Cloud computing delivers virtualized resources. In previous chapter, it has been discussed how virtualization technology has revolutionized the computing environment. It is important to note that in reality the virtualized resources are effective representations of actual physical resources. Cloud data centers maintain a large pool of physical computing resources which is presented in virtual mode as infrastructure service. This chapter focuses on how those resource pools are organized in cloud data centers.
Resource sharing is another important feature of cloud computing. Any resource component from the pool of resources is not dedicatedly used to serve one particular user or application; rather they are shared among multiple users or applications. Through this increment in resource utilization rate, a comparatively smaller number of resources can serve a large number of users.
Resource pooling, virtualization and sharing of resources ultimately converge to produce the dynamic behaviour of cloud systems. Cloud supplies the resources dynamically to users. This dynamic resource provisioning eliminates the need of permanent procurement of computing resources. This turns out to be a very effective technique as application demands or loads during computation do not remain same over a period of time.
RESOURCE POOLING
The utility service model of cloud computing requires to maintain huge amount of all types of computing resources to provide different services to consumers. For this purpose, cloud service providers create pool of computing resources. Effective pooling or grouping of resources requires appropriate system designing and architectural planning.
Resource pooling in cloud needs setting up of strategies by provider for categorizing and managing resources. Before resource pooling concept appeared, earlier people used to maintain discrete and independent set of resources known as silos.
In traditional computing model, the silos are made with very little or no inter-connections. On the other hand in cloud computing, the consumers use well-connected pool of computing resources. They gain almost no knowledge or control over the locations from where physical resources are allotted to them. In its out-of-best scenario, the providers sometimes ask for choice of geographic location (country or continent) from where a consumer wants to get resources. But this choice is only possible in case of large service providers who have data centers at multiple geographic locations around the world.
Review the options below to login to check your access.
Log in with your Cambridge Higher Education account to check access.
If you believe you should have access to this content, please contact your institutional librarian or consult our FAQ page for further information about accessing our content.