CLOUD AND STORAGE FOR CLOUD COMPUTING [4]

Figure 4: The Cloud Storage Reference Model

CDMI provides not only a data object interface with CRUD semantics; it also can be used to manage containers exported for use by cloud computing infrastructures as shown above in Figure 4.

CDMI for Cloud Computing

With a common cloud computing management infrastructure

Using CDMI and OCCI for a Cloud Computing Infrastructure

CDMI Containers are accessible not only via CDMI as a data path, but other protocols as well. This is especially useful for using CDMI as the storage interface for a cloud computing environment as shown in Figure 5 below:

Figure 5: CDMI and OCCI in an integrated cloud computing environment

The exported CDMI containers can be used by the Virtual Machines in the Cloud Computing environment as virtual disks on each guest as shown. With the internal knowledge of the network and the Virtual Machine, the cloud infrastructure management application can attach exported CDMI containers to the Virtual Machines.

How it works

The cloud computing infrastructure management shown above supports both OCCI and CDMI interfaces. To achieve interoperably, CDMI provides a type of export that contains information obtained via the OCCI interface. In addition, OCCI provides a type of storage that corresponds to exported CDMI containers.

OCCI and CDMI can achieve interoperability initiating storage export configurations from either OCCI or CDMI interfaces as starting points. Although the outcome is the same, there are differences between the procedures using CDMI’s interface over the OCCI’s as a starting point. Below, we present examples of interoperability initiating storage export from both CDMI and OCCI approaches

A client of both interfaces would perform the following operations as an example:

The Client creates a CDMI Container through the CDMI interface and exports it as an OCCI export type. The CDMI Container ObjectID is returned as a result. 

The Client then creates a Virtual Machine through the OCCI interface and attaches a storage volume of type CDMI using the ObjectID. The OCCI Virtual Machine ID is returned as a result.

The Client then updates the CDMI Container object export information with the OCCI Virtual Machine ID to allow the Virtual Machine access to the container.

The Client then starts the Virtual Machine through the OCCI interface.

Standards Coordination

As can be seen above OCCI and CDMI are standards working towards interoperable cloud computing and cloud storage. The standards are being coordinated through an alliance between the OGF and the SNIA as well as through a cross-SDO cloud standards collaboration group at http://cloud-standards.org. OCCI will take advantage of the storage that CDMI has provisioned and configured. Since both interfaces use similar principles and technologies, it is likely that a single client could manage both the computing and storage needs of an application, scaling both to meet the demands placed on them.

About the SNIA

The Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) is a not-for-profit global organization, made up of some 400 member companies spanning virtually the entire storage industry. SNIA’s mission is to lead the storage industry worldwide in developing and promoting standards, technologies, and educational services to empower organizations in the management of information. To this end, the SNIA is uniquely committed to delivering standards, education, and services that will propel open storage networking solutions into the broader market. For additional information, visit the SNIA web site at www.snia.org.

About Open Grid Forum:

OGF is the premier world-wide community for the development and adoption of best practices and standards for applied distributed computing technologies. OGF's open forum and process enable communities of users,

Cloud Storage for Cloud Computing

infrastructure providers, and software developers from around the globe in research, business and government to work together on key issues and promote interoperable solutions.

http://www.ogf.org