CC-KML051-Unit III
CC-KML051-Unit III
Application Layer
1. The application layer, which is at the top of the stack, is where the actual cloud apps are located.
Cloud applications, as opposed to traditional applications, can take advantage of the automatic-
scaling functionality to gain greater performance, availability, and lower operational costs.
2. This layer consists of different Cloud Services which are used by cloud users. Users can access
these applications according to their needs. Applications are divided into Execution
layers and Application layers.
3. In order for an application to transfer data, the application layer determines whether
communication partners are available. Whether enough cloud resources are accessible for the
required communication is decided at the application layer. Applications must cooperate in order
to communicate, and an application layer is in charge of this.
4. The application layer, in particular, is responsible for processing IP traffic handling protocols like
Telnet and FTP. Other examples of application layer systems include web browsers, SNMP
protocols, HTTP protocols, or HTTPS, which is HTTP’s successor protocol.
Platform Layer
1. The operating system and application software make up this layer.
2. Users should be able to rely on the platform to provide them with Scalability, Dependability, and
Security Protection which gives users a space to create their apps, test operational processes, and
keep track of execution outcomes and performance. SaaS application implementation’s application
layer foundation.
3. The objective of this layer is to deploy applications directly on virtual machines.
4. Operating systems and application frameworks make up the platform layer, which is built on top
of the infrastructure layer. The platform layer’s goal is to lessen the difficulty of deploying
programmers directly into VM containers.
5. By way of illustration, Google App Engine functions at the platform layer to provide API support
for implementing storage, databases, and business logic of ordinary web apps.
Infrastructure Layer
1. It is a layer of virtualization where physical resources are divided into a collection of virtual
resources using virtualization technologies like Xen, KVM, and VMware.
2. This layer serves as the Central Hub of the Cloud Environment, where resources are constantly
added utilizing a variety of virtualization techniques.
3. A base upon which to create the platform layer. constructed using the virtualized network, storage,
and computing resources. Give users the flexibility they want.
4. Automated resource provisioning is made possible by virtualization, which also improves
infrastructure management.
5. The infrastructure layer sometimes referred to as the virtualization layer, partitions the physical
resources using virtualization technologies like Xen, KVM, Hyper-V, and VMware to create a pool
of compute and storage resources.
6. The infrastructure layer is crucial to cloud computing since virtualization technologies are the only
ones that can provide many vital capabilities, like dynamic resource assignment.
Datacenter Layer
In a cloud environment, this layer is responsible for Managing Physical Resources such as servers,
switches, routers, power supplies, and cooling systems.
Providing end users with services requires all resources to be available and managed in data
centers.
Physical servers connect through high-speed devices such as routers and switches to the data
center.
In software application designs, the division of business logic from the persistent data it
manipulates is well-established. This is due to the fact that the same data cannot be incorporated
into a single application because it can be used in numerous ways to support numerous use cases.
The requirement for this data to become a service has arisen with the introduction of microservices.
A single database used by many microservices creates a very close coupling. As a result, it is hard
to deploy new or emerging services separately if such services need database modifications that
may have an impact on other services. A data layer containing many databases, each serving a
single microservice or perhaps a few closely related microservices, is needed to break complex
service interdependencies.
NIST Cloud Computing Reference Architecture:
IaaS Providers: In this model, the cloud service providers offer infrastructure components that
would exist in an on-premises data center. These components consist of servers, networking,
and storage as well as the virtualization layer.
SaaS Providers: In Software as a Service (SaaS), vendors provide a wide sequence of business
technologies, such as Human resources management (HRM) software, customer relationship
management (CRM) software, all of which the SaaS vendor hosts and provides services
through the internet.
PaaS Providers: In Platform as a Service (PaaS), vendors offer cloud infrastructure and services
that can access to perform many functions. In PaaS, services and products are mostly utilized
in software development. PaaS providers offer more services than IaaS providers. PaaS
providers provide operating system and middleware along with application stack, to the
underlying infrastructure.
2. Cloud Carrier: The mediator who provides offers connectivity and transport of cloud services within
cloud service providers and cloud consumers. It allows access to the services of the cloud through Internet
networks, telecommunication, and other access devices. Network and telecom carriers or a transport agent
can provide distribution. A consistent level of services is provided when cloud providers set up Service
Level Agreements (SLA) with a cloud carrier. In general, Carrier may be required to offer dedicated and
encrypted connections.
3. Cloud Broker: An organization or a unit that manages the performance, use, and delivery of cloud
services by enhancing specific capability and offers value-added services to cloud consumers. It combines
and integrates various services into one or more new services. They provide service arbitrage which
allows flexibility and opportunistic choices. There are major three services offered by a cloud broker:
Service Intermediation.
Service Aggregation.
Service Arbitrage.
4. Cloud Auditor: An entity that can conduct independent assessment of cloud services, security,
performance, and information system operations of the cloud implementations. The services that are
provided by Cloud Service Providers (CSP) can be evaluated by service auditors in terms of privacy
impact, security control, and performance, etc. Cloud Auditor can make an assessment of the security
controls in the information system to determine the extent to which the controls are implemented
correctly, operating as planned and constructing the desired outcome with respect to meet ing the security
necessities for the system. There are three major roles of Cloud Auditor which are mentioned below:
Security Audit.
Privacy Impact Audit.
Performance Audit.
5. Cloud Consumer: A cloud consumer is the end-user who browses or utilizes the services provided by
Cloud Service Providers (CSP), sets up service contracts with the cloud provider. The cloud consumer
pays per use of the service provisioned. Measured services utilized by the consumer. In this, a set of
organizations having mutual regulatory constraints performs a security and risk assessment for each use
case of Cloud migrations and deployments.
Types of Cloud
Cloud computing is a revolutionary technology transforming how we store, access, and process data. It simply
refers to delivering computing resources, such as servers, storage, databases, software, and applications, over
the Internet. Cloud computing uses a network of remote computer systems housed on the net to save and
process data rather than relying on physical infrastructure.
Cloud service companies use advanced security techniques, which include encryption, firewalls, and access
restrictions, to secure your data from unauthorized access. Moreover, because your information is saved in the
cloud, it is secure even if your nearby devices are damaged, misplaced, or stolen. Redundancy and cloud
backups guarantee that your data may be restored promptly and effectively in case of any unexpected
situations.
Types of Cloud
There are the following 5 types of cloud that you can deploy according to the organization's needs-
o Public Cloud
o Private Cloud
o Hybrid Cloud
o Community Cloud
o Multi Cloud
Public Cloud
Public cloud is open to all to store and access information via the Internet using the pay-per-usage method.
In public cloud, computing resources are managed and operated by the Cloud Service Provider (CSP). The
CSP looks after the supporting infrastructure and ensures that the resources are accessible to and scalable for
the users.
Due to its open architecture, anyone with an internet connection may use the public cloud, regardless of
location or company size. Users can use the CSP's numerous services, store their data, and run apps. By using
a pay-per-usage strategy, customers can be assured that they will only be charged for the resources they
actually use, which is a smart financial choice.
Example: Amazon elastic compute cloud (EC2), IBM SmartCloud Enterprise, Microsoft, Google App Engine,
Windows Azure Services Platform.
o Accessibility: Public cloud services are available to anyone with an internet connection. Users can
access their data and programs at any time and from anywhere.
o Shared Infrastructure: Several users share the infrastructure in public cloud settings. Cost reductions
and effective resource use are made possible by this.
o Scalability: By using the public cloud, users can easily adjust the resources they need based on their
requirements, allowing for quick scaling up or down.
o Pay-per-Usage: When using the public cloud, payment is based on usage, so users only pay for the
resources they actually use. This helps optimize costs and eliminates the need for upfront investments.
o Managed by Service Providers: Cloud service providers manage and maintain public cloud
infrastructure. They handle hardware maintenance, software updates, and security tasks, relieving
users of these responsibilities.
o Reliability and Redundancy: Public cloud providers ensure high reliability by implementing redundant
systems and multiple data centers. By doing this, the probability of losing data and experiencing
service disruptions is reduced.
o Security Measures: Public cloud providers implement robust security measures to protect user data.
These include encryption, access controls, and regular security audits.
Private Cloud
Private cloud is also known as an internal cloud or corporate cloud. It is used by organizations to build and
manage their own data centers internally or by the third party. It can be deployed using Opensource tools such
as Openstack and Eucalyptus.
Cloud Architecture:
Architecture of cloud computing is the combination of both SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) and
EDA (Event Driven Architecture). Client infrastructure, application, service, runtime cloud, storage,
infrastructure, management and security all these are the components of cloud computing architecture.
1. Frontend :
Frontend of the cloud architecture refers to the client side of cloud computing system. Means it contains
all the user interfaces and applications which are used by the client to access the cloud computing
services/resources. For example, use of a web browser to access the cloud platform.
Client Infrastructure – Client Infrastructure is a part of the frontend component. It contains the
applications and user interfaces which are required to access the cloud platform.
In other words, it provides a GUI( Graphical User Interface ) to interact with the cloud.
2. Backend :
Backend refers to the cloud itself which is used by the service provider. It contains the resources as well
as manages the resources and provides security mechanisms. Along with this, it includes huge storage,
virtual applications, virtual machines, traffic control mechanisms, deployment models, etc.
1. Application –
Application in backend refers to a software or platform to which client accesses. Means it
provides the service in backend as per the client requirement.
2. Service –
Service in backend refers to the major three types of cloud based services like SaaS, PaaS and
IaaS. Also manages which type of service the user accesses.
3. Runtime Cloud-
Runtime cloud in backend provides the execution and Runtime platform/environment to the
Virtual machine.
4. Storage –
Storage in backend provides flexible and scalable storage service and management of stored
data.
5. Infrastructure –
Cloud Infrastructure in backend refers to the hardware and software components of cloud like
it includes servers, storage, network devices, virtualization software etc.
6. Management –
Management in backend refers to management of backend components like application,
service, runtime cloud, storage, infrastructure, and other security mechanisms etc.
7. Security –
Security in backend refers to implementation of different security mechanisms in the backend
for secure cloud resources, systems, files, and infrastructure to end-users.
8. Internet –
Internet connection acts as the medium or a bridge between frontend and backend and
establishes the interaction and communication between frontend and backend.
9. Database– Database in backend refers to provide database for storing structured data, such as
SQL and NOSQL databases. Example of Databases services include Amazon RDS, Microsoft
Azure SQL database and Google CLoud SQL.
10. Networking– Networking in backend services that provide networking infrastructure for
application in the cloud, such as load balancing, DNS and virtual private networks.
11. Analytics– Analytics in backend service that provides analytics capabillities for data in the
cloud, such as warehousing, bussness intellegence and machine learning.
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.
Provides high level reliability.
Scalability.
Cloud computing is a hot topic at the moment, and there is a lot of ambiguity when it comes to managing
its features and resources. Technology is evolving, and as companies scale up, their need to use the latest
Cloud frameworks also increases. Some of the benefits introduced by cloud solutions include data security,
flexibility, efficiency, and high performance. Smoother processes and improved collaboration between
enterprises while reducing costs are among its perks. However, the Cloud is not perfect and has its own set
of drawbacks when it comes to data management and privacy concerns. Thus, there are vario us benefits
and challenges of cloud computing. The list below discusses some of the key challenges in the adoption of
cloud computing.
Data security is a major concern when working with Cloud environments. It is one of the major challenges
in cloud computing as users have to take accountability for their data, and not all Cloud providers can
assure 100% data privacy. Lack of visibility and control tools, no identity access management, data misuse,
and Cloud misconfiguration are the common causes behind Cloud privacy leaks. There are also concerns
with insecure APIs, malicious insiders, and oversights or neglect in Cloud data management.
Solution: Configure network hardware and install the latest software updates to prevent security
vulnerabilities. Using firewalls, antivirus, and increasing bandwidth for Cloud data availability are some
ways to prevent data security risks.
2. Multi-Cloud Environments
Common cloud computing issues and challenges with multi-cloud environments are - configuration errors,
lack of security patches, data governance, and no granularity. It is difficult to track the secu rity
requirements of multi-clouds and apply data management policies across various boards.
Solution: Using a multi-cloud data management solution is a good start for enterprises. Not all tools will
offer specific security functionalities, and multi-cloud environments grow highly sophisticated and
complex. Open-source products like Terraform provide a great deal of control over multi-cloud
architectures.
3. Performance Challenges
The performance of Cloud computing solutions depends on the vendors who offer these services to clients,
and if a Cloud vendor goes down, the business gets affected too. It is one of the major challenges associated
with cloud computing.
Solution: Sign up with Cloud Service Providers who have real-time SaaS monitoring policies.
The Cloud Solution Architect Certification training addresses all Cloud performance issues and teaches
learners how to mitigate them.
Interoperability is a challenge when you try to move applications between two or multiple Cloud
ecosystems. It is one of the challenges faced in cloud computing. Some common issues faced are:
Lack of sufficient internet bandwidth is a common problem when transferring large volumes of information
to and from Cloud data servers. It is one of the various challenges in cloud computing. Data is highly
vulnerable, and there is a risk of sudden outages. Enterprises that want to lower hardware costs without
sacrificing performance need to ensure there is high bandwidth, which will help prevent business losses
from sudden outages.
Solution: Pay more for higher bandwidth and focus on improving operational efficiency to address network
dependencies.
Organizations are finding it tough to find and hire the right Cloud talent, which is another common
challenge in cloud computing. There is a shortage of professionals with the required qualifications in the
industry. Workloads are increasing, and the number of tools launched in the market is increasing.
Enterprises need good expertise in order to use these tools and find out which ones are ideal for them.
High unavailability of Cloud services and a lack of reliability are two major concerns in these ecosystems.
Organizations are forced to seek additional computing resources in order to keep up with changing business
requirements. If a Cloud vendor gets hacked or affected, the data of organizations using their services gets
compromised. It is another one of the many cloud security risks and challenges faced by the industry.
Solution: Implementing the NIST Framework standards in Cloud environments can greatly improve both
aspects.
8. Password Security
Account managers use the same passwords to manage all their Cloud accounts. Password management is
a critical problem, and it is often found that users resort to using reused and weak passwords.
Solution: Use a strong password management solution to secure all your accounts. To further improve
security, use Multifactor Authentication (MFA) in addition to a password manager. Good cloud-based
password managers alert users of security risks and leaks.
9. Cost Management
Even though Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) offer a pay-as-you-go subscription for services, the costs can
add up. Hidden costs appear in the form of underutilized resources in enterprises.
Solution: Auditing systems regularly and implementing resource utilization monitoring tools are some
ways organizations can fix this. It's one of the most effective ways to manage budgets and deal with major
challenges in cloud computing.
Cloud computing is a highly competitive field, and there are many professionals who lack the required
skills and knowledge to work in the industry. There is also a huge gap in supply and demand for certified
individuals and many job vacancies.
Solution: Companies should retrain their existing IT staff and help them in upskilling their careers by
investing in Cloud training programs.
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Good IT governance ensures that the right tools are used, and assets get implemented according to
procedures and agreed-to policies. Lack of governance is a common problem, and companies use tools that
do not align with their vision. IT teams don't get total control of compliance, risk management, and data
quality checks, and there are many uncertainties faced when migrating to the Cloud from traditional
infrastructures.
12. Compliance
Cloud Service Providers (CSP) are not up-to-date when it comes to having the best data compliance
policies. Whenever a user transfers data from internal servers to the Cloud, they run into compliance issues
with state laws and regulations.
Solution: The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Act is expected to expedite compliance issues
in the future for CSPs.
Solution: Creating strong data management and privacy policies is a starting point when it comes to
managing multi-cloud environments effectively.
14. Migration
Migration of data to the Cloud takes time, and not all organizations are prepared for it. Some report
increased downtimes during the process, face security issues, or have problems with data formatting and
conversions. Cloud migration projects can get expensive and are harder than anticipated.
Solution: Organizations will have to employ in-house professionals to handle their Cloud data migration
and increase their investments. Experts must analyze cloud computing issues and solutions before investing
in the latest platforms and services offered by CSPs.
Hybrid-cloud complexity refers to cloud computing challenges arising from mixed computing, storage,
and services, and multi-cloud security causes various challenges. It comprises private cloud services,
public Clouds, and on-premises infrastructures, for example, products like Microsoft Azure and Amazon
Web Services - which are orchestrated on various platforms.
Solution: Using centralized Cloud management solutions, increasing automation, and hardening security
are good ways to mitigate hybrid-cloud complexity.
Storage as a service (STaaS) is a managed service in which the provider supplies the customer with access
to a data storage platform. The service can be delivered on premises from infrastructure that is dedicated to a
single customer, or it can be delivered from the public cloud as a shared service that's purchased by
subscription and is billed according to one or more usage metrics.
STaaS customers access individual storage services through standard system interface protocols or
application program interfaces (APIs). Typical offerings include bare-metal storage capacity; raw storage
volumes; network file systems; storage objects; and storage applications that support file sharing
and backup lifecycle management.
Storage as a service was originally seen as a cost-effective way for small and mid-size businesses that lacked
the technical personnel and capital budget to implement and maintain their own storage infrastructure.
Today, companies of all sizes use storage as a service.
Uses of STaaS
Storage as a service can be used for data transfers and redundant storage, as well as to restore any corrupted
or lost data. CIOs may want to use STaaS for the ability to deploy resources at an instant or to replace some
existing storage space -- leaving room for on-premises storage hardware. CIOs may also appreciate the
ability to tailor storage capacity and performance per workload.
As an example, instead of maintaining a large tape library and arranging to vault (store) tapes off site, a
network administrator that uses STaaS for backups could specify what data on the network should be backed
up and how often it should be backed up. Their company would sign a service-level agreement (SLA)
whereby the STaaS provider agrees to rent storage space on a cost-per-gigabyte-stored and cost-per-data-
transfer basis, and the company's data would then be automatically transferred at the specified time over the
storage provider's proprietary wide area network (WAN) or the internet. If the company's data were to ever
become corrupt or get lost, the network administrator could contact the STaaS provider and request a copy
of the data.
Instead of storing data on-premises, organizations that use STaaS will typically utilize a public cloud for
storage and backup needs. Public cloud storage may also use different storage methods for STaaS. These
storage methods include backup and restore, disaster recovery, block storage, SSD storage, object storage
and bulk data transfer. Backup and restore refers to the backing up of data to the cloud, which provides
protection in case of data loss. Disaster recovery may refer to protecting and replicating data from virtual
machines (VMs).
Block storage enables customers to provision block storage volumes for lower-latency I/O. SSD storage is
another storage type that is typically used for intensive read/write and I/O operations. Object storage
systems are used in data analytics, disaster recovery and cloud applications and tend to have high latency.
Cold storage is used to create and configure stored data quickly. Bulk data transfers will use disks and other
hardware to transfer data.
Advantages of STaaS
Storage costs. Personnel, hardware and physical storage space expenses are reduced.
Disaster recovery. Having multiple copies of data stored in different locations can better enable
disaster recovery measures.
Scalability. With most public cloud services, users only pay for the resources that they use.
Security. Security can be both an advantage and a disadvantage, as security methods may change
per vendor. Data tends to be encrypted during transmission and while at rest.
Disadvantages of STaaS
Security. Users may end up transferring business-sensitive or mission-critical data to the cloud,
which makes it important to choose a service provider that's reliable.
Potential storage costs. If bandwidth limitations are exceeded, these could be expensive.
Potential downtimes. Vendors may go through periods of downtime where the service is not
available, which can be trouble for mission-critical data.
Limited customization. Since the cloud infrastructure is owned and managed by the service
provider, it is less customizable.
Potential for vendor lock-in. It may be difficult to migrate from one service to another.
Popular storage-as-a-service vendors
Examples of STaaS vendors include Dell EMC, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), NetApp and IBM. Dell
EMC provides Isilon NAS storage, EMC Unity hybrid-flash storage and other storage options. HPE has an
equally large, if not larger, presence in storage systems compared to Dell EMC.
Other public cloud vendors with cloud storage services include the following:
Microsoft Azure
Google Cloud
Oracle cloud
Box
Arcserve
Before choosing a service method, an organization should consider the location of the data center, its
security methods, cost, performance, availability, scalability and potential of vendor lock-in.
User Credentials
The Amazon Redshift COPY command must have access to read the file objects in the Amazon S3 bucket.
If you use the same user credentials to create the Amazon S3 bucket and to run the Amazon Redshift COPY
command, the COPY command has all necessary permissions. If you want to use different user credentials,
you can grant access by using the Amazon S3 access controls. The Amazon Redshift COPY command
requires at least ListBucket and GetObject permissions to access the file objects in the Amazon S3 bucket.
For more information about controlling access to Amazon S3 resources, go to Managing access permissions
to your Amazon S3 resources.