Cloud infrastructure planning considering the impact of maintenance and self-healing routines over cost and dependability attributes
Carlos Melo, Jean Carlos Teixeira de Araujo, Jamilson Ramalho Dantas, Paulo Pereira, Felipe Delano de Arcoverde Oliveira, Paulo Maciel · International Journal of Grid and Utility Computing · 2025
Cloud computing has become the leading paradigm for internet service provisioning, attracting more adopters daily. Service providers face high costs related to acquisition and implementation, making outsourced maintenance a cost-effective alternative, especially for small infrastructures. This paper evaluates infrastructure reliability and the impact of outsourced maintenance on private cloud availability, with a focus on blockchain as a service. By modelling service and maintenance routines, the findings are applicable to various cloud services. The study assesses maintenance strategies - reactive, preventive, and self-healing - within Service Level Agreements. Results indicate that preventive and self-healing maintenance offer a better cost-benefit balance compared to traditional reactive methods. However, the optimal approach depends on the provider's available resources. This research helps small-scale service providers choose cost-efficient maintenance strategies while ensuring high availability.