Professional Documents
Culture Documents
INTRODUCTION
Since the debut of the personal computer, we've become used to storing information
either on an external storage device like a compact disc or on a computer's hard drive. We're
also conditioned to buy new machines or upgrade old ones whenever applications require
more processing power than our current computers can provide. With cloud computing, the
responsibility of storage and processing power falls to the network, not the individual
computer owner.
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Cloud computing moves the application software and databases to the large data
centres, where the data security is not trustworthy. Hence it leads to many new security
challenges. By utilizing the holomorphic token with distributed verification of erasure-coded
data, our scheme achieves the integration of storage correctness insurance and data error
localization, i.e., the identification of misbehaving server. The new scheme supports secure
and efficient dynamic operations on data blocks, including: data update, delete and append.
Extensive security and performance analysis shows that the proposed scheme is highly
efficient as we restrict some IP address and even authenticate the existing users to avoid
malicious data modification attack.
The Cloud Computing Architecture of a cloud solution is the structure of the
system, which comprises on premise and cloud resources, services, middleware, and
software components, geo-location, the externally visible properties of those, and the
relationships between them. The term also refers to documentation of a systems cloud
computing architecture.
Although it's a relatively young industry, many companies offer cloud computing
services. One of those companies is Google. The Internet giant offers a suite of Web-based
productivity applications under the name Google Docs (Google Documents). While these
applications aren't as complex or comprehensive as the leading desktop counterparts, they
have other advantages over traditional software.
The most obvious of these advantages is that the applications aren't tied to a specific
computer. There's no need to download and install software on a particular machine. Any
computer connected to the Internet can access Google Docs. Because each user saves
information to the cloud system, he or she can access the same file from anywhere. Users
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don't have to worry about which version of a document is the most current -- it will always be
saved in the Google cloud.
Another advantage is that multiple users can make edits to the same files at the same
time. This is called online collaboration, and it could streamline teamwork over the Web.
Because Google Docs preserves earlier versions of documents, there's no reason to worry
about irrevocably changing a file. Collaborating on files might mean changing the way we
think about document management. But it might also mean project managers can save time
and effort.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Dependable backup services are increasingly important to enterprises but also to
common users that want to keep their personal files safe. A traditional approach, for common
users, is to have a copy of all their files in an external hard drive. One example of such system
is Time Machine. For enterprises the solution requires having a larger storage and a more
complex solution to backup their critical data. For some enterprises, data is so important that
several backup copies must be kept in different physical locations in order to avoid losing it in
case of natural catastrophes.
Another important aspect, for both enterprises and common users, is the need of
accessing their data remotely from different places. For this purpose, the web is a good
solution, having in mind how easy it is to insert and retrieve information of any kind from it.
This explains the emergence and success of on-line backup services like Dropbox, Box.net,
RapidShare and Google Docs, that allow clients to have their data safe in the web. These
services are more than just simple data archives. Some of them support other features, like
collaborative work, versioning, online editing and synchronization of users data between
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several devices. With these new functionalities, a storage service that is intended to store and
retrieve data efficiently is necessary. In classical archival systems this was not needed to be
contemplated. As expected, all these services have limits to the amount of data each user can
backup and, therefore, clients must pay a fee to expand these limits.
If you're using Google Docs, you're working in the cloud. Today, Docs is probably the
most common example of a personal cloud tool. The app lets you create basic documents,
spreadsheets, presentations, etc., which can then be stored online and shared and worked on in
real-time with those you grant access.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
An engineering student of the University of Uyo has just finished typing a fifty-page
extensive research project which needs to be submitted the next day. Excitedly, he walks into
a business centre to have his work typed and spiral-binded, but unfortunately his file gets
corrupted as the file is been opened for printing, as a result of a deadly virus in the desktop
computer at the business centre. He is in rage and fury because he has no other backup of the
file anywhere. His all-night labour has availed to nothing and he is stranded because he can no
longer meet the deadline for submission. If he had typed his research work using a cloud
computing service like Google Docs, he would have had no cause to worry as he would have
easily downloaded his document to Microsoft Word with the click of a button. This is a
common problem many engineering students face in the University of Uyo.
PURPOSE OF STUDY
The objectives of this study are as follows:
To determine the extent to which University of Uyo engineering students are
familiar with cloud computing services like Google Docs.
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To find out the percentage of the overall engineering students that are actually
making use of the service and their opinions about the service.
To ascertain the constraints to effective utilization of cloud storage and
computing services.
SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
If every University of Uyo engineering student embraces the vast capabilities and
functionalities of the Google Docs cloud computing service then,
They can access their files and documents anywhere there is an internet connectivity.
It eliminates the need to carry flash drives.
They can post their important files and documents to the web instantly.
They can collaborate with others while maintaining only one copy of the document.
They can download their files to Microsoft Word and Excel spreadsheet.
They can also use the forms in Google Docs as a survey instrument and as an
assessment instrument for their research work as they are connected to a vast
community of similar-minded people.
They can handle their PowerPoint presentations with Google Presentations which is
compatible anywhere there is web access. This eliminates software compatibility
issues and there is no need to carry thumb drives around as their presentations can be
easily downloaded to Microsoft PowerPoint.
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CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
Cloud Computing:
According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), cloud
computing is a model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of
configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services)
that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service
provider interaction. Availability is promoted in the cloud model. However, it should be
noted that cloud computing is still an evolving paradigm. Since the purpose of this paper is to
examine what factors significantly influence students' usage of Google Docs, an overview of
the characteristics, service models, and deployment models is provided in the following
subsection.
that is used. Having access to the data anywhere means valuable resources are not tied up
elsewhere. This leads into the final characteristic of location-independent resource pooling.
By freeing up valuable resources, cloud computing can reassign the unused resources and
move them to where consumer demand is at its highest.
Cloud computing has been categorized into three unique service models. They are:
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service
(SaaS). IaaS is the capability provided to the consumer to provision processing, storage,
networks, and other fundamental computing resources, which can include operating systems
and applications. An example of IaaS is Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2). EC2 is a
web service that provides resizable compute capacity in the cloud. It is designed to make webscale computing easier for developers.
Docs. Google possesses control over the customization with Google Docs. The user is only
allowed to use what is there. To further illustrate, Figure 1 provides a diagram of the three
service models.
Cloud computing utilities are delivered to users in a number of ways. They can be
private, public, community based, or a hybrid of the three. The private cloud remains on the
inside of the organization while the public cloud is made available to the general public.
Google Docs:
In March 2006, Google acquired the rights to Writely, an online word processing
application. This became a foundation for Google Docs. Meanwhile, Google developed
Google Spreadsheets using the technology it had acquired from 2Web Technologies in 2005
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and launched Google Labs Spreadsheets on June 6, 2006 as the first public component of
what would eventually become Google Docs. It was initially made available to only a limited
number of users on a first-come, first-served basis. The limited test was later replaced with a
beta version available to all Google Account holders, around the same time that a press
release was issued. In July 2009, Google officially introduced Google Docs, their online
office and web storage suite. The Google Docs "office" suite includes applications such as
word processing, spreadsheet and a presentation editor. Users have the ability to create new
documents and store them securely online, as Google Docs does not need to be installed on a
physical device. This is what makes Google Docs an example of SaaS. Google Docs can be
accessed from anywhere that has an active Internet connection. This makes it possible to
share files around the globe. Google Docs allows for various office file types to be uploaded,
which makes this a powerful online collaboration tool. Users can modify documents in real
time which makes Google Docs highly desirable when teamwork occurs on the Internet.
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CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH METHODS
I used the questionnaire instrument to collect data. The questionnaires were spread
across all the engineering departments with questions ranging from the level of familiarity of
the students with the various cloud computing services to their extent of utilization of the
services. There were 200 questionnaires randomly distributed to all departments in the
engineering faculty of the University of Uyo, with a total of 185 usable questionnaires
returned.
DATA ANALYSIS
Out of the 185 students that completed and returned the questionnaires, 58 were from
the computer engineering department, 30 from the electrical/electronics engineering
department, 18 from the mechanical engineering department, 24 from the civil engineering
department, 10 from the food engineering department, 25 from the petroleum engineering
department and 20 from the chemical engineering department.
TABLE 1: Participants distributions in various departments.
DEPARTMENT
Computer engineering
Mechanical engineering
Food engineering
Petroleum engineering
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NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS
PERCENTAGE (%)
58
31.35
23
12.43
10
5.40
25
13.51
Electrical/Electronics
engineering
Civil engineering
Chemical engineering
30
16.22
19
10.27
20
10.81
GENDER
NUMBER OF
PARTICIPANTS
PERCENTAGE (%)
Male
130
70.27
Female
55
29.73
MALE
70%
MALE
FEMALE
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Comp engr
mech engr
Food engr
Pet engr
Elect/Elect engr
Civil engr
Chem engr
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YES
NO
135
50
69
116
50
135
82
103
336
= 84
4
SD =
= 31.57
404
= 101
4
= 31.57
NO. OF STUDENTS
0-2 YEARS
25
2-4 YEARS
15
10
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2-4 years
Over 4 years
Frequently
15
Occasionally
Rarely
YES
NO
70
115
55
130
40
145
20
165
76
138
47
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341
= 56.83
6
SD =
= 27.79
769
= 128.17
6
= 27.79
NO OF STUDENTS
Its safe
50
Its reliable
42
Its flexible
33
54
Others
33
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NO. OF STUDENTS
50
87
74
82
Others
59
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CHAPTER 4
RESULTS & DISCUSSIONS
It was discovered that majority of the students (about 73%) in the engineering faculty
of the University of Uyo already know or have heard about cloud the existence of
computing services, yet only few (about 38%) have actually made use of those
services with only about 28% of the few having actually used Google Docs as their
cloud service.
From this, we can see that the level of students usage of the cloud services does not
depend on how much information they have concerning these services. Many students
are aware that their data can be stored in the cloud but only few store their data in the
cloud.
A great percentage of the students that recently started using Google Docs are the ones
that use it frequently while those that joined Google Docs a long time ago hardly use it
now.
A reasonable number of the students trust Google Docs to store their data safely but
they are concerned about the privacy of their data. Though only a few think that
Google Docs is easier to share information than traditional e-mail and would pay a
small fee for the use of Google Docs, majority prefer it to other cloud services
available and would recommend it for use in school work such as assignments,
projects and collaborative work.
For most of the students that appreciate the essence of cloud computing, they use
Google Docs because they consider it safe, reliable, flexible and because of the ease of
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collaboration (more than one user can work on a single document simultaneously) and
file sharing it offers.
From the study, it was discovered that the major constraints to the effective use of
cloud storage and computing services by the students are that
The students are still sceptical about storing their data in non-physical devices like
the cloud storage and so they dont trust the safety of their data stored in the cloud.
Most of them lack the basic skills needed for online data sharing, collaborative
work online and cloud storage.
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They do not have steady access to the internet to make use of these services.
CHAPTER 5
CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS
The globe is turning to the cloud (online) for storage as it cannot cope with the many
flaws of offline data storage and retrievals. This study has shown that the engineering students
in the University of Uyo are not keeping up with this latest trend. The students have good
reasons for this anyway. Most of them have no constant access to the internet which is
mandatory before cloud computing can be possible. The reason is not far-fetched as the
current state of internet service in the country is appalling. Given time, I think the students
will be able to appreciate fully, the essence of cloud computing to efficient data storage.
To remedy the issue, the government should look into the issue of the poor and yet
expensive internet services available in the country. If possible, the relevant bodies
responsible for the provision of internet services in the country should be sanctioned and
made to sit up so as to render efficient services to the public. Also, the students need to be
enlightened on the importance of using cloud services like Google Docs. Students that are
already familiar with the services should demonstrate the use and effectiveness of the services
to their fellow students. The Google ambassadors currently in Uyo should organise
enlightenment programs that clearly describe the importance of cloud computing so that more
students can join the community of cloud data storage so as to minimize the problems caused
by unexpected loss of data in physical storage devices.
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REFERENCES
Behrend, T., Wiebe, E., London, J. and Johnson, E. (2011). Cloud Computing Adoption and
Usage in Community Colleges, Behaviour & Information Technology. Volume 30,
Issue 2. Pp.231-240.
Masayuki, Okuhara et al. (2010). Security Architecture for Cloud Computing. Volume 46.
Pp.397-402.
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Rajkuma, B., James, B., and Andrzej, G. (2011). Cloud Computing Principles and Paradigms.
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Saya, S., Pee, L. G. and Kankanhalli, A. (2010). The Impact of Institutional Influences on
Perceived Technology Characteristics and Real Options in Cloud Computing
Adoption. ICIS 2010 Proceedings. Paper 24.
Sun Microsystems, Inc. (2009). Introduction to Cloud Computing Architecture. White Paper,
1st Edition.
Tabachnick, B. G. and Fidell, L. S. (2000). Using Multivariate Statistics. Allyn and Bacon,
Needham Heights, MA.
Tallon, P. P., Kauffman, R. J., Lucas, H. C., Whinston, A. B. and Zhu, K. (2002). Using Real
Options Analysis for Evaluating Uncertain Investments in Information Technology:
Insights from the ICIS 2001 Debate. Communications of Association for Information
Systems. Volume 9. Pp.136-167.
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APPENDICES
Appendix A: Questionnaire
A QUESTIONNAIRE
ON
EFFICIENT STORAGE OF DATA IN CLOUD COMPUTING
DEPT:
SEX:
NO
NO
3) If your answer in question 2 is yes, how frequently do you make use of cloud
computing services?
DAILY
WEEKLY
MONTHLY
OTHERS
NO
NO
NO
OTHERS
10) For how long have you been using Google Docs or other cloud computing services?
0-2 YEARS
2-4 YEARS
OVER 4 YEARS
11) Has anyone close to you (friends, family) ever used Google Docs?
YES
NO
12) Has a professor or colleague ever demonstrated the use of Google Docs to you?
YES
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NO
13) Do you find using Google Docs to be easier to share information than having to
email it between others?
YES
NO
14) Do you trust Google (through the use of Google Docs) to house your information?
YES
NO
15) If another type of online web storage were available, would you consider using it
instead of Google Docs?
YES
NO
16) If Google were to start charging a small fee (less than 750 a month) to use their
Google Docs service, would you still consider paying for it?
YES
NO
NO
18) Google Docs seems easier to use than traditional email for sharing information.
YES
NO
NO
NO
21) Would you like your school work (assignments, projects etc.) to be done and
submitted using cloud computing services?
YES
NO
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