IT2314 Cloud Computing Technologies

Cloud Computing Technologies

• Compute Services: Provide necessary computing power for applications, including websites and data analysis; typically include VMs (Virtual Machines) and containers.
• Network Services: Facilitate resource connectivity and isolation within data centers and campuses; utilize virtual networks (e.g., Virtual Private Cloud - VPC) mimicking traditional network topologies.
• Storage Services: Include various types:
  • Block Storage: High performance, low latency, designed for high I/O service requirements.
  • File Storage: Enables file sharing across multiple servers or departments.
  • Object Storage: Features a scalable architecture ideal for massive data storage, cold data backup, and software repositories.

Virtualization

• Definition: Creation of multiple VMs sharing the physical server's hardware; each VM is maintained in separate folders for isolation.
• Components of a VM: Comprises disk and description files encapsulated together, allowing multiple VMs to coexist on a shared medium.
• Technology Role: Acts as a resource management technology, abstracting physical resources (CPU, memory, disk space) into flexible computing environments, enhancing hardware utilization.

Virtualization vs. Cloud Computing

• Relationship: Virtualization is essential for cloud computing, converting physical hardware into virtual resources; cloud computing utilizes these resources on-demand via the Internet.
• Purpose: Virtualization abstracts physical resources to allocate them logically, supporting scalable, distributed, and highly available (HA) resources essential for cloud services.

Main Features of Virtualization

• Partitioning: Enables multiple VMs to operate on a single physical server, effectively allocating server resources.
• Isolation: Ensures that failure or virus infection in one VM does not impact others.
• Encapsulation: VMs are represented as files, simplifying migration through cut/copy and paste actions.
• Independence: VMs can run on different physical servers without needing modifications due to decoupling from the hardware.

Important Virtualization Concepts

• Hypervisor: Critical software layer for creating and managing VMs; examples include Xen and KVM.
  • Guest OS: Operating system running within a VM.
  • Guest Machine: Another term for VM.
  • Host OS: Operating system of the physical server.
  • Host Machine: The physical server itself.

Computing Resources

• Definition of Computing: Involves obtaining information through calculation.
• Essential Components: A computer system includes CPU, memory, disk, and network resources.
• Compute Resources: Encompass CPUs, GPUs, and additional components necessary for data processing.