PRELIM H1 - Cloud Computing Basics

PC and Mobile Era

• This is essentially in which computers are networked, and personal computers are connected through servers and we can assess the Internet through mobile phones.

• A large number of applications run on Windows, Intel chips, and x86 architecture. Then, browsers come with the Internet. Applications run on iOS and Android systems that use the ARM architecture.

IoE (Internet of Everything) Era

The entire industry will compete for ecosystem.

Challenges Faced by Conventional IT Architecture

1. Long procurement period causes slow rollout of new business systems.

2. The centralized architecture has poor scalability and can only increase the processing performance of a single node.

3. Traditional hardware devices exist independently, and their reliability depends only on software.

4. Devices and vendors are heterogeneous and hard to manage.

5. The performance of a single device is limited.

6. The utilization of devices is low, while the total cost remains high.

Traditional IT Architecture

This consists of hardware and software, including infrastructure, data centers, servers, network hardware, desktop computers, and enterprise application software solutions. This architecture requires more power, physical space, and capital, and is usually installed locally for enterprises or private use.

Virtualization Technology

Computer components run on the virtualization environment, not on the physical environment and this enables maximum utilization of the physical hardware and simplifies software reconfiguration.

Cloud Transformation

Enterprise data centers are transformed from resource silos to resource pooling, from centralized architecture to distributed architecture, from dedicated hardware to software-defined storage (SDS) mode, from manual handling to self-service and automatic service, and from distributed statistics to unified metering.

Cloud Computing

This is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction (National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)).

Cloud

A metaphor for networks and the Internet, and refers to an abstraction of the Internet and the infrastructure that underpins it.

Computing

Refers to computing services provided by a powerful computer with a range of functionalities, resources, and storage.

Characteristics of Cloud Computing

1. Broad network access

2. Fast and elastic scaling

3. On-demand self-service

4. Resource pooling

5. Metered services

Cloud Album

Baidu Cloud and iCloud Shared Album

Cloud Music

NetEase Cloud Music, Kugou Music, Kuwo Music, and Xiami Music

Cloud Video

Baidu Cloud and Tencent Cloud Video

Cloud Documents

Youdao Note, and Shimo document

HUAWEI CLOUD Meeting

• Allows interactive video and voice communications between people in two or more locations.

• The video conferencing market in China has an average annual growth beyond 20%. Currently, only less than 5% of enterprises in China have video conference rooms, the video conferencing system has become indispensable for efficient office work.

• Can be used by enterprise offices, telemedicine, smart education, and enterprise organization construction.

E-Gov Cloud Online Services

• Enables access to comprehensive public services through the Internet and serves as an extensive service platform with software, application, and information resources provisioned for governmental bodies.

• It utilizes the compute, storage, network, security, and application resources in existing equipment rooms and leverages cloud computing to offer high reliability, availability, and elasticity.

Online Services

The most typical application of e-Gov and are used in multiple cities.

Guidance (Online Services)

All policies, bulletins, and processes are released through information guidance, making service handling processes clear for citizens and enterprises. Intelligent Process Automation (IPA) robots are provided to guide users.

Handling (Online Services)

Based on big data and AI technologies, fields in documents can be auto-populated.

Review (Online Services)

• AI technologies pre-review documents, improve review efficiency and quality, and reduce pressure on staff.

• Real-Time Communication (RTC) audio and video technologies can implement contactless online pre-review.

Collaboration (Online Services)

RPA technology handles all work items through the workbench, effectively collaborating with functional agencies. All application and service entries can be managed in a unified manner.

Public Cloud

The main form of cloud computing, which is developing considerably in China.

Classification of Public Cloud Vendors

• Traditional telecom infrastructure carriers, including China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom

• Local government cloud computing platforms

• Public cloud platforms built by Internet giants, such as Alibaba Cloud and Tencent Cloud

• Some IDC carriers, such as 21Vianet Group

• Enterprises with foreign technical background or introducing foreign cloud computing technologies, such as Fengqi.Asian Cloud

Private Cloud (Deployment Models)

This is a cloud infrastructure operated solely for a single organization. All data is kept within the organization's data center. Attempts to access such data will be controlled by ingress firewalls deployed for the data center, offering maximum data protection.

Public Cloud (Deployment Models)

The service provider owns and operates the cloud infrastructure and provides cloud services open to the public or enterprise customers. This model gives users access to convenient, on-demand IT services, comparable to how they would access utilities like water and electricity.

Hybrid Cloud (Deployment Models)

A combination of a public cloud and a private cloud or on-premises resources, that remain distinct entities but are bound together, offering the benefits of multiple deployment models. Users can migrate workloads across these cloud environments as needed.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

The cloud platform provides infrastructure (such as servers, storage devices, networks, and virtual resources) and maintains related resources. Users only need to pay attention to the system and application layers.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

The cloud platform provides infrastructure (such as servers, storage devices, networks, and virtual resources) and application deployment environment (such as the operating system, middleware, and software running environment) and maintains related resources. Users only need to focus on applications and data.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

The cloud platform provides all resources, services, and maintenance. User only need to use applications.

Cloud Service-oriented Mode

Provides IT devices as services that allow customers to select on demand, which has more advantages in flexibility, and low cost.

Benefits of Cloud Computing

• Cloud computing integrates hardware resources into one in software, and dynamically allocates the resources to applications in software, which greatly improves resource usage.

• Cloud computing also supports auto scaling, and optimizes work efficiency.

• By building high-specification cloud data centers and introducing automatic scheduling technology, data storage is more centralized, and data assets are more effectively used, achieving energy saving, emission reduction, and easier maintenance.

• In this way, lower costs and higher efficiency are achieved in each dimension.

On-demand Self-service

(Main Benefits of Cloud Computing)

Customers can deploy processing services based on actual requirements on the server running time, network, and storage, and do not need to communicate with each service provider.

Broad Network Access

(Main Benefits of Cloud Computing)

Various capabilities can be obtained over the Internet, and the Internet can be accessed in standard mode from various clients, such as mobile phones, laptops, and PADs.

Resource Pooling

(Main Benefits of Cloud Computing)

Computing resources of the service provider are centralized so that customers can rent services. In addition, different physical and virtual resources can be dynamically allocated and reallocated based on customer requirements. Customers generally cannot control or know the exact location of the resources. The resources include storage devices, processors, memory, network bandwidth, and virtual machines.

Quick Deployment and Auto Scaling

(Main Benefits of Cloud Computing)

Cloud computing can rapidly and elastically provide computing capabilities. A customer can rent unlimited resources and purchase required resources at any time.

Metered Services

(Main Benefits of Cloud Computing)

Cloud services are billed based on the actual resource usage, such as the CPU, memory, storage capacity, and bandwidth consumption of cloud servers. Cloud services provide two billing modes: pay-per-use and yearly/monthly.

Massive Scale

(Eight Common Characteristics of Cloud Computing)

Cloud computing service is on a large scale as it centralizes IT resource supply. This makes cloud computing different from conventional IT.

Virtualization

(Eight Common Characteristics of Cloud Computing)

One meaning is accurate computing units. If a cake is too large for one person, it is better to divide it into small pieces to share. That is, with smaller computing units, IT resources can be fully used. The other meaning is the separation of software and hardware. Before, software and specified hardware are bound together, and after, software can be freely migrated on all hardware, which is like renting a house instead of buying one.

Elastic Computing

(Eight Common Characteristics of Cloud Computing)

IT resources can be elastically provided.

Low-cost Software

(Eight Common Characteristics of Cloud Computing)

This is provided to meet the market competition and requirements. Cloud computing, with low individual technical skill and financial requirements, makes IT easy to use. Small and micro startups are always willing to enjoy more IT services at the lowest cost and is required to earn money at small profits but quick turnover.

Geographical Distribution

(Eight Common Characteristics of Cloud Computing)

As the broad access mentioned above, IT services can be provided anytime and anywhere. From the perspective of users, performance of network bandwidth varies by region. Large public cloud service providers have dozens or even hundreds of data centers or service nodes to provide cloud computing services to global customers.

Service Orientation

(Eight Common Characteristics of Cloud Computing)

Cloud computing is a service model, and the overall design is this.

Advanced Security Technology

(Eight Common Characteristics of Cloud Computing)

Public cloud has a large number of users with different requirements. Therefore, this must be adopted to protect cloud computing.