Cloud Storage and Bioinformatics in a private cloud deployment: Lessons for Data Intensive research

This paper describes service portability for a private cloud deployment, including a detailed case study about Cloud Storage and bioinformatics services developed as part of the Cloud Computing Adoption Framework (CCAF). Our Cloud Storage design and deployment is based on Storage Area Network (SAN) technologies, details of which include functionalities, technical implementation, architecture and user support. Experiments for data services (backup automation, data recovery and data migration) are performed and results confirm backup automation is completed swiftly and is reliable for data-intensive research. The data recovery result confirms that execution time is in proportion to quantity of recovered data, but the failure rate increases in an exponential manner. The data migration result confirms execution time is in proportion to disk volume of migrated data, but again the failure rate increases in an exponential manner. In addition, benefits of CCAF are illustrated using several bioinformatics examples such as tumour modelling, brain imaging, insulin molecules and simulations for medical training. Our Cloud Storage solution described here offers cost reduction, time-saving and user friendliness

Cloud Bioinformatics in a private cloud deployment

This chapter describes service portability for a private cloud deployment, including a detailed case study about Cloud Bioinformatics services developed as part of the Cloud Computing Adoption Framework (CCAF). The Cloud Bioinformatics design and deployment is based on Storage Area Network (SAN) technologies, details of which include functionalities, technical implementation, architecture, and user support. Bioinformatics applications are written on the SAN-based private cloud, which can simulate complex biological sciences and present them in a way that anyone without prior knowledge can understand. Several bioinformatics results are discussed, particularly brain segmentation, which demonstrates different parts of the brain simulated by the private cloud. In addition, benefits of CCAF are illustrated using several bioinformatics examples such as tumour modelling, brain imaging, insulin molecules, and simulations for medical training. The Cloud Bioinformatics solution offers cost reduction, time-saving, and user friendliness. </jats:p

The financial clouds review

This paper demonstrates financial enterprise portability, which involves moving entire application services from desktops to clouds and between different clouds, and is transparent to users who can work as if on their familiar systems. To demonstrate portability, reviews for several financial models are studied, where Monte Carlo Methods (MCM) and Black Scholes Model (BSM) are chosen. A special technique in MCM, Least Square Methods, is used to reduce errors while performing accurate calculations. The coding algorithm for MCM written in MATLAB is explained. Simulations for MCM are performed on different types of Clouds. Benchmark and experimental results are presented for discussion. 3D Black Scholes are used to explain the impacts and added values for risk analysis, and three different scenarios with 3D risk analysis are explained. We also discuss implications for banking and ways to track risks in order to improve accuracy. We have used a conceptual Cloud platform to explain our contributions in Financial Software as a Service (FSaaS) and the IBM Fined Grained Security Framework. Our objective is to demonstrate portability, speed, accuracy and reliability of applications in the clouds, while demonstrating portability for FSaaS and the Cloud Computing Business Framework (CCBF), which is proposed to deal with cloud portability

Cloudifying Desktops – A Taxonomy for Desktop Virtualization

Compared to traditional desktops, the implementation of desktop virtualization can leverage cost reductions and enable desktop access via mobile devices. Consequently, researchers and practitioners increasingly focus on virtualized desktops and Desktop as a Service (DaaS). However, a consistent definition for these technologies and the related delivery models does not exist yet. Therefore, we conducted a literature analysis which revealed that optimized resource allocation and performant DaaS infrastructures are the primary topics in research. Afterward, we developed a taxonomy to categorize extant virtual desktop delivery models and propose a holistic definition as theoretical framework for DaaS

Análisis de aplicaciones interactivas en infraestructuras cloud

En este trabajo se estudia la posibilidad de aplicar el paradigma de computación cloud computing para virtualizar aplicaciones interactivas. La motivación principal es poder estudiar la viabilidad de mover a una infraestructura cloud los puestos de prácticas de laboratorio de un entorno universitario. Para poder realizar un estudio completo y riguroso de los retos que supondría esta adaptación de la facultad al cloud computing, en esta memoria se describe el diseño de una arquitectura para desktop cloud y su implementación como infraestructura prototipo funcional. Esta infraestructura es capaz de virtualizar y gestionar entornos completos de escritorio. El uso de cloud computing para virtualizar entornos de escritorio interactivos es un tarea novedosa, en la que todavía no se disponen de mediciones de referencia para poder comparar el rendimiento de diferentes confguraciones y poder garantizar la calidad de servicio ofrecida. En esta memoria se proponen dos métricas de rendimiento especialmente dise~nadas para adaptarse a las necesidades de la virtualización de puestos de laboratorios prácticos [ABSTRACT] This work introduces a proposal to use the cloud computing paradigm to virtualize interactive applications. Its main goal is to study the feasibility to migrate the current university computer laboratories to a cloud environment. In order to be able to perform a complete and accurate study of the challenges this proposal will have to face, this project describes the design of a desktop cloud architecture and its implementation as a working prototype infrastructure. It can virtualize and manage complete desktop environments. The application of cloud computing in desktop virtualization is a novelty research area, in which there are not many benchmarks to a) compare how well different confgurations perform, and b) guarantee the quality of service provided. In this project, two performance metrics are proposed. This metrics are designed specifcally for the needs of a cloud infrastructure oriented to provide interactive desktop virtualization

A proposed framework for Cloud Computing adoption

This paper presents a review related to Cloud Computing focusing on Cloud business requirements. From the review we recommend a number of methods managing Cloud services and evaluating its service performance, including the use of a pair of the Hexagon Models. Three organizational challenges of Cloud adoption are identified: (i) Organizational Sustainability; (ii) Portability and (iii) Linkage. The Cloud Computing Adoption Framework (CCAF) is designed to deal with these challenges by helping organizations to achieve good Cloud designs, deployment and services. How these three challenges are addressed by the CCAF is demonstrated using case studies. Services implemented by CCAF are reviewed using the Hexagon Models for comparison. This paper provides recommendations to help organizations, researchers and practitioners to understand Cloud business context, to measure their risk and return analysis, to migrate their services to Cloud from all types and to connect and integrate different services as a single service. Future direction and security concerns have been addressed in our framework

Un acercamiento al estado del arte en cloud computing

Cloud computing uses the Internet to deliver core software and hardware resources, to a large gamma of end users, from international organizations to persons of “common”. In this regard and given his proposal for a technological management model changes the traditional way in the provision and deployment of network infrastructure and hardware and software resources, towards a new vision that makes services, cloud computing has positioned itself in the world of Information Technology and Communication ICT as a new paradigm which seems to announce a long stay.The main objective of this paper focuses on the approach to thestate of the art of this technology in beta constant, so that allowsit to be the preamble to the alchemy needed to put science at theservice of mankind.The first section offers a appetizer of different views of what is defined as cloud computing. Section two deals with the definition of Cloud Computing, types and characteristics. Section three focuses on the existing concessive in the definition of three basic layers: Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and infrastructure as InService (IaaS). The fourth section, the cloud providers are mentioned most representative platforms and maturity levels considered in these organizations. The fifth part contains prevailing regulatory aspects Colombia on ICT `s. Finally, we present the conclusions drawn from the research work and future work.Cloud Computing se vale del core de internet para ofrecer recursos software y hardware, a una gran gamma de usuarios finales, desde organizaciones internacionales hasta personas del “común”. En este sentido y dada su propuesta de un modelo de gestión tecnológica que cambia la forma tradicional en el aprovisionamiento y despliegue de infraestructura de redes y recursos hardware y software; hacia una nueva visión que los convierte en servicios, cloud computing se ha posicionado en el mundo de las Tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones TIC´s como un nuevo paradigma que parece anunciar una larga estadía.El objetivo principal de este paper se centra en el acercamiento al estado del arte de esta tecnología en constante versión beta; de manera que permita ser el preámbulo a la alquimia necesaria para poner la ciencia al servicio del ser humano.En la primera sección se realiza un abrebocas de las diferentes visiones de lo que se define como cloud computing. En la sección dos se aborda la definición de la Computación en nube, tipos y características. La sección tres, se centra en el conceso existente en la definición de tres capas fundamentales: el Software como Servicio (SaaS), la Plataforma como Servicio (PaaS) y la Infraestructura como Servicio (IaaS).En la cuarta sección, proveedores de la nube, se mencionan las plataformas más representativas y los niveles de madurez que se consideran en estas organizaciones. La quinta parte recoge aspectos regulatorios reinantes en Colombia en materia de la TIC`s. Finalmente se presentan las conclusiones arrojadas del trabajo de investigación y el trabajo futuro

Financial Software as a Service

Software as a service as one of the cloud delivery models that supports fine-grained components. Financial applications demand better performance and accuracy in a cloud than the traditional computing platforms. Therefore, designing financial software as a service (FSaaS) requires an engineering and systematic approach. This paper has proposed an integrated service-oriented architecture and a SaaS component model for financial domain that provides the required scalability, flexibility and customisation. It has also demonstrated the design and customisation of service component interfaces to a financial simulation so that it provides automatic prediction models for investors to know accurate results for buy and sale prices. Therefore, large-scaled simulations can be achieved within a matter of 13.5 second for outlier removal and within 9 seconds for high-performance risk computation on the Cloud. This paper shows the holistic and complete approach of illustrating the system design of FSaaS, showing the two major algorithms and the results of experiments of running these two algorithms. It provides plans to integrate new and existing services with FSaaS

Balancing usability and security in the business cloud authentication

Jatkuvasti suosiotaan kasvattavat pilvipalvelut luovat monia uusia mahdollisuuksia etätyöntekijöille, yhteistyökumppaneille ja hakkereille päästä käyttämään yrityksen työkaluja ja asiakastietoja. Kun pilvipalveluissa olevan tärkeän yritysdatan määrä kasvaa, myös palveluiden tietoturvavaatimukset kovenevat. Pilvipalveluiden tietoturvallisessa suunnittelussa tulee ottaa huomioon lukuisia erilaisia hyökkäysreittejä monella eri palvelun tasolla aina verkon rajapinnasta yksittäisten ohjelmistokomponenttien haavoittuvuuksiin. Yksi isoimmista hyökkäysvektoreista on myös reitti, joka on pakko jättää osittain avoimeksi palvelun varsinaisia käyttäjiä varten – autentikointi, eli käyttäjien todentaminen palveluun kirjautumisen yhteydessä. Diplomityön tavoitteena oli löytää tasapainokohta ja siihen vaikuttavat tekijät pilvipalveluiden käytettävyyden ja tietoturvan väliltä. Käyttäjän autentikoinnin tulee olla tarpeeksi tietoturvallinen, etteivät mahdolliset hyökkääjät pääsisi käsiksi järjestelmän arvokkaisiin dataan ja resursseihin. Samaan aikaan autentikoinnin tulee olla myös tarpeeksi käytettävää, jotta varsinaiset käyttäjät pääsevät palveluihinsa tehokkaasti ja ilman tarpeetonta turhautumista. Aihetta lähestytään kirjallisuuskatsauksella aihealueen keskeiseen tutkimukseen ja pilvipalveluihin sopivien autentikointimenetelmien kartoittamisella. Näiden lisäksi työssä suunniteltiin ja järjestettiin kuudelle osallistujalle käytettävyystesti, jossa mitattiin käyttäjien suhtautumista neljään erilaiseen autentikointimenetelmään ja niitä yhdistelevään monen menetelmän autentikointiin (multi-factor authentication). Samalla käyttäjiltä kartoitettiin puolistrukturoiduilla haastatteluilla erilaisia tekijöitä, jotka vaikuttavat heidän kokemaansa käytettävyyden ja tietoturvan tasapainoon. Tutkimuksessa tunnistettiin useita tapoja parantaa käytettävyyden ja tietoturvan tasapainoa yritysten pilvipalveluissa. Monen keskivahvan autentikointimenetelmän yhdistelmän havaittiin olevan käyttäjäystävällisempi kuin samaan tietoturvan tasoon yltävän yhden menetelmän vahvan autentikaation. Käyttäjien kouluttamisella ja tietoturvan tavoitteiden selkeällä kommunikaatiolla oli myös iso merkitys, etenkin epävirallisten, tietoturvaa heikentävien ”kiertoteiden” välttämisessä. Unohtuneiden käyttäjätunnusten uudelleenasettaminen on myös eräs usein liian vähälle huomiolle jäävä tekijä, jolla on iso vaikutus sekä järjestelmän käytettävyyteen että tietoturvaan.Increasing wave of cloud services is creating many new ways for remote workers, outsourcing partners and hackers to access the essential tools and business data of the cloud-enabled companies. As the amount of business critical data in the cloud services increase, so does the need for securing it. Securing a cloud service needs balanced defenses against many different attack vectors in various levels of the service, starting from the edges of the public network and continuing deep inside the individual design of the each software component of the cloud service. One of the biggest attack vectors is also the one route that has to be left open for the legitimate users to use the service – user authentication. The goal for this thesis was to find balance between making the user authentication in business cloud services secure enough and usable enough. Authentication has to be secure enough to prevent malicious attackers from gaining access to the valuable data and resources inside the service. At the same time it has still to be usable enough for the legitimate users to be able to access their cloud services without unnecessary frustration. The topic is approached through literature review of relevant research and relevant authentication methods. In addition, several (n=6) usability tests are performed in combination with half-structured interviews to evaluate the user preference in authentication method selection and the factors affecting the experienced balance of security and usability. In addition, the thesis evaluates other important factors, in addition to the authentication method itself, that are affecting the security – usability –balance of the entire authentication process. As a result the thesis presents several ways to improve the balance of usability and security in business cloud services. Multifactor authentication is observed to be more usable than equally secure single-factor authentication. Educating the users and communicating the security needs clearly helps to reduce the unsanctioned security “shortcuts” that reduce the overall security. Authentication resetting is often neglected, but really essential factor both as usability hindrance and possible attack vector