What Is Cloud Computing?

Cloud Computing means storing and accessing the data and programs on remote servers that
are hosted on the internet instead of the computer’s hard drive or local server. Cloud
computing is also referred to as Internet-based computing, it is a technology where the
resource is provided as a service through the Internet to the user. The data that is stored can
be files, images, documents, or any other storable document.
The following are some of the Operations that can be performed with Cloud Computing
 Storage, backup, and recovery of data
 Delivery of software on demand
 Development of new applications and services
 Streaming videos and audio
Understanding How Cloud Computing Works?
Cloud computing helps users in easily accessing computing resources like storage, and
processing over internet rather than local hardwares. Here we discussing how it works in
nutshell:
 Infrastructure: Cloud computing depends on remote network servers hosted on
internet for store, manage, and process the data.
 On-Demand Acess: Users can access cloud services and resources based on-demand
they can scale up or down the without having to invest for physical hardware.
 Types of Services: Cloud computing offers various benefits such as cost saving,
scalability, reliability and acessibility it reduces capital expenditures, improves
efficiency.
Origins Of Cloud Computing
Mainframe computing in the 1950s and the internet explosion in the 1990s came together to g
ive rise to cloud computing. Since businesses like Amazon, Google, and Salesforce started
providing web-based services in the early 2000s. The term “cloud computing” has gained
popularity. Scalability, adaptability, and cost-effectiveness are to be facilitated by the
concept’s on-demand internet-based access to computational resources.
These days, cloud computing is pervasive, driving a wide range of services across markets
and transforming the processing, storage, and retrieval of data
What is Virtualization In Cloud Computing?
Virtualization is the software technology that helps in providing the logical isolation of
physical resources. Creating logical isolation of physical resources such as RAM, CPU, and
Storage.. over the cloud is known as Virtualization in Cloud Computing. In simple we can say
creating types of Virtual Instances of computing resources over the cloud. It provides better
management and utilization of hardware resources with logical isolation making the
applications independent of others. It facilitates streamlining the resource allocation and
enhancing scalability for multiple virtual computers within a single physical source offering
cost-effectiveness and better optimization of resources.
To know about this refer this Article – Virtualization in Cloud Computing and Types
Architecture Of Cloud Computing
History of cloudcomputing
History of Cloud Computing:  Before Computing was come into existence, client Server
Architecture was used where all the data and control of client resides in Server side. If a
single user want to access some data, firstly user need to connect to the server and after that
user will get appropriate access. But it has many disadvantages. So, After Client Server
computing, Distributed Computing was come into existence, in this type of computing all
computers are networked together with the help of this, user can share their resources when
needed. It also has certain limitations. So in order to remove limitations faced in distributed
system, cloud computing was emerged.
Advantages :
 It is easier to get backup in cloud.
 It allows us easy and quick access stored information anywhere and anytime.
 It allows us to access data via mobile.
 It reduces both hardware ad Software cost, and it is easily maintainable.
 One of the biggest advantage of Cloud Computing is Database Security.
Disadvantages :
 It requires good internet connection.
 User have limited control on the data.
Cloud Computing Features:
1. On-demand self-service AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud and other public cloud
platforms make resources available to users at the click of a button or API call. With data
centers all over the world, these vendors have vast amounts of compute and storage assets at
the ready. This represents a radical departure for IT teams accustomed to an on-premises
procurement process that can take months to complete. Cloud computing's characteristic of
self-service provisioning goes hand in hand with ondemand computing capabilities. Instead
of waiting for new servers to be delivered to a private data center, developers can select the
resources and tools they need -- typically through a cloud provider's self-service portal -- and
build right away. An admin sets policies to limit what IT and development teams can run, but
within those guardrails, employees have the freedom to build, test and deploy apps as they
see fit.
2. Resource pooling Public cloud providers rely on multi-tenant architectures to
accommodate more users at the same time. Customers' workloads are abstracted from the
hardware and underlying software, which serve multiple customers on the same host. Cloud
providers increasingly rely on custom hardware and abstraction layers to improve security
and speed users' access to resources.
3. Scalability and rapid elasticity Resource pooling enables scalability for cloud providers
and users, letting them add or remove compute, storage, networking and other assets as
needed. This helps enterprise IT teams optimize their cloud-hosted workloads and avoid end-
user bottlenecks. Clouds can scale vertically or horizontally, and service providers offer
automation software to handle dynamic scaling for users. Traditional on-premises
architectures can't scale as easily. Typically, enterprises have to purchase servers and other
infrastructure assets to plan for peak capacity. Those extra resources sit idle during lulls in
activity.
4. Pay-per-use pricing This cloud computing characteristic shifts IT spending from Capex to
Opex as providers offer per-second billing. This model achieves economies of scale through
reducing costs on a large scale and seeing an increase in efficiency. Though this can generally
be seen as a positive, IT teams must be careful since their resource needs likely aren't static.
VMs should be rightsized, turned off while not in use, or scaled down as conditions dictate.
Otherwise, organizations waste money and can end up with sticker shock when the monthly
bill arrives.
This pricing model was once the only way to pay for cloud. But vendors have since added
various pricing plans that provide cheaper costs in exchange for longer-term commitments.
This model is cost effective since customers only pay for what they use.
5. Measured service Measuring cloud service usage is useful for both a cloud provider and its
customers. The provider and the customer monitor and report on the use of resources and
services, such as VMs, storage, processing and bandwidth. That data is used to calculate the
customer's consumption of cloud resources and feeds into the pay-per-use model. The cloud
provider, meanwhile, can better understand how customers utilize its resources and
potentially improve the infrastructure and cloud computing services offered
6. Resiliency and availability Cloud providers use several techniques to guard against
downtime, such as minimizing regional dependencies to avoid single points of failure. Users
can also extend their workloads across availability zones, which have redundant networks
connecting multiple data centers in relatively close proximity. Some higher-level services
automatically distribute workloads across availability zones.
7. Security While many enterprises balked at migrating workloads because of security fears,
those concerns have largely subsided, partly due to the benefits of the above characteristics of
cloud computing. Cloud vendors employ some of the best security experts in the world and
are generally better equipped to handle threats than most in-house IT teams. In fact, some of
the biggest financial firms in the world say the cloud is a security asset. However, this doesn't
absolve users of their duties. Public cloud providers follow the sharedresponsibility model.
They tend to the security of the platform, and users handle their own apps that sit on top.
Failure to fully grasp those delineations has led to high-profile exposures of sensitive
corporate data in the past.
8. Broad network access A big part of the cloud's utility is its ubiquity. Data can be uploaded
and accessed from anywhere with an internet connection. Users can work from any location.
The cloud is an attractive option for most enterprises that have a mix of operating systems,
platforms and devices. To preserve that broad network access, cloud providers monitor and
ensure various metrics that reflect how customers access cloud resources and data: latency,
access time, data throughput, etc. These factor into quality-of-service requirements and
service-level agreements.
Cloud Eco System
A cloud ecosystem refers to the interrelated and cooperative part that consists of the hardware
infrastructure, software as well as services and users that come together to provide the cloud
computing services. Some of them are cloud providers, customers, partners, and more aspects
such as technology hardware or software that should work in a way that fits with others
perfectly, inclusively in terms of integration, scalability and flexibility. When one speaks of
the cloud ecosystem, then it means that the organization will be in a good position to select
the best solutions for its IT infrastructure, improve communication between the workers and
foster innovation. This guide explores the various elements of cloud ecosystems and their
advantages in altering current models of computing.
What is the Cloud Ecosystem
A cloud ecosystem is defined as a complex system of cloud services, platforms, and
infrastructure used for the storage, processing, and distribution of data and applications
through the Internet. It consists of multiple parts: cloud providers, software developers, users,
and other services, which are integrated into a prolific and adaptable architecture for
computing assets. This ecosystem enhances the ability of businesses and individuals to lease
computational solutions at will, in line with flexibility, innovation and cost sensitivity in the
digital frontier.
How Does the Cloud Ecosystem Work
 Hub and Spoke Model: Instead, the cloud ecosystem is a hub-and-spoke architecture
that has a cloud provider in the centre linking with a variety of entities.
 Central Cloud Provider: In general Cloud Ecosystem Architecture, there is a central
place and here, the main components of the public cloud are inside with AWS as a
core.
 Interconnected Relationships: There are many interconnecting spouses of the
central cloud provider such as the companies that supply software and equipment,
consultants, and third-party service providers.
 Complex Interactions: AWS, being a cloud services provider, provides support to
multiple applications and has partnerships with other organizations, making the
interaction dynamics rather intricate within the ecosystem.
 Example with AWS and Salesforce: For example, AWS might work with Salesforce
or integrate it into its ecosystem, and Salesforce might also run some of its services on
AWS.
 Dynamic Ecosystem: Nonetheless, this web is in the interest of all the involved
parties given that it affords both dynamism and non-exclusive patronage to a specific
vendor, often termed as vendor lock-in.
The Players in a Cloud Ecosystem
 Cloud Providers: These are the main ones that provide infrastructures, platforms,
and software or services through the World Wide Web. Some notable players that
offer cloud computing services include AWS, Microsoft Azure, GCP, and IBM Cloud,
among others.
 Users: Customers include businesses, organizations, developers, and individuals that
use cloud services intending to host their applications, store data, or use virtual
machines.
 Developers: Technologists also known as developers are essential for the construction
and deployment of applications in cloud systems. They use cloud systems for
developing, integrating, and implementing software applications with the support of
the opportunities given by the cloud.
 Third-party Service Providers: These are companies or individuals that operate in
the same value chain as cloud service providers but perform different roles. They can
offer security services for cloud environments, management or monitoring of cloud
services as well as advisory services to improve the efficiency of cloud solutions.
 Regulatory Bodies: This notion is true as regulatory bodies that encompass the
provision and utilization of cloud services exercise appropriate oversight and govern
compliance with data protection and relevant regulations.
 Partners and Resellers: The value-added resellers and partnerships are important in
extending the market coverage of the cloud providers through providing services,
solutions, and support to customers. They frequently deliver specialized services
concerning geographic regions in addressing the varying demands of users.
 Integration Partners: Integration partners are dedicated to the integration of
different aspects of cloud services, and various applications to improve their usage in
the cloud, making them effective in usage of the available resources.
 End Users: Consumers request, use and receive direct value from cloud services,
seeking to obtain applications, data, and services from existing online clouds for their
purposes, such as software applications, streamed content, or subscription services.
Service Models in a Cloud Ecosystem
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS):
 In IaaS, facilities are provided where they let out computing infrastructures through
the internet’s operation. Cloud services are available in the form of virtual computers
and disks, storage and network equipment for hire with no predefined time limits.
 The end-user or client can govern the operating system, applications, and
development frameworks while the cloud provider handles the network, storage, and
server facilities.
Platform as a Service (PaaS):
  PaaS simply acts as a platform whereby developers can create and host their
applications without having to worry about the base hardware facility for the support
of the applications.
 Developers can focus only on the code and applications apartment, whereas the
operation of the runtime environments, databases, and middleware lies with the cloud
provider.
Software as a Service (SaaS):
 SaaS is a model of software applications distribution via the World Wide Web; this
usage is paid per some period. They are accessed using a browser or APIs and do not
require any delivery management, installation or update on local devices.
 In the case of SaaS licensing models, the cloud provider is responsible for deploying
the software and managing infrastructure, databases, and application code, and the
user accesses the software as a service.
Benefits of Cloud Ecosystem
 Scalability: Cloud services can be very flexible in that they can be rapidly increased
or decreased in response to the amount of current demand which means a business
sure does not have to invest mostly into infrastructure and physical hardware.
 Cost Efficiency: Cloud services work on the philosophy of provision of services
according to use hence only charging consumers according to the amount of services
consumed. These prevent the need for excessive initial investments in plants and
equipment and also lower running expenses.
 Flexibility and Accessibility: Cloud services are location-independent, allowing for
work from other places that may be near or far from the office. Such flexibility means
that businesses can diversify and extend their operations to target customers in
different world regions.
 Innovation and Speed: Cloud services allow for the quick and agile creation and
delivery of applications, specifically aiding businesses in delivering new applications
to customers at a quicker pace.
 Reliability and Security: Cloud providers dedicate a lot of resources to policies and
backups to guarantee availability and prevent loss of data or hacking insurgence. This
helps individual business entities to have a clean bill of health financially which in
turn makes them direct all their energies to matters which affect their business
directly.
 Elasticity: The cloud services are capable of dynamically controlling resources hence
providing customers with the best possible experience when demand of given
resources is high most frequently.
 Integration and Collaboration: When it comes to integration, cloud services provide
a high level of integration potential where businesses can integrate the cloud services
with other systems and services. This promotes teamwork and allows for efficiency
because it allows for a smooth transition between the various platforms and apps.
Cloud Ecosystem Deployment Models
Public Cloud:
 Third-party cloud services refer to cloud services that can be instantiated and ordered
by any member of the public and are available over the telecommunications networks
known as the Internet.
 Things that can be leased out include the virtual machines storage and applications
and these are leased out to many users so that the expenses can be divided hence
making it cheaper to lease out.
 There can be discussions about public clouds being limited in terms of scope, but they
allow for scalability and flexibility and are easy to access for startups, small
businesses, or companies with fluctuating workloads.
Private Cloud:
 A private cloud is a cloud infrastructure that is facilitated and controlled with the help
of a single organization and can be located on the premises of an organization or even
managed by a third party.
 Since the resources are not distributed to other organizations the organization can
control every aspect and ensure that the resources get customized for their needs
while at the same time enjoying maximum security.
 The use of a private cloud is ideal in environments that have certain strict
requirements such as security compliance, environments that deal with sensitive data
or any environment that has stationary back-end workloads with applications that
cannot be migrated to public cloud environments.
Hybrid Cloud:
 A hybrid cloud combines both public as well as private cloud platforms and thus
organizations can adopt both models to gain benefits.
 It allows for an efficient transition of workloads and applications both from and to an
on-premises environment as well as the public cloud.
 Some specific workloads and non-critical applications can be launched in the public
cloud which is cost-effective while the sensitive applications and business data will be
deployed in the private cloud.
Multi-Cloud:
 Multi-cloud is when an organization deploys multiple cloud solutions from different
providers due to the need to fulfil organizational requirements or due to reasons such
as lock-in.
 Organizations can select service providers among the best ones from the given options
concerning performance, price and geographical coverage.
 It is equally strategic since it allows for the management of multiple cloud services
and reduces the risks of a single-point failure or a vendor lock-in.
Cloud Computing Applications:
1. Art Applications Cloud computing offers various art applications for quickly and
easily design attractive cards, booklets, and images. Some most commonly used cloud
art applications are given below:
 Moo Moo is one of the best cloud art applications. It is used for designing and
printing business cards, postcards, and mini cards.
 Vistaprint Vistaprint allows us to easily design various printed marketing products
such as business cards, Postcards, Booklets, and wedding invitations cards.
 Adobe Creative Cloud Adobe creative cloud is made for designers, artists,
filmmakers, and other creative professionals. It is a suite of apps which includes
PhotoShop image editing programming, Illustrator, InDesign, TypeKit, Dreamweaver,
XD, and Audition
2. Business Applications:
Business applications are based on cloud service providers. Today, every organization
requires the cloud business application to grow their business. It also ensures that
business applications are 24*7 available to users. There are the following business
applications of cloud computing -  MailChimp MailChimp is an email publishing
platform which provides various options to design, send, and save templates for
emails.  Salesforce Salesforce platform provides tools for sales, service, marketing,
e-commerce, and more. It also provides a cloud development platform.  Chatter
Chatter helps us to share important information about the organization in real time. 
Bitrix24 Bitrix24 is a collaboration platform which provides communication,
management, and social collaboration tools.  Paypal Paypal offers the simplest and
easiest online payment mode using a secure internet account. Paypal accepts the
payment through debit cards, credit cards, and also from Paypal account holders. 
Slack Slack stands for Searchable Log of all Conversation and Knowledge. It
provides a user-friendly interface that helps us to create public and private channels
for communication.  Quickbooks Quickbooks works on the terminology "Run
Enterprise anytime, anywhere, on any device." It provides online accounting solutions
for the business. It allows more than 20 users to work simultaneously on the same
system.
3. Data Storage and Backup Applications Cloud computing allows us to store inform
Cloud computing allows us to store information (data, files, images, audios, and
videos) on the cloud and access this information using an internet connection. As the
cloud provider is responsible for providing security, so they offer various backup
recovery application for retrieving the lost data. A list of data storage and backup
applications in the cloud are given below –
 Box.com Box provides an online environment for secure content management,
workflow, and collaboration. It allows us to store different files such as Excel, Word,
PDF, and images on the cloud. The main advantage of using box is that it provides
drag & drop service for files and easily integrates with Office 365, G Suite,
Salesforce, and more than 1400 tools.  Mozy Mozy provides powerful online backup
solutions for our personal and business data. It schedules automatically back up for
each day at a specific time.
 Joukuu Joukuu provides the simplest way to share and track cloud-based backup
files. Many users use joukuu to search files, folders, and collaborate on documents.
  Google G Suite Google G Suite is one of the best cloud storage and backup
application. It includes Google Calendar, Docs, Forms, Google+, Hangouts, as well as
cloud storage and tools for managing cloud apps. The most popular app in the Google
G Suite is Gmail. Gmail offers free email services to users.
4. Education Applications Cloud computing in the education sector becomes very
popular. It offers various online distance learning platforms and student information
portals to the students. The advantage of using cloud in the field of education is that it
offers strong virtual classroom environments, Ease of accessibility, secure data
storage, scalability, greater reach for the students, and minimal hardware requirements
for the applications.
5. Entertainment Applications Entertainment industries use a multi-cloud strategy to
interact with the target audience. Cloud computing offers various entertainment
applications such as online games and video conferencing.
 Online games Today, cloud gaming becomes one of the most important
entertainment media. It offers various online games that run remotely from the cloud.
The best cloud gaming services are Shaow, GeForce Now, Vortex, Project xCloud,
and PlayStation Now.
 Video Conferencing Apps Video conferencing apps provides a simple and instant
connected experience. It allows us to communicate with our business partners,
friends, and relatives using a cloud-based video conferencing. The benefits of using
video conferencing are that it reduces cost, increases efficiency, and removes
interoperability.
6. Management Applications Cloud computing offers various cloud management tools
which help admins to manage all types of cloud activities, such as resource
deployment, data integration, and disaster recovery. These management tools also
provide administrative control over the platforms, applications, and infrastructure.
Some important management applications are –
 Toggl Toggl helps users to track allocated time period for a partiicular project.
 Evernote Evernote allows you to sync and save your recorded notes, typed notes,
and other notes in one convenient place. It is available for both free as well as a paid
version.
7. Social Applications Social cloud applications allow a large number of users to connect
with each other using social networking applications such as Facebook, Twitter,
Linkedln, etc. There are the following cloud based social applications –
 Facebook Facebook is a social networking website which allows active users to
share files, photos, videos, status, more to their friends, relatives, and business
partners using the cloud storage system. On Facebook, we will always get
notifications when our friends like and comment on the posts.
 Twitter Twitter is a social networking site. It is a microblogging system. It allows
users to follow high profile celebrities, friends, relatives, and receive news. It sends
and receives short posts called tweets.
 Yammer Yammer is the best team collaboration tool that allows a team of employees
to chat, share images, documents, and videos.
List of Top 10 Cloud Platform Service Providers in 2024
Certainly! Here are the Top Cloud Service Providers for the year 2024:
Table of Content
 List of Top 10 Cloud Platform Service Providers in 2024
 1. Amazon Web Services (AWS)
 2. Microsoft Azure
 3. Kamatera
 4. Alibaba Cloud
 5. Oracle Cloud
 6. IBM Cloud (Kyndryl)
 7. Tencent Cloud
 8. OVHcloud
 9. DigitalOcean
 10. Linode (owned by Akamai)
 Conclusion
 Top 10 Cloud Platform Service Providers – FAQs
1. Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Launched in 2006, AWS is the best cloud service provider leading in the market. It
becomes a major player in AI, database, machine learning, 5G cloud, multi-cloud and
serverless deployments. AWS operates in 20 geographical regions across the world.
The company reported a revenue of 9 billion dollars in Q3 2019.
 AWS offers 175 fully-featured services to meet any kind of business requirements.
These services are database storage, computing power, networking and many more
 You can virtually host any applications, including networks like firewall, DNS, Load
balancing, or even you can have your virtual private cloud.
 AWS applications are scalable, flexible, reliable, secure and trustworthy.
 Easy sign-up and fast deployment. The best thing is there is no upfront cost and you
pay for what you use. It also offers a FREE tier for some of their popular services.
Read more about AWS from the link Top 10 Reasons to Learn AWS – Services And
Benefits
Top Companies using Amazon Web Services (AWS)
 Netflix
 Spotify
 Airbnb
 Uber
 Peloton
 Expedia
 Pinterest
 Samsung
 Sony
 Novartis
2. Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Azure was launched in 2010 as Windows Azure, and later in 2014, it was
renamed, Microsoft Azure. It was launched years after the release of AWS and Google
cloud but still, it is the fastest-growing cloud and giving tough competition to AWS
and other cloud service providers. There is a five-year partnership between Microsoft
and Disney. In this partnership, the new method will be developed to move
production content to the cloud. Azure has 54 data centers regions across the world
available in 140 countries.
 Azure offers hundreds of services including AI + Machine
Learning, Analytics, Blockchain, Compute, Containers, Databases, Developer Tools,
DevOps, Identity, Integration, Internet of Things, Management, Media, Microsoft
Azure Stack, Migration, Mixed Reality, Mobile, Networking, Security, Storage, Web,
and Windows Virtual Desktop.
 Microsoft Azure is available with public or private cloud service or hybrid cloud
service consists of both private and public.
 Scalability, consistency, security, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness.
 Azure supports various operating systems, databases, tools, programming languages
and frameworks.
 It’s easier for users to move their application or framework without any hassle and
recoding them again.
 24/7 cooperative team paying attention to their customers. A free trial version of
Microsoft Azure is available for 30 days.
Top Companies using Microsoft Azure
 Walmart
 Macy’s
 The Home Depot
 Starbucks
 Coca-Cola
 Bank of America
 JPMorgan Chase
 Citigroup
 Fidelity Investments
 Standard Chartered
3. Kamatera
Kamatera, established over two decades ago, has evolved into one of the most
reliable and flexible cloud infrastructure platforms in the industry. With a strong focus
on scalability, Kamatera allows businesses to configure their cloud environments
based on real-time needs, making it a top choice for startups and large enterprises
alike. Unlike many other providers, Kamatera’s pricing is incredibly cost effective,
allowing users to pay only for the resources they use, with no hidden fees. The
platform supports a wide array of operating systems and software, giving users
complete freedom to build and deploy custom cloud solutions. In 2024, Kamatera is
renowned for its global data centers that ensure minimal latency and high availability
across the world.
 Allows users to adjust server configurations, CPU, RAM, and storage in real-time.
 Provides 18+ data center locations worldwide for low latency and high availability.
 Highly reliable with 99.95% up-time guaranteed.
 Allows you to only pay for the resources you use, with no upfront investment or
hidden fees.
 Lets you scale your cloud resources to match changing business needs.
 24/7 Technical Support is offered. A dedicated team available round-the-clock for
troubleshooting and assistance.
 Kamatera operates in 24 cities across 4 continents and has recently expanded to
Singapore, Tokyo, and Sydney.
 Supports multiple operating systems, databases, and applications for seamless cloud
deployment.
 Kamatera offers a 30-day free trial of up to $100.
Top Companies using Kamatera
 Xero
 Redfin
 CivicFlus
 CoSchedule
 MarketMuse
 AirCail
 Veeqo
 Foirt of Rertal
 Raken
4. Alibaba Cloud
Alibaba Cloud, also known as Aliyun, is the cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group,
one of the world’s largest e-commerce and technology conglomerates based in China.
It offers a comprehensive suite of cloud computing services to support businesses
worldwide, including:
Market Presence:
 Currently holding the third largest global market share in cloud
computing, following Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure.
 Dominates the Asian market, particularly in China.
Service Portfolio:
 Offers a diverse and comprehensive suite of cloud solutions, including:
o Compute: Elastic Compute Service (ECS) for virtual machines, Serverless
Computing, Container Services.
o Storage: Object Storage Service (OSS), File Storage Service (NAS), Block
Storage Service (ESSD).
o Networking: Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), Elastic Network Interface
(ENI), Global Accelerator.
o Databases: Alibaba Cloud Database Service (RDS), NoSQL databases, Graph
Database.
o AI & ML: AI Platform, pre-trained models, Big Data Analytics.
o Security & Identity: Security Center, Anti-DDoS, Key Management Service.
o Developer Tools: API Gateway, Serverless Application Model
(SAM), CodePipeline.
o Industry-Specific Solutions: Tailored solutions for
retail, manufacturing, finance, and more.
 While offering various AI & ML tools, its strength lies in e-commerce and financial
services solutions, leveraging expertise from its parent company, Alibaba Group.
 Actively develops industry-specific cloud solutions for various sectors.
 Known for aggressive pricing, often competing with lower costs compared to
rivals.
Top Companies using Alibaba Cloud
 ABS-CBN
 PrestoMall (formerly 11street Malaysia)
 Hang Seng Bank
 Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group
5. Oracle Cloud
Oracle Cloud is an ERP(Enterprise Resource Planning) based cloud service that
helps you to build, deploy, and manage workloads in the cloud or on-premises. Oracle
has approximately 4, 30, 000 huge numbers of clients around the world. The total
revenue generated by Oracle was around 6.81 billion dollars in 2019.
 Oracle IaaS offerings are Compute, Storage, Networking, Governance, Database,
Load Balancing, DNS Monitoring, Ravello, and FastConnect.IaaS help to run any
kind of workload of an Enterprise.
 Oracle PaaS offerings are Data Management, Application Development, Integration,
Business Analytics, Security, Management, and Content and Enterprise. PaaS helps
developers to develop, connect, secure and share data across the applications.
 Oracle SaaS offerings are CX, HCM, ERP, SCM, EPM, IoT, Analytics, Data, and
Blockchain Applications. SaaS provides a complete data-driven and secure cloud
environment.
 The best thing about this cloud services provider is its chatbot option which can help
customers 24/7 whenever they face difficulties.
 Data analytics by users that help decision-makers in planning for the company’s
financial condition.
 Secure and better visibility to unsanctioned apps and protects against sophisticated
cyberattacks.
 Payment according to the usage.
6. IBM Cloud (Kyndryl)
Developed by IBM, this cloud service offers another set of solutions to the users to
deploy their applications on the cloud. It offers IaaS, SaaS, and PaaS services
via public, private, hybrid and multi-cloud models. IBM generated 5.3 billion
dollars of revenues according to Q3 2019 which is 6.4 percent higher than the
previous quarter. IBM cloud offers approximately 170 products and services to meet
the customer’s business demands. IBM’s best bets come in the form of the Internet of
Things, Cognitive Computing and Blockchain. Recently IBM has Red Hat, for the
delivery of hybrid solutions efficiently. The cloud service is helping home appliance
manufacturers, retailers, and medical supply businesses.
 Computer Network, Storage, Cloud Packs, Management, Security, Database,
Analytics, AI, IoT, Mobile, Dev Tools, Blockchain, Integration, Migration, Private
Cloud, and VMware are some services offered by IBM cloud.
 Freedom to select and unite the desired tools, data models and delivery models in
designing/creating the next-generation services or applications.
 Users can manage their applications in many coding languages such as Java, Python,
Swift, Php, etc.
 IBM AI helps with its multifunctional ability such as text to speech, detecting
language, machine learning, classification of natural language, etc.
 Costs depends on the usage but free in its lite mode with free access to more than 40
services by IBM Cloud.
 You can incorporate highly performing cloud communications and services into
your IT environment with the help of IBM Bluemix Cloud platform.
 Top Companies using IBM Cloud (Kyndryl)
 City Furniture, Inc.
 Chevron Phillips Chemical (CPChem)
 Carrefour Belgium
 Canadian Malartic
 Bord Gáis Energy
 Blue NAP Americas
 Bank of Ayudhya Public Company Ltd (Krungsri)
 Arizona Department of Transportation
7. Tencent Cloud
DigitalOcean is a well-known cloud hosting provider that currently holds the fourth
largest global market share in cloud computing, following Alibaba
Cloud, AWS, and Microsoft Azure. It Has a strong presence in China and Southeast
Asia, with growing international reach.
Service Portfolio:
 Offers a comprehensive range of cloud solutions, including:
o Compute: Cloud Virtual Machines (CVM) for traditional VMs, Serverless
Functions (SCF) for serverless computing, and Container Orchestration
(TKE) for managing containerized applications.
o Storage: Cloud Object Storage (COS) for highly scalable object
storage, Cloud Block Storage (CBS) for high-performance block storage, and
Cloud File Storage (CFS) for network-attached storage.
o Networking: Cloud Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) for creating isolated
virtual networks, Cloud Private Line (CPL) for dedicated connections, and
Global Transit Gateway (GTW) for managing complex network environments.
o Databases: Cloud Database Service (TDSQL) for managed
databases, various managed NoSQL databases, and Data Aggregation Storage
(DAS) for big data analytics.
o AI & ML: Tencent AI Platform provides tools for building, training, and
deploying AI models, and offers pre-trained models for various tasks.
o Security & Identity: Cloud Security (Tencent Cloud Security) offers various
security solutions, including Anti-DDoS protection, Web Application
Firewall (WAF), and Key Management Service (KMS).
o Developer Tools: API Gateway for managing APIs, Serverless Application
Model (SAM) for developing serverless applications, and Cloud Code for
integrated development and deployment.
o Industry-Specific Solutions: Tailored solutions for
gaming, media, healthcare, finance, and more.
 Known for its expertise in gaming and media industry solutions, leveraging the
experience of its parent company, Tencent.
 Has a strong focus on AI and machine learning, offering a diverse range of AI tools
and pre-trained models.
 Offers competitive pricing with various flexible payment options, including pay-
as-you-go and reserved instances.
Top Companies using Tencent Cloud
 ChangYou
 SINA Corporation
 OS – Learning Fun
 Q-See
 NBA Media Ventures, LLC
8. OVHcloud
DigitalOcean is a well-known cloud hosting provider that currently holds the sixth
largest global market share in cloud computing, following Alibaba
Cloud, AWS, Microsoft Azure, Tencent Cloud, and Google Cloud Platform. Known
as a strong player in Europe, particularly in France, and is expanding its global
presence.
Service Portfolio:
 Offers a diverse range of cloud solutions, including:
o Compute: Dedicated servers (bare metal), Public Cloud with various VM
options, Web Hosting solutions, and Private Cloud for on-premises
infrastructure.
o Storage: Dedicated storage solutions, Public Cloud Object Storage, Backup
solutions, and High Availability storage.
o Networking: Dedicated network solutions, Public Cloud Virtual Private
Cloud (vRack), and managed network services.
o Databases: Managed database solutions for various engines like
MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB.
o AI & ML: AI Marketplace with pre-trained models and solutions, and access
to various AI and ML frameworks.
o Security & Identity: Security solutions for various needs, including anti-
DDoS protection, web application firewall, and vulnerability management.
o Developer Tools: Various DevOps tools, API Gateway, and code repositories.
o Industry-Specific Solutions: Tailored solutions for healthcare, media, e-
commerce, and more.
 Known for its expertise in bare metal server solutions, offering high performance and
customization.
 Has a strong commitment to data privacy and security, compliant with various
European regulations.
 Places emphasis on open-source technologies and partnerships.
 Offers transparent and competitive pricing with various flexible options, including
pay-as-you-go and commitment plans.
Top Companies using OVHcloud
 Emisora Escuela M21 Radio
 H&R Block, Inc
 Collège Boréal
 VMware Inc
 VMware Tanzu Observability
9. DigitalOcean
DigitalOcean is a well-known cloud hosting provider that primarily caters
to startups, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), and individual
developers, holding a smaller market share compared to larger cloud providers.
Known for its strong presence in developer communities.
 Service Portfolio:
 Offers a focused set of essential cloud solutions, including:
o Compute: Droplets (virtual machines) with various configurations and
operating systems.
o Storage: Block storage options for data persistence.
o Networking: Private networking capabilities and additional networking add-
ons.
o Databases: Managed databases for popular engines like
MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MariaDB.
o Containerization: Managed Kubernetes platform for deploying containerized
applications.
o App Platform: Serverless platform for deploying web applications without
managing infrastructure.
o Marketplace: Additional tools and services from third-party partners.
 Prioritizes simplicity and developer experience, offering a user-friendly interface
and APIs.
 Provides transparent and predictable pricing, making it cost-effective for smaller
projects.
 Offers extensive documentation and community support, catering to developers’
needs.
 Operates on a pay-as-you-go model with clear pricing tiers based on resource usage.
 Offers free tier for experimentation and learning.
Top Companies using DigitalOcean
 Shopify
 GitHub
 Airbnb
10. Linode (owned by Akamai)
Linode, which is now part of Akamai, is a cloud platform primarily caters
to developers, startups, and SMBs, holding a smaller market share compared to
major cloud providers.Known for its strong developer community and focus on
simplicity.
Service Portfolio:
1. Offers a focused set of cloud hosting solutions, including:
 Nanode and Linode: Virtual machines (VMs) with various configurations and
operating systems.
 LKE: Managed Kubernetes platform for deploying containerized applications.
 Managed Databases: Managed options for popular databases like
MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB.
 Block Storage: Additional storage options for data persistence.
 Marketplace: Additional tools and services from third-party partners.
2. Similar to DigitalOcean, Linode prioritizes simplicity and developer
experience, offering a user-friendly interface and APIs.
3. Provides transparent and predictable pricing, making it cost-effective for smaller
projects.
4. Offers extensive documentation and community support, catering to developers’
needs.
 5. Integrates with Akamai’s content delivery network (CDN) and security
services after the acquisition, potentially offering enhanced performance and
protection.
6. Operates on a pay-as-you-go model with clear pricing tiers based on resource usage.
7. Offers free tier for experimentation and learning.
Top Companies using Linode (owned by Akamai)
 Heroku
 GitLab
 Authy
 Postmates

Cloud Computing Applications

Cloud service providers provide various applications in the field of art, business, data storage
and backup services, education, entertainment, management, social networking, etc.

The most widely used cloud computing applications are given below -

1. Art Applications

Cloud computing offers various art applications for quickly and easily design attractive
cards, booklets, and images. Some most commonly used cloud art applications are given
below:

i Moo

Moo is one of the best cloud art applications. It is used for designing and printing business
cards, postcards, and mini cards.
ii. Vistaprint

Vistaprint allows us to easily design various printed marketing products such as business
cards, Postcards, Booklets, and wedding invitations cards.

iii. Adobe Creative Cloud

Adobe creative cloud is made for designers, artists, filmmakers, and other creative
professionals. It is a suite of apps which includes PhotoShop image editing programming,
Illustrator, InDesign, TypeKit, Dreamweaver, XD, and Audition.

2. Business Applications

Business applications are based on cloud service providers. Today, every organization
requires the cloud business application to grow their business. It also ensures that business
applications are 24*7 available to users.

There are the following business applications of cloud computing -

i. MailChimp

MailChimp is an email publishing platform which provides various options to design,

send, and save templates for emails.

iii. Salesforce

Salesforce platform provides tools for sales, service, marketing, e-commerce, and more. It
also provides a cloud development platform.

iv. Chatter

Chatter helps us to share important information about the organization in real time.

v. Bitrix24

Bitrix24 is a collaboration platform which provides communication, management, and social

collaboration tools.

vi. Paypal

Paypal offers the simplest and easiest online payment mode using a secure internet account.
Paypal accepts the payment through debit cards, credit cards, and also from Paypal account
holders.

vii. Slack
Slack stands for Searchable Log of all Conversation and Knowledge. It provides a user-
friendly interface that helps us to create public and private channels for communication.

viii. Quickbooks

Quickbooks works on the terminology "Run Enterprise anytime, anywhere, on any

device." It provides online accounting solutions for the business. It allows more than 20 users
to work simultaneously on the same system.

3. Data Storage and Backup Applications

Cloud computing allows us to store information (data, files, images, audios, and videos) on
the cloud and access this information using an internet connection. As the cloud provider is
responsible for providing security, so they offer various backup recovery application for
retrieving the lost data.

A list of data storage and backup applications in the cloud are given below -

i. Box.com

Box provides an online environment for secure content management,

workflow, and collaboration. It allows us to store different files such as Excel, Word, PDF,
and images on the cloud. The main advantage of using box is that it provides drag & drop
service for files and easily integrates with Office 365, G Suite, Salesforce, and more than
1400 tools.

ii. Mozy

Mozy provides powerful online backup solutions for our personal and business data. It
schedules automatically back up for each day at a specific time.

iii. Joukuu

Joukuu provides the simplest way to share and track cloud-based backup files. Many users
use joukuu to search files, folders, and collaborate on documents.

iv. Google G Suite

Google G Suite is one of the best cloud storage and backup application. It includes Google
Calendar, Docs, Forms, Google+, Hangouts, as well as cloud storage and tools for managing
cloud apps. The most popular app in the Google G Suite is Gmail. Gmail offers free email
services to users.

4. Education Applications
Cloud computing in the education sector becomes very popular. It offers various online
distance learning platforms and student information portals to the students. The
advantage of using cloud in the field of education is that it offers strong virtual classroom
environments, Ease of accessibility, secure data storage, scalability, greater reach for the
students, and minimal hardware requirements for the applications.

There are the following education applications offered by the cloud -

i. Google Apps for Education

Google Apps for Education is the most widely used platform for free web-based email,
calendar, documents, and collaborative study.

ii. Chromebooks for Education

Chromebook for Education is one of the most important Google's projects. It is designed for
the purpose that it enhances education innovation.

iii. Tablets with Google Play for Education

It allows educators to quickly implement the latest technology solutions into the classroom
and make it available to their students.

iv. AWS in Education

AWS cloud provides an education-friendly environment to universities, community colleges,

and schools.

5. Entertainment Applications
Entertainment industries use a multi-cloud strategy to interact with the target audience.
Cloud computing offers various entertainment applications such as online games and video
conferencing.

i. Online games

Today, cloud gaming becomes one of the most important entertainment media. It offers
various online games that run remotely from the cloud. The best cloud gaming services are
Shaow, GeForce Now, Vortex, Project xCloud, and PlayStation Now.

ii. Video Conferencing Apps

Video conferencing apps provides a simple and instant connected experience. It allows us to
communicate with our business partners, friends, and relatives using a cloud-based video
conferencing. The benefits of using video conferencing are that it reduces cost, increases
efficiency, and removes interoperability.

6. Management Applications
Cloud computing offers various cloud management tools which help admins to manage all
types of cloud activities, such as resource deployment, data integration, and disaster recovery.
These management tools also provide administrative control over the platforms, applications,
and infrastructure.

Some important management applications are -

i. Toggl

Toggl helps users to track allocated time period for a particular project.

ii. Evernote

Evernote allows you to sync and save your recorded notes, typed notes, and other notes in
one convenient place. It is available for both free as well as a paid version.

It uses platforms like Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Browser, and Unix.

iii. Outright

Outright is used by management users for the purpose of accounts. It helps to track income,
expenses, profits, and losses in real-time environment.

iv. GoToMeeting

GoToMeeting provides Video Conferencing and online meeting apps, which allows you to
start a meeting with your business partners from anytime, anywhere using mobile phones or
tablets. Using GoToMeeting app, you can perform the tasks related to the management such
as join meetings in seconds, view presentations on the shared screen, get alerts for upcoming
meetings, etc.

7. Social Applications

Social cloud applications allow a large number of users to connect with each other using
social networking applications such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedln, etc.

There are the following cloud based social applications -

i. Facebook

Facebook is a social networking website which allows active users to share files, photos,
videos, status, more to their friends, relatives, and business partners using the cloud storage
system. On Facebook, we will always get notifications when our friends like and comment on
the posts.

ii. Twitter

Twitter is a social networking site. It is a microblogging system. It allows users to follow

high profile celebrities, friends, relatives, and receive news. It sends and receives short posts
called tweets.
iii. Yammer

Yammer is the best team collaboration tool that allows a team of employees to chat, share
images, documents, and videos.

iv. LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a social network for students, freshers, and professionals.

Unit-2

Cloud computing architecture refers to the components and sub-components required for
cloud computing. These components typically refer to:
1. Front end ( Fat client, Thin client)
2. Back-end platforms ( Servers, Storage )
3. Cloud-based delivery and a network ( Internet, Intranet, Intercloud )

1. Front End ( User Interaction Enhancement )

The User Interface of Cloud Computing consists of 2 sections of clients. The Thin clients are
the ones that use web browsers facilitating portable and lightweight accessibilities and others
are known as Fat Clients that use many functionalities for offering a strong user experience.
2. Back-end Platforms ( Cloud Computing Engine )
The core of cloud computing is made at back-end platforms with several servers for storage
and processing computing. Management of Applications logic is managed through servers
and effective data handling is provided by storage. The combination of these platforms at the
backend offers the processing power, and capacity to manage and store data behind the cloud.
3. Cloud-Based Delivery and Network
On-demand access to the computer and resources is provided over the Internet, Intranet, and
Intercloud. The Internet comes with global accessibility, the Intranet helps in internal
communications of the services within the organization and the Intercloud enables
interoperability across various cloud services. This dynamic network connectivity ensures an
essential component of cloud computing architecture on guaranteeing easy access and data
transfer.
What Are The Types of Cloud Computing Services?
The following are the types of Cloud Computing:
1. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
2. Platform as a Service (PaaS)
3. Software as a Service (SaaS)
4. Function as as Service (FaaS)

1. Infrastructure as a Service ( IaaS )

 Flexibility and Control: IaaS comes up with providing virtualized computing
resources such as VMs, Storage, and networks facilitating users with control over the
Operating system and applications.
 Reducing Expenses of Hardware: IaaS provides business cost savings with the
elimination of physical infrastructure investments making it cost-effective.
 Scalability of Resources: The cloud provides in scaling of hardware resources up or
down as per demand facilitating optimal performance with cost efficiency.
2. Platform as a Service ( PaaS )
 Simplifying the Development: Platform as a Service offers application development
by keeping the underlying Infrastructure as an Abstraction. It helps the developers to
completely focus on application logic ( Code ) and background operations are
completely managed by the AWS platform.
 Enhancing Efficiency and Productivity: PaaS lowers the Management of
Infrastructure complexity, speeding up the Execution time and bringing the updates
quickly to market by streamlining the development process.
 Automation of Scaling: Management of resource scaling, guaranteeing the program’s
workload efficiency is ensured by PaaS.
3. SaaS (software as a service)
 Collaboration And Accessibility: Software as a Service (SaaS) helps users to easily
access applications without having the requirement of local installations. It is fully
managed by the AWS Software working as a service over the internet encouraging
effortless cooperation and ease of access.
 Automation of Updates: SaaS providers manage the handling of software
maintenance with automatic latest updates ensuring users gain experience with the
latest features and security patches.
 Cost Efficiency: SaaS acts as a cost-effective solution by reducing the overhead of IT
support by eliminating the need for individual software licenses.
4. Function as a Service (FaaS)
 Event-Driven Execution: FaaS helps in the maintenance of servers and infrastructure
making users worry about it. FaaS facilitates the developers to run code as a response
to the events.
 Cost Efficiency: FaaS facilitates cost efficiency by coming up with the principle “Pay
as per you Run” for the computing resources used.
 Scalability and Agility: Serverless Architectures scale effortlessly in handing the
workloads promoting agility in development and deployment.
Anotomy of cloud:

Provisioning and Configuration Module:

It is the lowest level of cloud and typically resides on bare hardware (as a firmware) or on
the top of the hypervisor layer. Its function is to abstract the underlying hardware and
provide a standard mechanism to spawn instance of virtual machine on demand. It also
handles the post-configuration of the operating systems and applications residing on the
VM
Monitoring and Optimization:
This layer handles the monitoring of all services, storage, networking and applications
components in cloud. Based on the statistics, it could perform routine functions that
optimize the behavior of the infrastructure components and provide relevant data to the
cloud administrator to further optimize the configuration for maximum utilization and
performance,
Metering and Chargeback:
This layer provides functions to measure the usage of resources in cloud. The metering
module collects all the utilization data per domain per use. This module gives the cloud
administrator enough data to measure ongoing utilization of resources and to create
invoices based on the usage on a periodic basis.
Orchestration:
Orchestration is a central to cloud operations. Orchestration converts requests from the
service management layer and the monitoring, chargeback modules to appropriate action
item which are then submitted to provisioning and configuration module for final closure.
Orchestration updates the CMDB in the process.
Configuration Management Database (CMDB):
It is a central configuration repository wherein all the meta data and configuration of
different modules, resources are kept and updated in the real-time basis. The repository
can then be accessed using standards protocols like SOAP by third-party software and
integration components. All updates in CMDB happen in real time as requests get
processed in cloud.
Cloud Life cycle Management Layer (CLM):
This layer handles the coordination of all other layers in cloud. All requests internal and
external are addressed to the CLM layer first. CLM may internally route requests and
actions to other layers for further processing.
Service Catalog:
It is central to the definition of cloud, SC defines what kind of services the cloud is
capable of providing and at what cost to the end user. SC is the first thing that is drafted
before a cloud is architecture. The service management layer consults SC before it
processes any request for a new resource.

Cloud networking refers to the ability to connect two resources together inside a cloud,
across clouds and with on-premises data centers. A cloud provider needs to provide three
main types of connectivity:
1. Site-to-cloud - Between on-premises equipment and cloud resources
2. Site-to-site - To connect on-premises resources together
3. VPC-to-VPC - Connectivity between cloud resources
Let’s take a look at each one.
Site-to-cloud connectivity
Site-to-cloud connectivity traditionally is done via a cloud interconnect or a cloud VPN.
The automatic exchange of routes between on-premises and multiple VPCs can be done
using a transit VPC.
A newer approach is to add cloud providers into an SD-WAN mesh using a router virtual
appliance in Google Cloud. Network Connectivity Center brings the capacity to
synchronize the appliance routes dynamically via BGP to Cloud Router and hence their
VPCs. It enables connectivity between on-premises data centers and branch offices and
their cloud workloads via SD-WAN-enabled connectivity. This capability is available
globally across all 29+ Google Cloud regions. Several of our partners also support this
capability in their router appliances.

Site-to-site connectivity
Site-to-site connectivity enables network connectivity directly between two or more
hybrid connection points (VPN, Interconnect or SD-WAN). Network Connectivity Center
simplifies this model by automating the routing announcements in this environment, such
that all sites connected to a single global Network Connectivity Center hub are able to
communicate freely in any-any fashion. You can see an example of this for a specific
market vertical use case in a recent blog, Voice trading in the cloud — digital
transformation of private wires.
VPC-to-VPC connectivity
You can create a full or partial mesh of VPC connections using multiple technologies,
with VPC peering being the most common. VPC peering provides highly performant, low
latency, private connectivity for customer networks connected via hybrid
connectivity and Network Connectivity Center to multiple VPCs containing workloads,
which can be segmented via granular firewall policies as needed. Alternatively, you can
use a transit VPC model to connect multiple VPCs together in a hub and spoke topology.
With tight integration with third-party router appliances as mentioned earlier, you can also
leverage their third-party supported solutions such as next-generation firewalls to connect
your VPCs together to m

eet specific compliance and segmentation requirements. Network Connectivity

Center allows you to synchronize the routing tables of these appliances with your VPC’s
routing table, simplifying the process of setting up redundant configurations.
Managing of cloud
Cloud computing management is maintaining and controlling the cloud services and
resources be it public, private or hybrid. Some of its aspects include load balancing,
performance, storage, backups, capacity, deployment etc. To do so a cloud managing
personnel needs full access to all the functionality of resources in the cloud. Different
software products and technologies are combined to provide a cohesive cloud
management strategy and process.
As we know Private cloud infrastructure is operated only for a single organization, so that
can be managed by the organization or by a third party. Public cloud services are
delivered over a network that is open and available for public use. In this model, the IT
infrastructure is owned by a private company and members of the public can purchase or
lease data storage or computing capacity as needed. Hybrid cloud environments are a
combination of public and private cloud services from different providers. Most
organizations store data on private cloud servers for privacy concerns, while leveraging
public cloud applications at a lower price point for less sensitive information. The
combination of both the public and private cloud are known as Hybrid cloud servers.
Need of Cloud Management :
Cloud is nowadays preferred by huge organizations as their primary data storage. A small
downtime or an error can cause a great deal of loss and inconvenience for the
organizations. So as to design, handle and maintain a cloud computing service specific
members are responsible who make sure things work out as supposed and all arising
issues are addressed.
Cloud Management Platform :
A cloud management platform is a software solution that has a robust and extensive set of
APIs that allow it to pull data from every corner of the IT infrastructure. A CMP allows an
IT organization to establish a structured approach to security and IT governance that can
be implemented across the organization’s entire cloud environment.
Cloud Management Tasks :
The below figure represents different cloud management tasks :

Cloud Management Tasks

 Auditing System Backups –
It is required to audit the backups from time to time to ensure restoration of randomly
selected files of different users. This might be done by the organization or by the
cloud provider.
 Flow of data in the system –
The managers are responsible for designing a data flow diagram that shows how the
data is supposed to flow throughout the organization.
 Vendor Lock-In –
The managers should know how to move their data from a server to another in case
the organization decides to switch providers.
 Knowing provider’s security procedures –
The managers should know the security plans of the provider, especially Multitenant
use, E-commerce processing, Employee screening and Encryption policy.
 Monitoring the Capacity, Planning and Scaling abilities –
The manager should know if their current cloud provider is going to meet their
organization’s demand in the future and also their scaling capabilities.
 Monitoring audit log –
In order to identify errors in the system, logs are audited by the managers on a regular
basis.
 Solution Testing and Validation –
It is necessary to test the cloud services and verify the results and for error-free
solutions.
Migration of cloud:
In today’s competitive business world, cloud technology is capable enough to provide
cloud services anytime and anywhere. In the current time cloud computing whether we
like it or not but it is present here and will be also for our benefit and the benefit of the
society at large. It has improved the way of operating the business activities, it has
reduced the cost of conducting business, it has increased productivity, and on a process to
make life of people more easier and it continues.
Where we are living with cloud technology, there the point cloud migration comes into
the picture. So let’s know more about this cloud migration by going a little bit deep into
this migration concept.
Cloud Migration :
Cloud Migration is a transformation from old traditional business operations to digital
business operations and the process refers to moving the digital business operations to
cloud. That means data, applications or other business elements are moved into a cloud
computing environment. For example moving data and applications from a local, on-
premises data center to the cloud.
On-premises to cloud migration process :
Every business starting from small to large organizations follows slightly different
process for cloud migrations. Some of the common elements which are considered before
cloud migration are
 Evaluation of requirement and performance
 Selection of cloud provider
 Calculation of operational costs
The basic steps which are followed as follows
 Establishing migration goals
 Creating a security strategy
 Replicating existing database
 Move business intelligence
 Then switch production from on-premises to cloud
Cloud Migration Strategy :
5 R’s represents the cloud migration strategy.
1. Rehost : It refers to take the application to the new hosted cloud environment by
selecting IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service).
2. Refactor : It refers to reuse the application code and frameworks and running the
application on a PaaS (Platform as a Service).
3. Revise : It refers to expanding code base and then deploying it either by rehosting or
refactoring.
4. Rebuild : It refers to re-architecting the application from the beginning up on a PaaS
provider’s platform.
5. Replace : It refers to replacing the old application with a new built SaaS (software as
a Service).
Benefits of cloud migration :
1. Scalability: Scalable enough to support various workloads and users. So it offers to
expand without impacting performance.
2. Performance: Moving into cloud provides higher performance and customer
satisfaction as compared to traditional business processes.
3. Productivity: As it manages the complexity of infrastructure, so improved
productivity is more focused with a continuous process of growing business.
4. Flexibility: It allows to use the services flexibly as well as from any where and any
time cloud services can be accessed as per demand/need.
5. Cost: Moving into cloud technology offers reduced cost in managing, operating,
upgrading and maintaining IT operations or infrastructure.
6. Security: Security is a major concern which is taken care by cloud service providers.
7. Profitability: As it follows pay per use model so it delivers a greater profitability to
the customers.
8. Agility: It is flexible enough to go with rapid changes in technology and it provides
producing newer and advanced setup quickly as per requirement.
9. Recovery: It provides backup and recovery solutions to businesses with less time and
upfront investment.
Cloud migration Challenges :
1. Moving a database is a difficult task as there are large amounts of data involved and
mostly transferred over internet.
2. After data is transferred into cloud database, another problem is to check the
transferred data is intact and secure as well as there is no data loss has been occurred
during this process.
3. During migration a problem arises as some of operations or data are already moved
into cloud and some are still available on-premises. So ensuring current system is
operational and ensuring on going cloud migration process is taking place correctly
needs a careful attention.
4. Interoperability becomes a problem as it is not easy to establish a perfect
communication in between existing applications and newer cloud environments.
5. Using cloud services, getting good with newer cloud procedures, managing resources
and cloud activities requires trained IT professionals who can work in the cloud eco
system.
Unit-3
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 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 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 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.

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.

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.
 Scalability: Scalability tells 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 tells about the laws and regulations which impact the
implementation of the model.
 Privacy: Privacy tells 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.
CLOUD SERVICE MODEL:
Models of Cloud Computing
Cloud Computing helps in rendering several services according to roles, companies, etc.
Cloud computing models are explained below.
 Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)
 Platform as a service (PaaS)
 Software as a service (SaaS)
1. Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) helps in delivering computer infrastructure on an
external basis for supporting operations. Generally, IaaS provides services to networking
equipment, devices, databases, and web servers.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) helps large organizations, and large enterprises in
managing and building their IT platforms. This infrastructure is flexible according to the
needs of the client.
Advantages of IaaS
 IaaS is cost-effective as it eliminates capital expenses.
 IaaS cloud provider provides better security than any other software.
 IaaS provides remote access.
Disadvantages of IaaS
 In IaaS, users have to secure their own data and applications.
 Cloud computing is not accessible in some regions of the World.
2. Platform as a service (PaaS)
Platform as a Service (PaaS) is a type of cloud computing that helps developers to build
applications and services over the Internet by providing them with a platform.
PaaS helps in maintaining control over their business applications.
Advantages of PaaS
 PaaS is simple and very much convenient for the user as it can be accessed via a web
browser.
 PaaS has the capabilities to efficiently manage the lifecycle.
Disadvantages of PaaS
 PaaS has limited control over infrastructure as they have less control over the
environment and are not able to make some customizations.
 PaaS has a high dependence on the provider.
3. Software as a service (SaaS)
Software as a Service (SaaS) is a type of cloud computing model that is the work of
delivering services and applications over the Internet. The SaaS applications are called
Web-Based Software or Hosted Software.
SaaS has around 60 percent of cloud solutions and due to this, it is mostly preferred by
companies.
Advantages of SaaS
 SaaS can access app data from anywhere on the Internet.
 SaaS provides easy access to features and services.
Disadvantages of SaaS
 SaaS solutions have limited customization, which means they have some restrictions
within the platform.
 SaaS has little control over the data of the user.
 SaaS are generally cloud-based, they require a stable internet connection for proper
working.
For more, you can refer to Cloud-Based Services.
FAQs:
1. List the disadvantages of the public cloud model?
Answer:
The disadvantages of the public cloud model are:
 Data Security and Privacy Concerns: Because it is open to the public, it does not
provide complete protection against cyber-attacks and may expose weaknesses.
 Issues with Reliability: Because the same server network is accessible to a wide
range of users, it is susceptible to failure and outages.
 Limitation on Service/License: While there are numerous resources that you may
share with renters, there is a limit on how much you can use.
2. List the disadvantages of the hybrid cloud model?
Answer:
The disadvantages of the hybrid cloud model are:
 Maintenance: A hybrid cloud computing strategy may necessitate additional
maintenance, resulting in a greater operational expense for your company.
 Difficult Integration: When constructing a hybrid cloud, data, and application
integration might be difficult. It’s also true that combining two or more
infrastructures will offset a significant upfront cost.
 3. List the disadvantages of the private cloud model?
Answer:
The disadvantages of the private cloud model are
 Restricted Scalability: Private clouds have restricted scalability because they are
scaled within the confines of internally hosted resources. The choice of underlying
hardware has an impact on scalability.
 Higher Cost: Due to the benefits you would receive, your investment will be higher
than the public cloud(pay for software, hardware, staffing, etc).
UNIT-4

Virtualization
Virtualization is the "creation of a virtual (rather than actual) version of something, such as a
server, a desktop, a storage device, an operating system or network resources".
In other words, Virtualization is a technique, which allows to share a single physical instance
of a resource or an application among multiple customers and organizations. It does by
assigning a logical name to a physical storage and providing a pointer to that physical
resource when demanded.

Types of Virtualization:

• Hardware Virtualization.
• Operating system Virtualization.
• Server Virtualization.
• Storage Virtualization.
• Application Virtualization

1) Hardware Virtualization:

When the virtual machine software or virtual machine manager (VMM) is directly installed
on the hardware system is known as hardware virtualization. The main job of hypervisor is to
control and monitoring the processor, memory and other hardware resources. After
virtualization of hardware system we can install different operating system on it and run
different applications on those OS.
Usage:
Hardware virtualization is mainly done for the server platforms, because controlling virtual
machines is much easier than controlling a physical server.
2) Operating System Virtualization:

When the virtual machine software or virtual machine manager (VMM) is installed on the
Host operating system instead of directly on the hardware system is known as operating
system virtualization.
Usage:
Operating System Virtualization is mainly used for testing the applications on different
platforms of OS.

3) Server Virtualization:

When the virtual machine software or virtual machine manager (VMM) is directly installed
on the Server system is known as server virtualization.
Usage:
Server virtualization is done because a single physical server can be divided into multiple
servers on the demand basis and for balancing the load.

4) Storage Virtualization:

Storage virtualization is the process of grouping the physical storage from multiple network
storage devices so that it looks like a single storage device. Storage virtualization is also
implemented by using software applications.
Usage:
Storage virtualization is mainly done for back-up and recovery purposes.

5) Application Virtualization:

Application virtualization is a software technology that encapsulates computer programs

from the underlying operating system on which they are executed. A fully virtualized
application is not installed in the traditional sense,[1] although it is still executed as if it
were. The application behaves at runtime like it is directly interfacing with the original
operating system and all the resources managed by it, but can be isolated or sandboxed to
varying degrees.
Usage:
Application and desktop virtualization enables centralized management of the complete
desktop environment ecosystem.

Cloud Computing and Virtualization Comparision

S.NO Cloud Computing Virtualization
1. Cloud computing is used to provide While It is used to make various simulated
 pools and automated resources that can environments through a physical hardware
be accessed on-demand. system.
2. Cloud computing setup is While virtualization setup is simple as
tedious, complicated. compared to cloud computing.
3. Cloud computing is high scalable. While virtualization is low scalable compared
to cloud computing.
4. Cloud computing is Very flexible. While virtualization is less flexible than cloud
computing.
5. In the condition of disaster recovery, While it relies on single peripheral device.
cloud computing relies on multiple
machines.
6. In cloud computing, the workload is In virtualization, the workload is stateful.
stateless.
7. The total cost of cloud computing is The total cost of virtualization is lower than
higher than virtualization. Cloud Computing.
8. Cloud computing requires many While single dedicated hardware can do a
dedicated hardware. great job in it.
9. Cloud computing provides While storage space depends on physical
unlimited storage space. server capacity in virtualization.
10. Cloud computing is of two types : Public Virtualization is of two types : Hardware
cloud and Private cloud. virtualization and Application virtualization.
11. In Cloud Computing, Configuration is In Virtualization, Configuration is template
image based. based.
12. In cloud computing, we utilize the entire In Virtualization, the entire servers are
server capacity and the entire servers are ondemand.
consolidated.
13. In cloud computing, the pricing pay as In Virtualization, the pricing is totally
you go model, and consumption is the dependent on infrastructure costs.
metric on which billing is done.

Memory Virtualization

Memory Virtualization

Virtual memory virtualization is similar to the virtual memory support provided by modern
operating systems. In a traditional execution environment, the operating system maintains
mappings of virtual memory to machine memory using page tables, which is a one-stage
mapping from virtual memory to machine memory. All modern x86 CPUs include a memory
management unit (MMU) and a translation lookaside buffer (TLB) to optimize virtual
memory performance. However, in a virtual execution environment, virtual memory
virtualization involves sharing the physical system memory in RAM and dynamically
allocating it to the physical memory of the VMs.
That means a two-stage mapping process should be maintained by the guest OS and the
VMM, respectively: virtual memory to physical memory and physical memory to machine
memory. Furthermore, MMU virtualization should be supported, which is transparent to the
guest OS. The guest OS continues to control the mapping of virtual addresses to the physical
memory addresses of VMs. But the guest OS cannot directly access the actual machine
memory. The VMM is responsible for mapping the guest physical memory to the actual
machine memory. Figure 3.12 shows the two-level memory mapping procedure.

Since each page table of the guest OSes has a separate page table in the VMM corresponding
to it, the VMM page table is called the shadow page table. Nested page tables add another
layer of indirection to virtual memory. The MMU already handles virtual-to-physical
translations as defined by the OS. Then the physical memory addresses are translated to
machine addresses using another set of page tables defined by the hypervisor. Since modern
operating systems maintain a set of page tables for every process, the shadow page tables will
get flooded. Consequently, the perfor-mance overhead and cost of memory will be very high.

VMware uses shadow page tables to perform virtual-memory-to-machine-memory address

translation. Processors use TLB hardware to map the virtual memory directly to the machine
memory to avoid the two levels of translation on every access. When the guest OS changes
the virtual memory to a physical memory mapping, the VMM updates the shadow page tables
to enable a direct lookup. The AMD Barcelona processor has featured hardware-assisted
memory virtualization since 2007. It provides hardware assistance to the two-stage address
translation in a virtual execution environment by using a technology called nested paging.

Network Virtualization
Network Virtualization is a process of logically grouping physical networks and making them
operate as single or multiple independent networks called Virtual Networks.

General Architecture Of Network Virtualization

Tools for Network Virtualization :

1. Physical switch OS –
It is where the OS must have the functionality of network virtualization.

2. Hypervisor –
It is which uses third-party software or built-in networking and the functionalities of
network virtualization.

The basic functionality of the OS is to give the application or the executing process with a
simple set of instructions. System calls that are generated by the OS and executed through the
libc library are comparable to the service primitives given at the interface between the
application and the network through the SAP (Service Access Point).

The hypervisor is used to create a virtual switch and configuring virtual networks on it. The
third-party software is installed onto the hypervisor and it replaces the native networking
functionality of the hypervisor. A hypervisor allows us to have various VMs all working
optimally on a single piece of computer hardware.

Functions of Network Virtualization :

 It enables the functional grouping of nodes in a virtual network.

 It enables the virtual network to share network resources.

 It allows communication between nodes in a virtual network without routing of

frames.

 It restricts management traffic.

  It enforces routing for communication between virtual networks.

Network Virtualization in Virtual Data Center :

1. Physical Network

 Physical components: Network adapters, switches, bridges, repeaters, routers and

hubs.

 Grants connectivity among physical servers running a hypervisor, between physical

servers and storage systems and between physical servers and clients.

2. VM Network

 Consists of virtual switches.

 Provides connectivity to hypervisor kernel.

 Connects to the physical network.

 Resides inside the physical server.

Network Virtualization In VDC

Advantages of Network Virtualization :

Improves manageability –

 Grouping and regrouping of nodes are eased.

 Configuration of VM is allowed from a centralized management workstation using

management software.
Reduces CAPEX –

 The requirement to set up separate physical networks for different node groups is
reduced.

Improves utilization –

 Multiple VMs are enabled to share the same physical network which enhances the
utilization of network resource.

Enhances performance –

 Network broadcast is restricted and VM performance is improved.

Enhances security –

 Sensitive data is isolated from one VM to another VM.

 Access to nodes is restricted in a VM from another VM.

Disadvantages of Network Virtualization :

 It needs to manage IT in the abstract.

 It needs to coexist with physical devices in a cloud-integrated hybrid environment.

 Increased complexity.

 Upfront cost.

 Possible learning curve.

Examples of Network Virtualization :

Virtual LAN (VLAN) –

 The performance and speed of busy networks can be improved by VLAN.

 VLAN can simplify additions or any changes to the network.

Network Overlays –

 A framework is provided by an encapsulation protocol called VXLAN for overlaying

virtualized layer 2 networks over layer 3 networks.
  The Generic Network Virtualization Encapsulation protocol (GENEVE) provides a
new way to encapsulation designed to provide control-plane independence between
the endpoints of the tunnel.

Network Virtualization Platform: VMware NSX –

 VMware NSX Data Center transports the components of networking and security
such as switching, firewalling and routing that are defined and consumed in software.

 It transports the operational model of a virtual machine (VM) for the network.

Applications of Network Virtualization :

 Network virtualization may be used in the development of application testing to

mimic real-world hardware and system software.

 It helps us to integrate several physical networks into a single network or separate

single physical networks into multiple analytical networks.

 In the field of application performance engineering, network virtualization allows the

simulation of connections between applications, services, dependencies, and end-
users for software testing.

 It helps us to deploy applications in a quicker time frame, thereby supporting a faster

go-to-market.

 Network virtualization helps the software testing teams to derive actual results with
expected instances and congestion issues in a networked environment.

Data Virtualization:

The foundation of data virtualization technology is the execution of distributed data

management processes, mostly for queries, against numerous heterogeneous data sources,
and the Federation of query results into virtual views. Applications, query/reporting tools,
message-oriented middleware, or other parts of the data management infrastructure then
consume these virtual views. Instead of performing data movement and physically storing
integrated views in a destination data structure, data virtualization can be utilized to construct
virtualized and integrated views of data in memory. To make querying logic simpler, it
provides an abstraction layer over the actual physical implementation of data.

It is a method for combining data from various sources and different types into a
comprehensive, logical representation without physically relocating the data. Simply put,
users can theoretically access and examine data while it still exists in its original sources
thanks to specialized middleware.

Features of Data Virtualization

  Time to market acceleration from data to final product:- Virtual data objects can
be created considerably more quickly than existing ETL tools and databases since
they include integrated data. Customers may now more easily get the information they
require.

 One-Stop Security:- The contemporary data architecture makes it feasible to access

data from a single location. Data can be secured down to the row and column level
thanks to the virtual layer that grants access to all organizational data. Authorizing
numerous user groups on the same virtual dataset is feasible by using data masking,
anonymization, and pseudonymization.

 Combine data explicitly from different sources:- The virtual data layer makes it
simple to incorporate distributed data from Data Warehouses, Big Data Platforms,
Data lakes, Cloud Solutions, and Machine Learning into user-required data objects.

 Flexibility:- It is feasible to react quickly to new advances in various sectors thanks to

data virtualization. This is up to ten times faster than conventional ETL and data
warehousing methods. By providing integrated virtual data objects, data virtualization
enables you to reply instantly to fresh data requests. This does away with the
necessity to copy data to various data levels but just makes it virtually accessible.

Layers of Data Virtualization

following are the working layers in data virtualization architecture.

 Connection layer: With the use of connectors and communication protocols, this
layer is in charge of accessing the data dispersed across numerous source systems that
contain both organized and unstructured data. Platforms for data virtualization can
 connect to various data sources, such as SQL and NoSQL databases like MySQL,
Oracle and MongoDB etc.

 Abstraction layer: The abstraction layer, also known as the virtual or semantic layer,
serves as a link between all data sources and all business users, forming the backbone
of the entire virtualization system. This tier just holds the logical views and
information required to access the sources; it does not itself store any data. The
complexity of the underlying data structures is hidden from end users, who only see
the schematic data models thanks to the abstraction layer.

 Consumption layer: A single point of access to the data stored in the underlying
sources is offered by a different tier of the data virtualization architecture. Depending
on the type of consumer, several protocols and connectors are used to give abstracted
data representations. They can interface with the virtual layer using SQL and a variety
of APIs, such as REST and SOAP APIs, as well as access standards like JDBC and
ODBC. A variety of corporate users, tools, and apps can all have access to data
virtualization software, including well-known ones like Tableau, Cognos, and Power
BI.

Applications of Data Virtualization

 Migration: Think of a scenario where you migrate a CRM system to the cloud from a
traditional one. Or a gradual migration of old systems to the cloud. You can
accomplish this with data virtualization without halting operations or reporting.

 Uses In Operations:- For call centres or customer support systems, data silos are a
big source of misery that have lasted for a very long time. A bank would, for instance,
choose one call centre for credit cards and another for home loans. Data virtualization
that spans data silos enables everyone, from a call centre to a database manager, to see
the full range of data repositories from a single point of access.

 Agile BI:- With data virtualization, you can use your data for data science, API or
system linkages, governed (regulated), and self-service BI. Additionally, it’s perfect
for “agile” BI, which involves developing dashboards and reports in incredibly fast
iterations that include testing, piloting, and production. Would you wish to add new
sources to your current BI stream by connecting SaaS cloud services like Salesforce
or Google Analytics? You may! You may combine all of your data with data
virtualization, even in a hybrid environment. Additionally, you don’t need to worry
about security because it is highly centralised.

 Data Integration:- This is the most likely situation you will encounter because
practically every company contains data from multiple different data sources.
Connecting an antiquated client/server-based data source with modern digital
platforms like social media is required for that.
You use the data catalogue to search your data after connecting using methods like
 Java DAO, ODBC, SOAP, or other APIs. Constructing connections is more likely to
be difficult, even with data virtualization.

 Accessing Real-Time Data:- Are your SLA agreements under pressure and a source
system not performing adequately in terms of (near) real-time accessibility to massive
amounts of data? Data virtualization allows you to blend real-time data from the
source system with historical data that has been “offloaded” to a different source. You
can prevent overtaxing your source systems by optimising your caching or conducting
more intelligent system queries. Without initially copying every type of data with ETL
operations, even near real-time analytics on huge data are feasible. Additionally, it is
simple to create a virtual data mart by combining an outdated data warehouse with a
fresh data source.

Advantages of Data Virtualization

 Data virtualization enables real-time access to and manipulation of source data

through the virtual/logical layer without physically relocating the data to a new
location. ETL is typically not required.

 Comparing the implementation of data virtualization to the construction of a separate

consolidated store, the former takes less funding and resources.

 There is no need to relocate the material, and access levels may be controlled.

 Without worrying about a data type or where the data is located, users can build and
execute whatever reports and analyses they require.

 Through a single virtual layer, all corporate data is accessible to all consumers and use
cases.

Full Virtualization

In full virtualization primary hardware is replicated and made available to the guest operating
system, which executes unaware of such abstraction and no requirements to modify.
Technology of VMware is based on the key concept of Full Virtualization. Either in desktop
environment, with the help of type-II hypervisor, or in server environment, through type-I
hypervisor, VMware implements full virtualization. In both the cases, full virtualization is
possible through the direct execution for non-sensitive instructions and binary translation for
sensitive instructions or hardware traps, thus enabling the virtualization of architecture like
x86.

Full Virtualization and Binary Translation –

VMware is widely used as it tends to virtualize x86 architectures, which executes unmodified
on-top of their hypervisors. With the introduction of hardware-assisted virtualization, full
virtualization is possible to achieve by support of hardware. But earlier, x86 guest operating
systems unmodified in a virtualized environment could be executed only with the use of
dynamic binary translation.

Since the set of sensitive instruction is not a subset of privileged instruction, x86 architecture
design is not satisfy the first theorem of virtualization. Due to this different behaviour occurs
while such instructions are not run in the Ring 0, which is normal in a virtualization
environment where the guest OS is run in Ring 1. Basically, a trap is created, and the method
in which it manages differentiation of the solution in which virtualization is applied for x86.
In dynamic binary translation, the trap encounters the translation of interrupts or offending
instructions into a corresponding set of instructions that establishes the same target without
making exceptions. In addition, to expand performance, the corresponding set of instruction
is cached, so the translation is not important anymore for further encounters of the same
instructions. Below is the figure which demonstrates it.

Figure – Full Virtualization Reference Model

The major benefit of this approach is that guests can run unmodified in a virtualized
environment, which is an important feature for operating system whose source code does not
existed. Binary translation is portable for full virtualization. As well as translation of
instructions at runtime presents an additional overhead that is not existed in other methods
like paravirtualization or hardware-assisted virtualization. Contradict, binary translation is
only implemented to a subset of the instruction set, while the others are managed through
direct execution on the primary hardware. This depletes somehow the impact on performance
of binary translation.
Advantages of Binary Translation –

1. This kind of virtualization delivers the best isolation and security for Virtual Machine.

2. Truly isolated numerous guest OS can execute concurrently on the same hardware.

3. It is only implementation that needs no hardware assist or operating system assist to

virtualize sensitive instruction as well as privileged instruction.

Disadvantages of Binary Translation –

1. It is time consuming at run-time.

2. It acquires a large performance overhead.

3. It employs a code cache to stock the translated most used instructions to enhance the
performance, but it increases memory utilization along with the hardware cost.

4. The performance of full virtualization on the x86 architecture is 80 to 95 percent that

of the host machine.

Para virtualization:

Paravirtualization

Paravirtualization involves modifying the OS kernel. The OS kernel acts as a bridge

between the applications and the processing done at the hardware level.
Paravirtualization replaces nonvirtualizable instructions with hypercalls that
communicate directly with the virtualization layer hypervisor. A hypercall is based on
the same concept as a system call. System calls are used by an application to request
services from the OS and provide the interface between the application or process and
the OS. Hypercalls work the same way, except the hypervisor is used. The hypervisor
also provides hypercall interfaces for other kernel operations including memory
management and interrupt handling.

In paravirtualization, after the host OS boots, the VM emulator is launched. Depending

on the platform, the emulator uses either the VMLAUNCH (Intel) or the VMRUN
(AMD) instruction to start execution of the VM. At that point, there are two copies of
the OS in existence. The host is in a suspension mode, while the guest runs in an active
state.
Although paravirtualization can introduce support issues in production environments
because it requires deep OS kernel modifications, it is relatively easy compared with full
virtualization. The open source Xen project is an example of paravirtualization.

Hardware-assisted Virtualization

Also known as native virtualization, in this technique, underlying hardware provides special
CPU instructions to aid virtualization. This technique is also highly portable as the hypervisor
can run an unmodified guest OS. This technique makes hypervisor implementation less
complex and more maintainable.

Intel’s Intel-VT and AMD’s AMD-V processors provide CPU virtualization instructions that
software vendors use to implement hardware-assisted virtualization.