So the biggest question from the everyday user not on the same level as us GEEKS,
Is what is the CLOUD?
Definition AS PER WIKI:
Cloud computing means using multiple server computers via a digital network, as though they were one computer. [1] Often, the services available are considered part of cloud computing.
Traditionally, without a cloud, a web server runs as a single computer or a group of privately owned computers. The computer(s) are powerful enough to serve a given amount of requests per minute and can do so with a certain amount of latency per request. If the computer’s website or web application suddenly becomes more popular, and the amount of requests are far more than the web server can handle, the response time of the requested pages will be increased due to overloading.
Cloud computing comes into focus only when you think about what IT always needs: a way to increase capacity or add capabilities on the fly without investing in new infrastructure, training new personnel, or licensing new software. Cloud computing encompasses any subscription-based or pay-per-use service that, in real time over the Internet, extends IT’s existing capabilities.
In the IT world cloud computing allows companies to provide services they may not otherwise be able to afford if they were to deploy their own systems. This then leads you to CRM (customer relationship management) which is an information industry term for methodologies, software, and usually Internet capabilities that help an enterprise manage customer relationships in an organized way. For example, an enterprise might build a database about its customers that described relationships in sufficient detail so that management, salespeople, people providing service, and perhaps the customer directly could access information, match customer needs with product plans and offerings, remind customers of service requirements, know what other products a customer had purchased, and so forth.
So not only is the cloud often more economical for users or companies in many cases, it also means that the amount of computing horsepower we need will be greatly reduced. This is especially significant as more and more of our computing needs are being served by smaller and smaller devices such smartphones and tablets.
In a cloud computing system, there’s a significant workload shift. Local computers no longer have to do all the heavy lifting when it comes to running applications. The network of computers that make up the cloud handles them instead. Hardware and software demands on the user’s side decrease. The only thing the user’s computer needs to be able to run is the cloud computing system’s interface software, which can be as simple as a Web browser, and the cloud’s network takes care of the rest.
There’s a good chance you’ve already used some form of cloud computing. If you have an e-mail account with a Web-based e-mail service like Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail or Gmail, then you’ve had some experience with cloud computing. Instead of running an e-mail program on your computer, you log in to a Web e-mail account remotely. The software and storage for your account doesn’t exist on your computer — it’s on the service’s computer cloud.
There are 3 different types of cloud computing discussed below:
Infrastructure as a Service, or IaaS, gives business access to vital web architecture, such as storage space, servers, and connections, without the business need of purchasing and managing this internet infrastructure themselves. Because of the economies of scale and specialization involved, this can be to the benefit of both the business providing the infrastructure and the one using it. In particular, IaaS allows an internet business a way to develop and grow on demand. Both PaaS and SaaS clouds are grounded in IaaS clouds, as the company providing the software as service is also providing the infrastructure to run the software. Choosing to use an IaaS cloud demands a willingness to put up with complexity, but with that complexity comes flexibility. Amazon EC2 and Rackspace Cloud are examples of IaaS.
Platform as a Service (PaaS) clouds are created, many times inside IaaS Clouds by specialists to render the scalability and deployment of any application trivial and to help make your expenses scalable and predictable. Some examples of a PaaS system include: Mosso,Google App Engine, and Force.com. The chief benefit of a service like this is that for as little as no money you can initiate your application with no stress more than basic development and maybe a little porting if you are dealing with an existing app. Furthermore, PaaS allows a lot of scalability by design because it is based on cloud computing as defined earlier in the article. If you want a lean operations staff, a PaaS can be very useful if your app will capitulate. The most important negative of using a PaaS Cloud provider is that these services may implement some restrictions or trade-offs that will not work with your product under any circumstances.
Software as a Service (SaaS) is relatively mature, and the phrase’s use predates that of cloud computing. Cloud applications allow the cloud to be leveraged for software architecture, reducing the burdens of maintenance, support, and operations by having the application run on computers belonging to the vendor. GMail and Salesforce are among examples of SaaS run as clouds, but not all SaaS has to be based in cloud computing.
Thats all for now peeps our next article is going to go into the drawbacks surrounding the cloud.
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