10-05-2014, 04:55 PM
What Is Cloud Computing?
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What is cloud computing?
The term "cloud" is analogical to "Internet". The term "Cloud Computing" is based on cloud drawings used in the
past to represent telephone networks and later to depict Internet in .
Cloud computing is Internet based computing where virtual shared servers provide software, infrastructure, platform,
devices and other resources and hosting to customers on a pay-as-you-use basis. All information that a digitized
system has to offer is provided as a service in the cloud computing model. Users can access these services available
on the "Internet cloud" without having any previous know-how on managing the resources involved. Thus, users
can concentrate more on their core business processes rather than spending time and gaining knowledge on resources
needed to manage their business processes.
Cloud computing customers do not own the physical infrastructure; rather they rent the usage from a third-party
provider. This helps them to avoid huge . They consume resources as a service and pay only for resources that they
use. Most cloud computing infrastructures consist of services delivered through common centres and built on servers.
Sharing resources amongst can improve, as servers are not unnecessarily left idle, which can reduce costs significantly
while increasing the speed of application development.
Cloud Architecture:
Cloud computing architecture consists of two components "the front end" and "the back end". The front end of the
cloud computing system comprises the client's device (or it may be computer network) and some applications are
needed for accessing the cloud computing system. Back end refers to the cloud itself which may encompass various
computer machines, data storage systems and servers. Group of these clouds make a whole cloud computing system.
The whole system is administered via a central server that is also used for monitoring clientís demand and traffic
ensuring smooth functioning of the system. A special type of software called "Middleware" is used to allow computers
that are connected on the network to communicate with each other. Cloud computing systems also must have a
copy of all its clientsí data to restore the service which may arise due to a device breakdown. Making copy of data
is called redundancy and cloud computing service providers provide data redundancy.
Benefits of Cloud Computing:
The benefits of cloud computing for an enterprise include:
Reduction in upfront capital expenditure on hardware and software deployment. Consumption is usually
billed on a utility (like phone bills) or subscription (like magazines) model. Users can terminate the contract
at any time and are often covered by Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with financial penalties. This reduces
risk and uncertainty and ensures return on investment (ROI).