Unit 1: Cloud Computing Fundamentals

Introduction :
Cloud Computing term is coined because of the services which we want to get are
available away from you and are in the cloud that is not available directly with you
but they can made available virtually i.e. through internet. Internet is a must while
accessing these services.
So the services like to access data that is stored at remote place or data storage,
another services like to access application server, data server etc, or services in the
form different software’s we want to build an application. Now these services can
be made available to you as per your demand.
These services like hardware, network, storage, platforms, software’s, you need
not to invest money and these services can be availed and used by the user as per
his/her demand and the user required to pay only for the service used. So user has
freed from the tension of maintaining the hardware purchase and license software
to procure so this solution of cloud computing which provides the services as per
the demand has become popular now a days.
Cloud computing is now popular and affordable option for businesses and peoples
because of low cost available services with speed and efficiency and also good
performance. These services are also very secure and helps in increase in the
productivity of businesses and people.

Definition of Cloud computing

Cloud Computing can be defined in a simple way as providing different types of

services over the Internet. This providing services over the internet is called as
cloud computing.

Cloud computing is getting on-demand availability of computer system resources,

especially data storage (cloud storage) and computing power, without direct active
management by the user.
Definitions of Cloud computing can be given in various ways. When asked define
cloud computing, definition is stated liable to a particular application with no
unanimous definition, making it altogether vague. Following are few definitions of
Cloud computing.

Cloud Computing can also be defined in the context of internet service provider
The practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the Internet to
store, manage, and process data, rather than a local server or a personal
computer. This is an internet definition of Cloud computing.

Gartner group ‘A forecaster of Information technology’ defines cloud

computing as a style of computing in which scalable and elastic IT-enabled
capabilities are delivered as a service using Internet technologies.

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which defines the

standard, defines cloud computing as, a model for enabling convenient, on-
demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources that
can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or
service provider interaction.

The IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) defines cloud computing in two

working drafts. Cloud Profiles draft highlights different ecosystem of cloud such as
cloud vendors, service providers, and users. Intercloud draft provides definition on
topology, functions, and governance for cloud-to-cloud interoperability and
federation.

Thus Cloud computing from all the above definitions, concluded as A computing
paradigm with virtual network of remote servers allowing users to store, process
and access data, providing on-demand computational services with features like
elasticity, scalability, security and redundancy is Cloud computing.

Before Cloud Computing

In 1955, John McCarthy, who originally coined the term “artificial intelligence,”
created a theory of sharing computing time which was known as time sharing
theory among an entire group of users. Getting the most out of computing time was
an important consideration in the 1950s because it could cost upwards of several
million dollars. It was a ridiculously expensive asset, and maximizing it was a top
priority among those who were shelling out the cash for the technology.

Small companies couldn’t even afford to use computers, making moving to the
type of automation enjoyed by larger companies impossible. McCarthy’s theory of
“time-sharing” would be essential in helping get the most out of the computing
time available, as well as making computing time available to smaller companies
that couldn’t afford to buy their own mainframes.

As technology evolved, the idea of cloud computing moved ahead incrementally,

with little major advancement until the last year of the 1960s. In the mid-1960s, an
American computer scientist named J.C.R. Licklider came up with an idea for an
interconnected system of computers. In 1969, Licklider’s revolutionary idea
helped Bob Taylor and Larry Roberts develop something known as ARPANET
(Advanced Research Projects Agency Network).

ARPANET is widely known as the “predecessor of the Internet” and was the first
network that allowed digital sources to be shared among computers that were not
in the same physical location. Licklider also envisioned a world where everyone
would be connected; to have the ability to access specific programs and data,
regardless of where the access point might be located. If this sounds familiar, that’s
because it should; it’s what is known today as “cloud computing.”

Licklider, then, deserves recognition as perhaps one of the most important people
in the creation of the modern Internet and cloud computing. It wouldn’t be
hyperbolic to call him the father of cloud computing technology.

In 1963, DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), presented

MIT with $2 million for Project MAC. The funding included a requirement MIT
develop technology allowing for a “computer to be used by two or more people,
simultaneously.” In this case, one of those gigantic, archaic computers using reels
of magnetic tape for memory and was the precursor to what has now become
collectively known as Cloud Computing. It acted as a primitive Cloud with two or
three people accessing it. The word “Virtualization” was used to describe this
situation, though the word’s meaning later expanded.
In 1969, J. C. R. Licklider helped develop the ARPANET (Advanced Research
Projects Agency Network), a “very” primitive version of the Internet. JCR, or
“Lick” was both a psychologist and a computer scientist, and promoted a vision
called the “Intergalactic Computer Network,” in which everyone on the planet
would be interconnected by way of computers, and able to access information from
anywhere. (What could such an unrealistic, impossible-to-pay-for, fantasy of the
future look like?) The Intergalactic Computer Network, otherwise known as the
Internet, is necessary for access to the Cloud.

The meaning of Virtualization began shifting in the 1970s, and now describes the
creation of a virtual machine, that acts like a real computer, with a fully functional
operating system. The concept of Virtualization has evolved with the Internet, as
businesses began offering “virtual” private networks as a rentable service. The use
of virtual computers became popular in the 1990s, leading to the development of
the modern Cloud Computing infrastructure.

The Late 1990s

In its early stages, the Cloud was used to express the empty space between the end
user and the provider. In 1997, Professor Ramnath Chellapa of Emory University
defined Cloud Computing as the new “computing paradigm, where the boundaries
of computing will be determined by economic rationale, rather than technical
limits alone.” This somewhat ponderous description rings true in describing the
Cloud’s evolution.

The Cloud gained popularity as companies gained a better understanding of its

services and usefulness. In 1999, Salesforce became a popular example of using
Cloud Computing successfully. They used it to pioneer the idea of using the
Internet to deliver software programs to the end users. The program (or
application) could be accessed and downloaded by anyone with Internet access.
Businesses could purchase the software in an on-demand, cost-effective manner,
without leaving the office.
The Early 2000s

In 2002, Amazon introduced its web-based retail services. It was the first major
business to think of using only 10% of their capacity (which was commonplace at
the time) as a problem to be solved. The Cloud Computing Infrastructure Model
gave them the flexibility to use their computer’s capacity much more efficiently.
Soon after, other large organizations followed their example.

In 2006, Amazon launched Amazon Web Services, which offers online services to
other websites, or clients. One of Amazon Web Services’ sites, called Amazon
Mechanical Turk, provides a variety of Cloud-based services including storage,
computation and “human intelligence.” Another of Amazon Web Services’ sites is
the Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), allowing individuals to rent virtual computers
and use their own programs and applications.

In the same year, Google launched the Google Docs services. Google Docs was
originally based on two separate products, Google Spreadsheets and Writely.
Google purchased Writely, which offers renters the ability to save documents, edit
documents, and transfer them into blogging systems. (These documents are
compatible with Microsoft Word.) Google Spreadsheets (acquired from 2Web
Technologies, in 2005) is an Internet-based program allowing users to develop,
update, and edit spreadsheets, and to share the data online. An Ajax-based program
is used, which is compatible with Microsoft Excel. The spreadsheets can be saved
in an HTML format.

In 2007, IBM, Google, and several universities joined forces to develop a server
farm for research projects needing both fast processors and huge data sets. The
University of Washington was the first to sign up and use resources provided by
IBM and Google. Carnegie Mellon University, MIT, Stanford University, the
University of Maryland, and the University of California at Berkeley, quickly
followed suit. The universities immediately realized computer experiments can be
done faster and for less money, if IBM and Google were supporting their research.
Since much of the research was focused on problems IBM and Google had
interests in, they also benefitted from the arrangement. 2007 was also the year
when Netflix launched it’s streaming video service, using the Cloud, and provided
support for the practice of “binge-watching.”

Eucalyptus offered the first AWS API compatible platform, which was used for
distributing private Clouds, in 2008. In the same year, NASA’s OpenNebula
provided the first open-source software for deploying Private and Hybrid Clouds.
Many of its most innovative features focused on the needs of major businesses.

In 2011, IBM introduced the IBM SmartCloud framework, in support of Smarter

Planet (a cultural thinking project). Then, Apple launched the ICloud, which
focuses on storing more personal information (photos, music, videos, etc.). Also,
during this year, Microsoft began advertising the Cloud on television, making the
general public aware of its ability to store photos, or video, with easy access.

Oracle introduced the Oracle Cloud in 2012, offering the three basics for business,
IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service), PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service), and SAAS
(Software-as-a-Service).

What to Expect

A customer using a Public Cloud service can have three basic expectations. First,
customers rent the services, instead of purchasing hardware and software to
accomplish the same goal. Second, the vendor is responsible for all the
administration, maintenance, capacity planning, backups, and troubleshooting. And
finally, for many business projects, it is simply faster and easier to use the Cloud. It
comes with huge amounts of storage, the ability to handle multiple projects, and
more availability to a variety of users, simultaneously.

There are essentially two kinds of Public Clouds. One serves individuals for
personal use, and one serves businesses. Cloud Computing storage for personal use
allows easy access and file sharing. Data stored on the Cloud, such as photographs
and music, can be shared with friends using a smart phone or a friends laptop,
while protecting personal data from loss and damage. The services offered by the
business Cloud are quite different, and fall into three basic categories of service:

IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service) deals with raw computing capacity. IaaS is the

most basic service, and provides a server, or servers, in the cloud, along with
storage. IaaS customers are often tech companies that typically have a great deal of
IT expertise. The goal is to have access to computing power, without the
responsibilities of installation or maintenance.

PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service) supports writing software for computer systems that

need it. This Cloud-based service lets businesses write software for integrating
existing applications, or develop custom applications. PaaS environments are
equipped with software development technologies, such as .NET, Python, Ruby on
Rails, and Java. When the code is finished, the service provider will host it, making
it available to other internet users. Currently, PaaS is the smallest part of the Cloud
Computing market, and has been used by businesses wanting to outsource part of
their infrastructure.

SAAS (Software-as-a-Service) provides software. This part of the Cloud is the

largest and most developed. It is a program, or a suite of applications, available
within the Cloud, rather than a computer’s hard drive.

Security

By 2014, Cloud Computing had developed its basic features, and security had
become the primary focus. Cloud security has become a fast-growing service,
because of its importance to customers. Cloud security has advanced significantly
in the last two years, and now provides protection comparable to traditional IT
security systems. This includes the protection of critical information from
accidental deletion, theft, and data leakage. Having said that, security is, and may
always be, the primary concern of most Cloud users.

Unit 1: Cloud Computing Fundamentals: (10 Hours) Definition of Cloud Computing,

private, public and hybrid cloud. Cloud types; IaaS, PaaS, SaaS. Benefits and
challenges of cloud computing, public Vs private clouds