Data Somewhere out there – Computing in the Clouds

-Contributed by Neha Bhatia

Technology advances, and with it, new terms build up. Grid computing has been shifted to “Cloud Computing”. As the name suggests the data is somewhere in the clouds simply because large groups of servers that often use low-cost consumer PC technology are networked together, with specialized connections to spread data-processing chores across them.

You don’t know where the server located is and where is the data amongst multiple servers but it is ensured that you have created repository of information which will stay lifelong irrespective of common problems of losing data- computer crashes; file lost or damaged.

All you need to implement cloud computing is: servers, nodes to connect to server, a controlling server to handle other servers, applications to be loaded on the cloud,
fast internet connections and an open source software required for binding the clusters and provide virtualization.

One of the best examples of implementing the Cloud is Google Apps, which not only implements so called virtualization by allowing companies to run multiple applications on a single server computer but also makes it as an open source by collaborating the data of multiple companies under a single unit. Software as a Service (SaaS, typically pronounced 'sass') is a model of software deployment where an application is hosted as a service provided to customers across the Internet. By eliminating the need to install and run the application on the customer's own computer, SaaS alleviates the customer's burden of software maintenance, ongoing operation, and support. Cloud computing easily manages Saas by reducing the overhead involved in buying the software simply by offering “on demand pricing”.

Since the simple storage service is provided by the vendor, there are lot of risks being involved in the technology

• What will happen to data in the case of a disaster of the server
• How will data be accessible when server is down
• What will happen to data if the company goes out of business; how data be returned
• Quality of Service when internet connections aren’t fast, reliable and available at all places at all the time

Even with the cons, this technology is getting adapted worldwide with Oracle introducing the cloud based versions of its database – Imagine unlimited database accessible to privileged user all the time with no hassles of online transfers! Amazon operates a booming cloud business by renting out storage space of 440000 developers, with more than 30,000 signing up each quarterly. Microsoft is coming up with Windows Azure an OS designed for allowing to run Web based applications.

While a low cost service like this always attracts SMEs because you get an unlimited IT infrastructure as a service. The cloud shrinks or expands depending upon your requirement, and you pay for what you use.

Another benefit of cloud computing for enterprises is faster time to market for their products and services. The traditional approach to launching a new product in the market is to procure the hardware and software, setup the OS and applications on it, and then start developing the application on it.

However my opinion after reading several blogs by SMEs themselves, I come up with this statistics: 47% of SMEs want to adopt cloud strategy however 12% out of them are still sceptical about the Internet connectivity issues and 9% - 13% consider that security issues for hosting the mission critical applications over the internet makes them doubtful to adopt the technology.

In the near future when this technology would advance as the most cost effective, secure with no issues of higher bandwidth, it would be “Information – Not into some device but into the service that exists in the sky”.


References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing

http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2008/10/14/232649/smbs-may-not-see-clouds-silver-lining.htm

http://pcquest.ciol.com/content/datacenter/2009/108123101.asp