Cost-effective deployment of distributed cloud based on generic expense model

Abstract Distributed cloud architecture which consists of many cloud computing-storage resources (CCSRs) distributed across a geographic large-area has been widely implemented. It has received significant attention from academia. However, little effort has been taken to examine changes in operating cost-structure brought by distributed cloud scheme, or explore how to reap economic benefits from its geo-diversity. To tackle such issue, this paper formulated cost optimizations for cloud platforms based on a generic expense model of distributed cloud, taking into account major components of operating cost. The best deployment schemes were obtained through numerical simulation. The optimal amount of edge CCSRs and their corresponding placements were found to be determined by the ratio among various overhead components. Both model study and numerical simulation shed light on practical deployment of distributed cloud with high cost-effectiveness.