Ontology-based Modeling of Cloud Services: Challenges and Perspectives

Cloud services (CCS) are a crucial element in the service sector, but there are still challenges left in their design, implementa- tion, operation and dismissal, due to issues such as the integration of physical and technical components, interaction of social and technical aspects, dynamic and elastic reconfiguration. In modelling service sys- tems, ontologies have been recognized as a useful instrument for reducing conceptual ambiguities and inconsistencies. However, none of the general approaches proposed in literature have addressed the specific aspects of CCS. In this perspective, we explore how the UFO-S core ontology can be used to describe IT services and, in particular, CCS. A case study and the challenges deriving by CCS are discussed.