Reducing costs related to use of networks based on pricing heterogeneity

Abstract

A capability is provided for reducing the costs of data transfers for networks using pricing heterogeneity. For data to be transferred between an application of a first network and a user device, the data may be transferred directly without using a second network or indirectly using a second network including a transfer of the data between the first network and the second network. In a network-based file system, a first network is primarily used for write requests and a second network is primarily used for read requests, and a data block is transferred from the first network to the second network based on a determination that a threshold number of read requests for the data block have been received. The determination as to when to transfer data between networks may be determined based on various costs associated with the networks.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a processor and a memory communicatively connected to the processor, the processor configured to:
 initiate transfer of data from a first cloud toward a second cloud based on a cost-related trigger, wherein the cost-related trigger is based on a cost of transferring the data from the first cloud toward the second cloud. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the data is information intended for delivery from the first cloud to a user device, and wherein the cost-related trigger is based on a comparison of a cost of transferring the data to the user device without using the second cloud and a cost of transferring the data to the user device using the second cloud. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the cost of transferring the data to the user device without using the second cloud comprises an egress bandwidth cost for transmitting the data out of the first cloud toward the user device. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the cost of transferring the data to the user device using the second cloud is based on:
 the cost of transferring the data from the first cloud toward the second cloud;   a cost of hosting an element configured for receiving the data from the first cloud, processing the data for transmission toward the user device, and transmitting the data out of the second cloud toward the user device; and   an egress bandwidth cost for transmitting the data out of the second cloud toward the user device.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the data is information intended for delivery from a user device to the second cloud, and wherein the cost-related trigger is based on a comparison of a cost of transferring the data to the second cloud without using the first cloud and a cost of transferring the data to the second cloud using the first cloud. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the cost of transferring the data to the second cloud without using the first cloud comprises an ingress bandwidth cost for receiving the data at the second cloud from the user device. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the cost of transferring the data to the second cloud using the first cloud is based on:
 an ingress bandwidth cost of receiving the data at the first cloud from the user device;   a cost of hosting an element configured for receiving the data from the user device, processing the data for transfer from the first cloud toward the second cloud, and transferring the data from the first cloud to the second cloud; and   the cost of transferring the data from the first cloud toward the second cloud.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second cloud is one of a plurality of available clouds, wherein the processor is configured to:
 for two or more of the available clouds, perform a comparison of a cost of transferring the data without using the available cloud and a cost of transferring the data using the available cloud.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 identify multiple ones of the available clouds for which the cost of transferring the data without using the available cloud is greater than the cost of transferring the data via the available cloud; and   select one of the multiple ones of available clouds for which the cost of transferring the data without using the available cloud is greater than the cost of transferring the data via the available cloud.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to select one of the multiple ones of available clouds based on at least one performance constraint. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 propagate a message toward an application hosted in the first cloud based on a determination not to transfer the data via the second cloud.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 based on a determination to transfer the data via the second cloud:
 propagate, toward the first cloud, a message for instructing the first cloud to transfer the data to the second cloud; and 
 propagate, toward the second cloud, a message for instructing the second cloud to receive the data from the first cloud. 
   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the message for instructing the second cloud to receive the data from the first cloud instructs the second cloud to host a virtual machine configured to:
 receive encoded and compressed data from the first cloud;   decompress and reconstruct the data received from the first cloud; and   propagate the decompressed and reconstructed data toward device destination.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the data comprises a data block, wherein the cost-related trigger is based on a determination as to whether a contiguous number of read operations received for the data block at the first cloud satisfies a threshold, wherein the threshold is determined based on the cost of transferring the data block from the first cloud toward the second cloud. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the first cloud has a first read cost and a first write cost associated therewith, wherein the second cloud has a second read cost and a second write cost associated therewith, wherein the first write cost is less than or equal to the second write cost and the first read cost is greater than or equal to the second read cost. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the threshold is determined based on a transfer cost comprising a sum of the first read cost and the second write cost. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the threshold is determined based on (r 1 +w 2 )/(r 1 −r 2 ), wherein r 1  is the first read cost, w 2  is the second write cost, and r 2  is the second read cost. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to compute the threshold. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to initiate transfer of the data block from the first cloud toward the second cloud based on a determination that a contiguous number of read operations received for the data block at the first cloud satisfies the threshold. 
     
     
         20 . A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:
 initiating transfer of data from a first cloud toward a second cloud based on a cost-related trigger, wherein the cost-related trigger is based on a cost of transferring the data from the first cloud toward the second cloud.   
     
     
         21 . A method, comprising:
 initiating, using a processor, transfer of data from a first cloud toward a second cloud based on a cost-related trigger, wherein the cost-related trigger is based on a cost of transferring the data from the first cloud toward the second cloud.