Cloud computing stack

This cloud computing infographic example was drawn on the base of Wikimedia Commons file: CloudComputingStack.svg. [commons.wikimedia.org/ wiki/ File:CloudComputingStack.svg]
This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. [creativecommons.org/ publicdomain/ zero/ 1.0/ deed.en]
"Users access cloud computing using networked client devices, such as desktop computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones and any Ethernet enabled device such as Home Automation Gadgets. Some of these devices — cloud clients — rely on cloud computing for all or a majority of their applications so as to be essentially useless without it. ... Many cloud applications do not require specific software on the client and instead use a web browser to interact with the cloud application. ... Some cloud applications, however, support specific client software dedicated to these applications (e.g., virtual desktop clients and most email clients). Some legacy applications (line of business applications that until now have been prevalent in thin client computing) are delivered via a screen-sharing technology." [Cloud computing. Wikipedia]
The infographic example "Cloud computing stack" was drawn using ConceptDraw PRO software extended with the Cloud Computing Diagrams solution from the Computer and Networks area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.

This Azure cloud architecture pattern diagram template was created on the base of figure in the article "Valet Key Pattern" from the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) website.
"Valet Key Pattern.
Use a token or key that provides clients with restricted direct access to a specific resource or service in order to offload data transfer operations from the application code. This pattern is particularly useful in applications that use cloud-hosted storage systems or queues, and can minimize cost and maximize scalability and performance. ...
Client programs and web browsers often need to read and write files or data streams to and from an application’s storage. ...
Data stores have the capability to handle upload and download of data directly, without requiring the application to perform any processing to move this data, but this typically requires the client to have access to the security credentials for the store.
... applications must be able to securely control access to data in a granular way, but still reduce the load on the server by setting up this connection and then allowing the client to communicate directly with the data store to perform the required read or write operations. ...
To resolve the problem of controlling access to a data store where the store itself cannot manage authentication and authorization of clients, one typical solution is to restrict access to the data store’s public connection and provide the client with a key or token that the data store itself can validate.
This key or token is usually referred to as a valet key. It provides time-limited access to specific resources and allows only predefined operations such as reading and writing to storage or queues, or uploading and downloading in a web browser. Applications can create and issue valet keys to client devices and web browsers quickly and easily, allowing clients to perform the required operations without requiring the application to directly handle the data transfer. This removes the processing overhead, and the consequent impact on performance and scalability, from the application and the server." [msdn.microsoft.com/ ru-RU/ library/ dn568102.aspx]
The Azure cloud system architecture diagram template "Valet key pattern" for the ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software is included in the Azure Architecture solutin from the Computer and Networks area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.

This example of cloud computing system architecture diagram was created on the base of picture in the post "Sending Windows 8 Push Notifications using Windows Azure Mobile Services" from the Nick Harris .NET blog.
"The goal of Windows Azure Mobile Services is to make it incredibly easy for developers to add a cloud backend to their client apps be it a Windows 8, Windows Phone, iOS or Android application. ... Mobile Services today provides:
- Structured Storage
- Server Logic ...
- Auth ...
- Push Notifications ...
- Common tenants of Windows Azure Services
- Scale ...
- Diagnostics ...
- Logging ...
What are Push Notifications?
The Windows Push Notification Services (WNS) enables you to send toast, tile, badge and raw notifications from the cloud to your Windows Store applications even when your app is not running. Push notifications are ideal for scenarios when you need to target a specific user with personalized content.
The following diagram depicts the general Lifecycle of a push notifications via the Windows Azure Notification Service (WNS). We’ll walk through the steps shortly but before doing so I thought it would be important to call out that as a developer implementing a push notification scenario all you need to do is implement those interactions in grey and the applications/ services in blue." [nickharris.net/ index.php/ 2012/ 10/ 04/ blog-series-sending-windows-8-push-notifications-using-windows-azure-mobile-services/ ]
The diagram example "Push Notification Lifecycle Overview" was created using ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software extended with the Azure Architecture solution from the Computer and Networks area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.