Transformation TO CLOUDs
(AN industry based approach)
Name of the Team Members :                        Arun Anand Raj. V.B
                                                             Dinesh. M
                                                            Ganesh. K
Department / Year:                                         MCA II year
Institution Name:                         Velammal Engineering College
E – Mail ID:                              arunkeerthijuly12@gmail.com
Mobile Number:                                        +91 - 9894947611
ABSTRACT
             This overview gives the basic concept, defines the terms used in the industry, and
     outlines the general architecture and applications of Cloud computing. It gives a
     summary of Cloud Computing and provides a good foundation for understanding.
1. INTRODUCTION
             Cloud Computing,” to put it simply, means “Internet Computing.” The Internet is
     commonly visualized as clouds; hence the term “cloud computing” for computation done
     through the Internet. With Cloud Computing users can access database resources via the
     Internet from anywhere, for as long as they need, without worrying about any
     maintenance or management of actual resources. Besides, databases in cloud are very
     dynamic and scalable.The best example of cloud computing is Google Apps where any
     application can be accessed using a browser and it can be deployed on thousands of
     computer through the Internet.
2. WHAT IS CLOUD COMPUTING?
             Cloud computing provides the facility to access shared resources and common
     infrastructure, offering services on demand over the network to perform operations that
     meet changing business needs. The location of physical resources and devices being
     accessed are typically not known to the end user. It also provides facilities for users to
     develop, deploy and manage their applications ‘on the cloud’, which entails virtualization
     of resources that maintains and manages itself.
     Some generic examples include:
           • Amazon’s Elastic Computing Cloud (EC2) offering computational services that
           enable people to use CPU cycles without buying more computers.
           • Storage services such as those provided by Amazon’s Simple Storage Service
           (S3).
           • SaaS companies like Salesforce.com delivering CRM services, so clients can
           manage customer information without installing specialized software.
3. SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE(SAAS)
             SaaS is a model of software deployment where an application is hosted as a
     service provided to customers across the Internet. Saas is generally used to refer to
     business software rather than consumer software, which falls under Web 2.0. By
     removing the need to install and run an application on a user’s own computer it is seen as
     a way for businesses to get the same benefits as commercial software with smaller cost
     outlay. SaaS can alleviate the burden of software maintenance and support but users
     relinquish control over software versions and requirements. Other terms that are used in
     this sphere include Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).
4. CLOUD STORAGE
            Over time many big Internet based companies (Amazon, Google…) have come to
    realise that only a small amount of their data storage capacity is being used. This has led
    to the renting out of space and the storage of information on remote servers or "clouds".
    Information is then temporarily cached on desktop computers, mobile phones or other
    internet-linked devices. Amazon’s Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud
    (EC2) and Simple Storage Solution (S3) are the current best known facilities.
    Data Cloud
            Along with services the cloud will host data. There has been some discussion of
    this being a potentially useful notion possibly aligned with the Semantic Web, though it
    could result in data becoming undifferentiated .
5. CLOUD COMPUTING ARCHITECTURE
            Cloud computing architecture, just like any other system, is categorized into two
    main sections:
    Front End and Back End.
     Front End can be end user or client or any application (i.e. web browser etc.) which is
    using cloud services. Back End is the network of servers with any computer program and
    data storage system. It is usually assumed that cloud contains infinite storage capacity for
    any software available in market. Cloud has different applications that are hosted on their
    own dedicated server farms. Cloud has centralized server administration system.
    Centralized server administers the system, balances client supply, adjusts demands,
    monitors traffic and avoids congestion. This server follows protocols, commonly known
    as middleware. Middleware controls the communication of cloud network among them.
           Cloud Architecture runs on a very important assumption, which is mostly true.
    The assumption is that the demand for resources is not always consistent from client to
    cloud. Because of this reason the servers of cloud are unable to run at their full capacity.
       To avoid this scenario, server virtualization technique is applied. In sever virtualization,
       all physical servers are virtualized and they run multiple servers with either same or
       different application.
       As one physical server acts as multiple physical servers, it curtails the need for more
       physical machines.
       As a matter of fact, data is the most important part of cloud computing; thus, data security
       is the top most priority in all the data operations of cloud. Here, all the data are backed up
       at multiple locations. This astoundingly increases the data storage to multiple times in
       cloud compared with a regular system. Redundancy of data is crucial, which is a must-
       have attribute of cloud computing.
6. CHARACTERISTICS OF CLOUD COMPUTING
       Cloud computing, typically entails:
       • High scalability
               Cloud environments enable servicing of business requirements for larger
       audiences, through high scalability.
       • Agility
               The cloud works in the ‘distributed mode’ environment. It shares resources
       among users and tasks, while improving efficiency and agility (responsiveness).
       • High availability and reliability
               Availability of servers is high and more reliable as the chances of infrastructure
       failure are minimal.
       • Multi-sharing
               With the cloud working in a distributed and shared mode, multiple users and
       applications
       can work more efficiently with cost reductions by sharing common infrastructure .
       • Services in pay-per-use mode
               • SLAs between the provider and the user must be defined when offering services
       in
       pay per use mode. This may be based on the complexity of services offered .
               • Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) may be offered to the users so they
       can access services on the cloud by using these APIs.
       • Support for all service oriented applications
7. COMPARISON WITH RELATED TECHNOLOGIES
              Several technologies are related to cloud computing, and the cloud has emerged
      as a convergence of several computing trends. It seeks to address certain key aspects that
      may have been lacking in each of these trends, individually. The features of each of these
      related technologies and how they compare with
      cloud computing has been outlined in the table.
       Types of cloud computing environments
               The cloud computing environment can consist of multiple types of clouds based
       on their deployment and usage.
      Public clouds
              This environment can be used by the general public. This includes individuals,
      corporations and other types of organizations. Typically, public clouds are administrated
      by third parties or vendors over the Internet, and services are offered on pay-per-use
      basis. These are also called provider clouds. Business models like SaaS (Software-as-a-
      Service) and public clouds complement each other and enable companies to leverage
      shared IT resources and services.
      • Advantages
              • Public clouds are widely used in the development, deployment and management
      of enterprise applications, at affordable costs.
              • Allows organizations to deliver highly scalable and reliable applications rapidly
      and at more affordable costs.
      • Limitations
              Security is a significant concern in public clouds.
      Private clouds
              This cloud computing environment resides within the boundaries of an
      organization and is used exclusively for the organization’s benefits. These are also called
      internal clouds. They are built primarily by IT departments within enterprises who seek to
      optimize utilization of infrastructure resources within the enterprise by provisioning the
      infrastructure with applications using the concepts of grid and virtualization.
      • Advantages
              • They improve average server utilization, allow usage of low-cost servers and
      hardware while providing higher efficiencies; thus reducing the costs that a greater
      number of servers would otherwise entail.
              • High levels of automation, reducing operations costs and administrative
      overheads.
      • Limitations
              IT teams in the organization may have to invest in buying, building and managing
      the clouds independently.
      External clouds
              This cloud computing environment is outside of the boundaries of the
      organization, though it is not necessarily a public cloud. Some external clouds make their
      cloud infrastructure available to specific other organizations, but not to the general
      public.
      Hybrid clouds
              This is a combination of both private (internal) and public (external) cloud
      computing environments.
      Variations of clouds
      Clouds can be classified as:
              • Infrastructures
              • Platforms
              • Applications
8. INFRASTRUCTURES
      • Salient features
             • Known also as IaaS (Infrastructure-asa-Service), acknowledged as the most
     potent cloud.
             • Provides access to shared resources on need basis, without revealing details like
     location and hardware to clients.
             • Provides details like server images on demand, storage, queuing, and
     information about other resources, among others.
             • Vendors who provide this type of service enable cloud platforms and cloud
     applications. Some may even leverage others within the space to provide competitive
     viability as well.
             • Offers full control of server infrastructure, not limited specifically to
     applications, instances and containers.
     • Limitations
             • Service providers may demand higher prices for services offered.
             • Issues pertaining to resource and server down time.
     Platforms:
     • Salient features
             • Known also as PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service).
             • Empowers developers to deploy, deliver and manage their applications. They
     can build applications, upload (deploy) the same into the cloud platform and simply run
     and test them.
             • Developers can also leverage additional benefits like authentication and data
     access provided by the platform.
             • This cloud takes away the concept of servers, while providing an application
     centric environment
             • While creating this kind of cloud computing platform, a vendor “builds a cloud
     platform first and then develops applications that run on it” (OR) “develops a hostable
     application and then plugs it into the cloud”. But considering the advantages and
     disadvantages, the latter would be the better approach.
     • Limitations
             Significant dependency on cloud infrastructure providers.
     Applications:
     • Salient features
             Companies host applications on the Internet and users sign up and use them,
     without concerning themselves about its maintenance and whereabouts. This is also
     called as SaaS (Software-as-a-Service).
     • Advantages
             Mostly free, very easy to use, feature rich, easy to access and promises good
     consumer adoption.
     • Limitations
             User can only use the application and would not know the technology leveraged
     to develop the application, thereby user has little control over application development.
9. CONCLUSION
              After so many years, Cloud Computing today is the beginning of “network based
       computing” over Internet in force. It is the technology of the decade and is the enabling
       element of two totally new computing models, the Client-Cloud computing and the
       Terminal-Cloud computing. These new models would create whole generations of
       applications and business. Our prediction is that it is the beginning to the end of the
       dominance of desktop computing such as that with the Windows. It is also the beginning
       of a
       new Internet based service economy: the Internet centric, Web based, on demand,
       Cloud applications and computing economy.
REFERENCES:
1. Wikipedia:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_as_a_service>
2. < http://www.ejournal.co.in/gjeis/Index.php/GJEIS/article/view/49>