UNIT-3

CLOUD STORAGE
Cloud storage is defined as a data deposit model in which digital information such as
documents, photos, videos and other forms of media are stored on virtual or cloud servers
hosted by third parties. It allows you to transfer data on an offsite storage system and access
them whenever needed. Cloud storage is a service model in which data is transmitted and
stored on remote storage systems, where it is maintained, managed, backed up and made
available to users over a network -- typically, the internet. Users generally pay for their cloud
data storage on a per-consumption, monthly rate

Cloud storage allows you to save data and files in an off-site location that you access either
through the public internet or a dedicated private network connection. Data that you transfer
off-site for storage becomes the responsibility of a third-party cloud provider. The provider
hosts, secures, manages, and maintains the servers and associated infrastructure and ensures
you have access to the data whenever you need it.

Working-

Like on premise storage networks, cloud storage uses servers to save data; however, the data
is sent to servers at an off-site location. Most of the servers you use are virtual machines
hosted on a physical server. As your storage needs increase, the provider creates new virtual
servers to meet demand.

Typically, you connect to the storage cloud either through the internet or a dedicated private
connection, using a web portal, website, or a mobile app. The server with which you connect
forwards your data to a pool of servers located in one or more data centers, depending on the
size of the cloud provider’s operation.
Cloud storage works as a virtual data center. It offers end users and applications virtual
storage infrastructure that can be scaled to the application’s requirements. It generally
operates via a web-based API implemented remotely through its interaction with in-house
cloud storage infrastructure.

Cloud storage includes at least one data server to which a user can connect via the internet.
The user sends files to the data server, which forwards the message to multiple servers,
manually or in an automated manner, over the internet. The stored data can then be accessed
via a web-based interface.

To ensure the constant availability of data, cloud storage systems involve large numbers of
data servers. Therefore, if a server requires maintenance or fails, the user can be assured that
the data has been moved elsewhere to ensure availability.
Types of Cloud Storage-

1. Private Cloud Storage

A private cloud is an on-demand cloud deployment model in which the cloud computing

services and infrastructure are hosted privately within a company’s own intranet or data

center using proprietary resources.

Internal cloud storage is also known as enterprise storage – a company solely uses it. The

private cloud storage infrastructure is managed by the organization or a service provider that

is only accessible to the company via a private connection. However, private cloud storage

services are comparatively more expensive than others because they are built for specific

needs. At the same time, they are highly beneficial to companies with the biggest fear of

privacy and security.

In a private cloud, the cloud computing services and infrastructure are hosted privately within
a company’s own data center. These services are accessible to the personnel of a single
organization. This type of cloud is managed by internal resources and is not accessible to
those outside the organization. Private clouds are also referred to as enterprise clouds.

Advantages of Private Cloud

Robust security: Private cloud is known for enhanced security and control. Since a private cloud can
be operated in a completely isolated environment, it offers an additional layer of security.

Enhanced performance: A private cloud is only accessible to one organization. This results in lesser
competition for capacity, and therefore, improved performance. Therefore, the workload
performance for private cloud is never affected by another organization running resource-intensive
workloads on a shared server.
Complete control over resources: When using a private cloud, an organization is free to build and
configure cloud services in a way that’s most suitable to the company’s needs. Not only can you use
the applications of your choice, but you may also allocate resources as per business needs.

Disadvantages

Added cost: Private clouds are more expensive than public and hybrid clouds because they

require the organization to pay for private cloud server hardware as well as maintenance.

Buying the operating systems and licenses for software applications further increases the

cost.

More support requirements: Setting up a private cloud is a lot more expensive and time-

consuming than a hybrid or public cloud. It also needs continuous maintenance. A private

cloud service requires an in-house IT setup. Moreover, if your server crashes, your internal IT

department will have to spend more time and resources to fix the issue.

Limited scalability: The private cloud is not as scalable as the public cloud. If the need

arises, an organization may not be able to handle higher workloads when using a private

cloud.
 2. Public Cloud Storage

In a public cloud, IT resources, such as compute, storage, development platforms,

applications, are available as a service over the internet. The services on public cloud are

available to anyone who wants to use or purchase them.It is one of the most commonly used

types of online storage, most frequently by individuals, small-scale businesses, and start-up

companies. There are few administrative controls while using public cloud storage. Also, the

user and anyone else authorized by the user can access it online. There’s no need for the

company to maintain its system. Some well-known cloud storage solution providers include

IBM Cloud, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure.

As multiple solution providers host public cloud services, there is minimal room for

customization of the security fields. It is scalable, inexpensive, and dependable, with

seamless monitoring and zero maintenance. Moreover, public cloud storage management is

an economical approach to data protection and higher scalability. Companies can begin with

a short amount of storage and gradually expand the storage as the company grows.

Public cloud refers to computing services offered by third-party providers over the internet.

Unlike private cloud, the services on public cloud are available to anyone who wants to use

or purchase them. These services could be free or sold on-demand, where users only have to

pay per usage for the CPU cycles, storage, or the bandwidth that they consume.

Public cloud helps businesses save on purchasing, managing, and maintaining on-premises

infrastructure since the cloud service provider is responsible for managing the system. They

also offer scalable RAM and flexible bandwidth, making it easier for businesses to scale their

storage needs. In short, public cloud is cost-effective, highly scalable, universally accessible,
and offers automatic data backups.
Advantages of Public Cloud Storage:

Reduced cost: The public cloud has a flexible payment structure which gives you the benefit of
paying only for the services you have used. Most public cloud service providers give businesses the
option to pay per hour or even pay per second. This helps companies budget effectively and save the
money they would otherwise have to spend on infrastructure.

Low maintenance: When using a public cloud, the cloud service provider maintains all the servers,
hardware, and software in the cloud. They also manage aspects such as security and compliance,
which allows businesses to run their infrastructure with minimal IT staff.

Agility: Public cloud simplifies business operations and ensures faster delivery and collaboration,
allowing companies to stay agile.

Easy installation: A public cloud can be set up in a few hours. Easy to buy over the internet, a public
cloud can be set up by an IT team without expert help.

Higher uptime: Most public cloud service providers assure 99% uptime, allowing companies to save
on any losses that occur due to an outage. A public cloud works on multiple servers. In case one
server fails, another one can immediately take over, thereby ensuring continuity of business.

Disadvantages:

The host is on a public cloud, which is a minor downside of the cloud services and makes it a

less-than-ideal alternative for some. Additionally, it is not an option for enterprises with large
storage requirements or those that must adhere to specific compliance laws.

Lack of control: Public cloud gives users less control as configuration and cybersecurity are
managed by the public cloud service provider.

Security issues: Entrusting their data and applications to a third-party cloud service provider

may be difficult for some companies as the chance of a security threat is high. The fact that
public cloud servers are visible from anywhere on the internet may also cause concern.
Compliance: With more and more legal requirements being introduced around data

management, compliance may be the biggest challenge.

3. Hybrid Cloud Storage

Hybrid cloud is a computing model that integrates public cloud, private cloud, or on-premise

infrastructure to run an organization’s workload and applications.

Hybrid clouds offer the best of both worlds—the flexibility and cost-efficiency of a public

cloud coupled with the security of dedicated hardware. Agility is the main appeal of a

hybrid cloud system. The ability to scale up or pare down computational overheads is a
huge advantage for companies that house various services and applications across a

diverse set of clients.

Hybrid clouds are also a good option for companies that do not want to be tied down to a

single vendor. A diversified infrastructure tends to be more efficient, secure, and cost-

effective than relying on a single monolith.

Hybrid cloud storage refers to the use of a combination of on-premises and cloud storage

solutions to create a unified storage infrastructure. Essentially, letting you take advantage of

the benefits of both to achieve a more flexible, scalable, and cost-effective storage

infrastructure. You don’t need to deploy more in-house resources using a hybrid cloud. Data
and apps may be accessed effortlessly between public and private clouds, allowing you to

manage your data on your terms.

Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure services offered by Enteriscloud reduce complexity and

consolidate your cloud environments, providing high-performance and security cloud

solutions. Data may be saved on the private cloud with cloud storage solutions, while

information processing chores can be outsourced to the public cloud.

 Advantages Of Hybrid Cloud Storage:

 Higher flexibility

 Greater cost-effectiveness

 Enhanced data security

 Improved disaster recovery

Disadvantages:

Managing a hybrid cloud storage environment can be more complex than managing a single

one. Since cloud storage is accessed over the internet, companies must have a strong internet

connection for seamless access to data kept in the cloud. Additional costs might be incurred

for transferring data between on-premises and cloud storage.

4. Community Cloud Storage

Community cloud storage is a cloud computing model in which multiple organizations or

individuals share infrastructure with similar interests or requirements. It can be used by

various government organizations in the same country to store, process, manage, and access

data. This combined infrastructure is designed to meet the community’s specific needs and is

managed by a third-party provider.

Cloud storage providers in this approach provide their cloud architecture, software, and other

development tools to satisfy the community’s needs. All information is saved on the society’s

private cloud storage to manage the community’s security and compliance demands.
 ADVANTAGES OF COMMUNITY CLOUD STORAGE

 Data usage flexibility

 Amazing Scalable Data Security

 Cost-Effectiveness
 Excellent data protection

DISADVANTAGES

Since community cloud storage involves sharing infrastructure and resources among multiple

organizations, there is a higher risk of data breaches and other security concerns.

Organizations depend on the provider to maintain the infrastructure and data security for the

service provider’s management. Community cloud storage users may need more control over

the infrastructure and resources, which can limit their ability to customize the environment to

their specific needs.

CLOUD DATA MANAGEMENT

Cloud data management is the practice of storing a company’s data at an offsite data
center that is typically owned and overseen by a vendor who specializes in public
cloud infrastructure, such as AWS or MicrosoftAzure.

7 benefits of cloud data management-

1. Security: Modern cloud data management often delivers better data protection than on-
premises solutions. In fact, 94% of cloud adopters report security improvements. Why? First
of all, cloud data management reduces the risk of data loss due to device damage or hardware
failure. Second, companies specializing in cloud hosting and data management employ more
advanced security measures and practices to protect sensitive data than companies that invest
in their on-premises data.

2.Scalability and savings: Cloud data management lets users scale services up or down as
needed. More storage or compute power can be added when needed to accommodate
changing workloads. Companies can then scale back after the completion of a big project to
avoid paying for services they don’t need.

3.Governed access: With improved security comes greater peace of mind regarding
governed data access. Cloud storage means team members can access the data they need from
wherever they are. This access also supports a collaborative work culture, as employees can
work together on a dataset, easily share insights, and more

4.Automated backups and disaster recovery: The cloud storage vendor can manage and
automate data backups so that the company can focus its attention on other things, and can
rest assured that its data is safe. Having an up-to-date backup at all times also speeds up the
process of disaster recovery after emergencies, and can help mitigate the effects of
ransomware attacks.
5.Improved data quality: An integrated, well-governed cloud data management solution
helps companies tear down data silos(A data silo is a collection of data held by one group that
is not easily or fully accessible by other groups in the same organization) and create a single
source of truth for every data point. Data remains clean, consistent, up-to-date, and accessible
for every use case, from real-time data analytics to advanced machine learning applications to
external sharing via APIs.

Automated updates: Cloud data management providers are committed to providing the best
services and capabilities. When applications need updating, cloud providers run these updates
automatically. That means your team doesn’t need to pause work while they wait for IT to
update everyone’s system.

Sustainability: For companies and brands committed to decreasing their environmental

impact, cloud data management is a key step in the process. It allows organizations to reduce
the carbon footprint created by their own facilities and to extend telecommuting options to
their teams.

Best practices for a cloud data management strategy-

Start with a plan. Dumping data into the cloud is not “cloud data management.” Will you
move all data to the cloud, or create a hybrid environment? Who needs access to what data?
Where should different processing tasks take place? ETL vs. ELT is a good conversation to
have now.

Maintain healthy data. This is incredibly important, as other data management practices
depend upon it. Keeping data healthy means ensuring that it’s valid, complete, and of
sufficient quality to produce analytics that decision-makers can feel comfortable relying on
for business decisions.

Back up the data (often). Most cloud software-as-a-services (SaaS) providers will
automatically run regular backups. If a company is hosting its own cloud, however, make
sure the IT department is running regular backups.

Don’t forget about data governance. An existing data governance policy for on-premises
data can be updated for a hybrid or cloud data management architecture. Moving data to the
cloud, however, often means extra compliance issues need to be considered, so make sure
those don’t slip through the cracks.
CLOUD PROVISIONING

Cloud provisioning is the allocation of a cloud provider's resources and services to a

customer. Cloud provisioning is a key feature of the cloud computing model, relating to how
a customer procures cloud services and resources from a cloud provider.

Types of Provisioning in Cloud Computing-

1) Server Provisioning-Server provisioning is allocating a particular server in a network the

specific resources it requires to be operational.

Numerous servers are grouped according to their purpose, each with unique provisioning
needs.

Some common types include:

Mail servers

Policy servers

File servers

Application servers

The processes involved in server provisioning include installing operating systems,

replicating the setup of other servers, and adjusting control panels.

In general, the server provisioning process involves the construction of a new machine,
updating it, and configuring the system.

2) Cloud Provisioning
Cloud provisioning involves the creation of the basic infrastructure needed by an
organization’s cloud environment. This includes tasks like installing the essential networking
components, services, etc.

3) User Provisioning

User provisioning is an identity management process that involves giving permissions to

applications and services in a corporate environment.

Essentially, it monitors the authentication and authorization of privileges for things like
emails, a database, or the entire network.

User provisioning hinges on a user’s specific responsibilities or job titles. The act of denying
a particular user access is referred to as de-provisioning.

Role Based Access Control (RBAC) is a superb example of user provisioning. To configure
RBAC, an administrator has to place user accounts in specific groups and assign roles to each
group.

A group could have read-only access, while another has editing access, depending on the
users’ functional requirements.

Due to its authorization and authentication roles, the management of user provisioning often
switches between human resources and IT.

4) Network Provisioning

Network provisioning, with reference to IT infrastructure, involves setting up components

such as firewalls, routers, and switches. It also includes allocating IP addresses to these
devices and the routine fact-gathering and performance of operational health checks.

5) Service Provisioning

Service provisioning is the setting up IT-dependent services for a user and handling the data
involved. A great example of this form of provisioning is when an employee gets access to a
SaaS platform.

The Benefits Of Cloud Provisioning

There are numerous benefits that cloud positioning adds to a business that is difficult to
achieve through conventional provisioning methods. Some benefits of provisioning in cloud
computing include the following.

1) Scalability: By incorporating cloud provisioning, companies can work more efficiently.

They have to make substantial initial investments with conventional IT provisioning models,
where they rely on on-site infrastructure. With a cloud provisioning model in place, they can
scale down and up.
2)Costs Savings: When used correctly, cloud provisioning allows organizations to spend less
on managing and maintaining IT systems. Rather than spending vast amounts on expensive
systems and equipment, companies get only the resources they need. Some of the pointers
that make cloud provisioning an excellent option for cost savings include the following:

There are fewer employees required, leading to more cost-cutting.

The duty of upgrading cloud provisioning software and hardware falls to the cloud service
providers.

With limited IT hardware around, organizations consume less energy.

Employees execute projects faster and spend more of their company time working on
productive things.

Self-healing: Automation is a massive benefit for businesses because of cloud provision

software’s auto correction and self-healing nature. Organizations can have a huge sigh of
relief when they know that specific disruptions will automatically correct themselves.

Speed. Cloud provisioning software creates repeatable processes that help company staff
save time. There is no need for an administrator to provision and manage resources, as
developers can finish an array of workloads on demand. Things like data backups occur
automatically, removing the need for managers to schedule time.
DATA INTENSIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR CLOUD COMPUTING

Data Intensive Computing is a class of parallel computing which uses data parallelism in
order to process large volumes of data. The size of this data is typically in terabytes or
petabytes. This large amount of data is generated each day and it is referred to Big Data.
Data Intensive System architecture-

Google Map Reduce-

Hadoop-

HDFS-

Hadoop comes with a distributed file system called HDFS. In HDFS data is distributed over
several machines and replicated to ensure their durability to failure and high availability to
parallel application.

It is cost effective as it uses commodity hardware. It involves the concept of blocks, data
nodes and node name.
HDFS Concepts
Blocks: Generally the user data is stored in the files of HDFS. The file in a file system
will be divided into one or more segments and/or stored in individual data nodes.
These file segments are called as blocks. In other words, the minimum amount of data
that HDFS can read or write is called a Block. The default block size is 64MB, but it
can be increased as per the need to change in HDFS configuration.

Name Node: HDFS works in master-worker pattern where the name node acts as
master.Name Node is controller and manager of HDFS as it knows the status and the
metadata of all the files in HDFS; the metadata information being file permission,
names and location of each block.The metadata are small, so it is stored in the
memory of name node,allowing faster access to data.

The namenode is the commodity hardware that contains the GNU/Linux operating
system and the namenode software. It is a software that can be run on commodity
hardware.

Data Node: The datanode is a commodity hardware having the GNU/Linux operating
system and datanode software. For every node (Commodity hardware/System) in a
cluster, there will be a datanode. These nodes manage the data storage of their system.
 Data nodes perform read-write operations on the file systems, as per client request.

They also perform operations such as block creation, deletion, and replication
according to the instructions of the name node.

CLOUD STORAGE FROM LANS TO WANS-

CLOUD CHARACTERISTIC-

1. Computer power is elastic, when it can perform parallel operations. In general,

applications conceived to run on the peak of a shared-nothing architecture are well
matched for such an environment. Some cloud computing goods, for example, Google’s App
Engine, supply not only a cloud computing infrastructure, but also an entire programs stack
with a constrained API so that software developers are compelled to compose programs that
can run in a shared-nothing natural environment and therefore help elastic scaling.

2. Data is retained at an unknown host server. In general, letting go off data is a threat to
many security issues and thus suitable precautions should be taken. The idea is that the data is
physically stored in a specific host country and is subject to localized laws and regulations.
Since most cloud computing vendors give their clientele little command over where data is
stored, the clientele has no alternative but to expect the least that the data is encrypted
utilizing a key unavailable with the owner, the data may be accessed by a third party without
the customer’s knowledge
3. Data is duplicated often over distant locations. Data accessibility and durability is
paramount for cloud storage providers, as data tampering can be impairing for both the
business and the organization’s reputation. Data accessibility and durability are normally
accomplished through hidden replications. Large cloud computing providers with data hubs
dispersed all through the world have the proficiency to provide high levels of expected error
resistance by duplicating data at distant locations across continents. Amazon’s S3 cloud
storage service replicates data over ‘regions’ and ‘availability zones’ so that data and
applications can survive even when the whole location collapses.

DISTRIBUTED DATA STORAGE-

Distributed computing is a model in which components of a software system are shared
among multiple computers or nodes. Even though the software components may be spread
out across multiple computers in multiple locations, they're run as one system. This is done to
improve efficiency and performance. The systems on different networked computers
communicate and coordinate by sending messages back and forth to achieve a defined task.

Distributed computing networks can be connected as local networks or through a wide area
network if the machines are in a different geographic location. Processors in distributed
computing systems typically run in parallel.

In enterprise settings, distributed computing generally puts various steps in business

processes at the most efficient places in a computer network. For example, a typical
distribution has a three-tier model that organizes applications into the presentation tier (or
user interface), the application tier and the data tier. These tiers function as follows:

 User interface processing occurs on the PC at the user's location

 Application processing takes place on a remote computer
 Database access and processing algorithms happen on another computer that provides
centralized access for many business processes
Benefits of distributed computing

Distributed computing includes the following benefits:

Performance. Distributed computing can help improve performance by having each

computer in a cluster handle different parts of a task simultaneously.

 Scalability. Distributed computing clusters are scalable by adding new hardware when
needed.

 Resilience and redundancy. Multiple computers can provide the same services. This
way, if one machine isn't available, others can fill in for the service. Likewise, if two
machines that perform the same service are in different data centers and one data center
goes down, an organization can still operate.

 Cost-effectiveness. Distributed computing can use low-cost, off-the-shelf hardware.

 Efficiency.Complex requests can be broken down into smaller pieces and distributed
among different systems. This way, the request is simplified and worked on as a form
of parallel computing, reducing the time needed to compute requests.

 Distributed applications. Unlike traditional applications that run on a single

system, distributed applications run on multiple systems simultaneously.