Notes prepared in Indian School Al Wadi Al Kabir-Comp Sc departmentCloud computing is typically defined as a type of computing that relies on sharing computing resources rather than having local servers or personal devices to handle applications.In cloud computing, the word cloud (also phrased as "the cloud") is used as a metaphor for "the Internet," so the phrase cloud computing means "a type of Internet-based computing," where different services — such as servers, storage and applications —are delivered to an organization's computers and devices through the Internet.Cloud computing is comparable to grid computing, a type of computing where unused processing cycles of all computers in anetwork are harnesses to solve problems too intensive for any stand-alone machine.The Five Essential Characteristics of Cloud ComputingCloud technology is in the news quite often these days, but it still seems to be mysterious and confusing to the non-techie crowd.  Cloud options are enticing various industries across the board, which is why it’s important to know it’s essential characteristics as a software offering.  Here are the five main characteristics that cloud computing offers BUSINESSES  today.

1. On-demand capabilities:  A BUSINESS  will secure cloud-hosting services through a cloud host provider which could be your usual software vendor.  You have access to your services and you have the power to change cloud services through an online control panel or directly with the provider.  You can add or delete users and change storage networks and software as needed. Typically, you are billed with a monthly subscription or a pay-for-what-you-use scenario.  Terms of subscriptions and payments will vary with each software provider.

2. Broad network access:  Your team can access business management solutions using their smartphones, tablets, laptops, and office computers.  They can use these devices wherever they are located with a simple online access point.  This mobility is particularly attractive for businesses so that during BUSINESS  hours or on off-times, employees can stay on top of projects, contracts, and customers whether they are on the road or in the office.  Broad network access includes private clouds that operate within a company’s firewall, public clouds, or a hybrid deployment.

3. Resource pooling:  The cloud enables your employees to enter and use data within the BUSINESS  management software hosted in the cloud at the same time, from any location, and at any time.  This is an attractive feature for multiple business offices and field service or sales teams that are usually outside the office.

4. Rapid elasticity:  If anything, the cloud is flexible and scalable to suit your immediate BUSINESS  needs.  You can quickly and easily add or remove users, software features, and other resources.

5. Measured service:  Going back to the affordable nature of the cloud, you only pay for what you use.  You and your cloud provider can measure storage levels, processing, bandwidth, and the number of user accounts and you are billed appropriately.  The amount of resources that you may use can be monitored and controlled from both your side and your cloud provider’s side which provides TRANSPARENCY .

Cloud computing is made up of a variety of layered elements, starting at the most basic physical layer of storage and server infrastructure and working up through the application and network layers. The cloud can be further divided into different implementation models based on whether it's created internally, outsourced or a combination of the two.

The three cloud layers are:

Infrastructure cloud: Abstracts applications from servers and servers from storage Content cloud: Abstracts data from applications Information cloud: Abstracts access from clients to data

The three cloud implementation models are:

Private cloud: Created and run internally by an organization or purchased and stored within the organization and run by a third party Hybrid cloud: Outsources some but not all elements either internally or externally Public cloud: No physical infrastructure locally, all access to data and applications is external

An infrastructure cloud includes the physical components that run applications and store data. Virtual servers are created to run applications, and virtual storage pools are created to house new and existing data into dynamic tiers of storage based on performance and reliability requirements. Virtual abstraction is employed so that servers and storage can be MANAGED  as logical rather than individual physical entities.

The content cloud implements metadata and INDEXING  services over the infrastructure cloud to provide abstracted data management for all content. The goal of a content cloud is to abstract the data from the applications so that different applications can be used to access the same data, and applications can be changed without worrying about data structure or type. The content cloud transforms data into objects so that the interface to the data is no longer tied to the actual access to the data, and the application that created the content in the first place can be long gone while the data itself is still available and searchable.

The information cloud is the ultimate goal of cloud computing and the most common from a public perspective. The information cloud abstracts the client from

the data. For example, a user can access data stored in a database in Singapore via a mobile phone in Atlanta, or watch a video located on a server in Japan from his a laptop in the U.S.  The information cloud abstracts everything from everything. The Internet is an information cloud. 

An AGENCY  can deploy cloud computing in several different ways depending upon many factors, such as:

Where the cloud services are hosted Security requirements Desire to share cloud services The ability to MANAGE  some or all of the services Customization capabilities

There are four common deployment models for cloud services loosely determined by who has access to the cloud services:  Public Cloud, Private Cloud, Community Cloud, and Hybrid Cloud.

Public Cloud

A "public" cloud infrastructure is available to the general public and is owned by a third party cloud service provider (CSP).  In a public cloud, an AGENCYdynamically provisions computing resources over the Internet from a CSP who shares its resources with other organizations.  Similar to that of an electric utility billing system, the CSP bills the AGENCY  for its share of resources.

This can be the most cost effective deployment model for agencies as it gives them the flexibility to procure only the computing resources they need and delivers all services with consistent availability, resiliency, security, and MANAGEABILITY .  Nevertheless, to benefit from a public cloud, an AGENCY  must accept the reduced control and monitoring over the CSP’s governance and security. 

Private Cloud

A "private" cloud infrastructure is operated solely for a single organization or AGENCY :  the CSP dedicates specific cloud services to that agency and no other clients.  The agency specifies, architects, and controls a pool of computing resources that the CSP delivers as a standardized set of services.  A common reason for agencies to procure private clouds is their ability to enforce their own data security standards and controls.

An agency will typically host a private cloud on-premises, connect to it through private network links, and only share its resources within the agency.  Because resources are not pooled across multiple unaffiliated organizations, an agency will pay for all of the cloud's capacity.  Nevertheless, the AGENCY'S  Chief Information Officer (CIO) can provide these resources as services on-demand to organizations and programs within the agency and charge them accordingly.

Community Cloud

A "community" cloud infrastructure is procured jointly by several agencies or programs that share specific needs such as security, compliance, or jurisdiction considerations.  The agencies or CSP may MANAGE  the community cloud and may keep it on-premises or off-premises.

When agencies have a common set of requirements and customers, a community cloud enables them to combine ASSETS  and share computing resources, data, and

capabilities.  By eliminating the duplication of similar systems, agencies can save MONEY  and allocate their scarce resources more efficiently.  Procuring a community cloud is also a way that an agency can advance the Federal IT Shared Service Strategy.

Hybrid Cloud

A "hybrid" cloud comprises two or more clouds (private, community, or public) with a mix of both internally and externally hosted services.

AGENCIES  will likely not limit themselves to one cloud deployment but will rather incorporate different and overlapping cloud services to meet their unique requirements.  Hybrid deployment models are complex and require careful planning to execute and manage especially when communication between two different cloud deployments is necessary.

Cloud computing issues

PrivacyThe increased use of cloud computing services such as Gmail and Google Docs has pressed the issue of privacy concerns of cloud computing services to the utmost importance.[5] The provider of such services lie in a position such that with the greater use of cloud computing services has given access to a plethora of data.[5] This access has the immense risk of data being disclosed either accidentally or deliberately.[5] Privacy advocates have criticized the cloud model for givinghosting companies' greater ease to control—and thus, to monitor at will—communication between host company and end user, and access user data (with or without permission). Instances such as the secret NSA program, working with AT&T, and Verizon, which recorded over 10 million telephone calls between American citizens, causes uncertainty among privacy advocates, and the greater powers it gives to telecommunication companies to monitor user activity.[6][7] A cloud service provider (CSP) can complicate data privacy because of the extent of virtualization (virtual machines) and cloud storage used to implement cloud service.[8] CSP operations, customer or tenant data may not remain on the same system, or in the same data center or even within the same provider's cloud; this can lead to legal concerns over jurisdiction. While there have been efforts (such as US-EU Safe

Harbor) to "harmonise" the legal environment, providers such as Amazon still cater to major markets (typically to the United States and the European Union) by deploying local infrastructure and allowing customers to select "regions and availability zones".[9] Cloud computing poses privacy concerns because the service provider can access the data that is on the cloud at any time. It could accidentally or deliberately alter or even delete information.[10] This becomes a major concern as these service providers, who employ administrators which can leave room for potential unwanted disclosure of information on the cloud.[5]

are many issues relating to cloud computing, some of which are discussed here:

ComplianceTo comply with regulations including FISMA, HIPAA, and SOX in the United States, the Data Protection Directive in the EU and the credit card industry's PCI DSS, users may have to adopt community or hybrid deployment modes that are typically more expensive and may offer restricted benefits. This is how Google is able to "manage and meet additional government policy requirements beyond FISMA"[11]

[12] and Rackspace Cloud or QubeSpace are able to claim PCI compliance.[13]

Many providers also obtain a SAS 70 Type II audit, but this has been criticised on the grounds that the hand-picked set of goals and standards determined by the auditor and the auditee are often not disclosed and can vary widely.[14] Providers typically make this information available on request, under non-disclosure agreement.[15][16]

Customers in the EU contracting with cloud providers outside the EU/EEA have to adhere to the EU regulations on export of personal data.[17]

U.S. Federal Agencies have been directed by the Office of Management and Budget to use a process called FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program) to assess and authorize cloud products and services. Federal CIO Steven VanRoekel issued a memorandum to federal agency Chief Information Officers on December 8, 2011 defining how federal agencies should use FedRAMP. FedRAMP consists of a subset of NIST Special Publication 800-53 security controls specifically selected to provide protection in cloud environments. A subset has been defined for the FIPS 199 low categorization and the FIPS 199 moderate categorization. The FedRAMP program has also established a Joint Accreditation Board (JAB) consisting of Chief Information Officers from DoD, DHS, and GSA. The JAB is responsible for establishing accreditation standards for 3rd party organizations who perform the assessments of cloud solutions. The JAB also reviews authorization packages, and may grant provisional authorization (to operate). The federal agency consuming the service still has final responsibility for final authority to operate.[18]

A multitude of laws and regulations have forced specific compliance requirements onto many companies that collect, generate or store data. These policies may dictate a wide array of data storage policies, such as how long information must be retained, the process used for deleting data, and even certain recovery plans. Below are some examples of compliance laws or regulations.

United States, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires a contingency plan that includes, data backups, data recovery, and data access during emergencies.

The privacy laws of Switzerland demand that private data, including emails, be physically stored in Switzerland.

In the United Kingdom, the Civil Contingencies Act of 2004 sets forth guidance for a business contingency plan that includes policies for data storage.

In a virtualized cloud computing environment, customers may never know exactly where their data is stored. In fact, data may be stored across multiple data centers in an effort to improve reliability, increase performance, and provide redundancies. This geographic dispersion may make it more difficult to ascertain legal jurisdiction if disputes arise.[19]

SecurityMain article: Cloud computing security

As cloud computing is achieving increased popularity, concerns are being voiced about the security issues introduced through adoption of this new model. [37][38] The effectiveness and efficiency of traditional protection mechanisms are being reconsidered as the characteristics of this innovative deployment model can differ widely from those of traditional architectures.[39] An alternative perspective on the topic of cloud security is that this is but another, although quite broad, case of "applied security" and that similar security principles that apply in shared multi-user mainframe security models apply with cloud security.[40]

The relative security of cloud computing services is a contentious issue that may be delaying its adoption.[41] Physical control of the Private Cloud equipment is more secure than having the equipment off site and under someone else's control. Physical control and the ability to visually inspect data links and access ports is required in order to ensure data links are not compromised. Issues barring the adoption of cloud computing are due in large part to the private and public sectors' unease surrounding the external management of security-based services. It is the very nature of cloud computing-based services, private or public, that promote external management of provided services. This delivers great incentive to cloud computing service providers to prioritize building and maintaining strong management of secure services.[42] Security issues have been categorised into sensitive data access, data segregation, privacy, bug exploitation, recovery, accountability, malicious insiders, management console security, account control, and multi-tenancy issues. Solutions to various cloud security issues vary, from cryptography, particularly public key infrastructure (PKI), to use of multiple cloud providers, standardisation of APIs, and improving virtual machine support and legal support.[39][43][44]

Cloud computing offers many benefits, but is vulnerable to threats. As cloud computing uses increase, it is likely that more criminals find new ways to exploit system vulnerabilities. Many underlying challenges and risks in cloud computing increase the threat of data compromise. To mitigate the threat, cloud computing

stakeholders should invest heavily in risk assessment to ensure that the system encrypts to protect data, establishes trusted foundation to secure the platform and infrastructure, and builds higher assurance into auditing to strengthen compliance. Security concerns must be addressed to maintain trust in cloud computing technology.[37]

Data breach is a big concern in cloud computing. A compromised server could significantly harm the users as well as cloud providers. A variety of information could be stolen. These include credit card and social security numbers, addresses, and personal messages. The U.S. now requires cloud providers to notify customers of breaches. Once notified, customers now have to worry about identity theft and fraud, while providers have to deal with federal investigations, lawsuits and reputational damage. Customer lawsuits and settlements have resulted in over $1 billion in losses to cloud providers.[45]

SustainabilityAlthough cloud computing is often assumed to be a form of green computing, there is currently no way to measure how "green" computers are.[46]

The primary environmental problem associated with the cloud is energy use. Phil Radford of Greenpeace said “we are concerned that this new explosion in electricity use could lock us into old, polluting energy sources instead of the clean energy available today.”[47] Greenpeace ranks the energy usage of the top ten big brands in cloud computing, and successfully urged several companies to switch to clean energy. On Thursday, December 15, 2011, Greenpeace and Facebook announced together that Facebook would shift to use clean and renewable energy to power its own operations.[48][49] Soon thereafter, Apple agreed to make all of its data centers ‘coal free’ by the end of 2013 and doubled the amount of solar energy powering its Maiden, NC data center.[50] Following suit, Salesforce agreed to shift to 100% clean energy by 2020.[51]

Citing the servers' effects on the environmental effects of cloud computing, in areas where climate favors natural cooling and renewable electricity is readily available, the environmental effects will be more moderate. (The same holds true for "traditional" data centers.) Thus countries with favorable conditions, such as Finland,[52] Sweden and Switzerland,[53] are trying to attract cloud computing data centers. Energy efficiency in cloud computing can result from energy-awarescheduling and server consolidation.[54] However, in the case of distributed clouds over data centers with different sources of energy including renewable energy, the use of energy efficiency reduction could result in a significant carbon footprint reduction.[55]

AbuseAs with privately purchased hardware, customers can purchase the services of cloud computing for nefarious purposes. This includes password cracking and launching attacks using the purchased services.  In 2009, a banking trojan illegally used the popular Amazon service as a command and control channel that issued software updates and malicious instructions to PCs that were infected by the malware.[57]

Some examples of proprietary software: 

Windows Mac OS X VMS Android Unix Excel Word Adobe Reader Photoshop Internet Explorer Safari etc.

Examples Of Open Source Software

Examples Of Open Source Software In Use At UK Universities And Colleges

Apache HTTP Server [http://httpd.apache.org/] (web server) Blender [http://www.blender.org] (3D graphics and animation package) DSpace [http://www.dspace.org/] (digital repository) EPrints [http://www.eprints.org] (digital repository) The GIMP [http://www.gimp.org/] (image editor), GNOME [http://www.gnome.org/] (Linux desktop ENVIRONMENT ) GNU Compiler Collection [http://www.gnu.org/software/gcc/gcc.html] (GCC, a

suite of compilation tools for C, C++, etc) KDE [http://www.kde.org/] (Linux desktop ENVIRONMENT ) LORLS [http://bookworm.lboro.ac.uk/distribution.html] (reading

lists MANAGEMENT  system) Mailman [http://sourceforge.net/projects/mailman] (mailing list MANAGER ) Moodle [http://www.moodle.org/] (virtual learning system) Firefox [http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/] (web browser based on Mozilla) Thunderbird [http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/thunderbird/] (mail client based on

Mozilla code) MySQL [http://www.mysql.com/] (database) OpenOffice.org [http://www.openoffice.org/] (office suite, including word

processor, spreadsheet, andpresentation software) PHP [http://www.php.net/] (web development) Perl [http://www.perl.org/] (programming/scripting language) Plone [http://plone.org/] (content MANAGEMENT  system) PostgreSQL [http://www.postgresql.org/] (database) Python [http://www.python.org/] (programming/scripting language) Sakai [http://sakaiproject.org/] (learning MANAGEMENT  system) Samba [http://www.samba.org/] (file and print server) SSL-Explorer: Community Edition [http://sourceforge.net/projects/sslexplorer/]

(browser-based SSL VPN solution) TeX [http://www.tug.org/] (typesetting language) WUBS [http://sourceforge.net/projects/wubs/] (resource booking system) Zope [http://www.zope.org/] (web application server)

Example of Open source OS and Application Software

For written assignment 'Explain the latest open source software available and the latest development in ICT'.

Example of Open Source Application softwareBlender – 3D graphics editor Eclipse – development ENVIRONMENT  comprising an IDE GIMP – graphics editor Inkscape – Vector graphics editor for .svg Mozilla Firefox – web browser Chromium – web browser Mozilla Thunderbird – e-mail client NASA World Wind – virtual globe, geobrowser OpenOffice.org (and the LibreOffice fork) – office suite PrestaShop – Electronic commerce platform ADempiere – (now Free Software forked from Compiere) an Enterprise Resource  Planning  (ERP) Open Source Software platform for BUSINESS Vue – (Visual Understanding ENVIRONMENT ) mind mapping software project of Tufts University AmayaExample of Open Source Operating System (OS) Android  – operating system DERIVED  from Linux FreeBSD  – operating system derived from Unix Linux  – family of Unix-like operating systems OpenIndiana  – a free Unix-like operating system ReactOS  – operating system built on Windows NT architecture Haiku  – free and open source operating system compatible with BeOS Ubuntu FreeDOS PC BSD NetBSD GNU Hurd

Examples of shareware:DVD-Cloner VIRegistry MechanicBlue-ClonerTotal PrivacyEasy Movie Splitter 2.5.3UltraISO 7.6Wondershare YouTube DownloaderInternet Download Accelerator 3.1CloneDVD 4.3PHP Debugger 2.1.3.3BadCopy Pro 3.61

System Mechanic 8.0IVOS - Intelligent Voice Operating System 1.02WinAVI Video Converter 7.1Xilisoft Video Converter Ultimate 5.1.26SnapTouchAdobe Acrobat 8 ProfessionalRead more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/examples-of-shareware.html