Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is the new definition for grid computing technologies which is used in the mid to late 1990s.  cloud computing began to emerge at the end of 2007, is used to move the services to the daily use of the Internet, not stored on the local computer again. Cloud computing is a new trend in the field of distributed computing in which the various parties can develop applications and services based on SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) on the Internet. With Cloud Computing you'd only have to load one application. That application would allow users to log into a Web-based service which hosts all the programs the user would need for his or her job. Remote machines is owned by another company that would run everything, from e-mail to word processing to complex data analysis programs.

            With Cloud computing you can get some advantage, first you can Reduce spending on technology infrastructure by Maintain easy access to your information with minimal upfront spending. Pay as you go (weekly, quarterly or yearly), based on demand., then the Streamline processes for Get more work done in less time with less people. Then you can Reduce capital costs because There’s no need to spend big money on hardware, software or licensing fee. And the most important thing you can get with cloud computing is You have access anytime, anywhere, that making your life so much easier!

            Cloud Based Services is the general term given to a variety of services that are accessed via the Internet or a proprietary network.   Broadly divided into three categories: Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Cloud Based Services allow users to store data, access software and access services and platforms from almost any device that can access the cloud via a broadband connection. The use of cloud services has greatly increased over the past decade.

            The following are the characteristics of cloud computing

• ‘On-Demand, Self-Service’ implies a customer can order service via the web or some other method at any point in time, 24×7, which becomes immediately available for his or her use.
• ‘Broad network access’ implies widespread, heterogeneous network accessibility for thin, thick, mobile and other commonly used compute mediums.
• ‘Shared resource pooling’ connotes the aggregation of physical compute resources into a logical ‘pool’ that is dynamically allocated in a multi-tenancy capacity across broad application service requirements.
• ‘Rapid, bi-directional elasticity’ simply means additional capacity remains available and accessible on an ‘as needed’ basis, and is recovered back to the pool when no longer needed for alternative allocation.
• ‘Metered service’ as noted above means that all variables of resource consumption are tracked in capacity that users can be automatically billed for their consumption.

Perhaps the biggest concerns about cloud computing are security and privacy. The idea of handing over important data to another company worries some people. Corporate executives might hesitate to take advantage of a cloud computing system because they can't keep their company's information under lock and key. The counterargument to this position is that the companies offering cloud computing services live and die by their reputations. It benefits these companies to have reliable security measures in place. Otherwise, the service would lose all its clients. It's in their interest to employ the most advanced techniques to protect their clients' data. Privacy is another matter. If a client can log in from any location to access data and applications, it's possible the client's privacy could be compromised. Cloud computing companies will need to find ways to protect client privacy. One way is to use authentication techniques such as user names and passwords. Another is to employ an authorization format -- each user can access only the data and applications relevant to his or her job.

When talking about a cloud computing system, it's helpful to divide it into two sections: the front end and the back end. They connect to each other through a network, usually the Internet. The front end is the side the computer user, or client, sees. The back end is the "cloud" section of the system. The front end includes the client's computer (or computer network) and the application required to access the cloud computing system. Not all cloud computing systems have the same user interface. Services like Web-based e-mail programs leverage existing Web browsers like Internet Explorer or Firefox. Other systems have unique applications that provide network access to clients. On the back end of the system are the various computers, servers and data storage systems that create the "cloud" of computing services. In theory, a cloud computing system could include practically any computer program you can imagine, from data processing to video games. Usually, each application will have its own dedicated server.