A HAndbook by saransh saxena · Title: A HAndbook by saransh saxena Author: ABC Created Date: 8/26/2011 5:25:20 PM

Reference Notes

[ A HANDBOOK BY SARANSH SAXENA ]

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SARANSH SAXENA | [email protected]

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Contents:

Cloud Concept

What actually is Cloud Computing?

Types of Clouds

Architecture

Cloud Storage

Benefits

Essential Characteristics

Evolution & History

Applications & Services

Cloud Services Providers

Security & Integration

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What is Cloud Computing?

The Fifth Generation of Computing

(after Mainframe, Personal Computer, Client-Server Computing, and the web)

Cloud computing is a general term for anything that involves delivering hosted services over the

Internet. These services are broadly divided into three categories: Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS),

Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).

The name cloud computing was inspired by the cloud symbol that's often used to represent the

Internet in flowcharts and diagrams.

In other words, Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product,

whereby shared resources, software and information are provided to computers and other devices as a

utility (like the electricity grid) over a network (typically the Internet).

Cloud computing is a technology that uses the internet and central remote servers to maintain data and

applications. Cloud computing allows consumers and businesses to use applications without installation

and access their personal files at any computer with internet access. This technology allows for much

more efficient computing by centralizing storage, memory, processing and bandwidth.

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Cloud computing provides computation, software, data access, and storage services that do not require

end-user knowledge of the physical location and configuration of the system that delivers the services.

Parallels to this concept can be drawn with the electricity grid, wherein end-users consume power

without needing to understand the component devices or infrastructure required to provide the service.

A simple example of cloud computing is Yahoo email or Gmail etc. You don’t need software or a server

to use them. All a consumer would need is just an internet connection and you can start sending emails.

The server and email management software is all on the cloud ( internet) and is totally managed by the

cloud service provider Yahoo , Google etc. The consumer gets to use the software alone and enjoy the

benefits. The analogy is , 'If you only need milk , would you buy a cow ?' All the users or consumers need

is to get the benefits of using the software or hardware of the computer like sending emails etc. Just to

get this benefit (milk) why should a consumer buy a (cow) software /hardware ?

Types of Clouds

Public Private Hybrid Virtual Private

A cloud can be of four shown types. A public cloud sells services to anyone on the Internet. (Currently,

Amazon Web Services is the largest public cloud provider.) A private cloud is a proprietary network or a

data center that supplies hosted services to a limited number of people. Hybrid cloud is a mix between

public and private. When a service provider uses public cloud resources in their private cloud, or in

creating their private cloud, the result is called a virtual private cloud. Private or public, the goal of cloud

computing is to provide easy, scalable access to computing resources and IT services.

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Cloud computing is broken down into three segments: "applications," "platforms” and “infrastructure”

as shown in figure on page 3. Each segment serves a different purpose and offers different products for

businesses and individuals around the world.

A cloud service has three distinct characteristics that differentiate it from traditional hosting. It is sold on

demand, typically by the minute or the hour; it is elastic -- a user can have as much or as little of a

service as they want at any given time; and the service is fully managed by the provider (the consumer

needs nothing but a personal computer and Internet access). Significant innovations in virtualization and

distributed computing, as well as improved access to high-speed Internet and a weak economy, have

accelerated interest in cloud computing.

Infrastructure-as-a-Service like Amazon Web Services provides virtual server instance API) to start, stop,

access and configure their virtual servers and storage. In the enterprise, cloud computing allows a

company to pay for only as much capacity as is needed, and bring more online as soon as required.

Because this pay-for-what-you-use model resembles the way electricity, fuel and water are consumed,

it's sometimes referred to as utility computing. In IaaS, cpu, grids or clusters, virtualized servers,

memory, networks, storage and systems software are delivered as a service. Example: Amazon’s Elastic

Compute Cloud (EC2) and Simple Storage Service (S3), but traditional IT vendors such as IBM, and

telecoms providers such as AT&T and Verizon are also offering solutions. SQL Azure is another example.

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Platform-as-a-service in the cloud is defined as a set of software and product development tools hosted

on the provider's infrastructure. Developers create applications on the provider's platform over the

Internet. PaaS providers may use APIs, website portals or gateway software installed on the customer's

computer. Force.com, (an outgrowth of Salesforce.com) and GoogleApps are examples of PaaS.

Developers need to know that currently, there are not standards for interoperability or data portability

in the cloud. Some providers will not allow software created by their customers to be moved off the

provider's platform. PaaS provides virtualized servers on which users can run applications, or develop

new ones, without having to worry about maintaining the operating systems, server hardware, load

balancing or computing capacity. Example: Force.com, Google App Engine, Windows Azure (Platform)

In the Software-As-A-Service cloud model, the vendor supplies the hardware infrastructure, the

software product and interacts with the user through a front-end portal. SaaS is a very broad market.

Services can be anything from Web-based email to inventory control and database processing. Because

the service provider hosts both the application and the data, the end user is free to use the service from

anywhere. SaaS is software is developed and hosted by the SaaS vendor and which the end user

accesses over the Internet. Unlike traditional applications that users install on their computers or

servers, SaaS software is owned by the vendor and runs on computers in the vendor’s data center (or a

colocation facility). Broadly speaking, all customers of a SaaS vendor use the same software: these are

one-size-fits-all solutions. Well known examples are Salesforce.com, Google’s Gmail and Apps, instant

messaging from AOL, Yahoo and Google, and Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) from Vonage and

Skype. Example: Google’s Gmail and Apps, instant messaging from AOL, Yahoo and Google, Google Docs,

Salesforce CRM, SAP Business by Design

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Cloud Computing Sample Architecture

The Internet is often represented as a cloud and the term “cloud computing” arises from that analogy. Accenture defines cloud computing as the dynamic provisioning of IT capabilities (hardware, software, or services) from third parties over a network. McKinsey says that clouds are hardware-based services offering compute, network and storage capacity where: hardware management is highly abstracted from the buyer; buyers incur infrastructure costs as variable OPEX [operating expenditures]; and infrastructure capacity is highly elastic (up or down).1 The cloud model differs from traditional outsourcing in that customers do not hand over their own IT resources to be managed. Instead they plug into the cloud, treating it as they would an internal data center or computer providing the same functions. Large companies can afford to build and expand their own data centers but small- to medium-sized enterprises often choose to house their IT infrastructure in someone else’s facility. A colocation center is a type of data center where multiple customers locate network, server and storage assets, and interconnect to a variety of telecommunications and other network service providers with a minimum of cost and complexity. Amazon has a head start but well known companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Apple have joined

the fray.

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For some computer owners, finding enough storage space to hold all the data they've acquired is a real

challenge. Some people invest in larger hard drives. Others prefer external storage devices like thumb

drives or compact discs. Desperate computer owners might delete entire folders worth of old files in

order to make space for new information. But some are choosing to rely on a growing trend, which we

call as “Cloud storage”.

While cloud storage sounds like it has something to do with weather fronts and storm systems, it really

refers to saving data to an off-site storage system maintained by a third party. Instead of storing

information to your computer's hard drive or other local storage device, you save it to a remote

database. The Internet provides the connection between your computer and the database.

On the surface, cloud storage has several advantages over traditional data storage. For example, if you

store your data on a cloud storage system, you'll be able to get to that data from any location that has

Internet access. You wouldn't need to carry around a physical storage device or use the same computer

to save and retrieve your information. With the right storage system, you could even allow other people

to access the data, turning a personal project into a collaborative effort.

Therefore cloud storage is convenient, more secure, offers more flexibility and has variety of advantages

over local storage.

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Benefits:

Cost Effective

Cloud technology is paid incrementally, saving organizations money providing best service.

Increased Storage

Organizations can store more data than on private computer systems.

Highly Automated

No longer do IT personnel need to worry about keeping software up to date.

Flexibility

Cloud computing offers much more flexibility than past computing methods.

More Mobility

Employees can access information wherever they are, rather than having to remain at their

desks.

Availability

24 x 7 Availability of service

Security

Comparatively secure than local storage and traditional computing

Allows IT to Shift Focus

No longer having to worry about constant server updates and other computing issues,

government organizations will be free to concentrate on innovation.

Computing Flexibility

It has more flexibility than other network computing systems and saves time plus money for

people who are in a time crunch.

Elastic

Shared Resources

Quick Service

Overall more efficient ………etc.

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Characteristics:

Cloud computing exhibits various key characteristics. You can also refer these from the benefits as

written on Page 9. Other essential characteristics include:

Agility improves with users' ability to re-provision technological infrastructure resources.

Application Programming Interface (API) accessibility to software that enables machines to

interact with cloud software in the same way the user interface facilitates interaction between

humans and computers. Cloud computing systems typically use REST-based APIs.

Cost is claimed to be reduced and in a public cloud delivery model capital expenditure is

converted to operational expenditure.

Device and location independence enable users to access systems using a web browser

regardless of their location or what device they are using (e.g., PC, mobile phone).

Multi-tenancy enables sharing of resources and costs across a large pool of users thus allowing

for:

o Centralization of infrastructure in locations with lower costs (such as real estate,

electricity, etc.)

o Peak-load capacity increases (users need not engineer for highest possible load-levels)

o Utilization and efficiency improvements for systems that are often only 10–20%

utilized.

Reliability is improved if multiple redundant sites are used, which makes well-designed cloud

computing suitable for business continuity and disaster recovery.

Scalability and Elasticity via dynamic ("on-demand") provisioning of resources on a fine-grained,

self-service basis near real-time, without users having to engineer for peak loads.

Performance is monitored and consistent and loosely coupled architectures are constructed

using web services as the system interface.

Security could improve due to centralization of data, increased security-focused resources, etc.,

but concerns can persist about loss of control over certain sensitive data, and the lack of

security for stored kernels. Security is often as good as or better than under traditional systems,

in part because providers are able to devote resources to solving security issues that many

customers cannot afford.

Maintenance of cloud computing applications is easier, because they do not need to be installed

on each user's computer. They are easier to support and to improve, as the changes reach the

clients instantly.

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EVOLUTION:

The evolution can be split into 3 phases:

1. The Idea Phase – this started in the 1960s and stretched to the pre internet bubble era. The

core idea of computing as a utility computing and grid computing developed.

2. The Pre Cloud Phase – this started around 1999 and lasted till 2006. In this phase internet as the

mechanism to provide Application as Service got developed.

3. The Cloud Phase – this phase started in 2007 when the term cloud computing term became

popular and the sub classification of IaaS, PaaS & SaaS got formalized.

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APPLICATIONS & SERVICES:

Clients would be able to access their applications and data from anywhere at any time. They

could access the cloud computing system using any computer linked to the Internet. Data

wouldn't be confined to a hard drive on one user's computer or even a corporation's internal

network.

It could bring hardware costs down. Cloud computing systems would reduce the need for

advanced hardware on the client side. You wouldn't need to buy the fastest computer with the

most memory, because the cloud system would take care of those needs for you. Instead, you

could buy an inexpensive computer terminal. The terminal could include a monitor, input

devices like a keyboard and mouse and just enough processing power to run the middleware

necessary to connect to the cloud system. You wouldn't need a large hard drive because you'd

store all your information on a remote computer.

Corporations that rely on computers have to make sure they have the right software in place to

achieve goals. Cloud computing systems give these organizations company-wide access to

computer applications. The companies don't have to buy a set of software or software licenses

for every employee. Instead, the company could pay a metered fee to a cloud computing

company.

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Servers and digital storage devices take up space. Some companies rent physical space to store

servers and databases because they don't have it available on site. Cloud computing gives these

companies the option of storing data on someone else's hardware, removing the need for

physical space on the front end.

Corporations might save money on IT support. Streamlined hardware would, in theory, have

fewer problems than a network of heterogeneous machines and operating systems.

If the cloud computing system's back end is a grid computing system, then the client could take

advantage of the entire network's processing power. Often, scientists and researchers work with

calculations so complex that it would take years for individual computers to complete them. On

a grid computing system, the client could send the calculation to the cloud for processing. The

cloud system would tap into the processing power of all available computers on the back end,

significantly speeding up the calculation.

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Top Cloud Service Providers:

1. Amazon Web Services (AWS), Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), Simple Storage Service (S3), and

Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)

2. Salesforce.com / Sales Cloud 2 (CRM), Service Cloud 2 (Support),Force.com (Development

Platform), Chatter (Collaboration)

3. Google Apps (AppEngine)

4. Citrix – XenServer (Virtualization)

5. VMWare – vSphere (Virtualization)

6. Rackspace – Mosso

7. 3PAR

8. Cisco

9. IBM Smart Business, Cloudburst

10. AT&T Synaptic

11. Verizon

12. rPath

13. Appistry

14. Rightscale (#7 management)

15. Joyent

Other Known Cloud Service Providers:

Intel

IBM

Dell

HP

Novell

Oracle

McAfee etc.

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India Based Cloud Service Providers:

Zenith Infotech

Wolf Frameworks

TCS

Wipro

Reliance

Infosys etc.

Cloud Security & Integration:

Cloud computing security (sometimes referred to simply as "cloud security") is an evolving sub-domain

of computer security, network security, and, more broadly, information security. It refers to a broad set

of policies, technologies, and controls deployed to protect data, applications, and the associated

infrastructure of cloud computing. Cloud security is not to be confused with security software offerings

that are "cloud-based" (a.k.a. security-as-a-service). Many commercial software vendors have offerings

such as cloud-based anti-virus or vulnerability management.

4 Main Principles :

P . A . I . N

(Privacy, Authentication, Integrity & Non Repudiation)

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The Cloud allows companies to quickly and cost effectively grow their business without additional IT

infrastructure and resources.

As more and more organizations adopt one or more cloud applications they continue to retain a handful

of mission critical investments within their on-premise infrastructure.

As a result, cloud integration is the key to realizing the full potential of your cloud investment. Without

the ability to integrate your data in the cloud with your on-premise applications and databases, you

create data silos and inefficiencies that can all but wipe out the benefits of the cloud.

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Things One should know!

Amazone Web Services comes under IaaS.

Cloud Comuting Comes from Grid Computing.

CSA stands for Cloud Security Alliance.

CloudAV stands for Cloud Antivirus.

Cloud word is taken from Internet.

Rackspace cloud service is a type of Cloud Servers.

A cloud architecture maintained within an enterprise data center is known

as Private Cloud.

Organization helping to foster security standards for cloud computing :

Cloud Security Alliance

Cloud Foundry: VMware-led open source PaaS.

Assignment

1. Define Cloud Concept.

2. In current environment, how much importance does Cloud Computing

possess?

3. Discuss the history and evolution of Cloud Computing.

4. What are the various types of Clouds available at present?

5. What do you understand by Cloud Storage?

6. Who are Cloud Service Providers? Name at least 10 Cloud Service Providers.

7. Write down the applications and Services of Cloud Computing.

8. Explain Security in Cloud based Computing.

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Documents

A HAndbook by saransh saxena · Title: A HAndbook by saransh saxena Author: ABC Created Date: 8/26/2011 5:25:20 PM