Ales Komarek

OpenSource Automation in Cloud Computing

This chapter covers basic OpenSource automation and configuration management tools that can be used to alleviate common operations tasks and processes in cloud systems. It shows a quick survey of major cloud computing solutions and introduces simple abstraction layer for the management of physical and virtual resources. The last chapter covers some of the common automation scenarios from both cloud computing provider and consumer perspectives and their possible open-source implementations.

Gateway redundancy protocols

This paper covers how to increase the availability of data networks. Issue of high available services is very actual today. Redundancy is usually solved by the Spanning Tree Protocol on the 2nd layer of ISO/OSI model. This paper is dedicated to redundancy on 3rd layer of ISO/OSI model. The goal of paper is to explore possible solutions for the default gateway redundancy to increase availability of external networks. The survey is focused on FHRP (First Hop Redundancy Protocol) protocols, description of their functionality, network communication, and basic configuration. Next aim of the paper is comparison of these protocols and real time measurements of protocol performance. Outcome of the paper is functional description of HSRP, VRRP and GLBP protocols. Meaning of parameters in communication messages of HSRP and VRRP protocols is explained further. Paper contains basic configuration for every protocol with brief explanation of configuration commands. Measurements delay of choosing new active gateway has been performed on physical topology with physical devices. Latest version of FHRP was used during these measurements. The measured results indicate that performance of tested FHRP protocols is almost equivalent.

Security information and event management in the cloud computing infrastructure

Security of information systems is a current topic. In the case of cloud environment it is even a critical factor. In large environments like the cloud computing systems, it can be difficult to maintain a comprehensive view of the safety of the individual elements. For this reason, the utilization of technology that would allow central monitoring and that would help to maintain this awareness. Such technology is precisely Security Information and Event Management (SIEM). The main objective of this paper is to analyze the possibilities and approaches of SIEM in terms of technical requirements, logic and legal framework of the Czech Republic. On the analytical basis, the framework, which is bounding the utilization of SIEM in a cloud computing environment is proposed.

Enterprise ICT Transformation to Agile Environment

This paper describes how modern configuration management tools change the rate of change of enterprise processes. Enterprise rely on standard frameworks like ITIL, TOGAF or COBIT to cope with change. These frameworks define process flows how to model, deploy and run complex systems in predictable way. Using these frameworks enterprise can archive predictable outcomes in given time. The speed of required changes has grown and traditional configuration tools like IBM Tivoli Configuration and Change Management Database and IBM SmartCloud Control Desk soft cannot cope.

Network Visualization Survey

This paper compares modern approaches to draw complex graph data that create create compelling visualizations. Graphs are used to represent more and more complex systems that are used across various scientific domains. Some graph visualizations are used to model network topologies or service architectures in information service fields, model genomes in biomedicine or complex molecules in chemistry. Visualizations of graph data play important role in interpreting the meaning of graphed data. The adage “A picture is worth a thousand words” generally refers to the notion that a complex idea can be conveyed with just a single still image and that is actually the main reason for creating visualisations of any kind. Graph drawings from all domains follow the same rules covered by the graph theory. This work outlines different layout strategies used for drawing graph data. Tested graph drawing layouts are compared by standard quality measures to determine their suitability for various areas of usage.

High Level Models for IaaS Cloud Architectures

This paper explains how ontology can be used to model various IaaS architectures. OpenStack is the largest open source cloud computing IaaS platform. It has been gaining wide spread popularity among users as well as software and hardware vendors over past few years. It’s a very flexible system that can support a wide range of virtualization scenarios at scale. In our work we propose a formalization of OpenStack architectural model that can be automatically validated and provide suitable meta-data to configuration management tools. The OWL-DL based ontology defines service components and their relations and provides foundation for further reasoning. Model defined architectures can support simple all-in-one architecture as as well as large architectures with clustered service components to achieve High Availability.

Hardware Layer of Ambient Intelligence Environment Implementation

Ambient Intelligence is growing phenomena caused by advances of speed and size of computational hardware. It is possible to collect data from various sensors, devices or services and react to evaluated event and start the predefined process. These systems are closely connected with Cloud based services as they provide publicly available interface for management and visualization, computational and storage capabilities for forecasts and other advanced data processing to create ambient intelligence environment. The true ambient environments react to the presence of people and the sensors and actuators have become part of the environment.

VNF Orchestration and Modeling with ETSI MANO Compliant Frameworks

The goal of this paper is to compare existing NFV (Network Function Virtualization) management solutions and propose SaltStack based solution with the same goal. Modern approach to govern NFV automation in large scale IT infrastructures is done by virtualization of various network services. Hardware networking devices are gradually replaced by virtual network appliances for the lower acquisition and maintenance costs. Vendors virtualize their physical products so they can be used along or within cloud environments. The ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) standard MANO (NFV Management and Organization) aims to unify the management of physical and virtual network services and devices to single point of control for configuration and management.

Orchestration and Automation of NVF

This paper explains how to handle automation of Network Function Virtualization. There is an increase of popularity of moving out from legacy hardware networking devices to virtual network appliances. Vendor’s goal is to virtualize their physical products so these products can be used in cloud environments. There are also community projects like OPNFV. In our work we propose to way how to automatically orchestrate these Network Function Virtualization devices.

Metric Based Cloud Infrastructure Monitoring

Goal of the paper is to design dynamic, model-driven solution for agile service and network monitoring based on metrics suitable for managing large infrastructures and clustered applications in baremetal or cloud environments. The solution uses decetralised model where each node computes its states and passes the results to upper level cluster monitoring services. This is opposite approach than traditional monitoring where all logic is stored on central monitoring node or cluster of nodes.