Cloud architecture: physical Internet infrastructure considerations

Abstract

Contrary to what its ethereal name suggests, the "cloud" is neither weightless nor invisible. It is the result of the collaboration among a vast network of satellites, fiber optic and undersea cables, and data centers filled with servers that consume enormous amounts of water and electricity. Minerals —silicon and heavy metals— are its backbone, but energy remains its lifeblood. Nevertheless, its expansion presents an urgent opportunity and challenge to address, from an architectural perspective, the interaction between these facilities and the environments in which they are embedded.