CLOUD COMPUTING ARCHITECTURE

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Cloud Computing is essentially the use of networks of remote servers that are accessed over the internet for the purpose of storing, managing, and processing data. Cloud Computing generates billions of dollars in revenue and is the largest segment of cloud computing in terms of revenue and spending. Cloud Computing offers access to numerous technologies and lowers the barriers to entry that could be the lack of technical expertise or the cost factor. 

The cloud service market is divided into three service models that include infrastructure, software, and platforms. Customers can choose between private, public, or hybrid cloud deployment based on their security concerns and business needs.

What is trending in cloud computing?

AI in cloud computing

Combining AI with cloud services enables organizations to get the most out of both applications in a cost-effective way. AI helps the cloud manage data and gain insights whereas the cloud provides a constant data backup and recovery in a virtual environment.

Cloud Computing Architecture:

As we know, cloud computing technology is used by both small and large organizations to store the information in cloud and access it from anywhere at any time using the internet connection.

Cloud computing architecture is a combination of service-oriented architecture and event-driven architecture.

Cloud computing architecture is divided into the following two parts -

->Front End

->Back End

The below diagram shows the architecture of cloud computing -

Front End:

The front end is used by the client. It contains client-side interfaces and applications that are required to access the cloud computing platforms. The front end includes web servers (including Chrome, Firefox, internet explorer, etc.), thin & fat clients, tablets, and mobile devices.

Back End:

The back end is used by the service provider. It manages all the resources that are required to provide cloud computing services. It includes a huge amount of data storage, security mechanism, virtual machines, deploying models, servers, traffic control mechanisms, etc.

Components of Cloud Computing Architecture:

There are the following components of cloud computing architecture -

1. Client Infrastructure

Client Infrastructure is a Front end component. It provides GUI (Graphical User Interface) to interact with the cloud.

2. Application

The application may be any software or platform that a client wants to access.

3. Service

A Cloud Services manages that which type of service you access according to the client’s requirement.

Cloud computing offers the following three type of services:

i. Software as a Service (SaaS) – It is also known as cloud application services. Mostly, SaaS applications run directly through the web browser means we do not require to download and install these applications. Some important example of SaaS is given below –

Example: Google Apps, Salesforce Dropbox, Slack, Hubspot, Cisco WebEx.

ii. Platform as a Service (PaaS) – It is also known as cloud platform services. It is quite similar to SaaS, but the difference is that PaaS provides a platform for software creation, but using SaaS, we can access software over the internet without the need of any platform.

Example: Windows Azure, Force.com, Magento Commerce Cloud, OpenShift.

iii. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) – It is also known as cloud infrastructure services. It is responsible for managing applications data, middleware, and runtime environments.

Example: Amazon Web Services (AWS) EC2, Google Compute Engine (GCE), Cisco Metapod.

4. Runtime Cloud

Runtime Cloud provides the execution and runtime environment to the virtual machines.

5. Storage

Storage is one of the most important components of cloud computing. It provides a huge amount of storage capacity in the cloud to store and manage data.

6. Infrastructure

It provides services on the host level, application level, and network level. Cloud infrastructure includes hardware and software components such as servers, storage, network devices, virtualization software, and other storage resources that are needed to support the cloud computing model.

7. Management

Management is used to manage components such as application, service, runtime cloud, storage, infrastructure, and other security issues in the backend and establish coordination between them.

8. Security

Security is an in-built back-end component of cloud computing. It implements a security mechanism in the back end.

9. Internet

The Internet is medium through which front end and back end can interact and communicate with each other.

Benefits of Cloud Computing Architecture :

• Makes overall cloud computing system simpler.

• Improves data processing requirements.

• Helps in providing high security.

• Makes it more modularized.

• Results in better disaster recovery.

• Gives good user accessibility.

• Reduces IT operating costs.

ADVANTAGES OF CLOUD ARCHITECTURE:

1) Back-up and restore data

Once the data is stored in the cloud, it is easier to get back-up and restore that data using the cloud.

2) Improved collaboration

Cloud applications improve collaboration by allowing groups of people to quickly and easily share information in the cloud via shared storage.

3) Excellent accessibility

Cloud allows us to quickly and easily access store information anywhere, anytime in the whole world, using an internet connection. An internet cloud infrastructure increases organization productivity and efficiency by ensuring that our data is always accessible.

4) Low maintenance cost

Cloud computing reduces both hardware and software maintenance costs for organizations.

5) Mobility

Cloud computing allows us to easily access all cloud data via mobile.

6) IServices in the pay-per-use model

Cloud computing offers Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to the users for access services on the cloud and pays the charges as per the usage of service.

7) Unlimited storage capacity

Cloud offers us a huge amount of storing capacity for storing our important data such as documents, images, audio, video, etc. in one place.

8) Data security

Data security is one of the biggest advantages of cloud computing. Cloud offers many advanced features related to security and ensures that data is securely stored and handled.

DISADVANTAGES OF CLOUD ARCHITECTURE:

A list of the disadvantage of cloud computing is given below -

1) Internet Connectivity

As you know, in cloud computing, every data (image, audio, video, etc.) is stored on the cloud, and we access these data through the cloud by using the internet connection. If you do not have good internet connectivity, you cannot access these data. However, we have no any other way to access data from the cloud.

2) Vendor lock-in

Vendor lock-in is the biggest disadvantage of cloud computing. Organizations may face problems when transferring their services from one vendor to another. As different vendors provide different platforms, that can cause difficulty moving from one cloud to another.

3) Limited Control

As we know, cloud infrastructure is completely owned, managed, and monitored by the service provider, so the cloud users have less control over the function and execution of services within a cloud infrastructure.

4) Security

Although cloud service providers implement the best security standards to store important information. But, before adopting cloud technology, you should be aware that you will be sending all your organization's sensitive information to a third party, i.e., a cloud computing service provider. While sending the data on the cloud, there may be a chance that your organization's information is hacked by Hackers.

Cloud services:

Most cloud computing services fall into three broad categories: 

1. Software as a service (SaaS)

2. Platform as a service (PaaS)

3. Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)

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.

Conclusion

Cloud computing architecture is simpler than you might think. It is clear and easy to understand; it clearly defines everything that goes into making an individual cloud, including the parts and pieces relating specifically to “cloudiness”. When it comes down to particulars, there is virtually no question as to whether cloud computing will stay around for long stretches of time. Its universal impact on our lives today has already let us know that the benefits offered by it – in terms of storing data, saving it, backing up files, sharing information with people all over the world etc. – are undeniable and thus cannot be stopped from leading us into a much newer era of technological advancement.