The three-dimensional model for dependability integration in cloud computing

Abstract

Dependability is one of the highly crucial issues in cloud computing environments given the serious impact of failures on user experience. Cloud computing is a complex system based on virtualization and large scalability, which makes it a frequent place for failure. In order to fight against failures in a cloud, we assure dependability differently from the common way where the focus of fault management is on the Infrastructure as a Service and on the cloud provider side only. We propose a model that integrates dependability with respect to three dimensions according to The Open Group Architecture Framework principles. These dimensions involve various cloud actors (consumer, provider, and broker). They take into consideration the interdependency between the cloud service models (Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service, and Software as a Service) and the different architecture levels (contextual, design, logical, procedural, and operations). DMD proves an enhancement of dependability attributes compared to classically designed and executed cloud systems.