Distributed Cloud Computing via Consumer Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional cloud-based computing and storage systems face high costs for infrastructure setup and maintenance, and are susceptible to service outages affecting multiple users, leading to financial losses.
Innovation Solution
A method and system utilizing consumer electronic devices connected via a Wide Area Network (WAN) to provide processing and storage resources, allowing tasks to be executed on these devices, with resource allocation and logging for billing purposes, reducing the need for centralized data centers and enhancing redundancy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If centralized data centers are used for cloud computing services, then service reliability is improved through isolation of availability zones, but infrastructure costs and operational expenses increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the cloud computing infrastructure by distributing virtual machine instances across multiple geographically dispersed consumer electronic devices instead of concentrating them in centralized data centers. Each device operates as an independent node, providing segmentation that maintains reliability through geographic distribution while eliminating the high operational costs associated with centralized infrastructure including power, cooling, and physical security.
Solution Approach 2:
Consumer electronic devices in the network automatically contribute their idle computing resources to the cloud service without requiring dedicated infrastructure. The devices self-manage their participation in the distributed network, dynamically allocating their own processing power, storage, and bandwidth resources to host virtual machine instances when not being used for their primary consumer functions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple centralized data centers are distributed globally, then service availability is improved through redundancy, but the complexity of managing and coordinating these centers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs a universal control plane that manages diverse consumer electronic devices with different hardware capabilities through a standardized interface. This universal management layer abstracts the heterogeneity of underlying devices, allowing the system to provide service availability across multiple geographic locations without increasing management complexity, as the same control mechanisms apply regardless of device type or location.
Solution Approach 2:
A centralized control plane acts as an intermediary between users and the distributed consumer electronic devices. This mediator handles task allocation, resource management, and coordination across the distributed network, simplifying the complexity by providing a single point of control that manages all the distributed nodes without requiring users to directly interact with the underlying device diversity.
3Loss of energy
If consumer electronic devices are used to provide cloud services, then infrastructure costs are reduced by leveraging existing devices, but the security and reliability of executing tasks on unsecured locations becomes a concern
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements preliminary security measures by establishing encrypted communication channels and authenticated access controls before tasks are executed on consumer devices. Virtualization isolation is configured in advance to separate task execution environments from the host device's personal data and applications, preventing potential security breaches from affecting either the consumer device or other network nodes.
Solution Approach 2:
The architecture provides beforehand cushioning through virtualization layers that act as protective buffers between the untrusted consumer device environment and the actual task execution. Containerization and sandboxing techniques are deployed in advance to contain potential security threats, ensuring that even if a device is compromised, the impact is isolated and cannot propagate to other nodes or access sensitive data.
Data Source
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AI summary
In accordance with a method a plurality of subscriber systems are provided, the systems being coupled via a Wide Area Network (WAN) and comprising a first subscriber system. The first subscriber system has processing and non-volatile storage and is suitably programmed for providing a subscriber service to a first subscriber. The first system is disposed in an unsecured location, which is associated with the first subscriber. Subsequently, the subscriber service is provided to the first subscriber. Separately, a task is provided to the first subscriber system via the WAN and is executed on the first subscriber system. An activity record for the execution of the task is logged, based on an amount of at least one of the processing and the non-volatile storage consumed on the first subscriber system during execution of the task.