Page 957 - Cloud computing: From paradigm to operation

Monitoring 6

Figure 6-2 – Functional components of the cloud computing reference architecture

7 Monitoring parameters
Monitoring cloud resources and services is a key tool that helps cloud computing providers and consumers
in designing, building and improving a cloud system, eliminating performance bottlenecks and identifying
security flaws. Applications (e.g., streaming, web, indexing, compute and storage services) are distributed
across cloud layers including platform as a service (PaaS) and infrastructure as a service (IaaS). In
consequence, all parameters performed across all layers of the cloud stack need to be metered and
monitored. These include not only cloud resource and network access, but also deployed services and
applications.

7.1 Resource layer parameters

The resources layer is where the physical and virtual resources, as well as generic software, reside. This layer
includes equipment typically used in a data centre such as servers, networking switches and routers, storage
devices, in addition to the corresponding non-cloud specific software that runs on the servers and other
equipment such as host operating systems, hypervisors, device drivers and generic systems management
software.

7.1.1 Physical computing resources

Physical computing resources include any hardware within a computer system for running an operating
system and software. An IaaS administrator can add physical computing resources to or remove physical
computing resources from a virtual machine (VM).
In order to ensure that the deployed software and hardware resources run at the required level to satisfy the
service level agreement (SLA), a continuous physical resource monitoring process is desirable.

Processors, memory and disks are basic computing and storage resources. Monitoring these resources can
detect system failures or corruption before they become completely non-recoverable. So, monitoring
functions and status of these resources to ensure system availability benefits users.

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