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Community Cloud Architecture
A community cloud’s architecture is made up of numerous levels and parts, each of which has a specific purpose in the ecosystem.
Layer of Physical Infrastructure
Physical infrastructure, which consists of servers, storage systems, and networking hardware, is the cornerstone of any cloud. Organizations use network failover techniques and clustered servers to set up this infrastructure to support redundancy and high availability. Data and apps are always accessible and secure when cutting-edge security features like hardware encryption modules and secure boot are put in place.
Layer of Virtualization
The virtualization layer sits on top of the physical layer and abstracts physical resources to build containers and virtual machines (VMs). This layer makes it possible to isolate the environments of several organizations, manage workloads effectively, and allocate resources dynamically. Here, container systems like Docker and Kubernetes, as well as hypervisors like VMware ESXi and Microsoft Hyper-V, are often utilized technologies.
Application Platform Layer and Middleware
The runtime environment for apps and services is provided by the middleware and application platform layer. Middleware components connect applications and services via message brokers, integration services, and APIs. Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) technologies help companies design and implement apps.
Layer of Security and Compliance
In a shared setting like a community cloud, security is essential. Strong mechanisms are implemented by the security and compliance layer, such as:
- Management of identity and access (IAM): Regulates user permissions and authentication throughout the cloud environment. Existing directory services like Active Directory and LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol), which are programs used to manage user data and permissions, are frequently integrated with IAM systems.
- Services for encryption: Ensures secure connections by offering data encryption both in transit and at rest via protocols like TLS.
- SIEM stands for security information and event management: Allows for real-time threat identification and response by tracking and analyzing security events.
- Redundancy and duplication of data: Ensures high availability and dependability, protects against unanticipated events, and secures data by replicating it and applications across several safe locations.
- Compliance structures: Includes auditing and reporting tools together with policies and controls to comply with applicable regulations.
Layer of Management and Orchestration
Tools and interfaces for controlling the cloud environment are part of the management and orchestration layer:
- Platforms for cloud management (CMPs): Provide control panels and dashboards for automation, monitoring, and resource delivery.
- Services for orchestration: Utilize tools like as Ansible, Puppet, or Chef to automate the deployment and scaling of services and applications.
- Cost control and billing: Monitor resource utilization and distribute expenses among involved organizations according to established frameworks.
Layer of Networking
For networking layer security, performance, and isolation, sophisticated networking configurations are necessary:
- Software-defined networking (SDN): Administrators may swiftly modify network pathways, capacity, and segmentation in accordance with organizational requirements thanks to SDN’s ability to offer dynamic and centralized network setup.
- VPNs, or virtual private networks: VPNs create safe, encrypted connections between each company’s on-premises networks and the cloud environment. By constructing these virtual “tunnels,” VPNs guarantee that only authorized users may access particular cloud services and enable the safe transmission of critical data, even over public networks.
- Segmentation of a network: Each organization’s shared cloud environment is separated into smaller, separate network segments through network segmentation. By preventing data traffic from one organization from combining with that of another, this segmentation improves security and lowers the possibility of unwanted access.
- Load Balancers: Incoming network requests are uniformly distributed across several servers via load balancers, which prevent any one server from becoming overloaded. This distribution optimizes resource utilization, especially during high traffic, while increasing reaction times and system stability.
- IDS and firewalls: Firewalls control network traffic and protect the community cloud. Intrusion detection systems keep an eye on network activity for unusual activity or possible cyberattacks, which further improves security.