Cloud Computing for the Common Man

Cloud computing is become a buzz in the IT world.  Almost all the major players in IT seem to want to move into this amalgamation of computers and Internet services.

What is cloud computing?

In a nut shell, cloud computing is all about improving service by reusing existing storage infrastructure that is accessible from anywhere in the world. This is good for the business and the customer. The business does not have to continuously invest in equipment to keep up with customer growth, and customers get improved services from the business.  For example, think connectivity. You can access your information from anywhere in the world.

It’s that simple?

Well, in all honesty, this term is used rather loosely. I could ask for example, what is a cloud made up of? Some definitions may say that the cloud uses supercomputers (for faster processing speeds), but the original concept is that a cloud uses clusters.

Where does the cloud start from?  

The cloud encompasses systems from all over the Internet. This includes storage systems over multiple networks. The user does not “see” these multiple storage devices, instead  the user has information seemingly accessible from a single machine on the Internet.

How can I access the cloud?

The cloud uses systems on the Internet for storage. If you have access to the Internet, you can access the cloud service. These are known as Public Clouds and is usually considered as the default option. However, there are many organizations that do not use the Internet to access the cloud; they instead use WAN services, for example. These are Internal Clouds that are owned by organizations. There are some cloud networks that use a combination of private and public cloud networks.

What makes the cloud work?

The cloud has a fixed set of resources (that may be storage systems, servers on networks), which are all used on-demand. This is useful as the same resources can be reused by users across the world. For example, while the user in Tokyo sleeps, the user based in London can reuse the same resources.

The front end can be made up of anything from laptops to smart phones. The back end consists of servers and storage systems (that form a cloud), which host applications as well as store data.

Click on the image below to enlarge it.

Description of the Cloud

 

Are there any new  acronyms that I need to learn?

Yes!

IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)

PaaS (Platform as a Service)

SaaS (Software as a Service)

What are the advantages using the cloud?

• I can access my information from an easily-accessible centralized repository.
• I use only one set of standards as various technologies converge.
• I use virtual resources that offer a price advantage.

What are some of the concerns using the cloud?

• I do not have control over my information. Anyone with the required permissions can access the storage device with my information from anywhere in the world and violate my privacy.
• I do not know what happens to my information if the storage devices crash.

Who are some providers of this service?

Amazon, SecureWorks, Sun, Boomi, IBM has Project Kittyhawk, 3Tera’s product is called AppLogic, Cohesive CentreBeam, Verizon, Flexible Technologies’ product is the Elastic Server on Demand, Liquid Computing’s product is LiquidQ