cloud computing characteristics, on-demand self-service, resource pooling, Broad network access, rapid elasticity, measured services, automation
CHARACTERISTICS OF CLOUD COMPUTING
1.
On-demand self-service
2.
Broad network access
3.
Resource pooling
4.
Rapid elasticity
5.
Measured service
6.
Automation
7.
Security
8. Availability
On-Demand Self-Service
Users can request and receive access to a service offering without any
administrator or manual support. Request and fulfillment processes are
automated.
User self-service is implemented via a user’s portal which can be
generic or customized. Users can enter the required information on the
portal’s front-end interface. On the back-end, the portal interfaces with
management APIs of applications/services for automatic provisioning of
resources.
Benefits:
-
Consumers can quickly get the resources/services.
-
Cloud provider’s burden of handling and fulfilling resource requests is
reduced.
Example Scenario:
Amazon Web Service Elastic Cloud Computing
Everyone can use AWS quicker provisioning of the virtual machine by signing
in and subscribe to your account. Configure all the settings for your
virtual machine depends upon your need.
Note:
Some processes cannot be automated due to security compliance or
regulatory issues. So, to execute self-service, it is important to
understand which processes can be automated and which cannot.
Broad network access
Cloud services should be accessible from a variety of network
connections such as via the internet, LAN, VPN, etc. Cloud services should
not need any client or it should be possible to connect via a lightweight
thin client. If a service requires a client application, the cloud service
providers should build and provide platform-specific applications (Windows,
iOS, Android, etc.).
To avoid the cost and efforts involved in the development of various client
applications, the solution should be architected in such a way that it does
not need any client. Cloud services should be accessible via a variety of
end user’s devices such as desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and
other such options.
Benefits:
-
Broader reach to customers due to different connectivity options.
-
Unified user experience in network access.
Resource pooling
All customers do not need access to their resources at the same time.
When resources are not being used by a customer, those resources can be used
by another customer.
Benefits:
-
Providers the ability to serve more customers by pooling available
resources
-
Huge savings
Resource pooling is often achieved using virtualization.
Virtualization allows hosting many virtual sessions on a single
system.
In a virtualized environment, the resources on one physical system are
placed into a pool that can be used by many virtual systems.
Example scenario:
Opensource cloud platforms such as Openstack, Eucalyptus, Opennebula for
the deployment of cloud. Allocation of computer resources among users like
RAM, Disk, Storage, etc.
Rapid Elasticity
Rapid elasticity is an ability of a cloud to quickly, dynamically, and
easily increase capacity to provide on-demand offerings and to meet customer’s needs.
Cloud should have the necessary infrastructure ready to expand the
capacity.
Though resources are available, they are not used until needed which saves
consumption costs of power and cooling.
It is accomplished using orchestration and automation.
-
When resource usage reaches a particular threshold, it sends a trigger for
capacity expansion. This trigger automatically begins a process of capacity
expansion.
-
When usage is reduced, the capacity reduces as per the actual need. So that resources are not wasted.
Benefits:
-
Handles the spike in usage and capacity requirements efficiently.
-
No degradation in service due to usage spikes.
-
End users can save significant costs by hosting such sensitive services on
the cloud which needs sudden capacity.
Example scenario:
Windows Azure provides a service that is cost-effective and enables
elasticity.
Measured service
Cloud services must have the ability to measure service usage. This usage
could be related to time, bandwidth, and data traffic volume, etc. Measured
service enables the “Pay as you go” feature of cloud computing.
The rate of usage is determined by the cloud operator for various usage
types (time, volume, and bandwidth) and agreed with the customer before the
service is made live.
The customer is then charged as per the actual usage and rate agreed.
The billing cycle could be monthly, quarterly, or annually as agreed with the
customer.
No usage- no charges. Since it is directly related to cost, customers
should be well aware of the service being measured and associated
charges.
Benefits:
-
Charging is based on the actual usage of service. This results in cost
savings for end-users when service is not being used.
-
Inherent fairness and simplicity in charging build trust and attract more
customers.
Automation
Many organizations can move from manual to automated management of
resources like that. Cloud computing can automatically install, configure and maintain a cloud service.
Benefits:
-
Total control over your cloud
-
Reduce cost
-
Reduce inefficiency
-
Maintain business continuity
Example scenario:
Automatically shut down your resources during non-working hours to reduce
costs.
Perform automated backups for all the services running in your
infrastructure to ensure disaster recovery.
Set specific security rules as per various compliances and even enable
automated security checks.
Shift your engineering focus from maintenance to innovation.
Security
It has the security management practices and procedures that secure cloud
computing against cybersecurity threats and unauthorized access. Most
organizations storing their sensitive information in the cloud and need a
strategy to protect their data.
Benefits:
-
Data loss prevention by controlling over cloud data.
-
Malware prevention and malicious behavior identification.
Example scenario:
The Cloud providers use an image encryption algorithm to encrypt photos
uploaded in cloud-based storage services.
Security includes virtual private networks, data masking, disaster
recovery, encryption, etc.
Availability
This includes all the services and tools available to users anywhere at any
time via internet connection. This is achieved by scaling many servers
and services available all the time.
Example scenario:
AWS builds the availability of Amazon HealthLake service. These services are used for
healthcare organizations, clinical researchers, pharmaceutical companies,
health insurers, and life sciences clients.
It is a cloud computing repository. It uses machine learning that helps to identify
trends and anomalies in the medical history of every patient at a large
scale. So they can make precise predictions about the disease.
Many providers claim to offer cloud computing services, even though the features are changing dynamically. All characteristics must be present in a true cloud computing offering.
Related posts: Cloud Computing Fundamentals
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