Question 18/13 - Cloud functional architecture, infrastructure and networking
(Continuation of Question 27/13)
Motivation
Cloud computing is a model for enabling service user’s ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services), that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. The cloud computing model is composed of five essential characteristics (on-demand, delivery over a broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity, self and measured services), five cloud computing service categories, i.e., Software as a Service (SaaS), Communication as a Service (CaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Network as a Service (NaaS), and different deployment models (public, private, hybrid…).
Telecommunication players have an important role to play in the emerging cloud computing market and ecosystem. The telecommunication network is a central part for multi-tenant cloud computing architecture delivering multi-services for multi-users with QoS and optimal resource utilizations.
The standard of a cloud computing reference architecture is necessary to allow for design, build and run of cloud services and resources, and to avoid vertical vendor solutions lock-in (services, platform and infrastructure).
A cloud computing infrastructure includes servers, storages, networks, and other hardware appliances. It is the basis of a "cloud", which provides computing capability, storage capability and network capability, and provides relevant cross layer supporting functions to support the upper layer cloud computing services as well.
Cloud networking aspects are also important to be considered in order to support elastic resource allocation for different cloud computing deployment models (e.g., flexible bandwidth, Layer 2 and Layer 3 virtual private networks, end-to-end QoS), to provide network services (Layer 4 to Layer 7) to meet on demand cloud computing services as well as virtualization-aware cloud computing networks to guarantee flexible network configurations for better service quality.
The primary focus of this Question is to provide the overall cloud computing architecture, cloud computing infrastructure and cloud networking views related to the integration and support of the cloud computing model and technologies in telecommunication ecosystems. Security is a transversal aspect of the cloud computing architecture. The Question needs to study the requirements for cloud computing from the perspective of security and identity management. The Question also needs to delve into details of security requirements for various layers and components specified in the reference architecture, as well as the interactions between those roles, layers and components, from the security and identity management perspective.
This Question is intended to develop new Recommendations for:
Question
Study items to be considered include:
What new Recommendations should be developed regarding the cloud computing reference architecture, including the specification of corresponding functional requirements, and the definition of functions and their inter relations?
What new Recommendations should be developed regarding the infrastructure and networking aspects of cloud computing?
What collaboration is necessary to minimize duplication of efforts with other SDOs?
Tasks
Tasks include, but are not limited to:
Developing Recommendations for cloud computing reference architecture (including inter-cloud), covering the identification of architectural requirements, functions, and their inter-relation required to provide cloud services.
Developing Recommendations for cloud computing infrastructure and networking aspects, covering the identification of functional requirements and functions for computing, storage and networking (intra-cloud network, inter-cloud network and core transport) capabilities.
Providing the necessary collaboration with external SDOs, consortia and forums working on cloud computing architectures and infrastructures, such as ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 38, NIST, DMTF and GICTF.
Relationships
Questions:
Study groups:
Standardization bodies, forums and consortia:
ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 38
IETF
IEEE
ETSI
ATIS
Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF)
Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA)
Global Inter-Cloud Technology
