☁️Cloud Computing Architecture Unit 2 – Cloud Infrastructure & Virtualization

What's This Unit About?

• Explores the fundamental components and technologies that enable cloud computing
• Covers the physical infrastructure and virtualization technologies used in cloud environments
• Examines different cloud service models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) and their characteristics
• Discusses various deployment models (public, private, hybrid, multi-cloud) and their use cases
• Introduces infrastructure management tools and their role in automating and orchestrating cloud resources
• Provides real-world examples of how cloud infrastructure and virtualization are applied in different industries
• Highlights the challenges and considerations associated with implementing and managing cloud infrastructure

Key Concepts & Definitions

• Cloud Computing: A model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (networks, servers, storage, applications, and services)
• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): A cloud service model that provides virtualized computing resources over the internet, allowing users to provision and manage their own virtual machines, storage, and networks
• Platform as a Service (PaaS): A cloud service model that provides a platform for developers to build, run, and manage applications without the complexity of maintaining the underlying infrastructure
• Software as a Service (SaaS): A cloud service model that delivers software applications over the internet, eliminating the need for users to install and run the applications on their own computers
• Virtualization: The process of creating a virtual version of a resource, such as a server, storage device, network, or operating system, allowing multiple virtual resources to run on a single physical resource
  • Enables efficient utilization of hardware resources and provides flexibility in resource allocation
• Hypervisor: A software layer that manages and coordinates multiple virtual machines running on a single physical host
  • Two types: Type 1 (bare-metal) and Type 2 (hosted)
• Scalability: The ability of a system to handle increased workload by adding resources, either horizontally (scale-out) or vertically (scale-up)
• Elasticity: The ability of a system to automatically adjust the allocated resources based on the current demand, ensuring optimal performance and cost-efficiency

Cloud Infrastructure Basics

• Physical infrastructure: The underlying hardware components that support cloud computing, including servers, storage devices, and networking equipment
  • Servers: Powerful computers that host virtual machines and run cloud services
  • Storage: Various storage technologies (SAN, NAS, object storage) used to store and manage data in the cloud
  • Networking: Switches, routers, and other networking devices that enable communication between cloud resources and users
• Data centers: Centralized facilities that house the physical infrastructure and provide the necessary power, cooling, and security
  • Designed for high availability, redundancy, and fault tolerance
• Compute resources: The processing power provided by the servers in the cloud infrastructure
  • Measured in terms of CPU cores, memory, and storage capacity
• Networking infrastructure: The interconnected network of devices and links that enable communication and data transfer within the cloud and between the cloud and users
  • Includes local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and virtual private networks (VPNs)
• Storage infrastructure: The various storage technologies and systems used to store, manage, and protect data in the cloud
  • Includes block storage, file storage, and object storage
  • Provides data durability, availability, and performance based on the storage tier and replication strategy

Virtualization Technologies

• Server virtualization: The process of creating multiple virtual machines (VMs) on a single physical server
  • Each VM runs its own operating system and applications, isolated from other VMs
  • Enables efficient utilization of server resources and reduces hardware costs
• Storage virtualization: The abstraction of physical storage devices into logical storage pools
  • Allows for flexible allocation of storage resources to VMs and applications
  • Simplifies storage management and enables features like snapshots, cloning, and replication
• Network virtualization: The creation of virtual networks that are decoupled from the underlying physical network infrastructure
  • Enables the creation of isolated network environments for different tenants or applications
  • Provides flexibility in network configuration and security policies
• Containerization: A lightweight alternative to full virtualization, where applications are packaged with their dependencies into containers
  • Containers share the host operating system kernel but run in isolated user spaces
  • Provides faster startup times, lower overhead, and better portability compared to VMs
  • Examples: Docker, Kubernetes
• Hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI): An approach that combines compute, storage, and networking resources into a single, integrated system
  • Simplifies infrastructure management and enables easy scalability
  • Examples: VMware vSAN, Nutanix, HPE SimpliVity

Cloud Service Models

• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): Provides virtualized computing resources over the internet
  • Users have control over the operating systems, storage, and deployed applications
  • Provider manages the underlying infrastructure (servers, storage, networking)
  • Examples: Amazon EC2, Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines, Google Compute Engine
• Platform as a Service (PaaS): Provides a platform for developers to build, run, and manage applications
  • Users focus on application development, while the provider manages the underlying infrastructure and middleware
  • Includes tools for development, testing, deployment, and scaling
  • Examples: AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Microsoft Azure App Service, Google App Engine
• Software as a Service (SaaS): Delivers software applications over the internet
  • Users access the applications through a web browser or API, without the need to install or manage the software
  • Provider manages the entire application stack, including infrastructure, middleware, and data
  • Examples: Salesforce, Microsoft Office 365, Google Workspace
• Function as a Service (FaaS): A serverless computing model that allows developers to execute individual functions in response to events
  • Users write and deploy code snippets (functions) without managing the underlying infrastructure
  • Provider dynamically allocates resources and scales the functions based on demand
  • Examples: AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, Google Cloud Functions

Deployment Models

• Public cloud: A cloud infrastructure owned and operated by a third-party provider, offering services to the general public over the internet
  • Provides scalability, flexibility, and cost-efficiency, as users pay only for the resources they consume
  • Examples: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
• Private cloud: A cloud infrastructure dedicated to a single organization, either on-premises or hosted by a third-party provider
  • Offers greater control, security, and customization compared to public clouds
  • Suitable for organizations with strict compliance requirements or sensitive data
  • Examples: VMware vSphere, OpenStack, Microsoft Azure Stack
• Hybrid cloud: A combination of public and private cloud environments, allowing workloads to move between them based on specific requirements
  • Enables organizations to leverage the benefits of both public and private clouds
  • Provides flexibility, scalability, and cost-optimization while maintaining control over critical data and applications
• Multi-cloud: The use of multiple cloud service providers to distribute workloads and avoid vendor lock-in
  • Allows organizations to choose the best services from each provider based on their specific needs
  • Requires careful management and orchestration to ensure interoperability and data consistency
• Community cloud: A cloud infrastructure shared by several organizations with common interests or requirements
  • Enables collaboration, resource sharing, and cost-sharing among the participating organizations
  • Examples: Government clouds, industry-specific clouds (healthcare, finance)

Infrastructure Management Tools

• Cloud management platforms: Comprehensive tools that provide a centralized interface for managing and monitoring cloud resources across multiple providers
  • Enable provisioning, orchestration, automation, and governance of cloud infrastructure
  • Examples: VMware vRealize Suite, Cisco CloudCenter, RightScale
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC): The practice of managing and provisioning infrastructure through machine-readable definition files, rather than manual configuration
  • Enables version control, automation, and reproducibility of infrastructure deployments
  • Tools: Terraform, AWS CloudFormation, Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates
• Configuration management: Tools that automate the configuration and management of servers, applications, and other infrastructure components
  • Ensure consistency, reliability, and scalability of infrastructure across different environments
  • Examples: Ansible, Puppet, Chef
• Monitoring and logging: Tools that collect, analyze, and visualize metrics and logs from cloud resources to ensure performance, availability, and security
  • Enable proactive identification and resolution of issues, as well as capacity planning and optimization
  • Examples: Nagios, Prometheus, Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana (ELK stack)
• Orchestration and automation: Tools that automate the deployment, scaling, and management of applications and services in the cloud
  • Simplify complex workflows and enable self-service provisioning and management of resources
  • Examples: Kubernetes, Docker Swarm, Apache Mesos

Real-World Applications

• E-commerce: Cloud infrastructure enables online retailers to handle peak traffic, scale resources on-demand, and deliver fast, reliable experiences to customers
  • Example: Amazon.com runs on AWS, leveraging services like EC2, S3, and DynamoDB to power its e-commerce platform
• Healthcare: Cloud computing helps healthcare organizations store, process, and analyze large volumes of patient data securely and efficiently
  • Example: Philips HealthSuite, a cloud-based platform for connected health solutions, runs on AWS and Azure, enabling secure data sharing and analytics
• Financial services: Cloud infrastructure provides the scalability, security, and compliance required for financial institutions to deliver digital banking services and process transactions
  • Example: Capital One uses AWS to build and deploy its online banking applications, leveraging services like EC2, S3, and AWS Lambda
• Media and entertainment: Cloud computing enables media companies to store, process, and deliver high-quality content to a global audience
  • Example: Netflix uses AWS to encode, store, and stream its vast library of movies and TV shows, ensuring high availability and performance
• Education: Cloud infrastructure enables educational institutions to deliver online learning platforms, collaborate on research projects, and manage student data securely
  • Example: Coursera, an online learning platform, uses AWS to host its website, store course content, and analyze student data to improve learning outcomes

Challenges & Considerations

• Security and privacy: Ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data and applications in the cloud
  • Implementing strong access controls, encryption, and network security measures
  • Complying with industry-specific regulations (HIPAA, GDPR, PCI-DSS)
• Vendor lock-in: The risk of becoming overly dependent on a single cloud provider, making it difficult and costly to switch providers or migrate workloads
  • Mitigating lock-in by using open standards, portable applications, and multi-cloud strategies
• Performance and latency: Ensuring that cloud-based applications and services deliver acceptable performance and responsiveness to users
  • Optimizing application architecture, using content delivery networks (CDNs), and selecting appropriate service tiers and regions
• Cost management: Controlling and optimizing the costs associated with cloud infrastructure and services
  • Implementing cost governance policies, using cost monitoring and analysis tools, and leveraging discounts and reserved instances
• Skill gap: The need for IT professionals with the necessary skills and expertise to design, deploy, and manage cloud infrastructure effectively
  • Investing in training and certification programs, hiring cloud specialists, and partnering with managed service providers (MSPs)
• Interoperability and integration: Ensuring that cloud-based systems can communicate and work seamlessly with on-premises systems and other cloud services
  • Using standard APIs, data formats, and integration platforms to enable data exchange and workflow automation
• Governance and compliance: Establishing policies, procedures, and controls to ensure that cloud infrastructure and services meet the organization's standards and regulatory requirements
  • Implementing governance frameworks, conducting regular audits, and using compliance automation tools