Cloud Computing

If clouds on the sky are the result of condensation of water or ice drops in the atmosphere and we can see them, what does the Cloud computing mean?

The Cloud computing is a source of processing and storing data, where services as servers, storage and applications can be delivered to a customer over the Internet. Instead of storing information or programs on the hard disk of your personal computer, you can keep it in the Cloud – in the part of a global data center. When we switch on the lamp we are not thinking about how the electricity works. Nobody installs electric generator at home in order to use electric power. When we open Word or PowerPoint the situation is identical. We just open them. If we run one business, it’s impossible to do it successfully without computers, programs and softwares.

Benefits of Cloud Computing:

– Availability – all you need is the Internet access.

– Simplicity and Flexibility – there isn’t any of complicated configurations.

– Cloud Computing services are easy to manage.

Myths

Four myths about Cloud Computing:

When and how to use Cloud Computing in your business, let discuss 4 myths about CC-services:

Myth 1:

There is only one “cloud”. Cloud Computing services can be divided into three main group services:

Infrastructure as a Service – a virtual machine with certain parameters – operating memory, disk data storage –  which can be rented out. The example of IaaS is Amazon – EC2 – the customer chooses the place where the virtual machine can be installed.

Platform as a Service – the Cloud contains set of programs, services, applications, on the base of which the customer can develop his own applications. The example is the platform for new applications Google AppEngine.

Software as a Service – a variant for the customer to use the software applications directly. The widest example of SaaS is Google applications  – Gmail and the Internet space for storing and spreading of photos and videos – Picasa.

Private Clouds

Some companies prefer to use Cloud Computing benefits, but hesitate to install IT infrastructure on one’s servers. IT vendors of these kind of companies creates Private Clouds.

The company purchases servers and combine them to “clouds” with the help of virtual technologies.

Myth 2:

Cloud Computing reduce a workload.  Before starting to use Cloud Computing Services it is important to make analytic analysis, to define a right Cloud Computing Platform and to provide a proper safety level.

Myth 3:

Cloud Computing providers always guarantee safety. If your own applications have vulnerabilities, Cloud Computing platform is not in a safety.

Myths 4:

Cloud Computing is a technology. It is more like a combination of many technologies – the process of virtualization is the base of Cloud Computing.

In one word, Cloud Computing is a complicated resource, which requires a deep understanding of its functional purposes and efficient management. That’s not a myth already. Nobody knows what is waiting for us in the future, but the Cloud is a good investment in the global information storage, which we can pass to next generations.