Federated Cloud Resource Aggregation via Standardized Interfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cloud computing environments lack platforms that allow users to easily select and utilize computing resources from various marketplaces, as existing interfaces are esoteric and custom, making it difficult for users to distinguish between different service providers and access resources seamlessly.
Innovation Solution
A system of federation servers that register computing resource providers, offering Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service, and Software as a Service, with a network-enabled catalog that facilitates user access to computing resources across multiple providers, enabling on-demand computing requests and resource management through standardized interfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple cloud marketplaces with custom interfaces are used, then computing resource diversity is improved, but user accessibility and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The aggregation engine provides a universal interface that works across multiple cloud marketplaces, enabling users to access diverse computing resources through a single standardized entry point rather than requiring separate custom interfaces for each marketplace
Solution Approach 2:
The aggregation engine acts as an intermediary layer between users and multiple cloud marketplaces, translating user requests into marketplace-specific operations and presenting unified results, thereby hiding the complexity of individual marketplace interfaces from users
2Adaptability or versatility
If custom interfaces for each computing resource provider are implemented, then provider-specific service differentiation is improved, but system complexity and difficulty of operation worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the interface complexity from the service differentiation by segmenting functionality into two layers: a simplified user-facing aggregation layer and provider-specific backend layers that maintain their unique service characteristics without exposing complexity to users
Solution Approach 2:
The aggregation engine serves as an intermediary that preserves provider-specific service differentiation while shielding users from interface complexity, allowing each provider to maintain their unique service offerings through standardized communication protocols
3Adaptability or versatility
If federation servers aggregate resources from multiple marketplaces, then resource selection capability is improved, but communication overhead and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The federation servers merge resource catalogs from multiple marketplaces into unified views, allowing users to access aggregated resource information through single queries rather than contacting each marketplace separately, thereby reducing communication overhead despite increased system complexity
Data Source
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AI summary
Hardware and software are configured to select and provision computing resources from heterogeneous on-demand computing environments through the framework of a layered, federated on-demand computing ecology of computing resource providers, users, and federation servers. These pieces of hardware and software include a mechanism for defining and managing the life cycle of different resource types; a mechanism for extending document-centric protocols to support computing resources as first order objects; a mechanism for routing messages to computing resources; federation topologies; and a mechanism for federation servers to access and use computing resources from providers controlled by other federation servers.