Cloud Computing

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is a technology that uses the internet for storing and managing data on remote servers and then access data via the internet. This type of system allows users to work on the remote. Cloud computing customers do not own the physical infrastructure; they rent the usage from a third-party provider. Cloud Computing and the Essential characteristics of cloud services are On-demand self- service, Broad network access, Resource pooling, rapid elasticity. Cloud computing is so successful because of its simplicity in its usage. They are a cost-effective solution for enterprises. The various features are Optimal Server Utilization, On-demand cloud services (satisfying client), Dynamic Scalability, Virtualization techniques. One such example is Google cloud – It is a suite of public cloud services offered by Google. All the application development run on Google hardware. They include Google Compute Engine, App engine, google cloud storage, Google container engine

Types of Services

  • SAAS (Software-as-a-Service)- Examples Microsoft Office Live, Dropbox.
  • PAAS (Platform-as-a-Service)- Examples Google App Engine
  • IAAS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service) – Examples IBM cloudburst.
  • Why now cloud computing?

    1. Economics of scale: The rapid growth of e-commerce and social media has increased the demand for computational resources. In larger data centers, it is easier to maximize the amount of work and reduce idle server time.
    2. Expertise: Companies built data centers for their internal cloud, they could develop expertise and technology to build public data centers.
    3. Open-Source Software: The Linux operating system has become a major cloud computing enabler

    Examples of Cloud Computing

    1. Dropbox, Facebook, Gmail:

    Cloud can be used for storage of files. The advantage is an easy backup. They automatically synchronize the files from the desktop. Dropbox allowing users to access files and storage up to 1 terabyte of free storage. Social Networking platform requires a powerful hosting to manage and store data in real-time. Cloud-based communication provides click-to-call capabilities from social networking sites, access to the Instant messaging system.

    2. Banking, Financial Services

    Consumers store financial information to cloud computing serviced providers. They store tax records as online backup services.

    3. Health Care

    Using cloud computing, Medical professionals host information, analytics and do diagnostics remotely. As healthcare also comes in the list of examples of cloud computing it allows other doctors around the world to immediately access this medical information for faster prescriptions and updates. Application of cloud computing in health care includes telemedicine, public and personal health care, E-health services and bioinformatics.

    4. Education

    This is useful in institutions of higher learning provide benefits to universities and colleges so henceforth Education comes in the examples of cloud computing. Google and Microsoft provide various services free of charge to staff and students in different learning institutions. Several Educational institutions in united states use them to improve efficiency, cut on costs. Example- Google App Education (GAE). They allow the user to use their personal workspace, teaching becomes more interactive.