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Cloud Computing - D

iscussion Starters for IT Professionals

Cloud Computing is a game-changing technology that has been a trending subject for career-driven IT Professionals. As a concept, cloud computing represents a paradigm shift on how systems are deployed. As a technology, cloud computing refers to the applications and services running on a distributed network using virtualized resources, and accessed using Internet protocols and networking standards.

This book is a collection of unique discussion starters providing you with some food for thought on the lat-est Cloud Computing ideas and concepts. These articles will ultimately help you form an educated opinion on the usability of Cloud Computing for your current career path. These educational resources will help guide you on a practical path toward the global phenomenon of Cloud Computing. A variety of related discussion questions have also been included to encourage and facilitate a more thorough understanding of the subject.

A range of imperative Cloud Computing subjects have been addressed by The Art of Service team to en-sure you have a valuable educational resource to add to your Cloud Computing toolbox. Articles cover and delve into subjects such as Virtualization, Service-Orientated Architecture (SOA) modeling and integration, maintaining security within the Cloud, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and public Cloud Computing, IaaS capabilities, Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS), Cloud storage, Cloud vendors, and many more.

This book provides a broad view of cloud computing and covers all integral concepts, tools, management and security systems, common concerns, and implementation processes. The content has been designed to help you build a solid foundation for your Cloud Computing knowledge to grow from. As a result, you will be more valuable to your company and future employers.

About The Art of ServiceAs a cutting-edge IT service framework company, The Art of Service is leading the way in providing high-end, client-focused books, toolkits, and online education programs. The company is one of the most trusted sources globally for the career-driven IT professional.

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Ivanka Menken

Educational resources to help guide you on a practicalpath toward successful Cloud Computing

Cloud ComputingDiscussion Starters for

IT Professionals

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Notice of Rights

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in

any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or

otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Notice of Liability

The information in this book is distributed on an “As Is” basis without

warranty. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of the

book, neither the author nor the publisher shall have any liability to any

person or entity, with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be

caused directly or indirectly by the instructions contained in this book, or by

the products described in it.

Trademarks

Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish

their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations

appear in this book, and the publisher was aware of a trademark claim, the

designations appear as requested by the owner of the trademark. All other

product names and services identified throughout this book are used in

editorial fashion only and for the benefit of such companies with no intention

of infringement of the trademark. No such use, or the use of any trade name,

is intended to convey endorsement or other affiliation with this book.

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Write a review to receive any free eBook from our Catalog—$59 Value!

If you recently bought this book, we would love to hear from you! Benefit

from receiving a free eBook from our catalog at http://www.emereo.org/ if you

write a review on Amazon (or the online store where you purchased this

book) about your last purchase! As part of our continual service improvement

process, we love to hear real student experiences and feedback.

How does it work?

To post a review on Amazon, just log in to your account and click on the

Create Your Own Review button (under Customer Reviews) of the relevant

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What happens when I submit my review?

Once you have submitted your review, send us an email at [email protected]

with the link to your review and the eBook you would like as our thank you

from http://www.emereo.org/. Pick any book you like from the catalog, up to

$59 RRP. You will receive an email with your eBook as a download link. It’s that

simple!

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Table of Contents

Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Chapter 1: Cloud Introduction 7What is Cloud Computing? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Just how far has Cloud Computing progressed over the last 2 years? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Say hello to Cloud Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Virtualization, moving to the Cloud, and Cloud Bursting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Are the economic concepts promised in Cloud Computing legitimate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Cloud Computing is here to stay, here’s why! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Where in the world is Cloud Computing headed? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Demystifying Cloud Computing: for the average person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22What to look for in a Cloud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Computing certification course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Cloud Computing certification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Discussion Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Chapter 2 : SOA and Cloud 29Service-Oriented Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30SOA infrastructure (for the Cloud) vs . traditional IT architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32How can Cloud Computing and SOA be leveraged together? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Integrating Cloud Computing and SOA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36SOA Security (and Governance) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38SOA Testing Needed to Retain Performance & Reliability Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40SOA Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42SOA: (Best) Practices (& Standards) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Why should you consider metering SOA and Cloud Computing services? . . . . . . . . . . . 46Info (Data) -Centric SOA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Discussion Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Chapter 3: Cloud Security 51The 3 biggest cloud computing risks for businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52Service outages and security issues, but optimistic about Cloud Computing . . . . . . . . 54Cloud Computing & Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56Cloud Computing security concerns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58Maintaining security within the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60cloud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60What kinds of security benefits will Cloud Computing bring to your business? . . . . . . 63How advanced persistent threats affect Cloud Computing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65Discussion Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Chapter 4: IaaS, PaaS, SaaS 68Public Cloud Computing and IaaS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69IaaS appears to be outperforming other types of cloud services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71What is it that makes IaaS such a practical choice? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73Is IaaS the best place for businesses seeking to get started in Cloud Computing? . . . 75What is the difference between private and hybrid IaaS? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

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Is IaaS the new face of IT? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79IaaS captures a sizable chunk of the IT outsourcing market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81What the future of IaaS (Cloud Computing) might look like… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83What is IaaS capable of? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85What to look for in an IaaS vendor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87Platform as a Service (PaaS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89Why can’t we agree on the definition of Cloud Computing? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91Cloud APaaS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93Looking at Cloud Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95Cloudbursting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97Cloud Computing for the Enterprise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99Experts are foreseeing big changes in Cloud computing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101The cloud tradeoff: ownership vs . leasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103Taxing the Cloud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105Discussion Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Chapter 5: Examples of cloud vendors 108IBM’s cloud computing venture is designed for businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109Cloud services brokerage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111The lowdown on Oracle’s new IaaS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113A closer look at Amazon's EC2 and S3 services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115Discussion Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

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ForewordAt The art of Service, we constantly research and look for the current trends in the IT industry. We use this information in the online eLearning programs that we create for career-driven IT Professionals. We turn these trends and information sources into easily accessible educational products to introduce the subjects to our students and readers.

In the past few years, Cloud Computing has been a strong subject for career-driven IT Professionals. When you want to stay relevant in your careeer in IT, you need to at least have a basic understand-ing of the terminology surrounding Cloud Computing, including the latest “buzz” in the industry.

This book is a collection of unique articles around Cloud Computing, designed to give you some food for thought about Cloud Computing and to help you form an opinion on the us-ability of this for your current career. Look at this as your bare bottom minimum body of knowledge. At the end of each chapter, you will find a number of Discussion Questions. Talk these through with your co-workers, or use them to create a more thorough understanding of the subject. Either way, as a result of this you will be more valuable to the company and future employers.

“Every Day is a SchoolDay” is our motto, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make things a bit simpler for you...

We created this collection of Cloud Computing articles to do exactly that—make things sim-pler for you—and of course we hope you like our choices... but if not, well there is more where this came from! It does mean, however, that you need to do the research and you will have to spend some time on your favorite Internet search engine to find it.

Alternatively, contact me directly to see what else we may have for you. Enjoy this book!

Regards,

Ivanka Menken

© The Art of Service Pty Ltd

‘All of the information in this document is subject to copyright. No part of this document may in any form or by any means (whether electronic or mechanical or otherwise) be copied, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or provided to any other person without the prior written permission of The Art of Service Pty Ltd, who owns the copyright.’

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Chapter 1: Cloud Introduction

Let’s start at the beginning: what is Cloud Computing and what do

the different terminologies actually mean?

This chapter also looks back at the history of Cloud Computing,

especially the rapid acceptance of the technology within the last 2

years.

And let’s not forget the glamorous side of Cloud Computing; the

economic benefits of adopting Cloud Computing in the business

is often discussed. But is this really a valid point? Or is the focus on

economic benefits an artificial discussion?

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What is Cloud Computing?There seems to be only more confusion (not less) mounting

about what cloud computing actually tepresents.

Despite the prevalence of materials, courses, even advertisements on TV (for cloud gaming services), some people still seem to be in the dark as far as cloud

computing is concerned. Arguably, most of the confusion out there is probably due to apathy, or the lack of interest/initiative to further investigate what cloud computing is, or what it can do. Cloud computing (from the point of view of many, including experts) is a breakthrough technology with the power and resources to change the way we not only compute, but the way we network, interface, and think about computers in general. This is why the confusion surrounding it (cloud computing) needs to be dealt with as cleanly, smoothly, and as thoroughly as possible (as soon as possible).

One of the most commonly misinterpreted aspects of cloud computing is how it actually works. Let’s back up a bit here; in a traditional grid computing system (the current standard, probably what you’re using right now), every individual user has their own private stock, if you will, of hard-ware, software, storage, and operational components. While there is certainly nothing wrong with this model, it does highlight some fundamental problems in terms of energy/resource usage for us all. In grid computing, nearly everyone has their own wildly overpowered system; a ma-jority of users never even using but a fraction of their available resources during the life of their machine.

All of that extra power and resources simply goes to waste in a grid computing scenario; however, in a cloud computing setup, all hardware (and most software too) is centralized, allowing users access to as much power as they require. Here’s how it works (as an example): let’s say you have two systems, a grid and a cloud. On each system, you have 50 users. In the grid model, most of the users, let’s say 45 of them, only use their computer for light applications and browsing the Internet. The other 5 might be doing resource-intensive work with a number of programs. The remaining 45 users have a wealth of computing power right underneath their fingertips and will never use it, but because the grid system doesn’t allow for computing resources to be shared, these extra resources will go to waste.

Now, let’s apply this same logic to a cloud computing system. Same numbers apply here as well. What makes the cloud superior is the fact that it is able to provide users with as much power as they need, and on an individual basis no less. Users in a cloud computing network don’t actu-ally have (or need) full-fledged systems; their interface devices are usually nothing more than a browser-based OS/interface with a negligible amount of RAM and/or a somewhat limited hard drive. Users on a cloud network don’t need hardware or software resources to be local (local meaning “with them” or “on them”). The great thing about cloud computing is that it provides everything for each individual user (and I mean everything).

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In a cloud computing model, you have an extensive set of centralized resources, often called the “hardware stack.” This hardware stockpile is capable of housing and running the contents that you would find on multiple PCs, for example. The centralized hardware can literally create virtual-ized machines for individual users, which they can further customize. Inside the cloud, you have a total amount of power and resources available, often comparable to a set of super computers.

The cloud actually simulates individual users’ operating systems, applications, everything they need from their interface, or access point. What’s beautiful about it, however, is the fact that if said user needs to requisition extra power or resources to accomplish something, it is done auto-matically by the cloud itself. What does this mean exactly? It means that every user on a cloud computing network can have access to near unlimited computing resources instantly.

Thus, cloud computing is really an entirely new way of looking at computing and networking, isn’t it? In many ways, it is blurring the line between network interfacing and personal computing. It’s a sort of ystem for remotely deploying virtualized systems in either solitary or complex groups. Because cloud computing is making use of certain technologies to perform critical tasks and ser-vices (which were originally designed solely for use on the web), it is—in many ways—bridging the gap between web-based technologies and more conventional ones (hardware and software).

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Just how far has Cloud Computing progressed over the last 2 years?

To say that cloud computing has experienced rapid growth over the last few years is an incredible understatement.

A lot can change within a couple of years, but mercurial growth and accelerated development is very rare. Most experts have been expecting progress in the

area of cloud computing, but have been repeatedly surprised by just how fast this expansion has escalated in such a relatively short amount of time. Sure, there have been big jumps in the past (in computing, networking, hardware, and software), but never with a type of technology that has such a broad set of potential applications (no pun intended).

What makes cloud computing such a unique case is its ability to provide useful infrastructure or to mold to virtually any situation. In short, there isn’t really anything that the cloud can’t do. In fact, you can look at any piece of hardware and/or software in existence and chances are, there is a cloud computing equivalent. But it’s not about building comparable systems with the cloud; it’s about creating components which are highly versatile, easy to customize, and simple to create virtualized copies of.

Over the last 2 years (2010–2012), cloud computing (or one of its major providers) has helped to create:

• Better security systems and protocols• Extremely elegant solutions for deploying all manner of social media content for large audi-

ences• Useful business-specific services on both the consumer end and in the back office• True IaaS, which allows organizations to assume a great deal of control over their infrastruc-

ture• Powerful, stable, and inexpensive cloud services for nearly every potential application you

can think of• New approaches to software/hardware (true virtualization)• An explosion of SaaS-style services for any situation/purpose (many of which are free)• Cloud interfaces; which are bringing cloud technologies to consumer devices like tablets,

smartphones, etc.• Incredibly advanced and powerful super-computer capabilities (for use in data analysis, re-

search or perhaps in NASA-related missions)• Completely self-contained cloud services, which are essentially fully packaged IT resources

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(PaaS, IaaS)• Cloud Gaming• Legitimate cloud OS (Windows server 2012)• …and many more incredible developments, etc .

The net result of all this advancement appears to be the positioning of cloud computing as the replacement for grid computing and networking. Likewise, as more people continue to plug into 4G (soon to be 5G) and high-speed Internet, the ability to utilize cloud computing technologies will become further evident (according to various stat-gathering groups, there are still millions who are using dial-up connections). Additionally, prices for faster connections seem to be drop-ping, which is spurring further adoption of cloud technologies in a roundabout way.

However, the biggest development to occur over the last 2 years in the cloud computing arena has to be its adoption rates. Basically, we are about to see around half of all businesses integrat-ing some form of cloud computing (if that’s not already the case). This might come in the form of lower-level SaaS (which is often integrated in with their current IT framework), or IaaS, which is a more complete IT solution, which the user is tasked with managing. Once we see a true indication that cloud computing has captured over 50% of businesses and the general consumer popula-tion, it will signal a complete and total shift toward the cloud as the definitive replacement.

For your average consumer, cloud computing is a staple of the web already, though many might not realize it. Many of the most popular sites, services, and features like YouTube, Gmail, Dropbox, and others, already make direct use of cloud technologies. Additionally, Microsoft, Apple, Google, and other gigantic companies are either designing and releasing devices which integrate cloud features or pushing for the development of cloud-specific devices. Soon, we’ll likely see a glut of “cloud computers” hitting the market; devices which are little more than browser-based OSs which connect to a cloud and are driven by subscription services.

Furthermore, 2012 isn’t over yet and new advancements are taking place on what seems like a weekly basis now. Regardless of how you might feel about cloud computing, it’s extremely prob-able that 2013 will herald an intense year of further exponential growth for the technology (and global computing and networking). We’re probably going to see virtualized hardware services expand and integrated more like software, which will allow them to be quickly and painlessly incorporated into practically any setup. Likewise, cloud devices might emerge, which could com-pletely change the way we look at individual machines forever. The only thing left to do is buckle your seatbelt and hold on for the ride; it’s going to be an exciting one.

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Say hello to Cloud ManagementHow this relatively new model of cloud service is comparable

to owning your own private cloud

Simply put, cloud management is a service model that is comprised of private cloud access and utilities and delivered in the manner of a public cloud. But

unlike other types of cloud service models, the “managed cloud” has a few extra things to offer users, namely, the total supervision of their service(s). A managed cloud is actually a private cloud which another organization maintains, that you as the user pay to access. Most managed clouds are pieced together by the user from a variety of options concerning everything from how many CPUs you need, to what type of operating system you want to use. A managed cloud is arguably the best alternative to actually constructing your own private cloud (which is quite expensive), and offers users nearly all the same benefits as those enjoyed by private cloud owners.

What are the major drawbacks to using a public cloud (vs. a private or managed one)? Latency issues are a fairly common occurrence (with public clouds); this is often largely due to the remote location of resources in relation to the client. Then of course there is the issue of PCI compliance in a public cloud setting, which isn’t a problem for some, but is a glaring issue for others. What about security? Though a big-time, major security flub hasn’t occurred on/in a public cloud as of yet, it seems to be the most likely place for one to take place. Because managed clouds are privately owned and operated, they generally are the most secure, security-wise. Also, since ac-cess to a managed cloud is limited and monitored, it is without question one of the most secure ways to utilize cloud computing. These are but a few of the client-specific issues that typically push individuals (and groups) toward setting up a private cloud.

At its very heart, a managed cloud is simply a private cloud that a knowledgeable and depend-able organization has granted you access to. You set up your partition based on the available options, and then they deploy it to you (or your organization). The best part about a managed cloud, however, is the fact that they are often meticulously maintained, extremely secure, and exclusive (meaning, you won’t be rubbing elbows/data with just anyone). In fact, most managed clouds have a 100% uptime, high-availability guarantee (of some sort) in place. This is usually accompanied by perks like 24/7 support and automatic off-site backups (in case of disasters).

Setting up a typical managed cloud service is essentially a three-step process. First, you choose your power requirements, then things like your proposed OS, and finally, any other additional service components. This of course means making informed decisions about how much RAM you will likely need (usually around 1–10 GB with most typical managed clouds), as well as pick-ing the appropriate operating system (usually either windows enterprise or data center). As a final step, most managed cloud providers will offer their customers a mini-buffet of additional service components which can be added to their service model.

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This will usually include items like:

• CPanel• Additional IP addresses• MS SQL• SAN storage• Antivirus software/protection• VPN• Internet transfer rate• Off-site backup and disaster recovery

These additional components are usually offered at extremely affordable prices, and are certainly worth looking into if you’re serious about cloud computing.

The biggest perk of utilizing a managed private cloud in place of a public one has to be the sup-port structure. Managed clouds often employ support teams which operate on rotation and are available 24/7—365 days a year. In the event of a disaster, security breach, or any other problem you can think of, they will be on hand nearly instantly to not only correct any issues, but also to secure your data. This is especially useful for businesses, which not only need to ensure that their data is backed-up on a continuous basis, but also need to eliminate downtime. In terms of reli-ability, a managed cloud is almost impossible to top.

A managed cloud is basically halfway between being a public cloud and a private one. For those looking for the features, seclusion, and security found on a private cloud, without having to dish out a fortune, a managed cloud is definitely the way to go. They are not only more secure, but also generally more customizable, which can be extremely beneficial for businesses that have specific requirements that need addressing. But, as previously suggested, the real area where managed clouds shine is in customer service. For example, if you run a business that is heavily dependent on computing, downtime essentially translates into loss of profit(s). In this way, a managed cloud is an elegant and inexpensive way to ensure that you are always connected and secure.

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Virtualization, moving to the Cloud, and Cloud Bursting

Virtualization is one of those topics that cloud computing aficionados just love to flaunt, and for good reason; it can be used to do pretty much anything in a

computer system or network. As far as cloud computing is concerned, virtualization is basically its ancestor. While it’s true that not all virtualized systems are clouds, all clouds rely heavily on virtualization. In other words, the door doesn’t exactly swing both ways. In fact, many organizations will often utilize virtualized components in their grid-based systems. In their setups, virtualized components might perform specific tasks across their network.

Many of the businesses that might be wary of cloud computing prefer to keep all of their ap-plications (especially those that might be performing more critical tasks) on their own localized hardware stack. For those companies that have already (or perhaps are ready to take the plunge) adopted cloud computing, virtualization is being used in amazing new ways. While most people are familiar with the concept of using virtualization for running copies of operating systems, ap-plications or virtual hardware, they may not be aware that it is now being used to perform storage and desktop simulation duties as well.

The truth is, most organizations (even those with no affiliation with mainstream cloud comput-ing) already have many virtualized components in operation inside their hardware stack. Why is this important you ask? Well for starters, the virtualized components sitting there in your hard-ware stack could be performing extremely useful and critical tasks; but they could also provide you with a clear-cut path toward cloud integration. For example, one of the most logical first steps for most businesses would be to use virtualization as a means for allocating additional resources in the event of drop off.

Let’s say that you are anticipating that your computing network (grid-based) will need additional computing power, hardware resources, storage, or bandwidth (as is often the case during the busy times of the year). In this scenario, you have two options: buy more hardware/upgrade your service package or use virtualization to handle the overflow. If you configure some virtualized elements on your system to automatically requisition additional cloud-based resources, you will have continuous service. Setting things up this way ensures that you will also be able to keep your costs much lower than you would if you had to add hardware (potentially tens of thousands of dollars lower).

Once the crisis period has ended, your system would no longer require the use of the requisi-tioned cloud resources. In other words, you only pay for what you use. Creating a system that requisitions additional cloud resources as they are needed is what is commonly known as “cloud bursting.”

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One potential avenue that many have not previously considered is using virtualization to perform cloud bursting duties. How would that work exactly? Let’s pretend for a moment that we have a large grid network set up. For 11 months out of the year, everything is fine, but one month a year there are serious deficiencies. If it is a retail business, it may be due to seasonal customer/product overflow, for example. So maybe we’re selling holiday specific products and take in a significantly larger volume of business during a one month period preceding a specific celebration. It would make no sense for us to spend thousands upgrading our entire hardware setup just to cover that one month of accelerated operations, especially if we’re operating well within capacity the rest of the year. What’s the solution? Use virtualized components within our existing hardware stack to activate/use additional resources automatically in the event of an overdraft. We would simply need to sign up for a service plan from one of the many reputable cloud computing providers out there, configure it with our current system, test it and then sit back and relax.

This is the way that most organizations are introduced to the world of cloud computing, through workflow overdrafts (or cloud bursting, as it is also called). Once most businesses see what cloud computing can actually do, they usually begin the transition. This often occurs as a result of real-izing that there is a definitive advantage in terms of cost effectiveness by switching to the cloud. When you combine the aforementioned benefits with the realization that cloud computing is also offering nearly unlimited power/resources and no threat of service blackouts, it’s easy to under-stand why more and more institutions are making the switch.

It is unclear whether or not cloud computing will take hold over the individual users in the same way that it has for businesses. As the current model of cloud computing stands, businesses have a lot more to gain from it than does the average individual user. It could be argued that individual users will always prefer having their own set of contained hardware/software resources on hand; the same cannot be said of businesses, however. For organizations, cloud computing is able to reduce their IT-related expenditures by such a significant amount that it is highly doubtful that any of them will even look back. For businesses interested in cloud computing, virtualization will provide you with a solid introduction to the field.

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Are the economic concepts promised in Cloud Computing legitimate?

A closer examination of both sides of the cloud computing cost debate

Anyone who’s studied cloud computing for any length of time should know that the technology driving the cloud offers distinct advantages and (if implemented

properly) will most likely replace the current system that’s in use. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. It should be noted that cloud computing isn’t really a new technological breakthrough at all; it’s really a reconfiguration of existing computing and networking elements.

Cloud computing is basically a hybrid networking and computing concept at its very essence; no longer are they considered to be entirely separate entities. As a result, many things which were simply not possible or practical are becoming a reality, courtesy of the cloud. However, there seems to be some major disagreements among individuals with regard to the economic benefits offered by the technology.

Some see the emergence of the “pay-as-you-go” model used by most cloud computing service providers as trimming the fat, so to speak. You only pay for what you use and you don’t have to absorb the cost of software or hardware ownership either, you are only liable for actual use of services. Still, others see this as a bad thing; to them, ownership equates to possessing additional assets.

Cloud detractors might also say that the costs are the same in both instances (cloud and grid). What’s their reasoning? Since both computing models are essentially using similar, if not the same components or equivalencies, the costs associated with computing in each instance should be the same. In other words, since hardware/software development companies, along with service providers, are still going to have to be compensated at the same rate (that’s not going to change), who’s going to absorb the additional costs? Historically, it’s always been the users that absorb any additional development costs and it is most sensible to assume that this will not change any time soon.

The reason why cloud computing is cost effective is actually very simple. It should be noted that larger amounts of hardware, software, electricity, and periods of operation will all incur additional costs. So, for example, if we have two systems (one cloud and one grid) that are nearly identical in terms of their power, energy usage, applied software and hardware, what we are really looking for is overall efficiency.

The truth is that cloud computing definitely uses its resources much more efficiently than the grid model does. As a result, it is logical to assume that since grid computing wastes much more

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resources and energy, the costs associated with those operations cannot be recouped. In other words, grid computing is little bit like leaving the refrigerator door cracked open, while in cloud computing it is closed and insulated; too much energy is wasted in the grid model. This is the rea-son why many have clearly stated that cloud computing is much more cost effective in the long term, not to mention the fact that energy costs on the global stage seem to keep rising every year.

The real central issue with regard to cloud computing cost(s) should be, “once an industry of ser-vice providers is firmly established, will they remain true to their word and keep their prices low?” What’s to stop the major service providers of the future from hiking up their prices? It would be very easy for a coterie of companies to monopolize the computing market and simply raise their prices, just as virtually all companies are apt to do in every market. As users of cloud comput-ing technology, we must seek out assurances from our current and future providers that once demand reaches a certain level, they won’t simply opt to dramatically increase the prices of their services.

Arguably, what most people are not taking into account is the reality that it is much more likely that grid and cloud computing will exist alongside one another for quite a long time. It has been shown that businesses have been among the first groups to begin adopting cloud computing; this is because it allows them to perform their daily tasks more efficiently and in most cases, at a much cheaper overall cost.

Who’s to say that the development of computing might not take an entirely different direction al-together? Perhaps cloud computing elements will recombine with grid computing in unforeseen ways, or maybe cloud computing will become a business standard and not gain any popularity among individual users? At any rate, cloud computing wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for grid comput-ing, and it’s not so much a competitor as it is eventual offspring. So, for those of you die-hard sponsors of grid computing, don’t take the emergence of cloud computing personally. Try not to eat your younglings.

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taxes are in place, they’re often incrementally raised without much effort - just refer to Tobacco and Alcohol {I’m not defending these institutions or the harmful products they sell; only demon-strating how certain products tend to be taxed}. Then you also have to realize that if too many state governments begin taxing the cloud at will, it will have a direct effect on the growth of the entire industry. After all, we’re talking about collecting taxes on non-tangible goods which are being provided by businesses located out of state. As far as in-state commerce is concerned, perhaps there is justification in certain circumstances, but we’re really talking about “cross-border” precedents here.

Taxes levied against certain types of cloud providers will also have a direct effect on the way consumers approach cloud computing as a whole. This isn’t rocket science, if one area of cloud computing is taxed while another is not, those being forced to assume these costs will have to overcome additional obstacles. Moreover, if you’re a SaaS vendor, you’ll likely have to raise your prices in order to offset tax-based losses. The end result of these tax mandates will be that prices on certain types of cloud offerings will spike, which will ultimately steer users toward the cheaper, non-taxed offerings. The question is, once lawmakers realize that people are opting for non-taxed cloud services will they then decide to take further steps?

Bring your business & IT department up-to-date with Cloud and IaaS CertificationThe ever-growing influence of cloud computing is spreading in all directions, which only further highlights the need for businesses to prepare themselves for it (and its challenges). Rather than approaching this situation with bold and haphazard actions which pose certain risks, why not opt for the easy route? Cloud computing training, education and certification will allow virtually any business to transform their current IT staff into qualified cloud engineers. There are even special-ized programs for IaaS (which is the fastest growing sector of business-related cloud services).

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Discussion Questions

1. What does the business strategy and corporate policies say about using

public cloud?

2. How will SaaS Services support the BYOD policies in your company? What

discussion has been taking place around these subjects?

3. Where do you personally see the opportunity for your career when you

think about SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS?

4. Back to security – when allowing cloud storage in the business, what are the

risks in relation to IP protection, personal data, and confidentiality?

5. Which of the types of cloud computing offering do you feel is most appro-

priate for your organization? Where do you feel is the future heading?

6. What about virtualization? What do you know about this, and how is it cur-

rently used in the business? How can this help with the step up to other

Cloud Computing offerings?

7. Painting a Picture: what will the IT department look like in 3–5 years? What

type of roles are going to be required, what inhouse technology is being

used, what type of cloud services are utilized, and how can you use your

cloud computing knowledge to maintain relevant and valuable?

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Chapter 5: Examples of cloud vendors

In our final chapter, we look at a number of well-known providers

of Cloud Services to get an idea and understanding of what is

currently available. Of course this is not a complete list, just a

couple of ideas to get the brain started...

Other examples are hosting providers that offer cloud-based

managed sevices, SaaS providers like Salesforce.com, Cloud

Storage providers like Box.net, and dropbox to name a few.

In the enterprise area, these vendors are quite well-known for

their corporate cloud computing offerings.

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IBM’s cloud computing venture is designed for businesses

If you’re currently evaluating potential cloud service providers you have no doubt already encountered what IBM has to offer. After all, IBM is currently one of the

world’s foremost cloud vendors (they’ve pretty much been there from the start). SmartCloud, which purports to be both a part of IBM’s vision for cloud computing as well as a tree of service options, is currently making big waves in the business world.

What is it that SmartCloud is bringing to the table exactly, you may ask? Most of the core princi-ples of the basic 3 types of cloud service offerings are covered under SmartCloud, those of course being: SaaS, PaaS, and SaaS. However, what makes SmartCloud different is its focus on specific elements or components of each service offering and how they assist, reinforce or promote the aims and objectives of their user(s). As you would expect, SmartCloud is more or less a living embodiment of the basic cloud infrastructure model: i.e. – a metered service based on usage and demand. What makes IBM’s service different from those of others is its size, scope and let’s say financial support structure. The simple fact of the matter is that running a cloud vendor service is both extremely costly as well as laborious, vast resources in a number of areas are required in order to assure stability, security and ongoing implementations of emerging technology. In other words, it is IBM’s overall stature, strength and reserves that make it one of the most obvious lead-ing candidates for consideration as a first-call cloud vendor.

SmartCloud can be broken down into three main categories: • Architecture for private and hybrid cloud• Cloud computing as a service for IT• SaaS business solutions

The first offering category, Architecture for private and hybrid clouds, is principally geared toward those organizations that are just entering the cloud marketplace. By allowing businesses to ac-cess cloud infrastructure as well as various other application tools and hybridization, they might be able to more effectively build their own highly unique and functional cloud systems at their own pace.

Our second branch of cloud service offerings, Cloud computing as a service for IT, may come in the form of either PaaS or SaaS and is designed to appeal directly to a company’s IT division. Through cloud computing as a service for IT a business’ IT element can utilize IBM’s offerings as they choose. Designing, deploying, and managing cloud-based applications is much easier when your IT department has access to the offerings available under this service category. However, in order to capitalize on the perks of this particular branch (of cloud service offerings) one must also have an IT team in place with some form of cloud computing training/certification. If you’re looking for a thorough and affordable cloud computing group certification solution, this site has many attractive options available for you.

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Lastly, we have the third SmartCloud service branch, SaaS business solutions. As far as most busi-nesses are/should be concerned, ‘SaaS business solutions’ is where the real action is. Under this branch of offerings businesses are invited to choose from a bevy of additional cloud-intensive services ranging from collaboration and management to analytics and marketing. Perhaps the easier way of describing what ‘SaaS business solutions’ has to offer would be to say that it enables organizations to utilize specific cloud technologies to further its agenda. For example, the various social-oriented technologies can be bundled together in order to increase an organization’s inter-office functionality (think: meetings, file sharing, email, etc…). This same socially oriented cloud technology can also be used to provide potential customers and guests with a better experience as well.

IBM’s digital marketing suite, Coremetrics, is also a potential service addition under the ‘SaaS business solutions’ heading. Adding Coremetrics allows organizations to both gather pertinent analytical data directly from customers as well as implement creative and custom solutions with regard to marketing. Likewise, with this marketing system in place a business can benefit from an extended strategy which combines many separate approaches (like data syndication, more re-fined product/content recommendations, highly-targeted email campaigns, and self-organizing marketing data/strategies).

Also included (as another potential component of “SaaS business solutions”) is BlueworksLive, which purports to be a better method for both organizing technologies as well as enacting com-pany-wide change. One of the basic ideas behind this offering is the creation of a singular storage area in which all ongoing progress, processes, rules and work can be accessed. The idea here is that a great deal of time is routinely lost due to lack of documentation and/or availability of infor-mation. In other words, BlueworksLive is an offering designed to improve personnel efficiency by creating an improved system for organizing all manner of media, information and content.

Whichever of the three cloud service branches offered by IBM your organization chooses will be entirely dependent on its specific needs and available (supplementary) assets. However, this un-derscores the overall significance of IBM’s SmartCloud service, which is that it can more or less cover any business in any type of situation. In terms of dependability, security, implemented features, and ease of use, IBM’s SmartCloud is really one of the best cloud vendors out there. So what’s the bottom line? Whether your business organization is large or small, familiar or unfamil-iar with cloud computing, IBM’s SmartCloud should be among your top choices if you’re seeking a cloud provider.

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Cloud services brokerageThe middlemen between providers and consumers

Many experts are predicting that brokerage firms (which act as the middlemen between cloud providers and consumers) will become increasingly important

over the next decade. They are also predicting that these same brokerage firms will also be responsible for driving profits and innovation forward. Why brokers and not developers or consumers? As with other types of businesses, developers/manufacturers often lack the tools or know-how to reach a broad consumer base. In any type of business it is the job of the broker to find ways to package goods and/or services in ways that benefit both producers and consumers. In most cases the actions of a brokerage firm will actually provide the producer (in this case, a cloud computing provider) with additional profits and ideas, which in turn will allow them to narrow their focus toward technical considerations and innovations.

Most people are resigned to think of brokerage firms as unnecessary (or yet another set of players that must be paid) participants which drive up profits to compensate for their salaries. The truth is that by virtue of the participation of brokerage firms a business can often increase profits many times over, find ways to reach an entirely new demographic as well as broaden their overall ap-peal. In fact, (as is often the case) marketing ideas from brokerage firms often find their way back to the research and development departments of providers which usually results in entirely new perceptions about what a product does or can do. The bottom line is that no matter how brilliant and/or groundbreaking a concept, service or product is it needs additional personnel to “bring it to the market” so to speak; this is of course what brokerage firms specialize in.

Multiple types of brokers for multiple cloud typesAs is the case with other web related services, brokers will likely form businesses with the intent of connecting specific types of consumers to cloud services. This means that there will be bro-kerage firms that will emerge that cater only to businesses within specific fields (like information technology, manufacturers, factories, offices, pharmaceuticals). Likewise, there will be broker-ages that will concentrate on and cater to individual consumers only. The group(s) that a cloud brokerage firm caters to will depend largely on what type(s) of service(s) that they are promoting and of course, their consumer’s needs (IaaS, PaaS and SaaS). For example, IaaS (Infrastructure as a service, which has the widest appeal) will be angled toward both individual users as well as large businesses simply because it offers the user virtually everything they need (software, code, access, hardware, virtualized hardware, storage, security). Large businesses will be able to take advantage of the lower costs of operation with IaaS as well. Less involved types of cloud services like SaaS and PaaS (Software as a Service, Platform as a Service) will be marketed by brokerages to moderate to larger sized businesses that have the capabilities of “filling in the technological gaps” with either their own developments or that which they contract out to additional groups.

These three service models (IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS) give brokerage houses the flexibility to cre-ate their own customized service packages to market directly to consumers. After a significant

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amount of marketing data has been collected, brokerages will then be able to determine what any particular demographics’ cloud computing needs really are. This data will then serve as the template for their individual service packages which are aimed at specific types of buyers.

Brokerage firms will also work with both consumers and developers on the software side of things as well. The ultimate aim of these firms is to provide a “buffet of available services and software options” that the end user or IT manager can then pick and choose from. The old system of de-ployment (grid-based software and hardware) is flawed in that large amounts of money are spent on software and hardware that are often never even used (or used in a minimal percentage). A cloud-based setup will not only cut the costs of operation for many groups and individuals but it will also cut the amount of time spent learning or adapting to a new system by a significant amount as well.

And for those companies that are not ready to take the plunge into cloud computing just yet, (but would still like to use cloud services as a way to collect and store static data) there will be broker-ages that offer data service packages. These brokerages will essentially be selling companies a system that they can use to collect point of sale data, which will be extremely beneficial to retail enterprises, for example. It is through this type of “soft selling” that many businesses may become turned on to the idea of cloud computing in a big way.

With regard to cloud computing, brokers are needed to generate the revenue that is needed in order to lay the groundwork for the next phase in its development. Cloud brokers are essentially propagating the very idea of cloud computing throughout the market itself, which is no easy task. When big developments and changes come along (like cloud computing) there is a learning curve as well as a new set of technological possibilities that the market and consumers alike must adapt to and familiarize themselves with. It is the job of cloud brokerages to find new ways to enhance the outward appeal of this new technology.

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The lowdown on Oracle’s new IaaS

Oracle is a company that specializes in the development of both hardware and software. They’re a multinational and have been known to “dip their toes” into

virtually everything you can imagine where computers, software, networking or database systems are involved. So, it only makes sense that they would be poised to take advantage of cloud computing technology, even perhaps adapting it in slightly new ways. This organization isn’t just trying to compete in cloud computing markets; they’re actually seeking to make a significant impact. They are reportedly providing enterprise-level services to upwards of around 25 million customers as well, so they must be doing something right.

Up until now, Oracle didn’t really have a dedicated IaaS product to offer, they mostly dealt with applications (SaaS) and various forms of PaaS. Recently, CEO Larry Ellison announced Oracle’s move to establish an IaaS offering. Apparently their goal is not simply to expand and/or create competition in the marketplace, but to actually (and openly) challenge other big-time providers like Amazon.

So what is it that makes this new IaaS offering from Oracle so special, you ask? Well, first off, there are actually two completely different ways that this particular IaaS product can be deployed, ap-parently. Since Oracle is a database/storage provider it makes sense that they would eventually start hosting IaaS-style cloud offerings in their own data center(s); this new service will allow for two distinct “modes of operation,” if you will. One mode is your standard vendor-hosted IaaS, where they actually provide remote cloud computing service. The other way this IaaS offering can be used is as software; which would allow customers to build services in their own data cent-ers. What makes this arrangement special is the fact that applications and workloads can be migrated to and from one’s own datacenter and Oracle’s. That’s right; it’s basically a hybrid IaaS solution that allows for quick transition between public and private clouds.

Being able to transfer workloads from your cloud to Oracle’s might actually offer certain com-panies some distinct benefits and tools. For example, some organizations might opt to build strategies around creating useful applications in a private setting which can later be deployed in a more public manner for all branches of their organization. This might also permit for certain ap-plications to be developed in a more secure environment that allows for a quick and easy transfer to a public setting. One thing is for certain, the possibilities offered by Oracle’s new upcoming IaaS are many and only limited to one’s own creative use of it.

With the formation of this new IaaS division, Oracle is now officially a multi-level cloud vendor: they have SaaS, PaaS—and now—IaaS offerings “on the table.” The idea to allow for IaaS/PaaS compatibility, however, is a pretty revolutionary one. What we’re really talking about here is cre-ating a link between all three cloud computing service models. For instance, if infrastructure can be created with software which is similar to what Oracle is offering through IaaS, then what we really have is SaaS reinforcing IaaS (and vice-versa). Likewise, Oracle’s PaaS offering(s), which are mostly used to aid in development, might also be used in tandem with other types of services. In

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other words, it seems that Oracle is actually fostering some type of IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS synergy. All three types of models seem to be coming together to create a more dynamic, versatile, and open-ended cloud computing experience for businesses.

Speaking of IaaS and Cloud Computing, what’s your company’s long-term “game plan”?

If your business is eager to leverage the immense power of cloud computing and take advantage of the seemingly endless barrage of useful applications which are pouring out in all directions, you’re going to have to be prepared. What does it mean to be “prepared” to implement IaaS or cloud computing in general? One of the first (and perhaps most important) steps you should take is to purchase certification, training and educational materials for your IT personnel.

Complete certification packages for both IaaS and cloud are extremely affordable right now and in very high demand. Having IT employees become more intimately acquainted with IaaS in par-ticular, is a very good idea for businesses which are both highly independent and technologically solvent. If you’re ready to take your company’s technological capability to the next level, start with your employees and their knowledge base. Visit theartofservice.com for more information.

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A closer look at Amazon's EC2 and S3 services

Amazon has officially made its mark on the world of cloud computing with its landmark EC2 and S3 services. These developments are arguably the most

significant to occur in recent years with regard to consumer cloud computing; through them Amazon is looking to corner the SaaS (software as a service) market (with EC2) as well as the cloud driven entertainment experience (with S3).

What exactly do these services offer consumers or businesses?

Both EC2 and S3 are opening doors for people; EC2 is a complete virtual computing solution with near unlimited power at its disposal and S3 is arguably the ultimate system for archiving and ac-cessing your musical entertainment. And of course, the full range of possibilities for each of these splendid services has not been fully explored yet by consumers.

EC2 or Elastic Compute Cloud Imagine being able to access an entirely different computer (with its own resources, RAM, storage, software, apps, processor etc…) via the net. Since this computer is accessed via the net, you are essentially taking it with you everywhere you go; all you need is an internet connection. Ama-zon’s EC2 is essentially a complete solution for individuals or businesses seeking a SaaS-style ser-vice. EC2 is basically an access point to a virtualized computer with an almost unlimited amount of additional resources at its disposal.

What does this mean for the businesses that apt to use EC2? For businesses, EC2 is a way to break into the world of cloud computing in a cheap, safe, flexible and extremely powerful way. Through EC2 businesses can leverage the extreme power of multitudes of servers all at a comparatively low cost (just imagine trying to set up, maintain and purchase all the necessary components to build a comparable network; it would be in the ‘millions upon millions of dollars range’). EC2 gives nearly any company or individual the ability to access extremely advanced computational resources at an extremely affordable cost.

SaaS or Software as a ServiceFor those that are unfamiliar with what SaaS stands for, here is a quick summary. SaaS is a level/type of service offered by a cloud computing provider, which in this case is Amazon. In the SaaS model, the provider gives their client all of the resources needed to make cloud computing pos-sible; this includes interface apps/programs/method, virtualized hardware, storage, security, runtime, and of course network access. Clients are essentially only paying for access to these resources and are not responsible for any kind of setup, maintenance or configuration.

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S3 or Simple Storage ServiceThe idea behind Amazon’s S3 service is giving people the ability to take their entire music col-lection with them wherever they go. But instead of simply miniaturizing some storage device or inventing a new type of physical storage medium, S3 utilizes the power of the internet to give consumers the power to create an ongoing database for their entire musical/sound based media collection. S3 is pretty much the music delivery service that we’ve all been dreaming about; and it’s one that will most likely replace all other models. Currently it is a freely available service (at 5GB, by purchasing an album of MP3’s from Amazon they provide a free account upgrade to 20GB) that also allows users to upload mp3’s from their current collection (that were not pur-chased from Amazon.com).

The implications of these services (to the world of cloud computing and computer networking in general) is far reaching. If they continue to grow in popularity, it may signal a ‘changing of the guard’ so to speak, in the way that individuals and businesses do both their networking and com-puting (not to mention access their entertainment).

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Discussion Questions

1. List your top 5 of Cloud vendors that you currently use:

• _____________________________________________

• _____________________________________________

• _____________________________________________

• _____________________________________________

• _____________________________________________

2. What other services would your organization benefit from if it was offers as

a Cloud Computing Service?

• _____________________________________________

• _____________________________________________

• _____________________________________________

• _____________________________________________

3. What other services would your personally benefit from if it was offers as a

Cloud Computing Service?

• _____________________________________________

• _____________________________________________

• _____________________________________________

• _____________________________________________

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Index

A

additional resources 14-15, 85, 97, 115administration 59, 83-4Amazon 3, 69, 82, 113, 115-16applications 9, 14, 30-1, 36, 38-40, 44-6, 48-9, 53, 65, 71, 74, 85-6, 89, 91, 93, 113-14 new 30, 90, 104apps 38, 42, 52, 70, 77, 83, 115architecture 4, 22, 31-2, 42, 45, 48, 50, 109assets 21, 34, 44, 48, 73, 76, 80, 83, 85-6, 96, 110average consumers 11, 19, 21, 24, 95

B

book 2-3, 6, 54branch 109-10, 113brokers 35, 111-12business operations 50, 76, 100business owners 34, 38, 48businesses 4-5, 13-15, 17-24, 30-7, 40-2, 44-8, 50, 52-5, 58-61, 69-71, 73-90, 93-5, 98-102, 104-7, 109-12, 114-16 most 14-15, 30, 35-6, 69, 73, 79, 85, 96, 110

C

careerists 19, 21, 26Centric SOA 4, 48-9certification 19, 21, 24, 26, 55, 61-2, 72, 76, 78, 80, 102, 106, 109certification programs 24, 26, 62classes 25-6, 84clients 12, 28, 45-6, 53, 57, 61, 74, 77, 80, 83, 95-6, 103, 115cloud 4-5, 8-11, 14-16, 18-20, 29, 32-3, 35, 50-6, 58-61, 63-6, 72-3, 75-6, 80-2, 97-8, 103-6, 113-15Cloud APaaS 5, 93-4cloud bursting 4, 14-15cloud computing 4-29, 32-7, 41, 43, 46-7, 52-6, 58-73, 75-81, 83, 85-7, 89, 91-7, 99-107, 109-10, 112, 114-16 public 20, 69, 77cloud computing certification 4, 21, 24-6, 62, 81cloud computing companies 56-7, 82, 101

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cloud computing infrastructure 19, 35-6, 85cloud computing model 9, 18, 23cloud computing network 8-9, 22, 96cloud computing providers 35-6, 52, 56-7, 59, 63, 66, 96, 104, 111, 115cloud computing service providers 34-5, 56, 89, 100cloud computing services 23, 30, 36-7, 46, 53, 56, 71, 73, 96, 117cloud computing systems 8, 66, 89cloud computing technologies 11, 17, 20, 26, 85, 113cloud computing training 21, 55, 78, 106, 109cloud infrastructure 33, 36, 52, 59, 61, 82, 93cloud network 8, 22, 58, 92, 97cloud providers 30, 52, 58-9, 63-4, 66, 74, 84, 90, 95, 98, 101, 103, 106, 110-11cloud resources 18, 89, 96cloud security 4, 51, 55, 59-61, 64, 66cloud services 4, 12, 35, 46, 51, 70-1, 75, 81, 87, 94, 98-100, 107-8, 111-12 managed 12, 53, 72, 84cloud storage 5, 95-6, 107cloud technologies 10-11, 19-22, 24, 26-7, 54, 60, 69, 88, 101-3, 110cloud vendors 5, 70, 100-1, 108-9, 117cloudbursting 5, 97-8collection 6, 38, 61communication 41-2, 53, 90, 92community 21, 24, 26companies 2, 6, 14, 17, 23, 37, 44, 63-5, 72-4, 76, 78-9, 81-7, 90-1, 94-6, 99-100, 112-15compatibility 31, 92-3compliance 45, 52, 59, 61components 10, 16, 22, 30-1, 33, 37-8, 40-1, 49, 52, 70, 73, 83, 89-90, 97-8, 104, 109 additional 13, 33, 101 individual 30, 40, 86 new 30, 49, 53 virtualized 14-15, 36computers 8, 30, 113, 115computing power 8, 18, 22-3, 97configures 14-15, 42confusion 8, 36, 41, 91consumers 20-1, 30, 46, 68, 87, 90, 95, 101-2, 111-12, 115-16contend 25, 48-9, 53, 60, 76contract 58-9, 111control 10, 38, 65, 69-71, 73, 75, 79-81, 83-5 direct 73, 76, 82costs 14, 16-17, 28, 33, 44, 60, 71, 81, 84-5, 87-8, 90, 100, 102, 104, 106, 112 low 26-7, 115customers 12, 30, 40, 44-7, 57, 59, 75, 87, 98, 102, 110, 113customize 9-10, 94

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D

database 71, 89, 113, 116delivery 19-20, 23department 23, 26, 28, 32-3, 53, 72, 76, 78, 83, 85, 87, 99-100, 106-7, 109deployment 71, 94, 112design 30, 32, 42, 45, 48-9, 52, 71, 73, 83, 85developers 35, 38-9, 92, 94, 111-12devices 11, 27, 54, 101, 103-4difference 4, 28, 51, 68, 73, 77, 84, 97-8disasters 12-13, 59Discussion Questions 4-6, 28, 50, 67, 107, 117downtime 13, 33, 40, 45duties 23, 35, 61, 72

E

e-learning 25-6, 62, 66, 78education 62, 66, 87, 106emergence 16-17, 37employees 34, 72, 114energy 8, 17, 35, 52, 54, 60enterprises 5, 20-1, 53, 99, 102entertainment 19-21, 24, 54, 102, 116errors 31, 34, 43, 89event 13-15, 33, 45, 49, 55-6, 59-61, 64evidence 53, 58, 60, 63-4, 102existing infrastructure 33, 36, 52, 79expansion 10, 44, 46, 72, 101experience 21, 32-3experts 5, 8, 21, 25-7, 74, 81, 83, 94, 101, 111

F

fear 46, 51-2, 54, 66, 103finances 43, 46, 85flexibility 29, 32, 48-50, 83, 111function 18, 21-2, 30, 32, 34, 39, 42, 45-6, 75, 85, 87, 93, 95functionality 30-1, 33, 44, 48, 53, 93-4

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G

Gartner 69, 72, 81, 91, 95, 101-2goals 32, 44, 65, 74, 86, 113Google 11, 19, 24, 69governance 4, 38-9, 44governments 54, 60-1grid 8, 16-17, 36grid computing 8, 11, 17, 22, 59-60, 64grid model 8, 16-17groups 12, 17, 23-4, 30, 38, 45, 58, 60-1, 66, 74-5, 80-1, 87-8, 111-12growth 69, 72, 81, 93, 101, 106

H

hardware 8-10, 14-16, 22, 38-9, 41, 54, 59-61, 73, 76-7, 83, 86, 91-2, 96-8, 103-5, 111-13hardware stacks 9, 14, 18, 22, 61, 96

I

IaaS 4-5, 11, 68-89, 91-2, 98-9, 101-2, 106-7, 111, 113-14IaaS providers 73, 83-4, 87-8IaaS vendors 5, 84, 87-8individuals 16, 18, 22-5, 31, 37, 42-3, 46, 54-6, 58, 60, 69, 72, 75, 90-1, 101-2, 115-16industries 6, 17, 20-1, 30, 34-5, 37, 40, 43, 53, 106information 2, 6, 24-5, 27, 49, 55, 59, 63-4, 67, 81, 87, 97, 100, 110, 114infrastructure 10, 21-2, 30-4, 38, 40, 42, 44-5, 49, 66, 68, 70-3, 75-7, 80-1, 83, 86, 97-100Infrastructure-as-a-Service 71, 77, 83, 85, 101innovations 39, 74, 82, 102, 111institutions 15, 19-20, 26, 46, 61, 77, 106 academic 19-20, 24integration 40, 52, 81, 99interfaces 8-9, 38, 77, 94, 99investments 46, 76, 93, 102, 104

J

job 21, 32, 40-2, 93, 111-12

K

knowledge 6, 50, 61, 99