Tuesday, May 7, 2013
ABSTRACT
If you are even
a basic computer user, it is likely that you have already used some form of
cloud computing service. Any entirely online service you use, be it e-mail, fi
le storage or sharing, or even
media streaming,
uses cloud computing technology. If you have used any service that doesn’t
require you to download and install specifi c software or store any data
locally, you have used the cloud.
Cloud computing
allows you to keep your PC and all of your mobile devices in sync all the
time.You can access all of your personal data at any given moment, you can
organize and collect data from any online source, and you can even share
photos, videos,
music, contacts, e-mail, documents,etc. with your friends, family, and
coworkers in an instant. In essence, personal cloud computing gives you easy
and quick access to all your data, making
it
instantly
accessible and mobile.
Social networks,
fi le sharing servers and Webaccessible software take advantage of resources provided
by cloud computing to give you a lightweight structure for your personal
computing needs. Cloud services give you options to protect your data with
accessibility and privacy settings for your accounts, enabling you to store
your life
on a remote
server without having to worry about storage space constraints or software
installations.
YOUR PERSONAL CLOUD
Storage space
and processing power are the biggest hurdles that mobile devices like
smartphones and tablets face today. Cloud computing has come to the forefront
as it overcomes these hurdles, enabling you to access and edit your fi les and
fi les uploaded by other users without the need for excessive hardware and
support. Browser-based email and cloud services such as Grooveshark, Facebook,
Google
Docs and Youtube
have smartphone and tablet extensions, designed specifi cally to run on the lower
hardware specifi cations of such devices.Operating systems of today like
Android, Ios and Windows 7 are also made compatible with mobile devices and
equipped with applications that let you sync and access data across devices via
their cloud servers. Apart from storage, developers have also used cloud
computing capabilities to develop Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a
Service (PaaS) and Webtop services to make your computing experience completely
mobile.
SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE (SAAS)
Web accessible
software enables users to use programs or applications without having to
download or install them on their machines. You can access data hosted by
companies on their cloud servers for almost any task, like word processing,
designing or even media editing. This enables users to carry out their work
without having to purchase software that can be installed and run only on a single
machine. You no longer need to worry about expiration dates, downloading
updates or installing software on multiple machines. SaaS reduces the user’s
expenses by allowing you to ‘rent’ a service and use only specifi c features
rather than buying complete packages of programs, some of which you might not
use. For instance, to use Microsoft Word,
a user must
purchase the Microsoft Offi ce auite, which gives you Word bundled with Excel,
Powerpoint,etc. These packages can be fairly expensive.Instead, you can use a
SaaS product that allows you to sign up for free or a monthly fee and lets you perform
your word processing tasks without any
installations on your machine’s
local drive.
UTILITY COMPUTING
Utility
computing is a form of cloud computing that is more robust at an enterprise
level. Large companies can ‘rent out’ their hardware support via the cloud to
clients based on their requirements, maximizing the utility of the host server
and reducing the costs to the client. Companies like Amazon.com, Microsoft and
Sun offer storage and virtual servers to clients for their computing needs
using the cloud. This drastically reduces the investment required for small scale
businesses as they no longer need to purchase hardware. Instead, they pay only
for what they need and utilize the computing strength of the host via the
cloud.
PLATFORM AS A SERVICE (PAAS)
PaaS is a form
of SaaS that provides development environments as a service. Rather than
designing software for the customers to use, companies provide clients with the
infrastructure required to
design and run
software specifi c to their needs. Clients can then use this infrastructure and
develop software applications for their use that run on the host’s cloud
servers. This form of cloud computing gives the clients the freedom to develop
software to suit their requirements without having to worry about the hardware.
PaaS provides clients with facilities for designing and developing
applications, hosting their applications as well as hardware for scalability
and storage.
ONLINE STORAGE
Online storage
allows users to upload fi les and information to cloud servers so that the data
can be accessed from multiple machines remotely, as long as they have access to
the Internet. Online storage has grown rapidly in recent times due to the
increased speeds in data transfer and improved
security for protecting this data.
The service is
very useful for users restricted by lack of storage space or users that wish to access their data from multiple machines or
on-the-go. Using cloud storage services can also be benefi cial as a backup for
locally saved data in the event that your local drive is ompromised by viral
infection, online threats or physical damage. There are several services to choose
from, ranging in size of storage space and you can also use paid services for
greater storage space and better
security. Some storage services also enable you to sync data across devices
so that fi les
added to one device are automatically uploaded to the cloud, and in some cases,
even downloaded to other synced machines.
THE CLOUD ARCHITECTURE
The cloud
computing system can be divided into two distinct sections. At the front end,
there is the user, who can access the cloud server and includes their machine
and any application required to
access the
cloud. The back end is the hardware that makes up the cloud, which includes
computers, servers and data storage systems that can be accessed by the users.
Cloud systems use middleware,
which is
software that communicates with
various users
connected to a single cloud server. It monitors the system, managing traffi c
and client demands to ensure that everything runs smoothly and effi ciently.
THE CLOUD ADVANTAGE
The advantages
of cloud computing are fairly obvious. Users have access to their applications
and data from anywhere at any time and they can access their information from
multiple machines; their data and software is no longer confi ned to a single
machine. Cloud computing also brings down hardware costs, as users no longer
need to purchase the fastest computers with high end configurations. The cloud
system handles the load for you. Essentially, all you need is a basic
computer,input devices and an Internet connection to accessthe cloud services.
Cloud storage enables users to create backups of their data so if their
machines crash, they no longer need to worry about data loss. Cloud servers can
sometimes be a safer option for protecting your data from viral infection or damage
due to the vast amount of online threats and viruses circulating on the
Internet.
THE CLOUD CONCERNS
The biggest
concerns about cloud computing are security and privacy. Users might not be
comfortable handing over their data to a third party. This is an even greater
concern when it comes to companies that wish to keep their sensitive
information on cloud servers. While most service vendors would ensure that
their servers are kept free from viral infection and malware, it is still a
concern considering the fact that a number of users
around the world
are accessing the server. Privacy is another issue with cloud servers. Ensuring
that a client’s data is not ccessed by
any unauthorized users is of great importance
for any cloud service.To make their servers more secure, cloud service vendors
have developed password protected accounts, security servers through which all
data being transferred must pass and data encryption.techniques. After all, the
success of a cloud service
depends on its reputation, and
any sign of a security breach would result in a loss of clients and business.
THE ECOLOGICAL IMPACT GREEN CLOUD: FACT OR FICTION?
Cloud
computing is growing at a rapid pace,as it’s increasingly being adopted by
large businesses, mid-sized businesses, as well as SOHOs. Moving to the cloud
proves to be a viable option for fi rms as it dramatically cuts down hardware
and software expenditure. According to a report by consulting fi rm Zinnov, the
market for cloud computing in India is expected to grow nearly ten times to
$1,084 million by 2015 from the current $110 million. While all seems hunky
dory,
there are growing concerns that the cloud computing trend is actually hazardous
to the environment, as it will lead to an increase in carbon emissions.
WHAT MAKES CLOUD
COMPUTING ‘GREEN’?
There
are many factors that are said to make could computing green both at the
enterprise as well as the consumer level.
GREEN
CLOUD:
CLOUD AND ENTERPRISE
Consider
the traditional scenario, where every fi rm invests in setting up a server
room, staff for maintaining it, etc. Servers consume huge amounts of energy not
only for operation, but also for cooling. These servers generate avast amount
of heat during operation, which must be dissipated to keep the components
within their safe operating temperatures. Overheated parts
will
reduce their life span, and can also cause problems such as system crashes. So
it becomes imperative to maintain a constant temperature to cool these servers.
This is usually done with the help of air conditioning, which consumes even more
energy. Even if the servers are not in use or are under utilized, the
temperature needs to be maintained, resulting in huge amounts of energy loss
and added cost.
The
fi rms can minimize their cost as well as energy consumption by opting for
cloud comput- ing.
Cloud offers scalability; you pay only for what you use and you can buy more
space as required or you can even temporarily scale down usage when you
experience a slump in business. Thus,
there is no
unnecessary loss of energy. While it’s true that these huge data centers that
operate on a large scale require massive amounts of electricity, the
manufacturers of data centers are actively
taking
initiatives to minimize the impact on the environment. As a result of the
growing green consciousness,the leading players in the industry are taking
efforts to reduce their carbon footprint. For instance, they are looking at
places with temperatures that are ideal
for naturally cooling data centers. Dublin is fast emerging as a hub for data centers
owing to its geographic location and ideal temperatures. Cloud computing giants
like Amazon, Microsoft, IBM and others have their data centers here.
These data
centers have been designed in
such a way that
they can make maximum use of fresh air to cool servers rather than completely depending
on other power consuming options. Secondly, the data center manufacturers also make
use of innovative technology and alternate
sources of energy
to power these data centers. For instance, recently Google invested $168
million in a solar energy power plant in California. When constructed, it will
be the largest solar thermal project in the world.
CLOUD AND CONSUMERS
With rising
concerns over global warming, we all want to do our bit to reduce our carbon
footprint. One way to do this is by adopting cloud computing. Cloud computing on portable devices like smartphones,
tablets or ultra low-powered laptops could prove eco-friendly.
According to
carbonfootprint.com, a PC running for an hour generates 40-80 grams of carbon dioxide,
while it consumes about 60-90% of normal workload power even when idle. When
working on a PC or a laptop, we may engage in other activities like talking on
the phone, or completing
other tasks,
which means the computer remains idle for long hours, hence wasting energy.
It’s also surprising to know that even power-saving modes like ‘Sleep’ or
‘Standby’ can consume as much as 120 Watts of power. In comparison to a traditional
PC or a laptop, portable computing devices consume less energy because they do
not need continuous power supply. They just need to be charged once a day at
most. Today, most people don’t really need a high end PC as their usage is limited
to Web browsing, email, social networking, banking, watching videos, listening
to music etc.
All this can be
easily achieved on a smartphone or on any of the portable devices that can be
used for cloud computing.
IS GREEN COMPUTING A MYTH?
With next to
zero data available about the data center practices and technologies used by
the major players in the cloud industry, there is a lot of speculation. There
is no data available to ascertain the
amount of energy consumed and the carbon missions caused by these data centers.This
is one of the major reasons why data centers have come under fi re from various
environmental agencies.Google is one of
the fi rst companies to release details of their data center. You can find
details like the technology used, locations, practices,sustainability measures,
etc. on their site under corporate information. Recently, Facebook, which is
facing opposition from environmental organization Greenpeace for the use of
coal and nuclear energy to power its massive data centers, released
details of its
data center practices. The same can be found on the Facebook page ‘Building
Effi cient Data Centers with the Open Compute Project’. Other players in the
industry need to follow their lead and make this vital information public.
Cloud Computing
in itself is a practical solution for the IT requirements of the future and
something that will only grow in the coming years. This would mean setting up
many more data centers and other facilities. The companies within this
industry need to
understand their responsibilities and
their role towards safeguarding the environment. The need of the hour is to
have an open dialogue and devise better technology to power data
centers.
One example of
efficient power management is that of the Academica data center in Helsinki, Finland.
They use the water warmed while cooling the servers to provide heat for homes
in the city, which often experiences -20 degrees C temperatures during winter. What’s more, after
the heat has been extracted, the water is again used to cool the servers.
Cloud Apps for Your Mobile Device:
Today’s mobile
devices have been transformed by cloud services into highly versatile mobile
computers. Developers have made applications for mobile operating systems that
exploit cloud servers and services to allow users to compute on the go. The
biggest obstacle
for mobile
devices is signifi cantly lesser storage space as compared to notebooks and
desktops, which is a limiting factor if users wish to perform the same
functions on their smartphone or tablet as they do on full blown computers.
Cloud computing overcomes this obstacle by providing
users with apps
for storing, accessing and
exchanging data
through cloud servers, without burdening the local storage hardware. These apps
allow users to store fi les on cloud servers into a common account from
multiple machines, allowing
access to the fi
les from any device. You can also use features like fi le syncing, backups and
fi le sharing with these applications.
DROPBOX
Dropbox is
arguably the most favored fi le sharing and storage application for mobile
devices. There is an application for every mobile operating system, which gives
you access to the Dropbox cloud server, allowing
you to upload and access fi les in
your Dropbox
account from different machines.The
Dropbox application also provides you with a link to each fi le in your account
so that you can share a specificfile with friends or co-workers.
There are also
features which enable you to upload photos and videos directly from your mobile
device gallery without even running the application or visiting the website.
There are options to sync data across devices and create backups on
the cloud server
as well. You can download and install the mobile application on your device for
free and with a free account, you get 2 GB of storage space. A monthly fee of
$9.99 gives you 50 GB of space, and at $19.99 per month, you get 100 GB.
Your Drop box
homepage displays all your recent activity, including new files, deleted files and
edits done from any of your machines.
WEBSHARING
WebSharing is a
fi le transfer application designed specifi cally for Android devices. The app
allows you to transfer data between Android devices and computers wirelessly
via a cloud server. Web- Sharing uses the WebDAV protocol (Web-based Distributed
Authoring and Versioning) with which users can create new fi les, edit existing
files and transfer data between devices remotely. Another
great feature of
WebSharing is that it displays your cloud folder as a locally installed hard
drive on all synced devices and machines. The free version of the WebSharing
app for Android does not
allow you to
transfer music, videos or photos and the multiple fi le upload feature is
unavailable. The full version of the app is available for $2.99 on the Android
Market.
ZUMODRIVE
ZumoDrive is
another cloud storage and
file sharing application
for a range of mobile operating systems like iOS, Android ans Windows Phone 7,
that creates a virtual drive on your machine that is linked to your cloud
account. The folder appears as a local hard drive on all synced devices and
your files are streamed to your device from the cloud server when you run them
through ZumoDrive. A unique feature of ZumoDrive
is that it caches recently accessed fi les to your local drive so that some of
your recently used fi les can be run even when you do not have access to the
Internet. The free account gives you 1 GB of storage and a $2.99-per-month
account gives you 10 GB of storage space. For even more space, you can sign up for
$79.99 per year and get 500 GB of space.
The ZumoDrive
app on the iPad gives you easy options to share, upload and download files to
and from your ZumoDrive account.
GE.TT
Ge.tt is a fi le
sharing service with a twist. While other services give long term storage space, Ge.tt provides you with
temporary storage space for sharing fi les rather than storing them. The
service is quick and easy; you do not need to install any applications or sign
up for an account. Simply go to the Web address and upload your fi les. You can
upload up to 2 GB of fi les and as soon as the upload begins, you are provided
with a URL for sharing. The fi les remain on the Ge.tt cloud server for a
limited period of 30 days, after which they
are discarded.
The service is perfect for users who wish to share fi les with friends or
co-workers without having to worry about removing or deleting files and the
only requirement is Internet.
Ge.tt lets you start sharing files even
before they have been completely uploaded, via a link or through social
networking sites.
PICKING THE RIGHT CLOUD SERVICE:
There
are various online storage services
that
offer different features. While some
allow
you to simply upload and download
data,
others allow you to view your fi les online and share them with others, and
some services even let you open and edit your fi les in the cloud from anywhere
in the world. Here are 05 of the top cloud storage services.
1
AMAZON S3
Amazon
Simple Storage Service or the Amazon S3 is best suited for Web developers and
not for users who are simply looking for a place to upload and
store
their fi les. The service offers up to 5 terabytes of space for development and
maintenance of websites. The server creates
a unique key for each developer, which is region specific. Currently,
2 AMAZON CLOUD DRIVE
If
you are not a developer and don’t want a paid service; if you just want a
virtual drive to store your videos, music, photos or documents, you can use the
Amazon Cloud Drive service. Your fi les can be neatly classifi ed in pre-existing
folder structures and the service offers 5 GB of free space.However, you cannot
upload fi les that are over 2 GB in size. You can buy more space if required.
It is an excellent way to free up space on your system or if you want to share
legitimately purchased media fi les across machines. However, the built in
music player and video player that lets users stream media online without
downloading it to the local drive is available only to US citizens for now.
ESNIPS
eSnips
works similarly to 4shared, wherein you can store a variety of fi le formats,
including e-books,documents, archived fi les, images, audio and video formats.
You can also playback media fi les instead of downloading them to your
computer. However,it offers only 5 GB of storage space. You can connect to the
website with social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, but there is no Android support
as
of now.
5
SAFESYNC
Originally known
as Humyo, the website is now known as SafeSync after it was taken over by
Japanese security company Trend Micro. While users of the free services of Humyo can continue with the
original 10 GB of server space (5 GB for pictures, videos, and music, and 5 GB
for other fi les).SafeSync offers a free one-month trial, but after that it’s a
paid service. 20 GB of storage space costs €29.95 (Rs 1,860), 50 GB space is
priced at €69.95 (Rs. 4,410) and 100 GB of space will cost you €110 (Rs 6,930).
The service promises strong security and offers mobile device support.
WINDOWS LIVE SKYDRIVE
Windows Live
SkyDrive, which was launched as Windows Live Folders, offers the maximum amount
of free storage space. You can mark fi les as private on the SkyDrive, which
can be downloaded only with a Windows Live ID. The SkyDrive offers 25 GB of
free personal storage, with a maximum of 50 MB per fi le. You can use tools
like Windows Live Mesh to drag and drop fi les onto the SkyDrive from your
system directly. You can upload files to your SkyDrive from mobile devices too.
Moreover, you can also download all your fi les as a single zip archive for
convenience.
You can access all the Windows Live
services including the MSN Messenger and Hotmail using a single user ID.
CONCLUSION
The
future of computing points towards a more cost-effective, user-oriented and flexible
concept, which is that of cloud computing. Business houses are rapidly adapting
cloud infrastructure as it offers them unparalleled fl exibility, scalability,
accessibility, and security and it also proves to be more cost-effective then having
to manage in-house servers. According to a worldwide survey by Gartner, cloud
computing services consumed from external service providers (ESPs) are
estimated to comprise 10.2 percent of the spending on external IT services. Bob
Igou, research director at Gartner, says, “The cloud market is evolving rapidly,
with 39 percent of survey respondents worldwide indicating that they allocated
IT budget to cloud computing as a key initiative for their organization.
There
is a shift in spending from traditional
IT assets such as the data center assets and a move toward assets that are
accessed in the cloud. These trends are good news for IT services providers that
have professional services geared towards implementing cloud environments and
those that deliver cloud services.
By this we can say cloud
offers many new ways for fast and efficient computing
