Fabric (Heart of Azure)

• Azure Fabric Controller (FC) is the part of the Windows Azure platform that monitors and manages servers and coordinates resources for software applications.
• Azure Fabric Controller functions as the kernel of the Azure operating system. It provisions, stores, delivers, monitors and commands the virtual machines (VMs) and physical servers that make up Azure.

 

Azure Basics

 

• Windows Azure is an open and flexible cloud platform that enables one to quickly build, deploy and manage applications across a global network of Microsoft-managed datacenters.
• Windows Azure delivers a 99.95% monthly SLA and enables you to build and run highly available applications without focusing on the infrastructure.
• It provides automatic OS and service patching, built in network load balancing and resiliency to hardware failure.
• Windows Azure is available in multiple datacenters around the world, enabling one to deploy the applications close to their customers.
• Websites allows developers to build sites using ASP.NET, PHP, or Node.js and can be deployed using FTP, or Team Foundation Server.

Cloud Computing - Challenges

The following are some of the notable challenges associated with cloud computing, and although some of these may cause a slowdown when delivering more services in the cloud, most also can provide opportunities, if resolved with due care and attention in the planning stages..

• Security and Privacy — Perhaps two of the more “hot button” issues surrounding cloud computing relate to storing and securing data, and monitoring the use of the cloud by the service providers. These issues are generally attributed to slowing the deployment of cloud services. These challenges can be addressed, for example, by storing the information internal to the organization, but allowing it to be used in the cloud. For this to occur, though, the security mechanisms between organization
and the cloud need to be robust and a Hybrid cloud could support such a deployment.

• Lack of Standards — Clouds have documented interfaces; however, no standards are associated with these, and thus it is unlikely that most clouds will be interoperable. The Open Grid Forum is developing an Open Cloud Computing Interface to resolve this issue and the Open Cloud Consortium is working on cloud computing standards and practices. The findings of these groups will need to mature, but it is not known whether they will address the needs of the people deploying the services
and the specific interfaces these services need. However, keeping up to date on the latest standards as they evolve will allow them to be leveraged, if applicable.

• Continuously Evolving — User requirements are continuously evolving, as are the requirements for interfaces, networking, and storage. This means that a “cloud,” especially a public one, does not remain static and is also continuously evolving.

• Compliance Concerns — The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) in the US and Data Protection directives in the EU are just two among many compliance issues affecting cloud computing, based on the type of data and application for which the cloud is being used. The EU has a legislative backing for data protection across all member states, but in the US data protection is different and can vary from state to state. As with security and privacy mentioned previously, these typically result in Hybrid cloud
deployment with one cloud storing the data internal to the organization

Cloud Computing -- Benefits

The following are some of the possible benefits for those who offer cloud computing-based services and applications:

Cost Savings — Companies can reduce their capital expenditures and use operational expenditures for increasing their computing capabilities.This is a lower barrier to entry and also requires fewer in-house IT resources to provide system support.


Scalability/Flexibility — Companies can start with a small deployment and grow to a large deployment fairly rapidly, and then scale back if necessary. Also, the flexibility of cloud computing allows companies to use extra resources at peak times, enabling them to satisfy consumer demands.

Reliability — Services using multiple redundant sites can support business continuity and disaster recovery.

Maintenance — Cloud service providers do the system maintenance, and access is through APIs that do not require application installations onto PCs, thus further reducing maintenance requirements.

Mobile Accessible — Mobile workers have increased productivity due to systems accessible in an infrastructure available from anywhere.

Cloud Computing -- Deployment Model

Public cloud: The cloud infrastructure is owned by an organization that sells cloud services.

Private cloud: The cloud infrastructure is owned, or leased by a single enterprise and is operated solely  for that enterprise.

Hybrid cloud: Multiple public and private clouds that are integrated and bound together to enable data and application portability.

 

SaaS (Software as a Service)

• Cloud applications
• On demand applications ready for use
• You don’t have control at all

E.g. Google Mail, Microsoft office web companions, Office 365.

 

PaaS (Platform as a Service)

• Your application under Managed Infrastructure
• on demand application hosting environment
• Need to manage only your application
• You have limited control

E.g. Google App engine, Salesforce.com, Windows Azure etc…

 

IaaS ( Infrastructure as a Service)

Basic compute power and storage resources

• On demand servers
• Need to manage many components apart from your application
• You have more control

E.g. Amazon EC2, VMware vCloud and Microsoft.

 

Cloud Computing -- Service Models

Once a cloud is established, how its cloud computing services are deployed in terms of business models can differ depending on requirements.

The primary service models being deployed are commonly known as:

Software as a Service (SaaS) — Consumers purchase the ability to access and use an application or service that is hosted in the cloud. A benchmark example of this is Salesforce.com, as discussed previously, where necessary information for the interaction between the consumer and the service is hosted as part of the service in the cloud.

Platform as a Service (PaaS) — Consumers purchase access to the platforms, enabling them to deploy their own software and applications in the cloud. The operating systems and network access are not managed by the consumer, and there might be constraints as to which applications can be deployed.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) — Consumers control and manage the systems in terms of the operating systems,applications, storage, and network connectivity, but do not themselves control the cloud infrastructure.Also known are the various subsets of these models that may be related to a particular industry or market.