CLOUD Networks

Cloud Computing is a general term used to describe a new class of network based computing that takes place over the Internet,
basically a step on from Utility Computing
a collection/group of integrated and networked hardware, software and Internet infrastructure (called a platform).
Using the Internet for communication and transport provides hardware, software and networking services to clients
These platforms hide the complexity and details of the underlying infrastructure from users and applications by providing very simple graphical interface or API (Applications Programming Interface).

In addition, the platform provides on demand services, that are always on, anywhere, anytime and any place.
Pay for use and as needed, elastic
scale up and down in capacity and functionalities
The hardware and software services are available to
general public, enterprises, corporations and businesses markets

Cloud computing is an umbrella term used to refer to Internet based development and services

A number of characteristics define cloud data, applications services and infrastructure:
Remotely hosted: Services or data are hosted on remote infrastructure.
Ubiquitous: Services or data are available from anywhere.
Commodified: The result is a utility computing model similar to traditional that of traditional utilities, like gas and electricity - you pay for what you would want!

The “no-need-to-know” in terms of the underlying details of infrastructure, applications interface with the infrastructure via the APIs.
The “flexibility and elasticity” allows these systems to scale up and down at will
utilising the resources of all kinds
CPU, storage, server capacity, load balancing, and databases
The “pay as much as used and needed” type of utility computing and the “always on!, anywhere and any place” type of network-based computing.

Cloud are transparent to users and applications, they can be built in multiple ways
branded products, proprietary open source, hardware or software, or just off-the-shelf PCs.
In general, they are built on clusters of PC servers and off-the-shelf components plus Open Source software combined with in-house applications and/or system software.

SaaS is a model of software deployment where an application is hosted as a service provided to customers across the Internet.
Saas alleviates the burden of software maintenance/support
but users relinquish control over software versions and requirements.
Terms that are used in this sphere include
Platform as a Service (PaaS) and
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Virtual workspaces:
An abstraction of an execution environment that can be made dynamically available to authorized clients by using well-defined protocols,
Resource quota (e.g. CPU, memory share),
Software configuration (e.g. O/S, provided services).
Implement on Virtual Machines (VMs):
Abstraction of a physical host machine,
Hypervisor intercepts and emulates instructions from VMs, and allows management of VMs,
VMWare, Xen, etc.
Provide infrastructure API:
Plug-ins to hardware/support structures

Advantages of virtual machines:
Run operating systems where the physical hardware is unavailable,
Easier to create new machines, backup machines, etc.,
Software testing using “clean” installs of operating systems and software,
Emulate more machines than are physically available,
Timeshare lightly loaded systems on one host,
Debug problems (suspend and resume the problem machine),
Easy migration of virtual machines (shutdown needed or not).
Run legacy systems!

Cloud computing enables companies and applications, which are system infrastructure dependent, to be infrastructure-less.
By using the Cloud infrastructure on “pay as used and on demand”, all of us can save in capital and operational investment!
Clients can:
Put their data on the platform instead of on their own desktop PCs and/or on their own servers.
They can put their applications on the cloud and use the servers within the cloud to do processing and data manipulations etc.

Why is it becoming a Big Deal:
Using high-scale/low-cost providers,
Any time/place access via web browser,
Rapid scalability; incremental cost and load sharing,
Can forget need to focus on local IT.
Concerns:
Performance, reliability, and SLAs,
Control of data, and service parameters,
Application features and choices,
Interaction between Cloud providers,
No standard API – mix of SOAP and REST!
Privacy, security, compliance, trust…

Several large Web companies are now exploiting the fact that they have data storage capacity that can be hired out to others.
allows data stored remotely to be temporarily cached on desktop computers, mobile phones or other Internet-linked devices.

Amazon’s Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) and Simple Storage Solution (S3) are well known examples
Mechanical Turk

The use of the cloud provides a number of opportunities:
It enables services to be used without any understanding of their infrastructure.
Cloud computing works using economies of scale:
It potentially lowers the outlay expense for start up companies, as they would no longer need to buy their own software or servers.
Cost would be by on-demand pricing.
Vendors and Service providers claim costs by establishing an ongoing revenue stream.
Data and services are stored remotely but accessible from “anywhere”.

In parallel there has been backlash against cloud computing:
Use of cloud computing means dependence on others and that could possibly limit flexibility and innovation:
The others are likely become the bigger Internet companies like Google and IBM, who may monopolise the market.
Some argue that this use of supercomputers is a return to the time of mainframe computing that the PC was a reaction against.
Security could prove to be a big issue:
It is still unclear how safe out-sourced data is and when using these services ownership of data is not always clear.
There are also issues relating to policy and access:
If your data is stored abroad whose policy do you adhere to?
What happens if the remote server goes down?
How will you then access files?
There have been cases of users being locked out of accounts and losing access to data.

Lower computer costs:
You do not need a high-powered and high-priced computer to run cloud computing's web-based applications.
Since applications run in the cloud, not on the desktop PC, your desktop PC does not need the processing power or hard disk space demanded by traditional desktop software.
When you are using web-based applications, your PC can be less expensive, with a smaller hard disk, less memory, more efficient processor...
In fact, your PC in this scenario does not even need a CD or DVD drive, as no software programs have to be loaded and no document files need to be saved.

Improved performance:
With few large programs hogging your computer's memory, you will see better performance from your PC.
Computers in a cloud computing system boot and run faster because they have fewer programs and processes loaded into memory…
Reduced software costs:
Instead of purchasing expensive software applications, you can get most of what you need for free-ish!
most cloud computing applications today, such as the Google Docs suite.
better than paying for similar commercial software
which alone may be justification for switching to cloud applications.

Instant software updates:
Another advantage to cloud computing is that you are no longer faced with choosing between obsolete software and high upgrade costs.
When the application is web-based, updates happen automatically
available the next time you log into the cloud.
When you access a web-based application, you get the latest version
without needing to pay for or download an upgrade.

Improved document format compatibility.
You do not have to worry about the documents you create on your machine being compatible with other users' applications or OSes
There are potentially no format incompatibilities when everyone is sharing documents and applications in the cloud.

Unlimited storage capacity:
Cloud computing offers virtually limitless storage.
Your computer's current 1 Tbyte hard drive is small compared to the hundreds of Pbytes available in the cloud.
Increased data reliability:
Unlike desktop computing, in which if a hard disk crashes and destroy all your valuable data, a computer crashing in the cloud should not affect the storage of your data.
if your personal computer crashes, all your data is still out there in the cloud, still accessible
In a world where few individual desktop PC users back up their data on a regular basis, cloud computing is a data-safe computing platform!

Universal document access:
That is not a problem with cloud computing, because you do not take your documents with you.
Instead, they stay in the cloud, and you can access them whenever you have a computer and an Internet connection
Documents are instantly available from wherever you are
Latest version availability:
When you edit a document at home, that edited version is what you see when you access the document at work.
The cloud always hosts the latest version of your documents
as long as you are connected, you are not in danger of having an outdated version

Easier group collaboration:
Sharing documents leads directly to better collaboration.
Many users do this as it is an important advantages of cloud computing
multiple users can collaborate easily on documents and projects
Device independence.
You are no longer tethered to a single computer or network.
Changes to computers, applications and documents follow you through the cloud.
Move to a portable device, and your applications and documents are still available.

Requires a constant Internet connection:
Cloud computing is impossible if you cannot connect to the Internet.