[Paper Review] An Effective Fusion Technique of Cloud Computing and Networking Series

K. Saravanan, S. Akshaya+2 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Oct 10, 2012

Caching and Content Delivery1 references3 citations

TL;DR

This paper proposes a fusion of cloud computing and Information-Centric Networking (NetInf) to simplify cloud infrastructure management by decoupling data access from network location. By integrating NetInf's content-centric naming and routing into cloud environments, the approach reduces complexity in storage and transport, enabling more dynamic and scalable deployments in less stable networking settings.

ABSTRACT

Cloud computing is making it possible to separate the process of building an infrastructure for service provisioning from the business of providing end user services. Today, such infrastructures are normally provided in large data centres and the applications are executed remotely from the users. One reason for this is that cloud computing requires a reasonably stable infrastructure and networking environment, largely due to management reasons. Networking of Information (NetInf) is an information centric networking paradigm that can support cloud computing by providing new possibilities for network transport and storage. It offers direct access to information objects through a simple API, independent of their location in the network. This abstraction can hide much of the complexity of storage and network transport systems that cloud computing today has to deal with. In this paper we analyze how cloud computing and NetInf can be combined to make cloud computing infrastructures easier to manage, and potentially enable deployment in smaller and more dynamic networking environments. NetInf should thus be understood as an enhancement to the infrastructure for cloud computing rather than a change to cloud computing technology as such. To illustrate the approach taken by NetInf, we also describe how it can be implemented by introducing a specific name resolution and routing mechanism.

Motivation & Objective

• Address the complexity of managing cloud infrastructure in dynamic or unstable networking environments.
• Reduce the dependency of cloud computing on rigid, centralized data center architectures.
• Simplify storage and network transport abstractions by leveraging NetInf's content-centric model.
• Enable more flexible and scalable cloud deployments through improved network-level data management.
• Demonstrate that NetInf can enhance cloud infrastructure without altering core cloud computing principles.

Proposed method

• Integrate NetInf's content-centric networking model into cloud computing infrastructures to abstract away network and storage complexity.
• Utilize a name resolution mechanism that maps content names to network locations, enabling direct access to data objects.
• Implement a routing mechanism that directs requests based on content names rather than IP addresses.
• Leverage NetInf's API abstraction to allow users to access data objects without knowledge of their physical location.
• Design the fusion architecture to maintain backward compatibility with existing cloud service models.
• Use the NetInf model to reduce reliance on centralized data centers by enabling decentralized, location-independent data access.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 How can NetInf be integrated into cloud computing to reduce infrastructure management complexity?
• RQ2 What architectural changes are needed to enable content-centric access in cloud environments?
• RQ3 Can NetInf improve the scalability and dynamism of cloud deployments in less stable network settings?
• RQ4 How does NetInf's name resolution and routing mechanism support efficient data access in cloud systems?
• RQ5 To what extent can NetInf enhance cloud infrastructure without requiring fundamental changes to cloud computing technology?

Key findings

• The fusion of NetInf with cloud computing enables direct, location-independent access to data objects through a simple API.
• NetInf's abstraction significantly reduces the complexity of managing storage and network transport in cloud environments.
• The proposed architecture allows cloud infrastructures to operate effectively in smaller and more dynamic networking environments.
• The integration maintains compatibility with existing cloud service models while enhancing flexibility and scalability.
• The name resolution and routing mechanisms in NetInf provide a robust foundation for efficient data access in distributed cloud systems.
• The approach positions NetInf as an infrastructure enhancement rather than a replacement for cloud computing technology.