Cloud Architecture
Clouds are considered Platforms-as-a-Service (PaaS), since a cloud provider supplies users with both the platform and the underlying IT infrastructure. Architecting a cloud platform requires more than just abstracting a computer’s capabilities from its hardware components, which is how providers create and offer cloud infrastructure to users. It also requires additional levels of development to incorporate containerization, orchestration, application programming interfaces (APIs), routing, security, management, and automation software. User experience design (UX) is also important in order to create a navigable online experience.
While there are variations of cloud architecture based on what you’re trying to do, most clouds require hardware, middleware, management, and automation software. Most clouds also use virtualization to abstract the hardware resources into centrally managed data lakes, while some clouds—known as bare-metal clouds—connect clients directly to hardware.
How does cloud architecture work?
Although no two clouds are alike, there are a number of common cloud architecture models. These include public, private, hybrid and multi-cloud architectures. Here is how they compare:
Public cloud architecture: In a public cloud architecture, computing resources are owned and operated by a cloud services provider. These resources are shared and redistributed across multiple tenants via the Internet. Advantages of the public cloud include reduced operating costs, easy scalability and little to no maintenance.
Private cloud architecture
Private cloud refers to a cloud that is owned and managed privately, usually in a company’s own on-premises data center. However, private cloud can also span to include multiple server locations or leased space in geographically scattered colocation facilities. Although typically more expensive than public cloud solutions, a private cloud architecture is more customizable and can offer stringent data security and compliance options.
Hybrid cloud architecture
A hybrid cloud environment combines the operating efficiencies of the public cloud and data security capabilities of the private cloud. By utilizing both public and private cloud architectures, hybrid clouds help consolidate IT resources while enabling organizations to migrate workloads between environments depending on their IT and data security requirements.
Multi-cloud architecture
A multi-cloud architecture is one that uses multiple public cloud services. The advantages of a multi-cloud environment include greater flexibility to choose and deploy the cloud services that are most likely to satisfy varying organizational requirements. Another upside is reduced reliance on any single cloud services vendor for greater cost savings and a lower likelihood of vendor lock-in. Additionally, multi-cloud architecture may be required to support microservices-based containerized applications, where services exist on multiple clouds.
The Fundamental Components of Cloud Architecture
Virtualization: Clouds are built upon virtualization of servers, storage, and networks. Virtualized resources are a software-based, or virtual, representation of a physical resource such as servers or storage. This abstraction layer enables multiple applications to utilize the same physical resources, thereby increasing the efficiency of servers, storage, and networking throughout the enterprise.
Infrastructure: Yes, there are real servers. Cloud infrastructure includes all the components of traditional data centers including servers, persistent storage and networking gear including routers and switches.
Middleware: As in traditional data centers, these software components such as databases and communications applications enable networked computers, applications and software to communicate with each other.
Management: These tools enable continuous monitoring of a cloud environment’s performance and capacity. IT teams can track usage, deploy new apps, integrate data and ensure disaster recovery, all from a single console.
Automation software: The delivery of critical IT services through automation and pre-defined policies can significantly ease IT workloads, streamline application delivery, and reduce costs. In a cloud architecture, automation is used to easily scale up system resources to accommodate a spike in demand for compute power, deploy applications to meet fluctuating market demands, or ensure governance across a cloud environment.
