Cloud Management

Cloud management in cloud computing is a process of managing the cloud resources to maintain the quality of cloud services QoS. Especially cloud computing is gaining worldwide acceptance among users. Thus, there emerges a need for its management. So, management ensures the proper functioning of cloud services.

Cloud management involves the management of two cloud resources:

1. Management of cloud infrastructure
2. Management of cloud applications

Firstly, managing cloud infrastructure involves managing the cloud resources. Secondly, managing cloud applications involve software required for monitoring the cloud applications.

In this context, we will discuss important cloud management issues. Also, how the current cloud scenario can be managed?

Content: Cloud Management in Cloud Computing

1. What is Cloud Management?
2. Why is Cloud Management Important?
3. How Does Cloud Management Work?
4. Cloud Management Strategies
5. What is a Cloud Management Platform?

What is Cloud Management?

Cloud management in cloud computing describes how the cloud service providers handle the cloud management issues in the current cloud scenario. It incorporates tools and strategies that manage private, public or hybrid cloud infrastructure.

Particularly, cloud management includes the management of cloud infrastructure and cloud applications. Likewise, the management companies require software that governs and manages the cloud services to ensure that they are running optimally.

It includes software such as:

• Cloud operating system – Act as an interface between the cloud resources and users.
• Management software – Manages cloud resources.

This software is responsible for functions like:

• Resource management – Scheduling, provisioning, etc.
• Optimization – Server consolidation, storage workload consolidation.
• Internal cloud governance.

Cloud management offers a portal or interface to its customers for which it provides:

• User authentication
• Encryption
• Budget management on behalf of various enterprises.

One of such cloud management interfaces is enStratus Enterprise Cloud Management Solution. However, the enterprise provides the pro­visioning, management, and automation of applications in major private and public clouds.

The cloud management interface/platform must take special care of the security against the attacker. Undoubtedly, if an attacker gains access to these management platforms, the result can be drastic.

How Does Cloud Management Work?

We have already learned that the cloud management team has to focus on two factors:

1. Cloud Infrastructure
2. Cloud Applications

Managing Cloud Infrastructure

Every computing solution needs an infrastructure to run. As well as, the quality of services provided by the cloud depends on its infrastructure. Thus, its management becomes more important. In case the infrastructure is not managed properly, it would adversely affect the QoS.

The cloud infrastructure consists of a lot of resources that make the infrastructure a complex system. However, the cloud service providers are responsible for managing these resources. However, it is the core software, i.e. cloud OS, that manages resources such as:

• Resource scheduling
• Resource provisioning
• Load balancing

Several users around the world share these cloud resources. So, cloud management has to be proper. Else, it would result in poor performance of the cloud. It will also affect the functionality of the cloud and also affect its cost.

Before using the cloud services, the user makes SLA (service level agreement) with the service providers. This SLA is satisfied only if the performance of the cloud is good.

Now the promised functionality of the cloud should be provided at any cost. Otherwise, the whole purpose of maintaining the cloud is useless. Even if the could provider is providing half of the functionality, it does not satisfy SLA.

Last is cost; it is the main constituent behind the development of the cloud. Undeniably, the main reason for worldwide acceptance of the cloud is its low cost. Now, if the cloud service providers incur less cost for managing the cloud, it would be successful in making a strong user base.

Managing Cloud Applications

Many companies are moving their applications to the cloud platform to globalise their businesses. Moving the application to the cloud even increases its complexity. Thus there emerges a need for the management of cloud applications.

Managing the applications over the cloud requires:

• Examination of the infrastructure where the application will run.
• The services that the application will consume
• Updation of the application.

The cloud application management addresses all the above requirements. The application management has to be further supported with the tools and processes required for managing the other environment that coexists with the cloud.

Cloud Management Strategies

Strategies of cloud management include a plan of action designed to achieve successful cloud management. So, the strategies include:

1. Regular monitoring
2. Auditing services
3. Initiating and managing the plans for disaster recovery.

In addition to proper use of software and technologies, the management companies should have competent IT staff in place.

1. Regular Monitoring
   The IT staff has to regularly monitor and manage the operational workflow of the cloud infrastructure. The monitoring can either be manual monitoring, or it may be automated.
2. Auditing Services
   The companies perform a thorough investigation to assess and document the details of their cloud provider’s performance. However, the company analyzes how its cloud vendor is doing in providing the best cloud services.
   However, it is the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) that guides the companies and provides them with the audit document and controls used for examining the cloud vendor.
3. Managing Plans for Disaster Recovery
   Disaster recovery refers to methods that include both preparing for and recovering from a disaster. Although, companies prepare for disaster by creating a robust backup system, using multiple servers belonging to different regions for data redundancy.

What is a Cloud Management Platform?

A Cloud management platform (CMP) allows you to manage all cloud operations from an individual location. CMP is a suite of software used by companies to monitor and control cloud resources.

CMP software manages the multi-cloud services and resources that help the companies with:

• Governance
• Lifecycle management
• Automation of monitoring cloud resources
• Processes and tools required for interacting with cloud services

Particularly, the top cloud management platform in today’s scenario is:

• BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management
• Cisco CloudCenter
• Embotics
• Flexera Rightscale
• Hypergrid
• Morpheus Data
• Red Hat CloudForms
• Scalr
• VMware CloudHealth

This is all about cloud management in cloud computing which is a service offered by cloud platforms to control and manage cloud resources. So that QoS of cloud services could be maintained. Undeniably the worldwide acceptance of cloud computing has leveraged the requirement of cloud management.