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Middleware for Cloud Computing

FSTJ 2011-7 Cover Image

2011-7 (Vol.47, No.3)


This special issue on middleware for cloud computing introduces Fujitsu middleware products as the core technology of Fujitsu's cloud services.


2011-7 (Vol.47, No.3) Contents

1. Preface (491 KB)
Cloud computing is attracting considerable attention as a technology that can respond quickly to needs and optimize costs as required of ICT systems. Fujitsu provides cloud services to support customers. To further support the Fujitsu cloud and to significantly contribute to solving our customers' management problems, we look forward to working with our customers on the planning and development of robust middleware products and to providing them on a global basis. ---[Akira Yamanaka, Corporate Senior Vice President and Software Business Group President]
2. Efforts Regarding Middleware for Creating Private Clouds (796 KB)
With the aim of improving the efficiency of corporate business platforms and promptly responding to new businesses while pursuing solutions in cooperation with our customers, Fujitsu will continue to provide new cloud services for emerging business fields. As an introduction to the other papers appearing in this special issue, this paper overviews topics and technologies concerning 1) solutions for continuously strengthening corporate core businesses and 2) our group of three platform middleware products that are central to system integration: Interstage, Symfoware, and Systemwalker. Turning to private clouds, which improve the efficiency of our customers' business platforms, it then describes Fujitsu's efforts regarding these integrated system management technologies from four viewpoints: i) technology and operational know-how acquired through the provision of public clouds, ii) practical implementation of private clouds in in-house development centers, iii) middleware for creating private clouds, and iv) middleware utilization in the cloud. Finally, it describes Fujitsu's efforts from here on towards providing new cloud-computing services targeting new business fields. ---[Chiseki Sagawa]
3. Middleware for Creating Private Clouds (901 KB)
Cloud computing has been attracting a lot of attention recently. This is because it can meet demands for speedy system implementation in pace with changes in the business environment and for reducing the rising costs of information and communications technology (ICT). Two forms of cloud computing are presently in use: public cloud computing (using ICT resources provided by service providers via the Internet) and private cloud computing (using a cloud "owned" and kept for private use by individual corporations). Although these two forms co-exist, different systems use them in different ways depending on requirements such as security, reliability, and cost. In addition to providing public-cloud-computing services, Fujitsu provides middleware products for constructing private clouds in accordance with the varied needs of our customers. This paper overviews our middleware products that support speedy system implementation and ICT cost reduction by making use of private cloud computing. ---[Hiroshi Nagakura, Akihiko Sakurai]
4. Dynamic Resource Management in Cloud Environment (908 KB)
Fujitsu has been providing ServerView Resource Orchestrator (ROR) since June 2010 as a software package for constructing and operating a private cloud within an enterprise. This software enables the user to construct a cloud infrastructure and a management environment, but in actual operation, it is still necessary to manage resources and set up a service environment based on them. Meanwhile, an increasing number of users wish to run quick trials of cloud computing in a simple and convenient environment. To meet their needs, Fujitsu has developed Cloud Infrastructure Management Software, which is a solution to be combined with ROR. This solution makes it easier to create a self-service portal and an environment for visualizing resource management. Further, to satisfy the needs of users who wish to perform critical, high-reliability tasks in a cloud environment, Fujitsu has made it possible to use a high-availability technology with ROR. In this paper, we introduce these solutions. ---[Hitoshi Matsumoto, Yutaka Ezaki]
5. Symfoware Server—Reliable and Scalable Data Management (1.37 MB )
In recent years, the scale of corporate information systems has continued to expand and the amount of data and transactions to be processed has been drastically increasing. Nevertheless, these systems still need to ensure a high level of processing performance, reliability and scalability. To achieve this, Fujitsu has developed a database server fallback function and application-connection shifting function. These functions are used not only to handle potential faults but also to accommodate business growth, and are offered through Fujitsu's Symfoware Server high-reliability high-performance database software. These approaches have propelled the development of parallel-processing and cluster technologies. This paper describes Fujitsu's approach to steady database operation with the focus on a database server fallback function to achieve high performance, high reliability and good scalability in mega-scale load-sharing systems using multiple database servers. ---[Kazunori Takata, Masaki Nishigaki, Katsumi Matsumoto]
6. Fujitsu's Approach to Hybrid Cloud Systems (912 KB)
This paper introduces Fujitsu's approach to a hybrid cloud, which combines internal (on-premises) systems and services on public clouds. A hybrid cloud must be able to provide seamless links between a company's own business systems and services on on-premise systems or public clouds. This requires front-end integration, data integration, and process integration. Fujitsu has been providing middleware that has these three integration technologies (Interstage series of software) for some time. It has now developed middleware equipped with new functions for constructing and operating hybrid clouds. The merger of new technology for achieving hybrid clouds with previously refined integration technologies enables this middleware to promote the effective use of public clouds, which are becoming increasingly important in the corporate world, with the aim of optimizing business systems. ---[Mikio Funahashi, Shigeo Yoshikawa]
7. Provisioning of Standardized Business Systems (1.31 MB )
In the face of severe business conditions, companies have a growing need for flexible business processes and innovative, low-cost information and communications technology (ICT) systems to conform to their management policies. For this reason, there is rising expectation for private clouds, which will provide cloud computing environments for in-house ICT systems. However, when customers are going to virtualize their systems and consolidate them into their private clouds, it becomes necessary to integrate various ICT systems that were originally optimized for individual departments into data center servers on the customer's premises. This brings together a wide assortment of software (operating systems [OS's], middleware and applications), which increases the operation-and-maintenance workload of the system manager. This paper presents techniques for converting standard patterns in ICT systems into system templates and for automatically allocating the resources required by an ICT system to a virtual environment, and describes provisioning techniques (for automating OS or middleware configuration and definition) that aim to increase the agility of automatic allocation. It also introduces Fujitsu's Systemwalker Software Configuration Manager V14g as management software for automating software deployment and parameter setting on virtual servers. ---[Ken Murata, Hideo Shimizu, Norihiko Sakamoto]
8. Operation Efficiency Improvements for IT Infrastructure through Runbook Automation Technology (767 KB)
Enterprises have been consolidating their servers within on-premises data centers to optimize their entire information technology (IT) infrastructure, and they are now working to create private clouds through virtualization. The operation of an on-premises data center follows a "runbook" that describes the procedures to be taken in a step-by-step manner for either daily operations or emergency situations. Since the consolidation of servers and conversion to a cloud environment increases the volume and load of data center operations, there is a need to reduce the operation load and improve operation quality by automating these operations, which have until now been performed manually according to the runbook. Runbook automation (RBA) technology has been attracting attention as a means of standardizing and automating the workflow of manual IT-infrastructure operations and dramatically improving operation efficiency. This paper introduces Fujitsu's approach to making IT infrastructure operations in a data center more efficient through the use of RBA technology. ---[Hiroaki Ito]
9. Private Cloud Using Service Catalog (938 KB)
Enterprises are centralizing their in-house systems at data centers to reduce the total cost of ownership by using fewer servers and less power. However, such centralization requires solutions to problems such as the increased workload of the data center manager, resource usage regulation related to information and communications technology (ICT), and visualization of ICT resource usage. To solve those problems, Fujitsu has developed Systemwalker Service Catalog Manager (CT-MG). CT-MG can manage its resources in a data center as items for automated rental services. This reduces the burden on the data center manager by letting ICT resource users select the desired service items from a service catalog. The users can easily select them on the Website driven by CT-MG. CT-MG was developed by reflecting the requirements that are characteristic of private clouds and using the expertise acquired in developing and operating public cloud systems. This paper describes what has been achieved with CT-MG. ---[Takahiro Nakai]
10. Operations Visualization for Private Clouds (788 KB)
For the operation of private clouds to be made more efficient, the ICT resources (servers, storage devices, networks, etc.), which are becoming huge in number, must be managed more efficiently. This means that a company's infrastructure management department must perform a comprehensive survey of the state and usage conditions of ICT resources, assess problems quickly, and take appropriate action. A comprehensive survey can be achieved by visualizing the operation of the private cloud. Fujitsu's Systemwalker Service Catalog Manager V14.1 and Cloud Infrastructure Management Software V1.2 provide two means of visualizing resources and the resource pool. These virtualization capabilities enable an administrator to perform an integrated check on two things; the existence of performance problems and the available capacity of resources. This makes operations management of private clouds more efficient. This paper describes the role of virtualization in making private cloud operations more efficient and introduces the operations visualization provided by these products. ---[Tomoki Shiratori, Hideki Hara]
11. Ultra-high-speed In-memory Data Management Software for High-speed Response and High Throughput (912 KB)
The evolution of networks has created demand for a capability to process huge amounts of data at ultra-high-speed, far exceeding the existing levels and what has commonly been considered possible. This data processing capability is giving rise to completely new modes of service, which in turn are leading to new ways of using information and communications technology (ICT). For a system that must rapidly process huge amounts of data, both high-speed response and high throughput are of course important, but high reliability must also be achieved at the same time. Leveraging its extensive experience in mission critical systems and its strength in advanced technologies, Fujitsu is helping the arrowhead trading system of the Tokyo Stock Exchange to operate stably through its new ultra-high-speed data management software, developed within the latest project scope (hereafter "this software"). Based on the concept of diskless operation, this software achieves large-scale data processing together with superb extensibility, accessibility, and reliability. This paper describes Fujitsu's approach to achieving high-speed response and high throughput, explains the concept of this software, and introduces the new technologies used in this software. ---[Yasuhiko Hashizume, Kikuo Takasaki, Takeshi Yamazaki, Shouji Yamamoto]
12. Cloud Computing for Software Development Environment
—In-house Deployment at Numazu Software Development Cloud Center— (986 KB)
In its development of middleware, Fujitsu has faced three problems: increasing server operation costs, server over/under-utilization, and increasing labor hours for development environment construction. To solve these problems, Fujitsu has been working since 2008 on moving its software development environment to a cloud platform at its Numazu Software Development Cloud Center. In addition to solving the above problems, this transition to a cloud environment is expected to reduce costs by 700 million yen annually from 2011. Converting to cloud computing within Fujitsu itself is also seen as a way to refine the cloud products and services that Fujitsu offers to its customers. This paper describes the background to converting to cloud-based software development, Fujitsu's approach to this conversion, the effects of cloud deployment, and the expansion of services as a result of using a cloud platform. It also introduces the Numazu Cloud Center tour, which conveys cloud computing know-how through face-to-face conversations with customers. ---[Yuji Arimura, Masako Ito]
13. IT Management SaaS (809 KB)
Fujitsu is engaged in a variety of activities to provide its customers with new valueadded services through the use of cloud computing. One of these activities is the development of software as a service (SaaS)-based information technology (IT) management services featuring Fujitsu's middleware products and technologies. These services will enable customers to use an IT management system over the Internet, so they will no longer need to own and maintain such a system in-house. They will therefore enjoy a number of benefits, including lower initial deployment costs and a shorter deployment period. This paper describes Fujitsu's approach to providing SaaS-based IT management services using Fujitsu middleware products. It outlines these services and market trends and describes the benefits, deployment models, and functional requirements of SaaS-based IT management services. It also explains how Fujitsu intends to meet those requirements and touches upon future challenges that must be met. ---[Kazunori Iwasa]
14. On-demand Middleware Delivery Services for Cloud Computing (1.12 MB )
Fujitsu has been providing its Global Cloud Platform service, which enables users to build and access virtualized servers, storage units, and networks via the Internet on an as needed basis, since October 2010. This service provides server system templates consisting of virtual servers pre-installed with middleware, which dramatically reduce the workload and time for procurement, installation, and setup. In comparable services, if the user needs to install additional middleware not included in the system templates, it must be uploaded to the virtual server via the Internet and installed, which can take hours for large media packages. With Fujitsu's service, by contrast, a library hosting hundreds of software media packages, called the Software Media Pack Library, reduces the transfer time to a matter of minutes. This paper describes our efforts regarding on-demand middleware delivery services for cloud computing. ---[Takahisa Hatakeyama, Naohiro Shinoda, Tomoyuki Onda]
15. Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V Server Virtualization (976 KB)
Server virtualization has attracted attention as a means of reducing the costs of system introduction, operation, and management through server consolidation and as a platform for public cloud computing. The Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system provides the Hyper-V server virtualization function as a standard feature. Hyper-V uses a microkernel-based hypervisor as an architecture for a flexible, stable virtualization platform. Fujitsu has accumulated technological knowhow and troubleshooting expertise from its experience in combining this Windows Server operating system with the PRIMERGY PC server and testing beta version of the Hyper-V. The knowhow acquired from this experience is available on a website put up by Fujitsu. This paper covers the Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V architecture, virtual disks, virtual networks, file-sharing systems, and high availability functions. It also introduces the architecture and management functions of Microsoft's System Center Virtual Machine Manager, which improves the manageability of the Hyper-V environment. ---[Yutaka Haga, Kazuhide Imaeda, Masayuki Jibu]
16. Server Virtualization with VMware vSphere 4 (873 KB)
The server virtualization market is expanding rapidly as customers seek savings in both space and energy through efficient use of hardware resources, an increase in business agility through prompt addition and removal of servers, and a reduction in the total cost of ownership (TCO) by separating hardware and business-system life cycles. The virtualization solution offered by Fujitsu and used by a large number of its customers in Japan combines Fujitsu's high-reliability servers and middleware products, which optimize data center operations, with vSphere 4, VMware's virtual infrastructure. This paper describes the transition of VMware's server virtualization products over the years, the functions and features of the vSphere 4 virtual infrastructure, its relation to cloud environments, and examples of using Fujitsu middleware with vSphere 4. ---[Masaaki Nishikiori]
17. Kernel-based Virtual Machine Technology (1.04 MB )
The kernel-based virtual machine (KVM) has been attracting attention in recent years for application to open source server virtualization. Since its introduction in October 2006, the simplicity of this idea has aroused the interest of Linux kernel developers, who have helped to rapidly extend KVM functionality. KVM is now formally supported by Red Hat Enterprise Linux and has been supported by Fujitsu since version 6 of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. This paper begins by explaining the mechanism of KVM and then describes its components. Next it introduces hardware and software support for KVM virtualization and briefly describes some enhancements planned by Fujitsu to enable KVM to be used in mission-critical work. ---[Yasunori Goto]

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