A cost-effective cloud computing framework for accelerating multimedia communication simulations

Multimedia communication research and development often requires computationally intensive simulations in order to develop and investigate the performance of new optimization algorithms. Depending on the simulations, they may require even a few days to test an adequate set of conditions due to the complexity of the algorithms. The traditional approach to speed up this type of relatively small simulations, which require several develop-simulate-reconfigure cycles, is indeed to run them in parallel on a few computers and leaving them idle when developing the technique for the next simulation cycle. This work proposes a new cost-effective framework based on cloud computing for accelerating the development process, in which resources are obtained on demand and paid only for their actual usage. Issues are addressed both analytically and practically running actual test cases, i.e., simulations of video communications on a packet lossy network, using a commercial cloud computing service. A software framework has also been developed to simplify the management of the virtual machines in the cloud. Results show that it is economically convenient to use the considered cloud computing service, especially in terms of reduced development time and costs, with respect to a solution using dedicated computers, when the development time is longer than one hour. If more development time is needed between simulations, the economic advantage progressively reduces as the computational complexity of the simulation increases

Cloudboss : a system for orchestrating the execution of computer simulations in the cloud

Orientadores: Juliana Freitag Borin, Edson BorinDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de ComputaçãoResumo: Simulações computacionais são fundamentais em diversas áreas para reduzir tempo, custo e riscos de testes reais, porém demandam grande poder computacional. Cada vez mais a computação em nuvem tem sido usada para satisfazer este tipo de demanda, porém, ainda há preocupações e incertezas sobre o uso, custos, implementações e segurança. Este trabalho propõe um sistema que automatiza o escalonamento e execução de simulações computacionais idempotentes em sistemas de nuvem computacional. Desse modo, diversas partes do processo são abstraídas e mesmo usuários sem muito conhecimento em infraestrutura poderão utilizar os recursos disponíveis. O sistema proposto inclui um algoritmo que auxilia na escolha da máquina de menor custo para a execução da carga de trabalho do usuário - uma das grandes dificuldades encontradas mesmo por usuários experientes. Resultado obtidos com experimentos utilizando \textit{benchmarks} e uma carga de trabalho real apontam que o algoritmo proposto é capaz de indicar a máquina de menor custo dentre todas as configurações de máquinas disponíveis na nuvem da Microsoft, o AzureAbstract: Computer simulations are fundamental to reduce time, cost and risks of real tests, however, they demand great computational power. Cloud computing has been used to satisfy such demand, but there are still concerns and uncertainties about usage, costs, implementations and security. This work proposes a system that automates the scheduling and execution of idempotent computer simulation in cloud systems. In this way, several parts of the process are abstracted and even users without much knowledge in infrastructure can use the available resources. The system includes an algorithm to help the user choose the lowest-cost machine for the execution of his workload. Results from experiments using benchmarks and a real workload show that the proposed algorithm is able to indicate the lowest-cost machine considering all the available machine configurations in Microsoft¿s cloud provider, AzureMestradoCiência da ComputaçãoMestre em Ciência da Computação134581/2014-8CNP

A Process Framework for Managing Quality of Service in Private Cloud

As information systems leaders tap into the global market of cloud computing-based services, they struggle to maintain consistent application performance due to lack of a process framework for managing quality of service (QoS) in the cloud. Guided by the disruptive innovation theory, the purpose of this case study was to identify a process framework for meeting the QoS requirements of private cloud service users. Private cloud implementation was explored by selecting an organization in California through purposeful sampling. Information was gathered by interviewing 23 information technology (IT) professionals, a mix of frontline engineers, managers, and leaders involved in the implementation of private cloud. Another source of data was documents such as standard operating procedures, policies, and guidelines related to private cloud implementation. Interview transcripts and documents were coded and sequentially analyzed. Three prominent themes emerged from the analysis of data: (a) end user expectations, (b) application architecture, and (c) trending analysis. The findings of this study may help IT leaders in effectively managing QoS in cloud infrastructure and deliver reliable application performance that may help in increasing customer population and profitability of organizations. This study may contribute to positive social change as information systems managers and workers can learn and apply the process framework for delivering stable and reliable cloud-hosted computer applications