The Cloud Portal For Apache CloudStack was developed for a cloud hosting provider, aiming to streamline the process of managing server instances and resources for customers. The cloud portal application serves as a comprehensive platform, enabling users to effortlessly manage their server instances, storage resources, and account settings, all within an intuitive web interface. Built with integration to the Apache CloudStack API, the application simplifies cloud management by providing seamless access to a range of features directly from the portal.

The cloud portal consists of three key modules: User Center, Management Center, and Admin Panel. Each module is designed to cater to the needs of different types of users—end customers and internal administrators—while leveraging the robust features offered by Apache CloudStack, a powerful cloud management platform.

Key Features and Modules:
1. User Center:

The User Center is designed for cloud hosting customers to easily manage their accounts, monitor server instances, and access essential features related to their cloud resources. This module allows users to have full control over their individual accounts and provides a user-friendly interface for managing cloud-related activities.

• User Dashboard: The User Dashboard provides a quick overview of the user’s cloud environment, displaying relevant information such as server usage, active resources, and system alerts. Users can monitor server health, resource consumption, and quickly access settings for cloud resources like CPU, memory, and disk space.
• User Info Page: The User Info page allows customers to view and update their account details, including personal information, contact details, and security settings. It also offers users the ability to manage their cloud subscription plans, update payment details, and track account activity.
• Interaction with Apache CloudStack API: Through the User Center, the application interacts with the Apache CloudStack API to enable customers to manage and interact with their cloud resources, such as starting, stopping, or rebooting server instances and managing storage volumes.

2. Management Center:

The Management Center serves as the core of the application for managing cloud infrastructure, allowing users to perform more advanced cloud management tasks. It is designed to offer flexibility and control for users who require fine-tuned management of their resources.

• Volumes Module: The Volumes module provides users with the ability to manage secondary storage volumes within their cloud environment. This includes creating, deleting, and attaching volumes to server instances. Users can monitor storage utilization, manage disk space, and perform other operations related to cloud storage volumes.
• Support Module (Help Center): The Support Module functions as a built-in help center where users can open support tickets for technical issues or inquiries related to their cloud services. This module allows users to raise concerns, track ticket statuses, and interact with the support team directly through the portal. Integration with ticketing systems ensures that support is streamlined and customer queries are efficiently handled.
• Interaction with Apache CloudStack API: The Management Center uses the Apache CloudStack API to facilitate the management of cloud resources such as virtual machines, storage volumes, and network configurations, allowing for seamless interactions with the cloud infrastructure.

3. Admin Panel:

The Admin Panel is the control center for cloud hosting administrators, providing full access to the platform’s backend. This module is designed to allow administrators to efficiently manage orders, billing, support tickets, and more.

• Orders Module: The Orders Module allows administrators to manage customer orders related to cloud hosting services. This includes viewing and updating customer orders, processing new service requests, and overseeing service provisioning. Admins can easily track the status of all customer orders and ensure smooth service delivery.
• Billing Module: The Billing Module provides cloud administrators with the tools to manage invoices, transactions, and payment histories. This module enables the generation of detailed invoices, management of payment statuses, and oversight of subscription plans. Administrators can also issue refunds, apply discounts, and manage pricing tiers for different cloud services.
• Support Module: The Support Module in the Admin Panel is designed for managing incoming customer support tickets. Admins can view, prioritize, and resolve support tickets submitted by users through the Support Module in the Management Center. This centralizes ticket management, enabling administrators to handle customer queries efficiently, assign tickets to appropriate team members, and track resolution progress.
• Integration with Apache CloudStack API: The Admin Panel also integrates with the Apache CloudStack API to manage cloud resources at an administrative level, including provisioning new servers, scaling cloud resources, and handling customer configurations.

Technical Stack:

• Apache CloudStack API: This cloud management platform API is at the heart of the system, enabling the seamless communication between the cloud portal and the underlying infrastructure. It powers all cloud management actions such as provisioning virtual machines, managing storage volumes, and handling network configurations.
• CakePHP Framework: The application was developed using the CakePHP framework, which is a robust and flexible PHP framework designed for building scalable and secure web applications. CakePHP’s MVC architecture helped structure the application efficiently and enabled rapid development while maintaining a high standard of code quality. Features like built-in security, session management, and database abstraction made it an ideal choice for this project.
• User Authentication and Security: User authentication was implemented to ensure secure access to the portal, with different roles for customers and administrators. Role-based access control (RBAC) was used to ensure that only authorized users could access specific modules and perform critical operations.
• Real-Time Updates: The platform is designed to deliver real-time updates to users, particularly for tasks such as server status monitoring, ticket management, and resource utilization. This ensures that users have up-to-date information about their cloud environments and support queries.

Outcome and Benefits:

• User Empowerment: By creating a user-centric portal, customers have full control over their cloud resources, enabling them to manage and optimize their server instances and storage efficiently.
• Improved Efficiency for Administrators: The Admin Panel gives cloud hosting providers a comprehensive dashboard to manage orders, billing, and support tickets, improving operational efficiency and reducing manual intervention.
• Enhanced Customer Support: With a centralized support ticketing system, users can easily submit issues and track their resolution, ensuring timely responses and better customer satisfaction.
• Scalability and Flexibility: The application provides cloud hosting providers with a flexible and scalable platform to manage thousands of users and cloud instances, all powered by the Apache CloudStack API.
• Reduced Overhead: By automating resource management, billing, and customer support functions, the platform reduces operational overhead for both customers and administrators, allowing for a more streamlined experience.