Page 8 - DCAP609_CLOUD_COMPUTING

Unit 1: Introduction to Cloud Computing

One must understand that cloud computing is also very different from network computing. Notes
With network computing, applications or documents are crowded on a single company’s server
and accessed over the company’s network. Cloud computing is much bigger than that. It includes
various companies; various servers, and multiple networks. Additionally, cloud services and
storage are accessible from anywhere in the world over an Internet connection. However, with
network computing, access is only over the network of the company.
The “cloud” itself is the key to the definition of cloud computing. The cloud is usually defined as
a large group of interconnected computers. These computers include network servers or personal
computers. These computers can be both public as well as private. For instance, Google hosts a
cloud that consists of both small PCs and large servers. Google’s cloud is a private cloud. This
means that Google enjoys its ownership. It can be easily accessed by Google’s users.

This cloud of computers goes beyond one enterprise or company. The documents, applications
and data provided by the cloud are available to users of different enterprises and across various
platforms. They can access any amount of information via Internet. The documents, applications
and other such relevant information can be retrieved from any computer over any internet
connection by an authorised person. In this process, the infrastructure and technology at the
back of the cloud is not visible to the user. This data is not visible and in most cases it does not
matter whether the cloud services work on the basis of HTML, HTTP, JavaScript, XML or other
identifiable technologies.
Google, enjoys the status of being amongst a few pioneers of cloud computing. Its perspective
will enhance our understanding on the concept of cloud computing. From Google’s perspective,
there are six key properties of cloud computing:

Cloud computing is powerful: It means that the computing power that is created by
connecting hundreds or thousands of computers together is way beyond the computing
power of one single computer. Thus, it is impossible for a single desktop PC to create
power even close to that when thousands of computers are created.

Cloud computing is user-centric: This means that once you become a user and are connected
to the cloud, then all the stored information be it – documents, images, messages,
applications, become yours and can be easily accessed by you. Yet another advantage of
being a user is that not only can you access all the data but you can also share it with other
individuals. As a result, any other device that accesses your data in the cloud also becomes
yours.
Cloud computing is intelligent: As all the information and data are stored on the computers
in a cloud, data mining and analysis are essential to access all the available information in
an intelligent manner. One must, therefore, scrutinize all the information carefully before
using it.
Cloud computing is task-centric: The focus remains on what an individual can do and how
the application can do it for him/her. One must instead focus on the application and what
it can do. Traditional applications like spreadsheets, word processing, emails and so on
are losing their importance when compared to the documents they create.

Cloud computing is programmable: This means that the tasks necessary with cloud
computing must be automated. For instance, the cloud’s programming should
automatically redistribute a computer’s data to a new computer in the cloud in case one
computer goes off-line.

Cloud computing is accessible: This means that one is not limited to a single source of data,
as one is with a desktop PC. This is because when data is stored in the cloud, users can
instantly find and retrieve more information and from multiple repositories.

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