Cloud Architecture

Cloud Service Models

Cloud Computing can be defined as the practice of using a network of remote
servers hosted on the Internet to store, manage, and process data, rather than a
local server or a personal computer. Companies offering such kinds of cloud
computing services are called cloud providers and typically charge for cloud
computing services based on usage. Grids and clusters are the foundations for
cloud computing.

Types of Cloud Computing

Most cloud computing services fall into five broad categories:
1. Software as a service (SaaS)
2. Platform as a service (PaaS)
3. Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)
4. Anything/Everything as a service (XaaS)
5. Function as a Service (FaaS)

Software as a Service(SaaS)
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is a way of delivering services and applications
over the Internet. Instead of installing and maintaining software, we simply access
it via the Internet, freeing ourselves from the complex software and hardware
management. It removes the need to install and run applications on our own

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computers or in the data centers eliminating the expenses of hardware as well as
software maintenance.
SaaS provides a complete software solution that you purchase on a pay-as-you-
go basis from a cloud service provider. Most SaaS applications can be run directly
from a web browser without any downloads or installations required. The SaaS
applications are sometimes called Web-based software, on-demand software,
or hosted software.

Advantages of SaaS
1. Cost-Effective: Pay only for what you use.
2. Reduced time: Users can run most SaaS apps directly from their web
browser without needing to download and install any software. This
reduces the time spent in installation and configuration and can reduce the
issues that can get in the way of the software deployment.
3. Accessibility: We can Access app data from anywhere.
4. Automatic updates: Rather than purchasing new software, customers rely
on a SaaS provider to automatically perform the updates.
5. Scalability: It allows the users to access the services and features on-
demand.
The various companies providing Software as a service are Cloud9 Analytics,
Salesforce.com, Cloud Switch, Microsoft Office 365, Big Commerce, Eloqua,
dropBox, and Cloud Tran.

Disadvantages of Saas:
1. Limited customization: SaaS solutions are typically not as customizable
as on-premises software, meaning that users may have to work within the
constraints of the SaaS provider’s platform and may not be able to tailor
the software to their specific needs.
2. Dependence on internet connectivity: SaaS solutions are typically cloud-
based, which means that they require a stable internet connection to
function properly. This can be problematic for users in areas with poor
connectivity or for those who need to access the software in offline
environments.

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 3. Security concerns: SaaS providers are responsible for maintaining the
security of the data stored on their servers, but there is still a risk of data
breaches or other security incidents.
4. Limited control over data: SaaS providers may have access to a user’s
data, which can be a concern for organizations that need to maintain strict
control over their data for regulatory or other reasons.

Platform as a Service
PaaS is a category of cloud computing that provides a platform and environment
to allow developers to build applications and services over the internet. PaaS
services are hosted in the cloud and accessed by users simply via their web
browser.
A PaaS provider hosts the hardware and software on its own infrastructure. As a
result, PaaS frees users from having to install in-house hardware and software to
develop or run a new application. Thus, the development and deployment of the
application take place independent of the hardware.
The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure
including network, servers, operating systems, or storage, but has control over the
deployed applications and possibly configuration settings for the application-
hosting environment. To make it simple, take the example of an annual day
function, you will have two options either to create a venue or to rent a venue but
the function is the same.

Advantages of PaaS:
1. Simple and convenient for users: It provides much of the infrastructure
and other IT services, which users can access anywhere via a web browser.
2. Cost-Effective: It charges for the services provided on a per-use basis thus
eliminating the expenses one may have for on-premises hardware and
software.
3. Efficiently managing the lifecycle: It is designed to support the complete
web application lifecycle: building, testing, deploying, managing, and
updating.
4. Efficiency: It allows for higher-level programming with reduced
complexity thus, the overall development of the application can be more
effective.

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The various companies providing Platform as a service are Amazon Web services
Elastic Beanstalk, Salesforce, Windows Azure, Google App Engine, cloud Bees
and IBM smart cloud.

Disadvantages of Paas:
1. Limited control over infrastructure: PaaS providers typically manage
the underlying infrastructure and take care of maintenance and updates, but
this can also mean that users have less control over the environment and
may not be able to make certain customizations.
2. Dependence on the provider: Users are dependent on the PaaS provider
for the availability, scalability, and reliability of the platform, which can be
a risk if the provider experiences outages or other issues.
3. Limited flexibility: PaaS solutions may not be able to accommodate
certain types of workloads or applications, which can limit the value of the
solution for certain organizations.

Infrastructure as a Service
Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) is a service model that delivers computer
infrastructure on an outsourced basis to support various operations. Typically
IaaS is a service where infrastructure is provided as outsourcing to enterprises
such as networking equipment, devices, database, and web servers.
It is also known as Hardware as a Service (HaaS). IaaS customers pay on a per-
user basis, typically by the hour, week, or month. Some providers also charge
customers based on the amount of virtual machine space they use.
It simply provides the underlying operating systems, security, networking, and
servers for developing such applications, and services, and deploying
development tools, databases, etc.
Advantages of IaaS:
1. Cost-Effective: Eliminates capital expense and reduces ongoing cost and
IaaS customers pay on a per-user basis, typically by the hour, week, or
month.
2. Website hosting: Running websites using IaaS can be less expensive than
traditional web hosting.

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 3. Security: The IaaS Cloud Provider may provide better security than your
existing software.
4. Maintenance: There is no need to manage the underlying data center or
the introduction of new releases of the development or underlying
software. This is all handled by the IaaS Cloud Provider.
The various companies providing Infrastructure as a service are Amazon web
services, Bluestack, IBM, Openstack, Rackspace, and Vmware.
Disadvantages of IaaS:
1. Limited control over infrastructure: IaaS providers typically manage the
underlying infrastructure and take care of maintenance and updates, but
this can also mean that users have less control over the environment and
may not be able to make certain customizations.
2. Security concerns: Users are responsible for securing their own data and
applications, which can be a significant undertaking.
3. Limited access: Cloud computing may not be accessible in certain regions
and countries due to legal policies.

Difference between IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS

IaaS Paas SaaS

It provides a virtual data It provides virtual It provides web software

center to store platforms and tools to and apps to complete
information and create create, test, and deploy business tasks.
platforms for app apps.
development, testing, and
deployment.

It provides access to It provides runtime It provides software as a

resources such as virtual environments and service to the end-users.
machines, virtual storage, deployment tools for
etc. applications.

It is used by network It is used by developers. It is used by end users.

architects.

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IaaS provides only PaaS provides SaaS provides
Infrastructure. Infrastructure+Platform. Infrastructure + Platform
+Software.

Cloud Deployment Models

In cloud computing, we have access to a shared pool of computer resources
(servers, storage, programs, and so on) in the cloud. You simply need to request
additional resources when you require them. Getting resources up and running
quickly is a breeze thanks to the clouds. It is possible to release resources that
are no longer necessary. This method allows you to just pay for what you use.
Your cloud provider is in charge of all upkeep.
What is a Cloud Deployment Model?
Cloud Deployment Model functions as a virtual computing environment with a
deployment architecture that varies depending on the amount of data you want
to store and who has access to the infrastructure.
Types of Cloud Computing Deployment Models
The cloud deployment model identifies the specific type of cloud environment
based on ownership, scale, and access, as well as the cloud’s nature and purpose.
The location of the servers you’re utilizing and who controls them are defined
by a cloud deployment model. It specifies how your cloud infrastructure will
look, what you can change, and whether you will be given services or will have
to create everything yourself. Relationships between the infrastructure and your
users are also defined by cloud deployment types. Different types of
cloud computing deployment models are described below.
 Public Cloud
 Private Cloud
 Hybrid Cloud
 Community Cloud
 Multi-Cloud
Public Cloud
The public cloud makes it possible for anybody to access systems and services.
The public cloud may be less secure as it is open to everyone. The public cloud
is one in which cloud infrastructure services are provided over the internet to
the general people or major industry groups. The infrastructure in this cloud
model is owned by the entity that delivers the cloud services, not by the
consumer. It is a type of cloud hosting that allows customers and users to easily
access systems and services. This form of cloud computing is an excellent
example of cloud hosting, in which service providers supply services to a variety

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of customers. In this arrangement, storage backup and retrieval services are
given for free, as a subscription, or on a per-user basis. For example, Google
App Engine etc.

Public Cloud

Advantages of the Public Cloud Model

 Minimal Investment: Because it is a pay-per-use service, there is no
substantial upfront fee, making it excellent for enterprises that require
immediate access to resources.
 No setup cost: The entire infrastructure is fully subsidized by the
cloud service providers, thus there is no need to set up any hardware.
 Infrastructure Management is not required: Using the public cloud
does not necessitate infrastructure management.
 No maintenance: The maintenance work is done by the service
provider (not users).
 Dynamic Scalability: To fulfill your company’s needs, on-demand
resources are accessible.
Disadvantages of the Public Cloud Model
 Less secure: Public cloud is less secure as resources are public so
there is no guarantee of high-level security.
 Low customization: It is accessed by many public so it can’t be
customized according to personal requirements.
Private Cloud
The private cloud deployment model is the exact opposite of the public cloud
deployment model. It’s a one-on-one environment for a single user (customer).
There is no need to share your hardware with anyone else. The distinction
between private and public clouds is in how you handle all of the hardware. It

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is also called the “internal cloud” & it refers to the ability to access systems and
services within a given border or organization. The cloud platform is
implemented in a cloud-based secure environment that is protected by powerful
firewalls and under the supervision of an organization’s IT department. The
private cloud gives greater flexibility of control over cloud resources.

Private Cloud

Advantages of the Private Cloud Model

 Better Control: You are the sole owner of the property. You gain
complete command over service integration, IT operations, policies,
and user behavior.
 Data Security and Privacy: It’s suitable for storing corporate
information to which only authorized staff have access. By segmenting
resources within the same infrastructure, improved access and security
can be achieved.
 Supports Legacy Systems: This approach is designed to work with
legacy systems that are unable to access the public cloud.
 Customization: Unlike a public cloud deployment, a private cloud
allows a company to tailor its solution to meet its specific needs.
Disadvantages of the Private Cloud Model
 Less scalable: Private clouds are scaled within a certain range as there
is less number of clients.
 Costly: Private clouds are more costly as they provide personalized
facilities.
Hybrid Cloud
By bridging the public and private worlds with a layer of proprietary software,
hybrid cloud computing gives the best of both worlds. With a hybrid solution,
you may host the app in a safe environment while taking advantage of the public
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cloud’s cost savings. Organizations can move data and applications between
different clouds using a combination of two or more cloud deployment methods,
depending on their needs.

Hybrid Cloud

Advantages of the Hybrid Cloud Model

 Flexibility and control: Businesses with more flexibility can design
personalized solutions that meet their particular needs.
 Cost: Because public clouds provide scalability, you’ll only be
responsible for paying for the extra capacity if you require it.
 Security: Because data is properly separated, the chances of data theft
by attackers are considerably reduced.
Disadvantages of the Hybrid Cloud Model
 Difficult to manage: Hybrid clouds are difficult to manage as it is a
combination of both public and private cloud. So, it is complex.
 Slow data transmission: Data transmission in the hybrid cloud takes
place through the public cloud so latency occurs.
Community Cloud
It allows systems and services to be accessible by a group of organizations. It is
a distributed system that is created by integrating the services of different clouds
to address the specific needs of a community, industry, or business. The
infrastructure of the community could be shared between the organization which
has shared concerns or tasks. It is generally managed by a third party or by the
combination of one or more organizations in the community.

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 Community Cloud

Advantages of the Community Cloud Model

 Cost Effective: It is cost-effective because the cloud is shared by
multiple organizations or communities.
 Security: Community cloud provides better security.
 Shared resources: It allows you to share resources, infrastructure, etc.
with multiple organizations.
 Collaboration and data sharing: It is suitable for both collaboration
and data sharing.
Disadvantages of the Community Cloud Model
 Limited Scalability: Community cloud is relatively less scalable as
many organizations share the same resources according to their
collaborative interests.
 Rigid in customization: As the data and resources are shared among
different organizations according to their mutual interests if an
organization wants some changes according to their needs they cannot
do so because it will have an impact on other organizations.

Multi-Cloud
We’re talking about employing multiple cloud providers at the same time under
this paradigm, as the name implies. It’s similar to the hybrid cloud deployment
approach, which combines public and private cloud resources. Instead of
merging private and public clouds, multi-cloud uses many public
clouds. Although public cloud providers provide numerous tools to improve the
reliability of their services, mishaps still occur. It’s quite rare that two distinct
clouds would have an incident at the same moment. As a result, multi-cloud
deployment improves the high availability of your services even more.
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 Multi-Cloud

Advantages of the Multi-Cloud Model

 You can mix and match the best features of each cloud provider’s
services to suit the demands of your apps, workloads, and business by
choosing different cloud providers.
 Reduced Latency: To reduce latency and improve user experience,
you can choose cloud regions and zones that are close to your clients.
 High availability of service: It’s quite rare that two distinct clouds
would have an incident at the same moment. So, the multi-cloud
deployment improves the high availability of your services.
Disadvantages of the Multi-Cloud Model
 Complex: The combination of many clouds makes the system
complex and bottlenecks may occur.
 Security issue: Due to the complex structure, there may be loopholes
to which a hacker can take advantage hence, makes the data insecure.

What is the Right Choice for Cloud Deployment Model?

As of now, no such approach fits picking a cloud deployment model. We will
always consider the best cloud deployment model as per our requirements. Here
are some factors which should be considered before choosing the best
deployment model.
 Cost: Cost is an important factor for the cloud deployment model as it
tells how much amount you want to pay for these things.

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  Scalability: Scalability talks about the current activity status and how
much we can scale it.
 Easy to use: It tells how much your resources are trained and how
easily can you manage these models.
 Compliance: Compliance talks about the laws and regulations which
impact the implementation of the model.
 Privacy: Privacy talks about what data you gather for the model.
Each model has some advantages and some disadvantages, and the selection of
the best is only done on the basis of your requirement. If your requirement
changes, you can switch to any other model.
Overall Analysis of Cloud Deployment Models
The overall Analysis of these models with respect to different factors is
described below.

Private Community Hybrid

Factors Public Cloud Cloud Cloud Cloud

Complex, Complex,
Complex,
requires a requires a
requires a
Initial Setup Easy professional professional
professional
team to team to
team to setup
setup setup

Scalability
and High High Fixed High
Flexibility

Between
Distributed
Cost- public and
Cost-Effective Costly cost among
Comparison private
members
cloud

Reliability Low Low High High

Data
Low High High High
Security

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 Private Community Hybrid
Factors Public Cloud Cloud Cloud Cloud

Data
Low High High High
Privacy

Cloud Computing Architecture

Transparency, scalability, security and intelligent monitoring are some of the most
important constraints which every cloud infrastructure should experience.
Current research on other important constraints is helping cloud computing
system to come up with new features and strategies with a great capability of
providing more advanced cloud solutions.
Cloud Computing Architecture:
The cloud architecture is divided into 2 parts i.e.
1. Frontend
2. Backend

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.

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(Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) is a stage in the evolution of application
development and/or integration. It defines a way to make software components
reusable using the interfaces.)
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

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 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
capabilities for data in the cloud, such as warehousing, business
intelligence 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.

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