Cloud computing is a common practice today and there are many providers who offer cloud enablement solutions and infrastructure as a service (IaaS). While moving to a cloud is an easy decision to take, answering where the physical infrastructure is, how it is accessed etc can help you adopt the best deployment models that’ll drive your business forward. Otherwise, it is often confusing to choose from the various options available today. Lets take a look at the common ones and determine how they are characterised for different infrastructure Public Cloud In public clouds, the end users do not own the physical infrastructure and it is hosted at the vendor’s premises. Also, although the customer has no visibility, the data center is run and controlled virtually through simple web interface consoles with which he can manage storage and resources. Public clouds are flexible, elastic and reliable. Their capacity can be increased within minutes and there is quality of service (QoS). The network in the public cloud is not dedicated to any single user, it is a group of pooled resources from which each user chooses what he needs. Each client is given an account in the public cloud, through which they can run their applications as per the requirement. Hence public clouds are suitable mainly for limited budget enterprises who need quick deployment. They are comparatively fast and a cheaper solution to cloud deployment considering the maintenance of the data center is not something that you will need to worry about. Private Cloud A private cloud is setup in the external or internal premises and managed by the organization itself (or a third party by choice) whilst they can setup their own dedicated network. Due to exclusivity and flexibility, this deployment model is considered more secure, private and scalable. Private clouds are usually used by large enterprises who require large amount of resources for setting up a better platform. To set up private clouds, data centers are bought and virtualization technologies are implemented in them in order to enable an exclusive private virtual space for an enterprise. Highly critical applications which require constant monitoring and special maintenance like firewall, security measures, etc are run on private clouds since they need to be tweaked to meet the specific requirements. On the basis of hosting they are classified into externally hosted and on-premise clouds. Clouds hosted by a third party provider outside the user’s physical premises are called externally hosted clouds, whereas when the cloud is provided to the user inside his company’s physical premises, it is an on-premise private cloud. Hybrid Cloud Hybrid clouds are set up connecting the in-house infrastructure with the local network, along with advanced firewall protection, load-balancers, etc and have a high rate of security. Every organization experiences a sudden peak in their load and which causes their network to go haywire. This is an occasional condition when there are unexpected rise in demands and needs to be provided with a solution that can be used only when necessary. This is where hybrid clouds prove beneficial. Hybrid clouds are considered the most secure deployment models, primarily due to their location. They are set up inside the infrastructure, which makes data archival very easy. It basically acts as a cache to the infrastructure, and data can be cached locally and later be trickled up to the cloud provider. In case of an emergency full-system recovery, the saved data just needs to be copied from the local system to the cloud provider, and thus it also handles restores easily. Hybrid clouds take the best features from public and private clouds, tweak them a little higher, and add value to their service. For example, content syndication is a possible option in public clouds, which you cannot use if you implement a private cloud. Similarly, other beneficial features like easier data archival, faster disaster recovery options, QoS optimization and more. The hybrid clouds are secure and scalable and also interoperable. This model is highly advanced yet simplified and reliable. So which one should you go for? The decision as to which cloud you should choose depends on what type of business you own and what your requirements are. We have seen the different types, listed their features and their advantages. Public clouds, like the AWS, are used for short term solutions which do not require high-end security options. These are helpful when you need quick solutions on a limited budget and do not have maintenance facilities. To set up your own private clouds, solutions like vmware etc, are used with which large datacenters can be used to for the enterprises’ growth and development. Hybrids clouds are gaining prominence among large enterprises and are the most preferred of the lot due to their flexibility and high security. They keep critical information close, and safe. Their rapid elasticity helps in expansion and downsizing of resources as per demand. To determine the most suitable cloud for your business seek assistance from expert consultants who can help you in choosing the best cloud solution for your business, show you all the available options, help you set up the cloud and multiply your profits within no time. Let us help you with more. Andy Rauch is the Team leader and IT Project Manager of Proactive tech Computer Technology located in India.
IT professionals are concerned with the loss of control and security related to cloud computing. Private Clouds provide a handle for overcoming these challenges. As more of today’s businesses contemplate the need for ever increased investment in their IT departments, some aspects becomes clear: the need for effective ROI, increased security and more control of their resources, both internal and external. It is the loss of control and security which keeps many enterprises IT professionals awake with concern for the safety and administration of their growing computing needs. Private cloud computing is a new set of technologies and services available to help address, and ultimately eliminate the worries and concerns of your IT folks. From a public cloud perspective, most service providers are unable to relinquish the type and level of controls necessary to make network administrators satisfied with pushing proprietary data into the public domain. Even with the tightest security encryptions, concern for the flow and destination of applications, data, access have prevented large numbers of businesses from exploring the capabilities of cloud computing. However, with private cloud computing, control is brought back in-house to your IT admins along with heightened security and the ability to flow data precisely where it needs to go, either to destinations on your internal networks or along secure external channels. In order for businesses to cross the chasm from internal IT silos to the power and economy of cloud computing, they’ll need to take 3 steps: – Consolidate and Virtualize their applications: server, storage and network operations. – Automate and Optimize their virtual operations. – Enable federated access to resources on other public and private cloud operations. Vast majorities of IT budgets are spent on upgrading obsolete hardware. With new and improved computers, routers, switches, etc. constantly coming onto the market, the five years to obsolescence occurs quickly. With ROI and profitability, when it happens, taking at least a year and a half or longer, keeping the infrastructure up to date and in place can be a challenge for the bottom line. By consolidating operations, moving applications onto fewer sever sets and then creating virtual access to the resources, IT professionals are on track towards enabling their operations for private cloud computing. It is important for the enterprise that they are not simply tossing away resources which may have useful life in them. By enabling the consolidation of current assets, they are able to maximize investment in their current set up. As they see demand increase for more storage, application and network interactions, they are able to move into the second stage of the transition. By optimizing their operations, be it the freedom to increase hardware as needed, or provisioning applications and storage on demand the second stage is set. The enterprise now has the ability to increase hardware and provisioning when they need it. Whether set to automatically replicate services on demand or simply wrest control of decision making from cloud providers to the internal IT staff, virtual operations allow for the critical ability to make internal decisions for the betterment of the organization. With control and security firmly in place, when additional resources are needed, federated access is the way to scale operations to virtual infinite levels. The industry is still developing the protocols and universal security measures that will elevate trust levels. It is imperative that service providers continue to work together in order to enable interactivity. When your business needs to have access to on demand scaling of their web operations or research and development capabilities, being able to have unrestricted, pay as you go, federated access to deeper private clouds will allow you to compete at the highest levels. Your bottom line will also be affected by competitive service pricing and your company’s ability to ensure secure access and delivery of data and application interface. The migration from all internal IT departments towards some form of cloud computing is well on its way. Sandy Winslow is a writer on a variety of topics, including IT professionals struggling with loss of control and security challenges. Incorporating a private cloud system is the easiest way IT professionals can insure their system is safe and that they have full control.
Cloud computing is a buzzword of the moment, but what does it really mean? Is it really ready for prime time, or should you stay with a VPS? First, some definitions: Head in the clouds?In some ways, cloud computing is like grid computing in that it leveraged shared computing resources to handle applications instead of local servers or user devices. This is the supercomputing model revamped for the company IT folks, promising trillions of computations per second for financial services, personalized data processing or huge, immersive network computer gaming. Cloud computing combines groups of servers using (mostly) low-cost, consumer-level PC components into networks that spread the data-crunching chores around. Virtualization techniques can maximize cloud computing’s power, we’re told, but what is not so clearly stated by its proponents is the fact that cloud computing is still rather hazily defined. Standards for PC and network connections, and software to make it all work, have not been worked out in final form.Right now, cloud computing is a hot new thing, and its potential for accessing and sharing computing power as virtual resources, securely and in a scalable way, is making it attractive to large corporate data centers. It is all rather nebulous and uncertain, though, and early adopters need courage as well as expandable budgets. VPS, tried and trueVPS stands for Virtual Private Server, which is created on a dedicated, physical server in a data center. VPS is essentially an isolated server sharing the hardware of a single, physical server, something like a dedicated server with its own RAM, disk space, and IP address. Since it can be independently rebooted, VPS acts like a standalone server on which you can run your own applications. Offering features similar to dedicated servers, but at a cost closer to a shared hosting plan, VPS servers can handle the demands of medium-sized business sites easily. Every VPS account on a server will have its own drive partition, which allows them their own root access and bandwidth. This increases performance and lets users run their own custom applications. A VPS acts like a dedicated server in many ways, except when it comes to paying for them, as they are much lower cost, in comparison. The cloud bandwagonCloud computing is definitely the hip new thing. Now IBM, Dell, Sun and Amazon are all doing it. Still, many experts believe the term is a multitasking buzzword, used to describe a confusing array of different technologies. The term cloud computing is being used to mean utility computing, grid computing, the software-as-a-service model, Internet-based applications, remote processing, autonomic computing and peer-to-peer computing. Someone using the term may be thinking of one (or, confusingly, several) of these definitions, and the listener may be thinking of something else entirely. There are many people out there who believe the term cloud computing is just another buzzword that is used to describe too many technologies, making it confusing to many. The term Cloud computing has been used to mean grid computing, utility computing, software as a service, Internet-based applications, autonomic computing, peer-to-peer computing and remote processing. When most people use the term, they may have one of these ideas in mind, but the listener might be thinking about something else. Real-world comparisonsThe user forums are filling up with people who have a number of high-traffic web sites in the 10,000-hits-per-day range, not high-traffic like Amazon or iTunes with enough demand to warrant getting a solid, capable VPS or a dedicated server. Some are enticed by the claim of huge cost savings with the cloud, but discover that there are usually standard monthly charges over and above the utility billing. Clearly, at present, traditional hosting forms are less expensive until the economies of scale enter the formula, at which point the lines will cross and cloud computing will become the less-expensive alternative. The problem, of course, is that no one yet knows where that line might be. Therefore, there is no way right now to make that calculation. Some cautious observers claim the economics of this personal network supercomputer are not cloud-ready, which is why you should stay with a VPS for now. This is borne out by the fact that the billing models vary among cloud providers so it is close to impossible to get a definitive answer on cost. Some cloud companies have online price estimating tools (usage and cost calculators) that will consider estimated bandwidth and storage needs to crank out an estimate of a monthly bill. That’s about all you can do to get a cost comparison at this point. Does it even work?Until the technology (and user experiences) mature, it takes a bit of work even to determine if cloud computing is roughly cost-comparable to traditional hosting, where you know what the fixed monthly fees are for your needs. However, there are far more important issues right now than price. Does cloud computing even work? Not everyone is yet convinced about the scalability advantages claimed for the cloud, and the bean counters are certainly not sold on the cost savings yet. Among the user forum participants discussing cloud computing vs. VPS was a fellow working for a cost-conscious startup who stated that his company had converted to hosting in the cloud for all the advertised reasons. After three months, he said, they were looking at moving back because it’s too expensive. This is a common thing for early adopters to do. When they stop doing it, that will be among the first clues that cloud computing is ready for primetime. Amy Armitage is the head of Business Development for Lunarpages. Lunarpages provides quality web hosting from their US-based hosting facility. They offer a wide-range of services from linux virtual private servers and managed solutions to shared and reseller hosting plans. Visit online for more information.
Cloud computing is a style of computing in which dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources are provided as a service over the Internet. Users need not have knowledge of, expertise in, or control over the technology infrastructure in the “cloud” that supports them. Cloud computing is a method of delivering hosted services — Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) – over the Internet in a fast, cost-effective way. The technology has gained popularity in a weakened economy as enterprises seek ways to save money, but as always, this emerging technology presents certain risks, and it could open an organization to security vulnerabilities and threats. The concept generally incorporates combinations of infrastructure as a service (IaaS) , platform as a service (PaaS), software as a service (SaaS) . Cloud computing services often provide common business applications online that are accessed from a web browser, while the software and data are stored on the servers. Cloud computing can be confused with Grid computing which is a form of distributed computing whereby a ‘super and virtual computer’ is composed of a cluster of networked, loosely-coupled computers, acting in concert to perform very large tasks and Utility computing – the packaging of computing resources, such as computation and storage, as a metered service similar to a traditional public utility such as electricity Characteristics Cloud computing customers do not generally own the physical infrastructure serving as host to the software platform in question. Instead, they avoid capital expenditure by renting usage from a third-party provider. They consume resources as a service and pay only for resources that they use. Many cloud-computing offerings employ the utility computing model, which is analogous to how traditional utility services (such as electricity) are consumed, while others bill on a subscription basis. Sharing “perishable and intangible” computing power among multiple tenants can improve utilization rates, as servers are not unnecessarily left idle (which can reduce costs significantly while increasing the speed of application development). A side effect of this approach is that overall computer usage rises dramatically, as customers do not have to engineer for peak load limits. Additionally, “increased high-speed bandwidth” makes it possible to receive the same response times from centralized infrastructure at other sites. Companies Vmware, Sun Microsystems, IBM, Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo are some of the major cloud computing service providers. Cloud services are being adopted by individual users through large enterprises including vmware, General Electric and Procter & Gamble. Cloud computing types Public cloud Public cloud or external cloud describes cloud computing in the traditional mainstream sense, whereby resources are dynamically provisioned on a fine-grained, self-service basis over the Internet, via web applications/web services, from an off-site third-party provider who shares resources and bills on a fine-grained utility computing basis. Hybrid cloud A hybrid cloud environment consisting of multiple internal and/or external providers “will be typical for most enterprises”. Private cloud Private cloud and internal cloud are neologisms that some vendors have recently used to describe offerings that emulate cloud computing on private networks. These (typically virtualization automation) products claim to “deliver some benefits of cloud computing without the pitfalls”, capitalising on data security, corporate governance, and reliability concerns. They have been criticised on the basis that users “still have to buy, build, and manage them” and as such do not benefit from lower up-front capital costs and less hands-on management, essentially “[lacking] the economic model that makes cloud computing such an intriguing concept”. Cloud Computing and Security Issues The benefits of virtualization and cloud computing are transforming the way we look at IT outsourcing for development, testing, and production. Existing skills, processes, and projects seem to translate naturally to a virtualized environment, and few obstacles seem to impede the adoption of the cloud model for production. Practitioners and the media alike have touted the potential security issues of virtualization. The cloud brings with it a layer of additional security considerations, in terms of both technology and process. This layer of additional security isn’t necessarily scary or complicated. But right now, trust in the security of cloud computing is the number one impediment to its growth. This article takes a look at the cloud from various points of view. I will compare real-world examples to look at security implications of the Cloud, and show how they integrate with traditional security processes. V.Venkatesa Kumar.
This article briefly explains what cloud computing is & does, examines the facts that underlie the hyperbole & considers the benefits it can bring to organisations. Cloud computing is a general term for anything that involves delivering hosted services over the Web. These services are broadly divided in to these categories: Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). A cloud service is fully managed by the provider (the consumer needs nothing but a personal computer & Web access). A cloud can be private or public. Public Cloud – A public cloud sells services to somebody on the Web. Private Cloud – A private cloud is a proprietary network or a knowledge middle that supplies hosted services to a limited number of people. When a service provider makes use of public cloud resources to generate their private cloud, the result is called a virtual private cloud. Advantages of Cloud Computing Services: Businesses can have enormous infrastructure without having to implement and administer it directly. It permits accessibility to multiple data centers anywhere on the globe. Companies can add additional service as and when needed from the vendor without having to pay for additional hardware. It reduces energy costs for running hardware and cooling as well as reducing carbon dioxide emissions and conserving energy. It results in improved resource utilization. There is a big push for these services by several big companies. Several large universities have also been busy with large scale cloud computing research projects. The bottom line: It is a simple idea, but it can have a huge impact on your business.
