STAR: A proposed architecture for cloud computing applications

With rapid development of cloud computing, the need for an architecture to follow in developing cloud computing applications is necessary. Existing architectures lack the way cloud applications are developed. They focus on clouds' structure and how to use clouds as a tool in developing cloud computing applications rather than focusing on how applications themselves are developed using clouds. This paper presents a survey on key cloud computing concepts, definitions, characteristics, development phases, and architectures. Also, it proposes and describes a novel architecture, which aid developers to develop cloud computing applications in a systematic way. It discusses how cloud computing transforms the way applications are developed/delivered and describes the architectural considerations that developers must take when adopting and using cloud computing technology.