Introduction to Cloud Computing

5. What are the advantages of cloud computing?

When you store your photos online instead of on your home computer, or use webmail or
a social networking site, you are using a “cloud computing” service. If you are an
organization, and you want to use, for example, an online invoicing service instead of
updating the in-house one you have been using for many years, that online invoicing
service is a “cloud computing” service.

Cloud computing refers to the delivery of computing resources over the Internet. Instead
of keeping data on your own hard drive or updating applications for your needs, you use
a service over the Internet, at another location, to store your information or use its
applications. Doing so may give rise to certain privacy implications.

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services over the Internet. Cloud services
allow individuals and businesses to use software and hardware that are managed by third
parties at remote locations. Examples of cloud services include online file storage, social
networking sites, webmail, and online business applications. The cloud computing model
allows access to information and computer resources from anywhere that a network
connection is available. Cloud computing provides a shared pool of resources, including
data storage space, networks, computer processing power, and specialized corporate and
user applications.

The characteristics of cloud computing include on-demand self service, broad network
access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity and measured service. On-demand self service
means that customers (usually organizations) can request and manage their own
computing resources. Broad network access allows services to be offered over the
Internet or private networks. Pooled resources means that customers draw from a pool of
computing resources, usually in remote data centres. Services can be scaled larger or
smaller; and use of a service is measured and customers are billed accordingly.

The cloud computing service models are Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a
Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). In a Software as a Service model, a
pre-made application, along with any required software, operating system, hardware, and
network are provided. In PaaS, an operating system, hardware, and network are provided,
and the customer installs or develops its own software and applications. The IaaS model
provides just the hardware and network; the customer installs or develops its own
operating systems, software and applications.

Cloud services are typically made available via a private cloud, community cloud, public
cloud or hybrid cloud.
Generally speaking, services provided by a public cloud are offered over the Internet and
are owned and operated by a cloud provider. Some examples include services aimed at
the general public, such as online photo storage services, e-mail services, or social
networking sites. However, services for enterprises can also be offered in a public cloud.
In a private cloud, the cloud infrastructure is operated solely for a specific organization,
and is managed by the organization or a third party.
In a community cloud, the service is shared by several organizations and made available
only to those groups. The infrastructure may be owned and operated by the organizations
or by a cloud service provider.
A hybrid cloud is a combination of different methods of resource pooling (for example,
combining public and community clouds).

Cloud services are popular because they can reduce the cost and complexity of owning
and operating computers and networks. Since cloud users do not have to invest in
information technology infrastructure, purchase hardware, or buy software licences, the
benefits are low up-front costs, rapid return on investment, rapid deployment,
customization, flexible use, and solutions that can make use of new innovations. In
addition, cloud providers that have specialized in a particular area (such as e-mail) can
bring advanced services that a single company might not be able to afford or develop.
Some other benefits to users include scalability, reliability, and efficiency. Scalability
means that cloud computing offers unlimited processing and storage capacity. The cloud
is reliable in that it enables access to applications and documents anywhere in the world
via the Internet. Cloud computing is often considered efficient because it allows
organizations to free up resources to focus on innovation and product development.
Another potential benefit is that personal information may be better protected in the
cloud. Specifically, cloud computing may improve efforts to build privacy protection into
technology from the start and the use of better security mechanisms. Cloud computing
will enable more flexible IT acquisition and improvements, which may permit
adjustments to procedures based on the sensitivity of the data. Widespread use of the
cloud may also encourage open standards for cloud computing that will establish baseline
data security features common across different services and providers. Cloud computing
may also allow for better audit trails. In addition, information in the cloud is not as easily
lost (when compared to the paper documents or hard drives, for example).
While there are benefits, there are privacy and security concerns too. Data is travelling
over the Internet and is stored in remote locations. In addition, cloud providers often
serve multiple customers simultaneously. All of this may raise the scale of exposure to
possible breaches, both accidental and deliberate.
Concerns have been raised by many that cloud computing may lead to “function creep”—
uses of data by cloud providers that were not anticipated when the information was
originally collected and for which consent has typically not been obtained. Given how
inexpensive it is to keep data, there is little incentive to remove the information from the
cloud and more reasons to find other things to do with it.
Security issues, the need to segregate data when dealing with providers that serve
multiple customers, potential secondary uses of the data — these are areas that
organizations should keep in mind when considering a cloud provider and when
negotiating contracts or reviewing terms of service with a cloud provider. Given that the
organization transferring this information to the provider is ultimately accountable for its
protection, it needs to ensure that the personal information is appropriate handled.
1. Answer the following questions
1. What is cloud computing?
2. Could you state some cloud services?
3. What does an IaaS provide?
4. What is the difference between private cloud and public cloud?
5. What are the advantages of cloud computing?
6. What are the disadvantages of cloud computing?
7. What is the difference between PaaS and Saas?

2. Match the terms with the statement:

A. IaaS (provides just the hardware and network; the customer installs or develops its
own operating systems, software and applications.)
B. PaaS (an operating system, hardware, and network are provided, and the customer
installs or develops its own software and applications)
C. SaaS (a pre-made application, along with any required software, operating system,
hardware, and network are provided.)
D. On-demand self service (means that customers (usually organizations) can request
and manage their own computing resources)
E. Audit trail

1. A categories of cloud computing that provides a platform and environment to allow

developers to build applications and services over the internet.  B
2. A form of cloud computing that provides virtualized computing resources over the
Internet.  A
3. The service provided by cloud computing vendors that enables the provision of cloud
resources on demand whenever they are required.  D
4. A soft licensing and delivery model in which software is licensed on a subscription
basis and is centrally hosted.  C
5. A system that traces the detailed transactions relating to any item in an accounting
record.  E
3. Mark the following statements as True or False
1. Gmail is cloud computing service. T
2. We can hire iOS with IaaS. F  PaaS
3. We could have Word processing service with PaaS. F  SaaS
4. Only the data owner can access data stored in cloud. F
5. Users could have as many resources as they need from the cloud. T