbone of cloud networking and is used to transfer data between cloud resources. Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP): HTTP is a protocol that is used to transfer data between web servers and web clients. Cloud networking commonly uses it to transfer data between cloud resources and web clients. Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP): SNMP is a protocol that is used to manage network devices and monitor network performance. It is commonly used in cloud networking to monitor the performance of cloud resources and identify potential issues. Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security (SSL/TLS): SSL/TLS are protocols that are used to encrypt data transmitted over a network. They are commonly used in cloud networking to ensure that data is transmitted securely and to prevent unauthorized access to cloud resources. Border Gateway Protocol (BGP): BGP is a protocol that is used to exchange routing information between different networks. It is commonly used in cloud networking to manage data flow between different cloud resources and ensure that data is transmitted efficiently.
Cloud Networking Architecture Cloud networking architecture refers to the design, deployment, and management of network resources in a cloud computing environment.
Advantages of Cloud Networking : On-Demand Self Service – Cloud computing provides required application, services, and utility to client. With login key, they can begin to use besides any human interplay and cloud service providers. It consists of storage and digital machines. High Scalability – It requests grant of resources on large scale besides any human intervention with every service provider. Agility – It shares the assets efficiently amongst customers and works quickly. Multi-sharing – By distributed computing, distinctive clients from couple of areas share identical resources through fundamental infrastructure.
High availability and Reliability – The servers are accessible at the proper time besides any delay or disappointment. Maintenance – It is user-friendly as they are convenient to get entry to from their location and does not require any installation set up. Low Cost – It is very economical and can pay in accordance with its usage.
Network Connectivity in Cloud Computing Cloud networking refers to the ability to connect two resources together inside a cloud, across clouds and with on-premises data centers. A cloud provider needs to provide three main types of connectivity: Site-to-cloud - Between on-premises equipment and cloud resources Site-to-site - To connect on-premises resources together VPC-to-VPC - Connectivity between cloud resources
Site-to-cloud connectivity Site-to-cloud connectivity traditionally is done via a cloud interconnect or a cloud VPN. The automatic exchange of routes between on-premises and multiple VPCs can be done using a transit VPC . A newer approach is to add cloud providers into an SD-WAN mesh using a router virtual appliance in Google Cloud. Network Connectivity Center brings the capacity to synchronize the appliance routes dynamically via BGP to Cloud Router and hence their VPCs. It enables connectivity between on-premises data centers and branch offices and their cloud workloads via SD-WAN-enabled connectivity. This capability is available globally across all 29+ Google Cloud regions. Several of our partners also support this capability in their router appliances.
Site-to-site connectivity Site-to-site connectivity enables network connectivity directly between two or more hybrid connection points (VPN, Interconnect or SD-WAN). Network Connectivity Center simplifies this model by automating the routing announcements in this environment, such that all sites connected to a single global Network Connectivity Center hub are able to communicate freely in any-any fashion.
VPC-to-VPC connectivity You can create a full or partial mesh of VPC connections using multiple technologies , with VPC peering being the most common. VPC peering provides highly performant, low latency, private connectivity for customer networks connected via hybrid connectivity and Network Connectivity Center to multiple VPCs containing workloads, which can be segmented via granular firewall policies as needed. Alternatively, you can use a transit VPC model to connect multiple VPCs together in a hub and spoke topology.
Applications on the Cloud Cloud service providers provide various applications in the field of art, business, data storage and backup services, education, entertainment, management, social networking, etc.
1. Art Applications Cloud computing offers various art applications for quickly and easily design attractive cards, booklets, and images . Some most commonly used cloud art applications are given below: EX- 1. Moo 2. Vistaprint 3. Adobe Creative Cloud 2 . Business Applications Business applications are based on cloud service providers. Today, every organization requires the cloud business application to grow their business. It also ensures that business applications are 24*7 available to users EX- 1. Salesforce 2. Paypal 3 . Data Storage and Backup Applications Cloud computing allows us to store information (data, files, images, audios, and videos) on the cloud and access this information using an internet connection. As the cloud provider is responsible for providing security, so they offer various backup recovery application for retrieving the lost data Ex. Google G Suite
4. Education Applications Cloud computing in the education sector becomes very popular. It offers various online distance learning platforms and student information portals to the students. The advantage of using cloud in the field of education is that it offers strong virtual classroom environments, Ease of accessibility, secure data storage, scalability, greater reach for the students, and minimal hardware requirements for the applications. Ex-Google Apps for Education, Chromebooks for Education, AWS in Education 5. Entertainment Applications Entertainment industries use a multi-cloud strategy to interact with the target audience. Cloud computing offers various entertainment applications such as online games and video conferencing. Ex-Online games, Video Conferencing Apps
6. Management Applications Cloud computing offers various cloud management tools which help admins to manage all types of cloud activities, such as resource deployment, data integration, and disaster recovery. These management tools also provide administrative control over the platforms, applications, and infrastructure. Evernote 7 . Social Applications Social cloud applications allow a large number of users to connect with each other using social networking applications such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedln, etc.
Managing the Cloud Cloud computing management is maintaining and controlling the cloud services and resources be it public, private or hybrid. Some of its aspects include load balancing, performance, storage, backups, capacity, deployment etc. To do so a cloud managing personnel needs full access to all the functionality of resources in the cloud. Private cloud infrastructure is operated only for a single organization, so that can be managed by the organization or by a third party. Public cloud services are delivered over a network that is open and available for public use. In this model, the IT infrastructure is owned by a private company and members of the public can purchase or lease data storage or computing capacity as needed. Hybrid cloud environments are a combination of public and private cloud services from different providers. Cloud management can also help organizations achieve three goals: Self-service refers to the flexibility achieved when cloud users access cloud resources, create new ones, monitor usage and cost, and adjust resource allocations -- without the intervention of IT professionals or cloud service providers. Workflow automation lets operations teams manage cloud instances without human intervention. This is a key element in any automation infrastructure used for workload deployment and monitoring. Cloud analysis helps track cloud workloads and user experiences. This is essential for the management and optimization of cloud costs and performance.
Need of Cloud Management : Cloud is nowadays preferred by huge organizations as their primary data storage. A small downtime or an error can cause a great deal of loss and inconvenience for the organizations. So as to design, handle and maintain a cloud computing service specific members are responsible who make sure things work out as supposed and all arising issues are addressed. Cloud Management Platform : A cloud management platform is a software solution that has a robust and extensive set of APIs that allow it to pull data from every corner of the IT infrastructure. A CMP allows an IT organization to establish a structured approach to security and IT governance that can be implemented across the organization’s entire cloud environment.
Cloud Management Tasks The below figure represents different cloud management tasks :
Auditing System Backups – It is required to audit the backups from time to time to ensure restoration of randomly selected files of different users. This might be done by the organization or by the cloud provider. Flow of data in the system – The managers are responsible for designing a data flow diagram that shows how the data is supposed to flow throughout the organization. Vendor Lock-In – The managers should know how to move their data from a server to another in case the organization decides to switch providers. Knowing provider’s security procedures – The managers should know the security plans of the provider, especially Multitenant use, E-commerce processing, Employee screening and Encryption policy. Monitoring the Capacity, Planning and Scaling abilities – The manager should know if their current cloud provider is going to meet their organization’s demand in the future and also their scaling capabilities. Monitoring audit log – In order to identify errors in the system, logs are audited by the managers on a regular basis. Solution Testing and Validation – It is necessary to test the cloud services and verify the results and for error-free solutions.
What is cloud infrastructure ? Cloud infrastructure has number of key components but not limited to only server, software, network and storage devices. Still cloud infrastructure is categorized into three parts in general i.e. Computing Networking Storage The most important point is that cloud infrastructure should have some basic infrastructural constraints like transparency, scalability, security and intelligent monitoring etc.
The below figure represents components of cloud infrastructure
1. Hypervisor : Hypervisor is a firmware or a low level program which is a key to enable virtualization. It is used to divide and allocate cloud resources between several customers. As it monitors and manages cloud services/resources that’s why hypervisor is called as VMM (Virtual Machine Monitor) or (Virtual Machine Manager). 2. Management Software : Management software helps in maintaining and configuring the infrastructure. Cloud management software monitors and optimizes resources, data, applications and services. 3. Deployment Software : Deployment software helps in deploying and integrating the application on the cloud. So, typically it helps in building a virtual computing environment. 4. Network : It is one of the key component of cloud infrastructure which is responsible for connecting cloud services over the internet. For the transmission of data and resources externally and internally network is must required. 5. Server : Server which represents the computing portion of the cloud infrastructure is responsible for managing and delivering cloud services for various services and partners, maintaining security etc. 6. Storage : Storage represents the storage facility which is provided to different organizations for storing and managing data. It provides a facility of extracting another resource if one of the resource fails as it keeps many copies of storage. NOTE: Along with this, virtualization is also considered as one of important component of cloud infrastructure. Because it abstracts the available data storage and computing power away from the actual hardware and the users interact with their cloud infrastructure through GUI (Graphical User Interface).
What is cloud infrastructure management? Cloud infrastructure management comprises the processes and tools needed to effectively allocate and deliver key resources when and where they are required. The UI, or dashboard, is a good example of such a tool; it acts as a control panel for provisioning, configuring and managing cloud infrastructure. Cloud infrastructure management is useful in delivering cloud services to both: 1.Internal users, such as developers or any other roles that consume cloud resources. 2.External users, such as customers and business partners.
Top 6 Cloud Infrastructure Management Software Solutions for Enterprises 1. OpenStack OpenStack is one of the most popular free and open-source cloud infrastructure management software platforms for cloud computing. In most cases, it is deployed as an infrastructure as a service (IaaS). Below are some of the top features of OpenStack – Automates all the important processes such as application lifecycle, networking, workload provisioning, storage, and container infrastructure Integrates with legacy systems and works with many open-source technologies, making it suitable for heterogeneous networks Multi-dimensional scalability for both vertically and horizontally distributed storage Enables backup and archives large amounts of data with linear performance 2. RackWare RackWare’s RMM software solution is a well-known name that enables enterprises to easily and cost-effectively leverage private, public, or hybrid cloud environments without having to change their applications or operating systems. Among the main features of RackWare – Delivers robust mobility across a variety of platforms and cloud stacks with automatic resource elasticity depending upon workload demand Enables users to scale cost-effectively across private and public clouds without the need for any application rewrites Helps enterprises seamlessly migrate to the cloud, protect their workloads through back up and disaster recovery, along with managing multiple physical, virtual, and cloud environments
3. CloudFuze CloudFuze is another widely-used cloud management platform that allows businesses to easily manage their files using any device. The platform also offers a robust cloud migration solution that enables customers to safely access, share, and migrate massive volumes of data. Below are some of the other features of CloudFuze – Offers end-to-end cloud file and user migrations for business users, including managed migrations for big enterprises Offers users seamless and hassle-free access to manage files saved across multiple cloud accounts Features a file-sharing tool that allows teams to easily collaborate with each other irrespective of their location 4. Apache CloudStack Apache CloudStack is specifically designed to deploy and manage large networks of virtual machines. The highlight of this software is a turnkey Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) cloud computing platform which includes network as a service , account management, compute orchestration, open API, and resource accounting. Among the other features of Apache CloudStack include – It is an open-sourced cloud computing company that creates, manages, and deploys infrastructure cloud services The software can be used both by organizations running their own private clouds and public cloud computing vendors Apache CloudStack is designed for use by enterprises that offer on-premise cloud or hybrid solutions Apache CloudStack’s API is fully compatible with AWS EC2 and S3, especially suitable for hybrid cloud deployment
5. Scalr Scalr offers an excellent hybrid cloud management platform designed specifically for enterprises looking to build a robust cloud strategy that doesn’t compromise on security, efficiency, or cost. Below are some of the other features of Scalr – Offers a self-service approach to cloud management that allows enterprises to keep the costs down while achieving modular infrastructure with agility Ensures that everything is shortly run through a dashboard that aims to simplify the overall user experience, with a single user interface and API required for managing multiple cloud platforms One of the key objectives of Scalr is to avoid vendor lock-in by encouraging policies that drive integration with existing systems instead of buying proprietary software 6. Cloudability Cloudability is a powerful cloud management platform that focuses squarely on cost optimization. Boasting of a unique approach called FinOps , it seamlessly integrates finance into the DevOps mix. Among some of the other features of Cloudability are – An excellent cloud cost management solution that offers allocation reporting, RI planner, spend monitoring, EC2 usage, and AWS cost analytics Ideal for enterprises looking for a solution to track, manage, and optimize their cloud costs Features such as cost reporting based on tags, service, data transfer, etc. along with RI utilization reports
Cloud Migration Cloud migration is the procedure of transferring applications, data , and other types of business components to any cloud computing platform. There are several parts of cloud migration an organization can perform. The most used model is the applications and data transfer through an on-premises and local data center to any public cloud. But, a cloud migration can also entail transferring applications and data from a single cloud environment or facilitate them to another- a model called cloud-to-cloud migration .
Pros of Cloud Migration
Flexibility: No organization facilitating experiences a similar demand level by a similar number of users every time. If our apps face fluctuations in traffic, then cloud infrastructure permits us to scale down and up to meet the demand. Hence, we can apply only those resources we require. Scalability: The analytics grow as the organization grows with databases, and other escalates workloads. The cloud facilitates the ability to enhance existing infrastructure. Therefore, applications have space to raise without impacting work .
Agility: The part of the development is remaining elastic enough for responding to rapid modifications within the technology resources. Cloud adoption offers this by decreasing the time drastically it takes for procuring new storage and inventory. Productivity: Our cloud provider could handle the complexities of our infrastructure so we can concentrate on productivity. Furthermore, the remote accessibility and simplicity of most of the cloud solutions define that our team can concentrate on what matters such as growing our business.
Security: The cloud facilitates security than various others data centers by centrally storing data. Also, most of the cloud providers give some built-in aspects including cross-enterprise visibility, periodic updates, and security analytics. Profitability: The cloud pursues a pay-per-use technique. There is no requirement to pay for extra charges or to invest continually in training on, maintaining, making, and updating space for various physical servers.
Phases of Cloud Migration
Phases of Cloud Migration 1 . Plan our migration Cloud migration needs a solid planning strategy to be successful. Get clear over our reasons for the transfer and which of the migration strategy best helps them before getting begun. Here is where we might apply cloud migration resources and tools for supporting our migration plan by: Giving complete visibility into our on-premise platform including each system dependency. Assessing security, server, and performance requirements. Also, examine what type of training our team will require .
2. Select cloud environment We are ready to select any cloud provider that matches our requirements after evaluating our latest application resource needs. The most popular environments include Google Cloud Platform , Microsoft Azure , and AWS (Amazon Web Services) . All of these environments provide a lot of distinct cloud models for adopting, whether it is multi-cloud, private cloud, hybrid cloud, or public cloud. Price out, test, and build out a virtual workspace for seeing how things appear in distribution.
3. Migrate data and apps We have three options for moving a local data center to a public cloud such as online transfer with either private network or public internet, or an offline transfer (offline). Here, we upload data on an appliance for shipping to any cloud provider. One of the best approaches relies on the type and amount of data we are speed and moving on which to implement it.
Approaches for Cloud Migration
1 . Rehosting (lift-and-shift) The most general path is rehosting (or lift-and-shift), which implements as it sounds. It holds our application and then drops it into our new hosting platform without changing the architecture and code of the app. Also, it is a general way for enterprises unfamiliar with cloud computing, who profit from the deployment speed without having to waste money or time on planning for enlargement.
2. Re-platforming Re-platforming is called " lift-tinker-and-shift ". It includes making some cloud optimizations without modifying our app's core architecture. It is the better strategy for enterprises that are not ready for configuration and expansion, or those enterprises that wish to improve trust inside the cloud.
3. Re-factoring It means to rebuild our applications from leverage to scratch cloud-native abilities. We could not perform serverless computing or auto-scaling. A potential disadvantage is vendor lock-in as we are re-creating on the cloud infrastructure. It is the most expensive and time-consuming route as we may expect.
4. Re-purchasing It means replacing our existing applications along with a new SaaS-based and cloud-native platform (such as a homegrown CRM using Salesforce). The complexity is losing the existing training and code's familiarity with our team over a new platform. However, the profit is ignoring the cost of the development. Re-purchasing is the most cost-effective process if moving through a highly personalized legacy landscape and minimizing the apps and service number we have to handle.
5. Retiring When we don't find an application useful and then simply turn off these applications. The consequencing savings may boost our business situation for application migration if we are accessible for making the move. 6. Re-visiting Re-visiting may be all or some of our applications must reside in the house. For example, applications that have unique sensitivity or handle internal processes to an enterprise. Don't be scared for revisiting cloud computing at any later date. We must migrate only what makes effects to the business.