Second International Symposium on Information Science and Engineering

Comparison of Several Cloud Computing Platforms

Junjie Peng Xuejun Zhang Zhou Lei, Bofeng Zhang, Wu Zhang, Qing Li
School of computer science & High Qinghua machinery factory at Changzhi School of computer science & High performance
performance computing center Changzhi, 046012 P.R China computing center
Shanghai University Shanghai University
Shanghai, 200072 P.R. China Shanghai, 200072 P.R. China

Abstract—Cloud computing is the development of parallel them and much save the cost to buy the physical resources that
computing, distributed computing and grid computing. It has may be vacant.
been one of the most hot research topics. Now many corporations Cloud computing can provide three kinds of service
have involved in the cloud computing related techniques and modes, including IaaS, PaaS and SaaS. Where SaaS means the
many cloud computing platforms have been put forward. This is
service provided to client is the applications running on the
a favorable situation to study and application of cloud computing
related techniques. Though interesting, there are also some cloud computing infrastructure provided by the service
problems for so many flatforms. For to a novice or user with little providers. It can access by thin client interfaces such as
knowledge about cloud computing, it is still very hard to make a bowser etc. PaaS refers to deploy the appplications created by
reasonable choice. What differences are there for different cloud the development language and tool say Java, python, .net etc.
computing platforms and what characteristics and advantages provided by the service providers to the cloud infrastructure.
each has? To answer these problems, the characteristics, IaaS refers to the services provided to the users is to lease the
architectures and applications of several popular cloud processing power, storage, network and other basic computing
computing platforms are analyzed and discussed in detail. From resources, with which users can deploy and run any software
the comparison of these platforms, users can better understand
including operating systems and applications. To all these
the different cloud platforms and more reasonablely choose what
they want. services, there is no need for users to manage or control the
cloud infrastructure, including network, server, operating
Keywords-cloud computing; virtualization; utility computing; system, storage and even the functions of applictions.
IaaS; PaaS; SaaS From the point of deployment, cloud computing platform
include three kinds, that is public cloud, private cloud and
I. INTRODUCTION hybrid cloud [1, 10]. Where private cloud means the cloud
infrastructure is owned or leased by only one organization,
Cloud computing is complete new technique put forward
and of course management of the infrastructure is also done by
from industry circle, it is the development of parallel
the same organization. Public cloud means that the cloud
computing, distributed computing and grid computing, and is
infrastructure is owned by a cloud service sales organization
the combination and evolution of virtualization, utility
who tries to sell cloud computing services to the public or
computing, Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-
industry circle. Hybrid cloud means that the cloud
Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) [1-8]. To
infrastructure consists of more than two kind of cloud say
users, cloud computing is a Pay-per-Use-On-Demand mode
private cloud and public cloud in which each kind of cloud
that can conveniently access shared IT resources through
keep independent, however they are combined with some
internet. Where the IT resources include network, server,
standards or special techniques and data and applications are
storage, application, service and so on and they can be
transplant.
deployed with much quick and easy manner, and least It is estimated that cloud computing will cause a new
management of and interactions with service providers [1, 9- revolution in IT circle. Foreseeing the huge business potential,
10]. Cloud computing can much improve the availability of IT many countries, governments and corporations have made their
resources and owns many advantages over other computing decisions to support and invest in cloud computing related
techniques. For example, it can provide self-help services techniques. For example, US government has prepared capital
without need any manual interactions with service providers. in some departments for the cloud computing pilot, and the
And all the resources on the cloud are transplant to the users, federal CIO has established cloud computing group and
that is, users can dynamically lease physical or virtual appointed cloud computing CTO. In UK, the digital British
resources and don’t need to know the exact places of the report published by national CIO mentioned that the
resources existed. Besides, all the resources on cloud government cloud G-cloud will appear soon. Early in the last
computing platform can be quickly and elastically deployed. year, Singapore had joined the cooperation project in cloud
Last but not least, as users can use the IT infrastructure with computing with Yahoo and Intel. India and South Korea have
Pay-per-Use-On-Demand mode, this would be much benefit also put forward their cloud computing development goal. As

This work is supported by Shanghai Leading Academic Discipline Project under

grant J50103, the innovation project of Shanghai University under grant A.10-0108-
08-901 and the research project of excellent young talents in the universities in
Shanghai under grant B.37-0108-08-002.

978-0-7695-3991-1/09 $26.00 © 2009 IEEE 23

DOI 10.1109/ISISE.2009.94
for industry, EC2 from Amazon [3], Azure from Microsoft [4], according to the rules of protocol. Besides, apply the
AppEngine from Google [5], Blue cloud from IBM and so on Abicloud, a whole cloud platform based on Abicloud can be
are all the cloud computing platforms in use, this is a early sign packed and redeployed at any other Abicloud platform. This is
that cloud computing will become the vice competition. No much helpful for the transformation of the working
willing to miss the chance, many other corporations and environment and will make the cloud deployment process
institutes are setting their own cloud computing plans. much easier and flexible. The architecture of Abicloud is
However, as there are many the cloud platfoms, each has its illustrated in figure 1.
own characteristics and advantages, how to make a reasonable It can easily figure out that Abicloud is built based on Java,
choice is a big issue. To this problem, a detailed introduction which set it irrelevant to the platform and easy to transplant.
and comparison of several popular cloud platforms is presented Actually, Abicloud can support many different virtual machine
in this paper. From the analysis and comparison, users will be platforms which include vBox, VMWare, Xen, KVM and so
more clear to make their decisions. on which make it very flexible.

II. ABICLOUD CLOUD COMPUTING PLATFORM III. EUCALYPTUS CLOUD PLATFORM

Abicloud is a cloud computing platform developed by Eucalyptus (Elastic Utility Computing Architecture for
Abiquo, a company locates in Barcelona Spain that is mainly LinkingYour Programs To Useful Systems) project began
focused on the development of cloud platform. It can be used from California University Santa Barbara, and mainly was
to build, integrate and manage public as well as private cloud used to build open-source private cloud platform [8]. Now it
in the homogeneous environments [2]. Using Abicloud, user has been run by Eucalyptus system company. Eucalyptus is an
can easily and automatically deploy and manage the server, open-source implementation of Amazon EC2 and compatible
storage system, network, virtual devices and applications and with business interfaces. It also implement virtualization
so on. The main difference between Abicloud and other cloud depending on Linux and Xen as EC2 does.
computing platforms is its powerful web-based management Eucalyptus is an elastic computing structure that can be
function and its core encapsulation manner. Using the used to connect the users' programms to the useful systems, it
Abicloud, user can finish deploying a new service by just is an open-source infrastructure using clusters or workstations
dragging a virtual machine with mouse. This is much easier implementation of elastic, utility, cloud computing and a
and flexible than other cloud computing platforms that deploy popular computing standard based on service level protocol
new services through command lines. that permit users lease network for computing capability.
According to Abicloud, there is no perfect cloud Currently, Eucalyptus is compatible with EC2 from Amazon,
platform. For each user needs his own cloud infrastructures, and may support more other kinds of clients with minimum
and every cloud provider has his own management tools, say modification and extension. Figure 2 demonstrates the
monitor, billing and so on, so generally it is very hard to topology structure of Eucalyptus resources.
deploy a cloud platform according to user’s requirement. The
best way to meet the requirement of users is to build public or
Client API
private cloud with homogeneous cloud computing core and
extensible infrastructures. Besides, the cloud platform should
also have all kinds of interfaces that support the third parties
Cloud controller
products. With all these characteristics, providers can build the
cloud computing platform of their owns.
Cluster controller Cluster controller Cluster controller

Node
controller

Figure 2 the resource topology structure of Eucalyptus

In figure 2, node controller is a component running on the

physical resources, on which all kinds of entities of virtual
" machine can run. It answers for the startup, check, shutdown
Figure1 The structure of AbiCloud platform and clearup of the virtual machines. Logic connected node
controllers form a virtual cluster, all nodes belong to the same
Abicloud can be used to deploy and implement private virtual cluster report to the cluster controller and are under the
cloud as well as hybrid cloud according to the cloud control and management of the cluster controller. Virtual
providers’ request and configuration. It can also manage EC2 cluster controller runs on the head node or server of the virtual
cluster, is used to access private or public network. Cloud

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controller is the core of the mangager of cloud platform, a in commandline manner. This is a bit complex as it includes
component answering for global decision-making which is scripts of some specific applications. Object pilot is a program
transplant to users. An Eucalyptus cloud has only one cloud that tries to submit tasks to the local website resource manager
controller. In Eucalyptus, client interface is the pass of to obtain virtual machine manager. Usually, the pilot module
communication and connection between the interior and the is an optional choice, and the service programs just manage
outside of Eucalyptus, through which users can access all kinds the nodes deployed by the pilot program instead of running it.
of resources on the cloud computing platform. Remote management interface is a kind of interior interface. It
permit implement the remote security protocol and
IV. NIMBUS CLOUD COMPUTING PLATFORM independently process and manage operations.
Nimbus is an open tool set, and also a cloud computing Context ageent module answer for support client and
solution providing IaaS. Put forward based on scientific coordinate manage the auto startup serivce of the large scale
research in the early stage, Nimbus have supported many non- clusters. Besides, it also provide personal virtual machine
scientific research domain applications [7]. It permit users services and can run both on nimbus cloud platform as well as
lease remote resources and build the required computing EC2 through the backend service of EC2.
environment through the deployment of virtual machines. EC2 gateway can provide many functions, for example,
Figure 3 demonstrates the Nimbus cloud computing platform. running the publich Amazon virtual machine image on the
Amazon cloud platform, checking the status of homogeneous
wireless sensor network, notice the user the public IP of virtual
machine through the characteristics of resources when it is
available and so on.

V. OPENNEBULA CLOUD COMPUTING PLATFORM

OpenNebula is one of the key technologies of reservior
plan and the flagship research project in virtualization
Figure 3 The structure of Nimbus cloud platform infrastructure and cloud computing of European Union. Like
nimbus, OpenNebula is also an open source cloud service
Figure 3 shows that nimbus cloud computing platform framework [6]. It allows user deploy and manage virtual
includes many different components, say client, agent, machines on physical resources and it can set user’s data
resource manager and so on. Generally, all these functional centers or clusters to flexible virtual infrastructure that can
components can be classified as three kinds. One kind is automatically adapt to the change of the service load. The
client-supported modules which are used to support all kinds main difference of OpenNebula and nimbus is that nimbus
of cloud clients. Context client module, cloud client module, implements remote interface based on EC2 or WSRF through
reference client module and EC2 client module are all belong which user can process all security related issues, while
to this kind of component. The second kind of component is OpenNebula does not.
mainly service-supported modules of cloud platform,
providing all kinds of cloud services. It includes context agent
module, web service resource framework module, EC2 WSDL
module and remote interface module. The third kind of
component is the backgroud resource management modules
which are mainly used to manage all kinds of pyhsical
resources on the cloud computing platform, including work
service management module, IaaS gateway module, EC2 and
other cloud platform support module, workspace pilot module,
workspace resource management module and workspace
controller. These components’ functions are briefed as follows:
Workspace service module is a independent virtual
machine manager and can access different kinds of remote
protocol. It is irrelevant to the content running on the system
while relevant to the Java application. The front of web Figure 4 The structure of OpenNebula cloud platform
service resource framework is the protocol before applications
implemented between workspace and client. The front of EC2 OpenNebula is also an open and flexible virtual
is an implementation of web service decription language infrastructure management tool, which can use to synchronize
(WSDL) fro Amzon’s elastic cloud computing platform, it the storage, network and virtual techniques, and let users
permit users to develop EC2 not just nimbus cloud only. dynamically deploy services on the distributed infrastructure
Cloud client module permit user run the requirement he want according to the allocation strategies at data center and remote
by very simple click operation. Reference client module is try cloud reources. Through the interior interfaces and
to present the user all the characteristics of the front of WSRF OpenNebula data center environment, users can easily deploy

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any types of clouds. OpenNebula is mainly used to manage the all scalable, all provide IaaS, all support dynamic deployment
data center of private cloud and infrastructure of cluster, and it of the platform, all support Xen virtualization technology, and
also support hybrid cloud to connect the local and public all support linux operation system and the development of
infrastructure. This is very useful to build high scalable cloud application with Java. However, there are also many
computing environment. Besides, OpenNebula also supports differences, say their network interfaces, structure and
public cloud platform by providing interfaces and functions to reliability and so on. Generally, each cloud platform has its
virtual machines, storage and network management and so on. own advantages over others. For example, from the point of
Through the control interfaces, users can access services cloud platform deployment, Abicloud stands out. As this cloud
provided by OpenNebula cloud computing platform. The platform can be deployed with mouse under graphic user
structure of OpenNebula is illustrated in figure 4. interfaces compared others with commandline. This will be
OpenNebula cloud computing platform has many much simple to users and decrease the effort of the platform
advantages. Firstly, from the point of infrastructure deployment. From the point of reliablity, OpenNebula is more
management, it can dynamically adjust the scale of the mature. For it has considered rollback and fault tolerance
infrastructure of the cloud platform by increasing the number meachanisms in the cloud implementation while others do not.
of hosts and partition clusters to meet different requirements.
Secondly, it can centralized manage all the virtually and Table 1 The comparison of several cloud computing platforms
physically distributed infrastructures and
can create infrastructure with the Abicloud Eucalyptus Nimbus OpenNebula
cloud
heterogeneous resources at data ceneter. character
publich/private public public private

This can guarantee use the resources more scalability scalable scalable scalable Dynamical, scalable
cloud form IaaS IaaS IaaS IaaS
efficiently and can much reduce the number support EC2,
compatibility Not support EC2 support EC2 open, multi-platform
of the physical resources through the close S3
dynamical dynamical dynamical
integration of servers which further reduce deployment pack and redeploy
deployment deployment deploymentt
the cost caused by space-saving, deployment web interface
commandline commandline commandline
manner drag
management, energy consumption, cooling Transplant-
easy common common common
and so on. What’s more, integration of the ability
VirtualBox, Xen, VMWare, Xen,
local resources as well as remote ones can VM support
VMware，VM KVM
Xen Xen, VMWare

get rid of the extra cost to meet the peak web interface libvirt Web Service
EC2 WSDL, libvirt, EC2, OCCI
WSRF API
requirements. From the point of structure
open platform
module
Lightweight
module
infrastructure users, OpenNebula is scalable encapsulate core components
rollback host and
reliability - - -
and can rapid response to user’s VM
OS support Linux Linux Linux Linux
requirements. From the point of system development ruby, C++,
Java Java, Python Java
integrators, users can deploy any kind of language python
cloud and integrate the visual data center
and products or services in the management
tools say cloud providers, virtual machine
managers, virtual image managers, service VII. CONCLUSIONS
managers, management tools and so on. As
Cloud computing is a new technology widely studied in
OpenNebula is an open source, flexible cloud with extensible
recent years. Now there are many cloud platforms both in
interfaces, structure and components. This makes it suit be
industry and in academic circle. How to understand and use
used in any kinds of data center.
these platforms is a big issue. Focused on the aspects such as
Compared with Eucalyptus, OpenNebula is more strength
the architectures, characteristics, application and so on, a
in the support of private cloud platform and dynamic
management of the scalability of the virtual machines on detailed comparison has been presented in this paper. From
clusters. To hybrid cloud, it provide on-demand access and the anlysis and summarization, users can better understand the
characteristics and better choose of cloud computing platforms
elastic mechanisms as Amazon EC2 does.
according to the cloud types, interfaces, compatibility,
implementation, deployment requirement, and development
VI. COMPARISON OF CLOUD PLATFORMS support and so on. Though each cloud computing platform has
Currently, there are kinds of cloud computing platforms, its own strength, one thing should be noticed is that no matter
each has its own characteristics and advantages. To better what kind of platform there is lots unsoloved issues. For
understand these platforms, we analyze in detail and give a example, continuously high availability, dealt mechanisms of
comparison from different implementation aspects. The cluster failure in cloud environment, consistency guaranty,
characteristics and implementation of these platforms are synchronization in different clusters in cloud platform, inter-
summarized as table 1 shows. operation and standarization, the security of cloud platform
From table 1, it can figure out that though the
implementation of these cloud platforms are quite different,
there are much common between them. For example, they are

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and data in transmission and so on are all among the issue to [6] Open Nebula. http://www.opennebula.org.
be better solved. [7] Nimbus. http://workspace.globus.org.
[8] http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Cloud-Computing/Eucalyptus-Offers-
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