CIRI ICT laboratories have developed an innovative distributed Private Cloud Computing platform based on open-source software, as a valid alternative to expensive industrial solutions available on the market typically targeted to large size enterprises. The platform integrates processing, storage, and network resources, even in remote locations, through a unified management system. The platform is based on open-source software (OpenStack, Open vSwitch, Apache Web server, Collectd) jointly with an innovative middleware solution, which supports efficient management of two types of network services - Web server and Dropbox-like network storage - providing automatic scale-out and failover mechanisms to reduce service downtime in case of failures and to promptly manage unforeseen load increases.
Applications and services for cloud computing
The developed platform is at the forefront of Private Cloud Computing, not only providing a general-purpose tool for automatic and integrated management of machines and virtual networks, but also specific examples of case histories relating to widespread services such as Web server and Dropbox-like storage, entirely managed within businesses' private networks.
The developed platform should be considered as a starting point, eventually to be extended and customised to meet specific company requirements. In fact, our main mission is to support businesses in the challenging process of migrating towards Cloud Computing solutions, not only by advising the implementation of best technological solutions related to the company's specific characteristics, but also and more importantly by enhancing its know-how to increase its maturity and competitiveness in a continuously evolving market.
Automatic Scale-out in the event of traffic burst
Creation of distributed Private Clouds (multi-location deployment)
The developed prototype allows to easily set up and manage distributed Private Cloud scenarios. The application has been specifically designed to support advanced functionalities for businesses with a high number of geographically remote locations, each one with independent computational and storage resources. Adopting the proposed solution, these resources may be virtualised and dynamically integrated within a single cloud platform, suitably and jointly managing them. For example, high reliability levels can be obtained by automatically replicating data stored in distant geographic locations, to assure availability of information even in case of issues that make part of the company's IT infrastructure unreachable. Furthermore, software services can be relocated in a simple and automatic manner, eg, migrating Web servers in locations geographically close to users, thus minimising perceived latency and improving the user experience. To fruitfully adopt Cloud Computing solutions it is required to perform a thorough functional analysis of services delivered by the company (about 2 man months). Then, the best solution is recommended based on specific characteristics of the analysed company (either Private/Public Cloud, open-source/proprietary) and a development plan is proposed (1 man month). Finally, the solution opted for is actually implemented (3-15 man months).
Telecom Italia
CIRI-ICT is seeking corporate partners for experimentation of the developed middleware, to assess the ease of management of distributed Private Cloud scenarios in the field.
Automatic Failover in the event of node failure