To Ride or Not to Ride on Cloud 9? - Cloud Comouting

To Ride or not to Ride on Cloud 9?

Integrating Cloud Computing

Jessica Reyes

INF103: Computer Literacy ABD1236B

Instructor: Rose Safir

October 8, 2012

To Ride or not to Ride on Cloud 9

Integrating Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is a compilation of technologies that allows Information Technology resources and applications to be virtualized, accessed over the internet as a service and used in an on demand basis. All though cloud computing offers instant internet access, which is cost effective and easy to manage, security may be a concern. How can one determines whether or not cloud computing is an option for one's personal or business use? Depending on customer needs, the advantages may outweigh the disadvantages.

Cloud computing provides multitude of functions depending on client need and desired support. There are three standard service models.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): the cloud vendor provides the servers (such as processing capability), storage (such as replication, backup, and archiving), and connectivity domains (such as firewalls and load balancing), with the client organization charged based on their use. IaaS, allows users to run any applications they please on the cloud infrastructure of their choice

Platform as a Service (PaaS): a model in which the cloud vendor provides the platform that allows creation and deployment of applications and services the organization accesses through the internet. The organization has access to an application-hosting environment for application design, development, and testing by using supplier-specific tools and languages without the complexity and cost of procuring, deploying, and managing the infrastructure. Organizations adopting SaaS gain access to software hosted by the cloud vendor through a thin client--a Web browser.

Software as a Service (SaaS): Allows users to use online applications. Easiest way of cloud computing SaaS environments, the cloud vendor has complete control over the application; including capabilities, updates, and maintenance (see Figure 1). Considered a generic application of Cloud Computing and may not be suitable for business use (Garrison, 2012)..

Figure 1 (Garrison, 2012)

Cloud services are available free or in a pay-as-you-go, depending on the amount of storage capacity needed. When a Cloud is made available free or in a pay-as-you-go manner to the general public, it is known as a Public Cloud. Private Cloud is available to internal datacenters of a business or other organization and is not made available to the general public. All three options are accessible from any computer and facilitate collaborative computing. Since there are many competitive options, PCWorld created a comparison chart to put the top cloud storage solutions side by side (See table 1):

Table 1 (Trewe, 2012)

Advantages of Cloud Computing:

There is several service models of Cloud computing that can fit to anyone's personal or business needs. Integration is fast, cost effective and can be accessed from anywhere, at any time. Cloud computing has essential characteristics that make collaboration fast and easy. Files and documents, of any size, may be accessed over the internet without the worry of emailing documents back and forth and without file size or security concerns. Cloud computing provides a safe place for your files in the event of computer related catastrophes. This is especially important when files consist of digital photos that can be lost if not backed up or saved anywhere else other than the computer. Cloud computing will not only safely store digital photos but also pose the best way to share them with friends and family. This is also true for music files; an online music locker not only backs up music, but it also allows users to listen to it on almost any device, from anywhere internet access is available.

Same services are offered to business but a higher level known as the Iaas. Business cloud computing saves businesses money because service is offered as a pay-as-you go service and based on business need. There are no servers to buy; therefore no data space center is needed saving space. The flexibility of Iaas allows business to add capacity and scale back down as needed. Changes take as little as couple of hours as opposed to weeks. Cost is calculated by the hour and it is easier to maintain control and save costs with full control over the service that its security process and standards is independently audited. Monthly fees include maintenance and upgrade and there is no need to upgrade out of date equipment.

How Cloud Computing Works (click on picture below for video):

Application or software used to access e-mail on Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo run on the front-end layers of the cloud. Same as when you access to open-source application such as Google Docs, Facebook, twitter, Amazon, Pay Pal, Ebay etc. The back-end (Network Infrastructure) consists of the hardware and the software infrastructure that fuels the interface you see on the front-end. Open source applications such a Google docs, Microsoft Zoho are open-source programs that have countless advantages over proprietary software programs that save consumers time and money (See Table 2).

Table 2 (Lilly, 2012)

Cloud computing has become prominent in the education setting. Ashford