Cloud computing white paper

Cloud computing white paper

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  Cloud Computing By: VaneeshBahl
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  Introduction Cloud computing isa model for enabling ubiquitous network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources. Cloud computing and storage solutions provide users and enterprises with various capabilities to store and process their data in third-party data centres. It relies on sharing of resources to achieve coherence and economies of scale, similar to a utility (like the electricity grid) over a network. At the foundation of cloud computing is the broader concept of converged infrastructure and shared services. Converged infrastructure operates by grouping multiple information technology (IT) components into a single, optimized computing package. Components of a converged infrastructure may include servers, data storage devices, networking equipment and software for IT infrastructure management, automation and orchestration. Cloud computing, or in simpler shorthand just "the cloud", also focuses on maximizing the effectiveness of the shared resources. Cloud resources are usually not only shared by multiple users but are also dynamically reallocated per demand. This can work for allocating resources to users. For example, a cloud computer facility that serves European users during European business hours with a specific application (e.g., email) may reallocate the same resources to serve North American users during North America's business hours with a different application (e.g., a web server). This approach helps maximize the use of computing power while reducing the overall cost of resources by using less power, air conditioning, rack space, etc. to maintain the system. With cloud computing, multiple users can access a single server to retrieve and update their data without purchasing licenses for different applications.
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  History of CloudComputing The origin of the term cloud computing is unclear. The expression cloud is commonly used in science to describe a large agglomeration of objects that visually appear from a distance as a cloud and describes any set of things whose details are not inspected further in a given context. It wouldn’t be justified to credit any one major company for inventing the cloud services. Let’s take the example of one of the oldest and most popular cloud computing services – the Teller machines (popularly known as the ATMs). In the image on the left, we can see Actor Reg Varney using the world's first cash machine in Enfield Town, north London on 27 June 1967. The first modern ATM was an IBM 2984 and came into use at Lloyds Bank, England in December 1972. ATMs certainly qualify as a cloud computing service where the end user can withdraw cash wirelessly anywhere in the world.
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  Another widely usedcloud computing service that has been in existence for more than 3 decades now is Email. We have been unknowingly using Emails as a cloud service since 1980s. Earlier we used to go to the internet cafes to access our emails and with increasing development in technology, the day has come where we just have to unlock our smart phone and send/receive email from any part of the world. That’s the power of the cloud! "Who invented cloud computing? Some say it was Amazon.com in 2006. Others say it was Google a few years earlier. But it's all a matter of perspective. There is no definite answer to this but there is an indirect reference to one of the world’s biggest telecommunication companies using this word in 1994. That was AT&T, while talking about its software platform called TeleScript. In other words, "the cloud" has been around for a long time as a buzzword, well before it appears to take on a life of its own in 2006, give or take a year. The fact of the matter is the term has evolved over time, and it is still evolving. The concept of "the cloud" is and was far different from its meaning in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s than today. Characteristics of a Cloud Computing Service:  Remotely hosted: Services or data are hosted on remote infrastructure.  Ubiquitous: Services or data are available from anywhere.  Commoditised: The result is a utility computing model similar to traditional that of traditional utilities, like gas and electricity - you pay for what you would want!  Elastic: Scale up or down quickly and easily to meet demand.
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  Flavours of Cloudservices:  SaaS – Software as a Service  IaaS – Infrastructure as a Service  PaaS – Platform as a Service Software as a Service (SaaS) Software as a Service is a model in which an application is hosted as a service to the customers who access via the Internet. When the software is hosted offsite, the customer doesn’t have to maintain it or support it. On the other hand, it is out of the customer’s hands when the hosting service decides to change it. The idea is to use the software out of the box as is and do not need to make a lot of changes or require integration to other systems. The service provider does all the patching and upgrades as well as keeping the infrastructure running. Examples:  Customer Resource Management (CRM) Like salesforce.com which provides a full customer relationship management (CRM).  Google Apps: provides web-based office tools such as e-mail, calendar, and document management  Video Conferencing  Accounting
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  Platform as aService (Paas) PaaS supplies all the resources required to build applications and services completely from the internet, without having to download or install any software. Essentially in PaaS, application development platforms allow users to leverage the resources of established organizations to create and host applications of a larger scale than an individual or small business would be able to handle. Examples:  Google App Engine: provides users with a complete development stack and allows them to run their applications on Google’s infrastructure  Microsoft Azure Services Platform: provides users with a development platform based on Windows Azure (Above picture represents the various service types with the extent of involvement) Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) This capability type provides mainly computational infrastructure available over the internet (e.g., compute cycles or storage). IaaS allows organizations and developers to extend their IT infrastructure on an on-demand basis. It simply offers the hardware so that an organization can put whatever they want onto it.
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  IaaS model allowsa service provider to rent out services like:  Server Space  Network Equipment  Memory  CPU Cycles  Storage Space Examples:  Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2): provides users with a special virtual machine (AMI) that can be deployed and run on the EC2 infra-structure  IBM Computing on Demand (CoD): provides users with access to high-ly configurable servers plus value-added services such as data storage  Rackspace Cloud: provides users with access to dynamically scalable computing and storage resources, as well as third-party cloud applica-tions and tools Cloud Deployment Models There are different types of clouds that you can subscribe to depending on your needs. As a home user or small business owner, you will most likely use public cloud services.  Public Cloud - A public cloud can be accessed by any subscriber with an internet connection and access to the cloud space.  Private Cloud - A private cloud is established for a specific group or organization and limits access to just that group.  Hybrid Cloud - A hybrid cloud is essentially a combination of at least two clouds, where the clouds included are a mixture of public, private, or community.  Community Cloud - A community cloud is shared among two or more organizations that have similar cloud requirements.
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  Comparison of theCloud deployment models: Public Cloud Private Cloud Hybrid Cloud Community Cloud In Public cloud the computing infrastructure is hosted by the cloud vendor at the vendor premises. The customer has no visibility and control over where the computing infrastructure is hosted. The computing infrastructure is shared between any organizations. The computing infrastructure is dedicated to a particular organization and NOT shared with other organizations. Private clouds are more expensive and more secure when compared to public clouds. Private clouds are of two types: On-premise private clouds and externally hosted private clouds. Externally hosted private clouds are cheaper than On- premise private clouds. Organizations may host critical applications on private clouds and applications with relatively less security concerns on the public cloud. The usage of both private and public clouds together is called hybrid cloud. A related term is Cloud Bursting. In Cloud bursting organization use their own computing infrastructure for normal usage, but access the cloud using services like Salesforce cloud computing for high/peak load requirements. This ensures that a sudden increase in computing requirement is handled gracefully. Community cloud involves sharing of computing infrastructure in between organizations of the same community. For example all Government organizations within the state of California may share computing infrastructure on the cloud to manage data related to citizens residing in California.
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  Future of CloudComputing A lot has been written or spoken about in regards to cloud computing market and its growth over the last few years. The subject has become an enigma and can be seen to perplex even those most technically minded individuals. Growing technological developments such as disaster recovery are also pivotal to the future of cloud computing. Report by RapidScale suggested that 43% of companies that experience a disaster never reopen, which has led to more than 50% of ‘cloud using organization’ transferring their most precious material to secure, isolated data centres. In a recent presentation based on the report, titled State of the Cloud Computing 2015, from Bessemer Venture Partners’s Byron Deeter showed that the cloud computing market is growing at a 22.8% compound annual growth rate, and will reach $127.5 billion in 2018. There are now 28 private cloud $1.5 billion+ business’, with market leaders Dropbox being valued at an estimated $15 billion. The report also claims that by 2018, 62% of all CRM software will be cloud-based; Salesforce will leverage on cloud the most and strengthen its market leader position. 30% of all application spending is for SaaS-based applications, projected to grow at a CAGR of 17.6% from 2013 to 2018. Cloud Computing has already started shaping our future in ways known and unknown to us. With so many advancements in digital technologies, computing will certainly not be the same for the upcoming generations. And there is no denial in saying - The Future is NOW!!!