Systemic Risks in the Cloud Computing Model: Complex Systems Perspective

Published

January 19, 2017

Author(s)

Vladimir V. Marbukh

Abstract

This paper reports on quantification and management of inherent systemic risk/performance tradeoff in the cloud computing model. We view Cloud as a Complex System and associate the systemic risks with a possibility of system phase transition to the undesirable persistent state. Our analysis under mean-field and fluid approximations suggests a shift in cloud architecture design and operation paradigm from maximizing the economic benefits to management and optimization of the inherent systemic risk/benefit tradeoffs. We argue that economics makes this tradeoff more pronounced by driving Cloud service providers towards the boundary of the operational regime, and thus increasing risk of overload when the system does not have sufficient capacity for sustaining the exogenous demand.

Proceedings Title

9th IEEE International Conference on Cloud Computing

Conference Dates

June 27-July 2, 2016

Conference Location

San Francisco, CA

Pub Type

Conferences

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1109/CLOUD.2016.0124

Local Download

Keywords

cloud computing model, dynamic resource sharing, overload, systemic risk.

Citation

Marbukh, V. (2017), Systemic Risks in the Cloud Computing Model: Complex Systems Perspective, 9th IEEE International Conference on Cloud Computing, San Francisco, CA, [online], https://doi.org/10.1109/CLOUD.2016.0124 (Accessed October 12, 2025)