A Cloud-based Network Architecture for Big Data Services

In recent years, due to the development and pervasiveness of information and communication technology (ICT), data is generated at a tremendously increasing rate from various types of data sources. This massive amount of data is widely referred as Big Data, which contains large amount of hidden rich information. By uncovering the valuable information, Big Data services are envisioned to bring huge potential for commerce, business and research. In fact, series of sophisticated processes are involved in Big Data services. However, there exists a structural gap, which is holding back the development of Big Data services. In this paper, a four-layer cloud-based network architecture is proposed to support Big Data services. The proposed network architecture provides a systematic and efficient approach for Big Data access, storage and retrieval. Specifically, the processes for supporting Big Data services are categorized into data transfer, data collection, data processing and data retrieval. Furthermore, a cloud-based architecture is presented, followed by a closer look at the network architecture for Big Data collection at device level.