Cloud Architecture

Cloud architecture refers to the components

and subcomponents required for cloud
computing. These components typically
consist of:
1. Front-End and Back-End Platforms
o Front-End Platform:
▪ This includes the client-side interfaces
and applications that users interact
with. It typically comprises web
browsers, thin clients, or mobile
applications that allow users to access
cloud services.
o Back-End Platform:
▪ This includes servers, storage
systems, databases, and other
infrastructure that powers cloud
 services. The back-end is responsible
for providing the resources,
processing power, and data storage
required to deliver cloud services.
2. Cloud-Based Delivery Models
o Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS):
▪ Provides virtualized computing
resources over the internet. Users can
rent virtual machines, storage, and
networks.
▪ Example: Amazon Web Services
(AWS) EC2.
o Platform as a Service (PaaS):
▪ Provides a platform allowing
customers to develop, run, and
manage applications without the
complexity of building and
maintaining infrastructure.
▪ Example: Google App Engine.
 o Software as a Service (SaaS):
▪ Delivers software applications over
the internet, typically on a
subscription basis. Users can access
the software without needing to
install or maintain it.
▪ Example: Microsoft Office 365.
3. Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) and
Microservices
o Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA):
▪ A design principle where software
components (services) are provided
to other components via a network,
often using protocols like
HTTP/HTTPS.
▪ Each service in SOA performs a
specific function and communicates
with other services through a well-
defined interface.
 o Microservices:
▪ A variant of the SOA architectural
style that structures an application as
a collection of loosely coupled
services. Each microservice focuses
on a specific business function and
can be developed, deployed, and
scaled independently.
▪ Microservices offer greater flexibility
and scalability compared to
traditional monolithic architectures.
Virtualization in Cloud Computing
Virtualization is a fundamental technology for
cloud computing, allowing multiple virtual
environments to run on a single physical
hardware system.
1. Role of Virtualization in Cloud Computing
o Virtualization enables the abstraction of
physical hardware resources into virtual
 resources, allowing for better utilization
and management of these resources.
o It allows multiple operating systems and
applications to run on a single physical
machine, reducing costs and increasing
efficiency.
o Virtualization also provides scalability,
flexibility, and easier disaster recovery in
cloud environments.
2. Types of Virtualization
o Server Virtualization:
▪ Involves partitioning a physical server
into multiple virtual servers, each
running its own operating system and
applications.
▪ Example: VMware ESXi, Microsoft
Hyper-V.
o Storage Virtualization:
 ▪ Abstracts physical storage resources
into a single, manageable virtual
storage pool. This allows for easier
storage management and allocation.
▪ Example: SAN (Storage Area Network)
and NAS (Network Attached Storage).
o Network Virtualization:
▪ Combines hardware (switches,
routers) and software network
resources into a single, virtualized
network entity. It allows for network
configuration and management via
software.
▪ Example: Software-defined
networking (SDN), Virtual LANs
(VLANs).
3. Virtualization Technologies
o Hypervisors:
 ▪ A hypervisor is software that creates
and runs virtual machines. It allows
multiple operating systems to share a
single hardware host.
▪ Type 1 Hypervisor (Bare-Metal
Hypervisor):
▪ Runs directly on the physical
hardware. Examples: VMware
ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V.
▪ Type 2 Hypervisor (Hosted
Hypervisor):
▪ Runs on a conventional operating
system. Examples: VMware
Workstation, Oracle VirtualBox.
o Containers:
▪ A lightweight form of virtualization
that packages an application and its
dependencies together. Containers
 share the host system’s OS kernel but
run in isolated environments.
▪ Example: Docker, Kubernetes.