Monthly Archive for April, 2010

Networking technologies in Cloud Computing

By Olafur Ingthorsson on April 30, 2010 in Cloud Networking. 1 Comment

Recently, I participated in a research study under the auspices of Eurescom, working with research colleagues from Telenor, PT Inovacao (Portugal Telecom – Innovation) and Orange Labs (France Telecom). Our objective was to analyse Cloud Computing as both a technology concept and service delivery model, especially from its networking perspective, and its implications for telcos in general. We studied the current and promising networking technologies used in the Cloud, internally and externally, including WAN technologies and Data Center interconnections.

Long-distance interconnections (WAN and MAN) between data centers are obviously based on IP standards (over ATM, Ethernet, SONET/SDH) and, more recently, on MPLS with QoS and native interconnection capabilities. For high bandwidth and ultra-low latency, DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing) appears to be very promising as a future high-performance WAN transport technology – mainly due to its capabilities of multiplexing multiple optical signals and being protocol and bit-rate independent (agnostic). Further on the horizon, new WAN networking technologies are still on the research stage, including the concept of Lambda networking that promises low-cost, high-capacity circuits in long-haul and metro systems.

Inside data centers , however, where network servers, storage systems and network nodes/elements are interconnected, three LAN networking technologies are prevailing:

Where, currently, Ethernet is the most frequently used. An important trend today is to deploy 10 Gb Ethernet (10GBE) equipment and networks – extending Ethernet’s capacity and support for more traffic patterns. FiberChannel is mostly used in scientific computing and storage area networks (SAN) whereas InifiBand is almost exclusively deployed in scientific and engineering simulation networks, e.g. using clustered servers.

Obviously, there are even more networking technologies and protocols available for supporting the delivery of Cloud services. This is an ever-emerging ecosystem of new innovations and improvements that will continue to evolve in multiple directions. For the Cloud vendor or service provider, it is, however, necessary to understand the strengths and weaknesses of individual networking technologies and how they most effectively can be applied in their current surroundings or technical infrastructure, whether that is inside a data center or in the transport sphere.

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Network bottlenecks in Cloud Computing

By Olafur Ingthorsson on April 26, 2010 in Cloud Networking. 0 Comments

Many enterprises are understandably reluctant in moving their core applications to the cloud, primarily due to security issues but also due, perhaps equally, to concerns of poor network performance. According to a recent report from the Yankee Group, many thought leaders, including Trend Micro, Cisco and CSL, say the issue of latency and poor performance is, at least temporarily, hindering the adoption of cloud computing.

This is not surprising. Quality of service delivery in the Cloud is intrinsically integrated with the network, its infrastructure and capacity. As migration to the Cloud continues, network operators face increasing challenges of upgrading the network infrastructure. This includes fixed infrastructure, including last-mile and first-mile as well as mobile networks like 3G and 4G. Many operators are already challenged with current unsatisfactory ROI – mainly due to flat pricing structures and “all-you-can-eat” data packages. How operators can justify increased investments in network infrastructure without changing pricing models remains difficult to see – unless they are, perhaps, also the Cloud provider themselves.

This is in fact the strategy Google seems to be pursuing by gradually increasing their network infrastructure possession. The latest example is their intention to connect up to 500.000 homes with 100Mbps fiber optic broadband connections (fiber-to-the-home), directly competing with the traditional telecom networks providers like Verizon. AT&T and Comcast. Google wants to provide rich Internet applications directly to the user – from the Cloud – eliminating network latency bottlenecks as much as possible. This probably includes bandwidth hungry high-def video applications, VoIP (Voice-Over-IP) and, of course, virtualized desktops a.l.a Google Chrome OS, where the desktop is actually being transferred to the Cloud and run from a lightweight network operating system (e.g. Chome OS). Google clearly foresees that all, or most, application will be run from the Cloud. Most likely, in my opinion, their vision will materialize in the coming years.

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Cloud computing – top threats

By Olafur Ingthorsson on April 14, 2010 in Cloud Security. 0 Comments

Last month, The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) published a short security guidance paper with an interesting overview of the top 7 threats to Cloud Computing (version 1.0) – according to their analysis. The paper can be used as a simple guideline for addressing, and perhaps checking off, all the major security concerns associated with implementing cloud computing and its different service modes.

Cloud Computing: Security Threats

This is important especially as people often lack an overview of all the potential security vulnerabilities associated with cloud computing. As pointed out in the paper, it is seen as a companion to the much more detailed “Security Guidance for Critical Areas in Cloud Computing” from the SCA (version 2.1 issued in Dec. 2009). The paper includes the top 7 following threats that need to be addressed – in accordance with the type of cloud computing adoption, i.e. “IaaS”, “PaaS”, “SaaS”:

#1: Abuse and Nefarious Use of Cloud Computing (IaaS, PaaS)
#2: Insecure Interfaces and APIs (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS)
#3: Malicious insiders (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS)
#4: Shared Technology Issues (IaaS)
#5: Data Loss or Leakage (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS)
#6: Account or Service Hijacking (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS)
#7: Unknown Risk Profile (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS)

The threats are equally important – and should reflect the critical threat concerns in Cloud Computing that organizations experience during their adoption processes. The CSA short paper was influenced by a more detailed European research paper produced by ENISA (European Network and Information Security Agency) called “Cloud Computing: Benefits, Risks and Recommendations for Information Society“, published in Nov. 2009.

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