Cloud monitoring system: Basics, phases and challenges

Abstract

Due to many economical benefits cloud computing has quickly become popular and is widely used for delivering services over the Internet. As the number of cloud users increases day by day, data centers are continuing to grow in terms of hardware resources, virtual resources and traffic volume; thus making cloud operation and management more intricate. To manage complex infrastructure of cloud, an efficient and effective Cloud Monitoring System (CMS) is needed to improve the overall performance of cloud. Cloud monitoring is the process of reviewing, controlling and managing the operational workflow and processes within a cloud-based IT asset or infrastructure. This paper deals with detailed study of CMSs based on their architecture, monitoring phases, properties and functions. It describes various phases of cloud monitoring activities and presents the comparative study of the state-of-the-art works of theses phases. Usage of agents for monitoring of cloud activities is also described. Finally, various challenges/issues and possible future directions of cloud monitoring is discussed. This paper helps researchers, engineers and scientists to know the state-of-the-art works for monitoring cloud activities.