Improving IT Service Management Architecture in Cloud Environment on Top of

Current Frameworks

Fatemeh Arabalidousti 1 and Ramin Nasiri

2

1Department of Computer Engineering, Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran

2Department of Computer Engineering, Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran

1fatemeh.alidusti@gmail.com

2r_nasiri@iauctb.ac.ir

ABSTRACT

The key characteristic of cloud computing is provision

of IT infrastructure and its applications as a scalable

service. Since this environment is conceived service-

oriented, service management and delivery of

comprehensive architecture for this environment are

important. To provide better services in cloud

computing, any proposed architecture may be based on

IT service management frameworks and reference

models, to improve the management of services in

cloud computing. Hence, IT service management

reference models and frameworks are first compared in

this paper and according to the comparisons; PRM-IT

may be selected among other frameworks such as ITIL

v3, HP, MOF as a more complete reference and used

set forth in the operational section of the proposed

architecture. Also, processes of the eTOM process

framework are more complete than other frameworks

while considering billing & revenue management as

two critical modules in cloud based accounting Also.

COBIT5 used in this architecture to enrich governance

capability. On the other hand, a few of recent cloud

architectures compared to find out current drawbacks

and pitfalls and Finally, a comprehensive architecture

is being proposed for cloud to provide a nearly more

effective architecture resulted by composition of these

frameworks in a wise layout. This architecture is in the

context of SOA.

KEYWORDS

Cloud Computing Architecture, IT Service

Management Frameworks, Reference Model, SOA.

1 INTRODUCTION

Based on the various definitions of cloud

computing, ―Cloud Computing is a model for

enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand

network access to a shared pool of configurable

computing resources (e.g., networks, servers,

storage, applications, and services) that can be

rapidly provisioned and released with minimal

management effort or service provider interaction.

This cloud model promotes availability and is

composed of five essential characteristics, three

service models, and four deployment models [1].‖

Service models are known as Cloud Infrastructure

as a Service (IaaS), Cloud Platform as a Service

(PaaS), and Cloud Software as a Service (SaaS).

The service models, and the fact that cloud

computing is discussed in terms of the creation,

delivery and consumption of cloud services,

means cloud computing supports service

orientation. If cloud environment is more

structured, delivery of service would be more

reliable. Considering importance of cloud

environment to build trust of the customers,

Frameworks and reference models such as PRM-

IT, ITIL v3, HP, MOF may be deployed to

manage IT services in organizations.

Also, a Varity of architectures such as IBM,

Oracle, NIST, HP are used for cloud computing.

In this paper IT service management is improved

by using ITSM frameworks and proposed

architecture.

The next section presents related work in the cloud

and then proposed architecture is introduced.

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2 RELATED WORK

PRM-IT, IBM Process Reference Model, is an

overall view of the processes involved in the

information technology management. This model

was proposed by IBM in 2008 [2]. ITIL

(Information Technology Infrastructure library)

has been provided by OGC focusing on the

support and provision of service. The latest

version of this document was published in 2007 .

ITIL v3 deals with IT Service Management in five

main phases [3-7]. Microsoft Operations

Framework (MOF) was introduced in 2008 , which

manages IT services in 3 main phases and 1

managerial layer [8]. HP IT Service Management

Reference Model is composed of five services,

which was published in 2000 [9]. On the other

hand, different architectures have been presented

for cloud computing environment. IBM Cloud

Computing Reference Architecture defines the

basic elements of cloud computing architecture.

This architecture has been structured modularly

such that main roles and elements have been

defined in the highest level of abstraction [10]. In

the NIST Reference Model, there are five main

actors: consumers, cloud broker, cloud auditor,

cloud carrier and cloud provider .Each actor may

be a person or an organization that plays role in

transactions or functions available in the cloud

[11]. The key components of Oracle architecture

are physical resources, cloud builder, cloud

application builder, SaaS consumers, cloud

management infrastructure and cloud application

management. This architecture provides three key

perspectives on consumer, provider and broker

[12]. Cloud System is an integrated system for the

management of cloud services across private,

public and hybrid clouds. HP Cloud System is a

composition of servers, storages, and network.

The result of this composition is perfect solution

for cloud which can provide cloud driven services

for organizations [13]. Cisco has developed the

depiction of a cloud reference architecture model,

which portrays the architectural layers, connected

via APIs and repositories. Cisco’s layer are Data

center technology architecture, security layer,

service orchestration layer, Service delivery and

management layer and cloud services consumer

layer [14]. The Storage Networking Industry

Association (SNIA) announced at SNW Spring

2010 , the formal approval of the Cloud Data

Management Interface (CDMI) as a SNIA

Architecture standard. This milestone marks the

first industry-developed open standard for cloud

computing and will allow for interoperable cloud

storage implementations from cloud service

providers and storage vendors. SNIA proposes a

formal term for cloud storage, i.e. Data Storage as

a Service (DaaS), which means ―delivery over a

network of appropriately configured virtual

storage and related data services, based on a

request for a given service level [15]."

3 PROPOSED ARCHITECTURE

First, IT service management models and

frameworks are evaluated. According to different

mappings between ITIL v3, PRM-IT, HP and

MOF, PRM-IT has been chosen as a

comprehensive reference model for the proposed

architecture.

COBIT5 has been considered as a comprehensive

governance framework in architecture because it is

a robust business framework for management and

governance of IT organizations. Therefore, its

governance processes are used in this architecture

[16]. eTOM focuses on trade relations used by

service providers, communication between

different processes, definition of interfaces and

information processing on clients, services,

resources, suppliers and partners. Billing and

revenue management processes in eTOM are

responsible for the collection of appropriate usage

records, determining charging and billing

information, production of timely and accurate

bills, for processing their payments, and

performing payment collections [17]. In other

models like PRM-IT, bill-related issues have not

been included as it is in eTOM . This architecture

uses eTOM processes associated with bills

management. The architectures of a few cloud

computing environments are compared in the

following table. Strengths of each architectures

rarely have been considered in other architectures.

These obvious differences are given in the last

column of the following table. Attempt is made to

improve IT service management in cloud and

place them in the comprehensive architecture. The

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following table summarizes the architectures of

the cloud [17]: Table 1: Comparison between cloud Architectures

Key

Difference

Comparison on

Architecture

level

Comparison

Business

level

Model

Compared to

use case

group’s

model, adds

more details

for

Service

management

Defines actors (cc

provider/user/

develop), cloud

components,

service

models, business/

operational

support

Services for cloud

providers.

For general

cc

system

IBM

The only

layered

architecture

Defines a layered

model which

considers

resources,

security, service ,

and consumers

layer.

For general

cc

system

Cisco

Compared to

IBM, Elastra

considers

only cloud

Management

Defines a

management

framework

for enterprise

clouds, which

focuses

on management of

diff. components

And lifecycles.

Specially for

enterprise

cloud

Elastra

1st industry-

developed

open

Standard for

cloud

computing .

Focuses on

cloud storage

Defines ―DaaS‖,&

CDMI which is

the

interface for

accessing and

managing

Cloud storage.

Specially for

cloud

storage

SNIA

Focuses on

security

Architecture

Defines actors

(users/system

architects/develop

ers/3rd party

auditors), security

policies at each

Step following

info traffic flow.

Specifically

for

cloud

security

OSA

Refers to

the

composition

of system

components

to support

the Cloud

Providers

activities

Defines actors (cc

consumer/

provider / carrier/

auditor

/ broker).

For general

cc

system

NIST

In the following section, the relationship between

service-oriented architecture and cloud computing

are presented.

4 CLOUD AND SOA

Cloud services, according to The Open Group

definition, are SOA services. However, not all

SOA services are Cloud service because they

require automated deployment and management as

well as offering support in order to support the

Cloud characteristics. On the architecture

continuum, Cloud architectures are more concrete

than The Open Group’s SOA reference

architecture, a domain architecture scoped to

service delivery and management. Principles and

architectural decisions have been premade already

to enable the Cloud computing architecture to be

self service, network accessible, and scalable.

Architectural building blocks have already been

identified for Cloud solution architects to use for

operational and business support. The benefit of

recognizing the heritage of Cloud from SOA is

that the existing experience over the last 6 years

and standards already available for SOA and SOA

solutions can be applied to Cloud Computing and

Cloud solutions [10].

The SOA RA, as being standardized by The Open

Group, applies to Cloud architectures and is the

underlying architecture for proposed Cloud

architectures.

The functional concerns: operational systems,

service components, services, business processes

and consumer interfaces; all exist in and are

relevant to functional concerns for cloud

architecture’s.

For the Cloud architecture, there has been special

focus on the [10]:

Operational Layer: Infrastructure often

highlighted in Cloud architectures because

Cloud imposes new requirements on

infrastructure to enable broad network

access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity,

virtualization and scalability.

Service Layer: The common cloud service

types, *aaS, are identified in the services

layer. These cloud service types, like other

services, use and sometimes expose assets

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in the Operational systems layer. For cloud

services, which assets are exposed is often

the focus of the service type, i.e. within

operational systems, hardware

infrastructure is exposed as IaaS, and

middleware is exposed as PaaS, and

business process as BPaaS.

Business Process: Business processes

participate in a Cloud solution much like

they do in SOA solutions, they can be

provided as a service (BPaaS) or be the

consumer of services (whether they care

cloud services or not). Additionally,

business processes within a cloud provider

organization need to be restructured and

streamlined in novel ways to meet much

faster time-to-deliver, time-to-change and

cost objectives.

Consumer Layer: The consumer layer is

more strictly and carefully separated from

the services and service provider to allow

pooling and substitution of cloud services

or providers.

Figure 1: The Functional Concept of SOA and Cloud

Architecture

For the cloud ecosystem, they cloud service

consumers, providers, auditors and developers are

the common high level roles identified in the

cloud architectures. It is important to look at

Cloud in the context of SOA, and Cloud solutions

in the context of the larger SOA solutions

underpinning them. This diagram shows the QOS

layer details that are essential to understand for

Cloud, as well as the *aaS [10]. The basic

elements and concepts of proposed architecture

aren’t defined completely but derived from service

oriented architecture.

Figure 2: Details of Quality of Service Layer

This Proposed Architecture defines four main

roles: Cloud Service Consumer, Cloud Service

Provider, Cloud Service Developer and Cloud

Service Auditor. Each role can be fulfilled by a

single person or can be fulfilled by a group of

people or an organization. The roles defined here

intend to capture the common set of roles typically

encountered in any cloud computing environment.

Therefore it is important to note that depending on

a particular cloud computing scenario or specific

cloud implementation, there may be project-

specific sub-roles defined.

Cloud Service Consumer: A cloud service

consumer is an organization, a human being or an

IT system that consumes service instances

delivered by a particular cloud service.

Cloud Service Provider: The Cloud Service

Provider has the responsibility of providing cloud

services to Cloud Service Consumers [10].

Cloud Service Developer: The Cloud Service

Developer is responsible for creating a cloud

service, which can be run by a Cloud Service

Provider and by that exposed to Cloud Service

Consumers. Typically, Cloud Service Developers

build their cloud services by leveraging

functionality which is exposed by a Cloud Service

Provider.

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Cloud Service Auditor: Cloud Service Auditor

can conduct independent assessment of cloud

services, information system operation,

performance and security of cloud

implementation.

Figure 3: The Proposed Architecture Model

5 ARCHITECTURE COMPONENTS

Architecture Components are examined separately

in six sections.

5.1 . Architectural Components in cloud Service

Consumer Section:

Figure 4: Details of Cloud Service Consumer in the

Proposed Architecture Model

Cloud Service Integration Tools

From the perspective of a Cloud Service

Consumer, it is important to be able to integrate

cloud services with their on-premise IT. The

functionality of Cloud Service Integration Tools is

specifically relevant in the context of hybrid

clouds, where seamless integrated management,

usage and interoperability of cloud services in

integration with on-premise IT is critical [10].

Consumer In-house IT

Besides IT capabilities consumed as cloud

services, consumers of such IT may continue to

have in-house IT, which can be managed in a

traditional non-cloud fashion. In case functionality

of the existing in-house IT should be integrated

with cloud services consumed from a cloud

service provider, the aforementioned cloud service

integration tools are required. Consumer in-house

IT exists across all layers of the technology stack

(infrastructure, middleware, applications, business

processes, service management), therefore

integration with cloud services can take place on

each of these layers [10].

5.2 . Architecture Components in cloud Service

Provider Section:

Figure 5: Details of Cloud Service Provider in the Proposed

Architecture Model

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5.2.1 . Service Orchestration

Service Orchestration refers to the composition

of system components to support the Cloud

Providers activities in arrangement, coordination

and management of computing resources in order

to provide cloud services to Cloud Consumers

[11].

Figure 6: Details of Service Orchestration in the Proposed

Architecture Model

5.2.1 .1. Services:

Infrastructure-as-a-Service:

The capability provided to the consumer is to rent

processing, storage, networks, and other

fundamental computing resources where the

consumer is able to deploy and run arbitrary

software, which can include operating systems and

applications. The consumer does not manage or

control the underlying cloud infrastructure but has

control over operating systems, storage, deployed

applications, and possibly select networking

components (e.g., firewalls, load balancers) [10].

Platform-as-a-Service

The capability provided to the consumer is to

deploy onto the cloud infrastructure consumer-

created applications using programming languages

and tools supported by the provider (e.g., java,

python, .Net). The consumer does not manage or

control the underlying cloud infrastructure,

network, servers, operating systems, or storage,

but the consumer has control over the deployed

applications and possibly application hosting

environment configurations [10].

Software-as-a-Service:

The capability provided to the consumer is to use

the provider's applications running on a cloud

infrastructure and accessible from various client

devices through a thin client interface such as a

Web browser (e.g., web-based email). The

consumer does not manage or control the

underlying cloud infrastructure, network, servers,

operating systems, storage, or even individual

application capabilities, with the possible

exception of limited user-specific application

configuration settings [10].

Business-Process-as-a-Service:

Business process services are any business process

delivered through the Cloud service model (Multi-

tenant, self-service provisioning, elastic scaling

and usage metering or pricing) via the Internet

with access via Web-centric interfaces and

exploiting Web-oriented cloud architecture. The

BPaaS provider is responsible for the related

business function(s) [10].

Data Storage-as-a-Service:

Data Storage as a Service (DaaS), which means

delivery over a network of appropriately

configured virtual storage and related data

services, based on a request for a given service

level [15].

5.2 .1.2 . Infrastructure:

This layer includes all the physical computing

resources. It has two elements.

Hardware: This layer includes hardware

resources, such as computers (CPU and

memory), networks (routers, firewalls, switches,

network links and interfaces), storage

components (hard disks) and other physical

computing infrastructure elements.

Facility: It also includes facility resources, such as

heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC),

power, communications, and other aspects of the

physical plant [11]

5.2.2 . Cloud Provision and Management

This part exposes a set of business and operational

management focused services. These functions

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must be exploited by Cloud Services to run within

the context of the respective cloud service

provider.

5.2.2.1 . Businesses Support Services:

Business Support Services represents the set of

business-related services, which are needed by

Cloud Service Developer to implement a cloud

service.

Figure 7: Details of Business Support Services in the

Proposed Architecture Model

Account Management:

This section describes the processes involved in

managing of client accounts. These processes are

part of the IBM architecture model.

Billing and Revenue Management:

This section is responsible for the collection of

appropriate usage records, determining charging

and billing information, production of timely and

accurate bills, for providing pre-bill use

information and billing to customers, for

processing their payments, and performing

payment collections, These processes are part of

the eTOM process framework [17].

5.2.2.2 . Operational Support Services:

Operational Support Services represents the set of

operational management / technical-related

services, which are needed by Cloud Service

Developer to implement a cloud service. These

services use PRM-IT Reference Model process.

This model covers many management frameworks

(ITIL v3, HP, MOF).

Figure 8: Details of Operational Support Services the

Proposed Architecture Model

Customer relationships: The Customer

Relationships process category gives IT service

providers a mechanism to understand, monitor,

perform and compete effectively in the

marketplace they serve. Through active

communication and interaction with customers,

this process category provides the IT enterprise

with valuable, current information concerning

customer wants, needs, and requirements [2].

Direction: The Direction process category

provides guidance on the external technology

marketplace, aligns the IT outcomes to support the

business strategy, minimizes risk exposures, and

manages the IT Architecture and IT Portfolio [2].

Realization Management: The Realization

process category exists to create solutions that will

satisfy the requirements of IT customers and

stakeholders, including both the development of

new solutions and the enhancements or

maintenance of existing ones [2].

Transition Management: The Transition

category of processes exists to support any aspect

related to a life cycle status change in solutions

and services. The processes provide defined and

repeatable approaches to planning, effecting and

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recording these transitions and can be applied to

all stages of the life cycle [2].

Operation Management: This category contains

the operational service processes that enable daily

IT activities using available infrastructure,

applications, and services to meet service level

agreements (SLAs) and business objectives [2].

Resilience Management: The Resilience category

of processes describes the analysis and proactive

planning required to enable resilient infrastructure,

applications, and services. Each process covers a

range of activities from handling everyday

adjustments as required by service operations

through anticipating the potential future demands

upon its specific domain [2].

Administration: The Administration process

category brings together the processes that look

after many of the non-technical resources: people,

finances, and contracts, among others that support

IT service delivery [2].

5.3 . Architectural Components in cloud Service

Developer Section:

The service developer creates, publishes and

monitors the cloud service. This section includes

three parts. Development environments for service

creation vary. If developers are creating a SaaS

application, they are most likely writing code for

an environment hosted by a cloud provider [15].

Figure 9: Details of Cloud Service Developer in the

Proposed Architecture Model

Service Creation: Developers create cloud

services.

Service publishing: Cloud services, will be

published by the developers.

Service Analytics: During service creation,

analytics involve remote debugging to test the

service before it is published to consumers. Once

the service is published, analytics allow

developers to monitor the performance of their

service and make changes as necessary.

5.4. Architectural Components in cloud

Auditor Section:

A cloud auditor is a party that can perform an

independent examination of cloud service controls

with the intent to express an opinion thereon.

Audits are performed to verify conformance to

standards through review of objective evidence

[11]. This section has three parts:

Figure 10: Details of Cloud Auditor in the Proposed

Architecture Model

Security Audit: A cloud auditor can make an

assessment of the security controls in the

information system to determine the extent to

which the controls are implemented correctly,

operating as intended, and producing the

desired outcome with respect to the security

requirements for the system [2].

Privacy Impact Audit: A privacy impact audit

can help organization comply with applicable

privacy laws and regulations governing an

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individual’s privacy, and to ensure

confidentiality and integrity[2].

Performance Audit: To evaluate the performance

takes place [2].

5.5. Security, Resiliency, Performance &

Consumability:

These non-functional aspects must be viewed from

an end-to-end perspective including the structure

of architecture by itself, the way the hardware

infrastructure is set up (e.g. in terms of isolation,

network zoning setup, data center setup for

disaster recovery, etc.) and how the cloud services

are implemented[10].

5.6. Governance of IT:

Deal with the stakeholder governance

objectives—value delivery, risk optimisation and

resource optimisation—and include practices and

activities aimed at evaluating strategic options,

providing direction to IT and monitoring the

outcome[16]. This domain contains five

governance components.

Figure 11: Details of Governance of IT in the Proposed

Architecture Model

Ensure Governance Framework Setting and

Maintenance : Analyse and articulate the

requirements for the governance of enterprise IT,

and put in place and maintain effective enabling

structures, principles, processes and practices,

with clarity of responsibilities and authority to

achieve the enterprise’s mission, goals and

objectives [16].

Ensure Benefits Delivery: Optimise the value

contribution to the business from the business

processes, IT services and IT assets resulting from

investments made by IT at acceptable costs [16].

Ensure Risk Optimisation: Ensure that the

enterprise’s risk appetite and tolerance are

understood, articulated and communicated, and

that risk to enterprise value related to the use of IT

is identified and managed [16].

Ensure Resource Optimisation: Ensure that

adequate and sufficient IT-related capabilities

(people, process and technology) are available to

support enterprise objectives effectively at optimal

cost [16].

Ensure Stakeholder Transparency: Ensure that

enterprise IT performance and conformance

measurement and reporting are transparent, with

stakeholders approving the goals and metrics and

the necessary remedial actions [16].

6 CONCLUSION

Since cloud computing is service-oriented, service

management is very important in this

environment. In this paper, service management

frameworks and related models scrutinized and a

few of them are selected to use in proposed

architecture. In addition, few important cloud

architecture are compared, the strengths of each

have been obtained and deployed in proposed

architecture. Billing processes of eTOM

framework been used in the business support

services . PRM-IT was seen in operational support

service. COBIT5 was used for governance of IT

section. Combination of ITSM framework

improve IT services management and provide

better services in cloud computing. This is an

ongoing research and further results would be

published shortly.

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7 REFERENCES

1. Peter Mell, Timothy Grance,‖The NIST Definition of

Cloud Computing‖, September 2011 .

2. IBM Advisory Group, ‖PRM – IT IBM Process

Reference Model for IT‖, IBM Corporation 2008

3. ITIL Advisory Group, ―Service Strategy of ITIL® V3‖,

The UK Chapter of the itSMF, 2007

4. ITIL Advisory Group, ―Service Design Overview of

ITIL® V3‖, The UK Chapter of the itSMF, 2007

5. ITIL Advisory Group, ―Service Transition of ITIL®

V3‖, The UK Chapter of the itSMF, 2007

6. ITIL Advisory Group, ―Service Operation of ITIL®

V3‖, The UK Chapter of the itSMF, 2007

7. ITIL Advisory Group, ―Service Improvement of ITIL®

V3‖, The UK Chapter of the itSMF, 2007

8. MOF Advisory Group, ―Microsoft® Operations

Framework overview‖, Microsoft, April 2008

9. HP Advisory Group, ―The HP IT Service Management

Reference Model‖, HP, 2000 .

10. IBM Advisory Group, ―Introduction and Architecture

Overview IBM Cloud Computing Reference

Architecture 2.0‖, 2011

11. NIST Advisory Group, ―NIST Cloud Computing

Reference Architecture‖, 2011

12. ORACLE Advisory Group, ―Oracle® Reference

Architecture‖, 2011

13. HP Advisory Group, ―Understanding the HP cloud

System Reference Architecture‖, 2011

14. Cisco Advisory Group, ―Cisco Cloud Computing - Data

Center Strategy, Architecture, and Solutions‖, 2009

15. NIST Advisory Group, ―Cloud Architecture Reference

Models‖, NIST CCRATWG

16. ISACA, ―COBIT5,Enabling Process‖, 2012

17. TM Forum Advisory Group, “eTOM (Business Process

Framework)”, TM Forum 2012

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