Configuration and Optimization of Virtual Business in Cloud Computing Environment

• Published in: 2012 Second International Conference on Cloud and Green Computing pp. 39 - 46
• Main Authors: Hongjun Sun, Shuangxi Huang, Yushun Fan, Wei Su
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 01.11.2012
• Subjects: Business; Cloud computing; continuous time markov chain; Heuristic algorithms; Linear programming; Measurement; Quality of service; Service processes; service workflow net; stochastic linear programming; Stochastic processes
• ISBN: 1467330272; 9781467330275
• DOI: 10.1109/CGC.2012.73

Cloud computing enables the realization of virtual business through outsourcing business functions to online services. Due to the large number of available business services and candidate cloud service providers, the configuration and optimization of the virtual business becomes a key issue for a service-oriented business ecosystem. In this paper, the virtual business is regarded as a series of service processes. Constrained service workflow net (CSWF-net) is developed to describe the component and structure of such service processes. Considering the dynamic and stochastic nature of services in a cloud computing environment, a stochastic decision making approach for CSWF-net is proposed in which the state transition of services is characterized as a Continuous Time Markov Chain (CTMC). Based on the four control structures of service processes, the dynamic Quality-of-Service (QoS) aware selection and composition problem is formulated as a Stochastic Linear Programming (SLP) model. Mixed policies generated by the branch and bound algorithm and modified heuristic approach are used to solve the dynamic QoS-aware selection and composition problem at runtime. In the meantime, the most appropriate business services and cloud service providers can be selected to support the execution of the virtual business effectively.