A Technical Seminar Report

on
“CLOUD COMPUTING”

SUBMITTED BY

Satish Kumar Aitha. (Ece )

07au1a0402
 ABSTRACT
Everyone is talking about “the cloud.” But what does it mean?
Business applications are moving to the cloud. It’s not just a fad—the shift from traditional
software models to the Internet has steadily gained momentum over the last 10 years. Looking
ahead, the next decade of cloud computing promises new ways to collaborate everywhere,
through mobile devices.

Life before cloud computing

Traditional business applications have always been very complicated and expensive. The amount
and variety of hardware and software required to run them are daunting. You need a whole team
of experts to install, configure, test, run, secure, and update them.

When you multiply this effort across dozens or hundreds of apps, it’s easy to see why the biggest
companies with the best IT departments aren’t getting the apps they need. Small and mid-sized
businesses don’t stand a chance.

Cloud computing: a better way

With cloud computing, you eliminate those headaches because you’re not managing hardware
and software—that’s the responsibility of an experienced vendor like salesforce.com. The shared
infrastructure means it works like a utility: You only pay for what you need, upgrades are
automatic, and scaling up or down is easy.

Cloud-based apps can be up and running in days or weeks, and they cost less. With a cloud app,
you just open a browser, log in, customize the app, and start using it.

Businesses are running all kinds of apps in the cloud, like customer relationship management
(CRM), HR, accounting, and much more. Some of the world’s largest companies moved their
applications to the cloud with salesforce.com after rigorously testing the security and reliability
of our infrastructure.

As cloud computing grows in popularity, thousands of companies are simply rebranding their
non-cloud products and services as “cloud computing.” Always dig deeper when evaluating
cloud offerings and keep in mind that if you have to buy and manage hardware and software,
what you’re looking at isn’t really cloud computing but a false cloud.

Cloud 2: Mobility and collaboration

The latest innovations in cloud computing are making our business applications even more
mobile and collaborative, similar to popular consumer apps like Facebook and Twitter. As
consumers, we now expect that the information we care about will be pushed to us in real time,
and business applications in the cloud are heading in that direction as well. With Cloud 2,
keeping up with your work is as easy as keeping up with your personal life on Facebook.
1. Introduction

Imagine yourself in the world where the users of the computer of today’s internet world don’t
have to run, install or store their application or data on their own computers, imagine the world
where every piece of your information or data would reside on the Cloud (Internet).

As a metaphor for the Internet, "the cloud" is a familiar cliché, but when combined with
"computing", the meaning gets bigger and fuzzier. Some analysts and vendors define cloud
computing narrowly as an updated version of utility computing: basically virtual servers
available over the Internet. Others go very broad, arguing anything you consume outside the
firewall is "in the cloud", including conventional outsourcing.

Cloud computing comes into focus only when you think about what we always need: a way
to increase capacity or add capabilities on the fly without investing in new infrastructure, training
new personnel, or licensing new software. Cloud computing encompasses any subscription-based
or pay-per-use service that, in real time over the Internet, extends ICT's existing capabilities.

Cloud computing is at an early stage, with a motley crew of providers large and small
delivering a slew of cloud-based services, from full-blown applications to storage services to
spam filtering. Yes, utility-style infrastructure providers are part of the mix, but so are SaaS
(software as a service) providers such as Salesforce.com. Today, for the most part, IT must plug
into cloud-based services individually, but cloud computing aggregators and integrators are
already emerging.

Cloud computing : Explanation

 A simple example of cloud computing is Yahoo email or Gmail etc. You don’t need a
software or a server to use them. All a consumer would need is just an internet
connection and you can start sending emails. The server and email management software
is all on the cloud
( internet) and is totally managed by the cloud service provider like Yahoo , Google etc.
 The consumer gets to use the software alone and enjoy the benefits. The analogy is , 'If
you only need milk , would you buy a cow ?' All the users or consumers need is to get the
 benefits of using the software or hardware of the computer like sending emails etc. Just to
get this benefit (milk) why should a consumer buy a (cow) software /hardware ?

The cloud makes it possible for you to:

 Scale rapidly—up and down.

 Deploy services only when and where they’re needed.
 Deliver rich experiences across the PC, phone, and browser.
 Generate efficiencies and cost savings by paying as you go for only the services used.

History :
 Concept dating back to the 1960’s by John McCarthy, a computer scientist, brought up
the idea that "computation may someday be organized as a public utility”
 Idea that revolutionized Cloud Computing:
 Utility computing
 Grid computing
 “In some ways, the cloud is a natural next step from the grid-utility model,” said Frank
Gens, an analyst at the research firm IDC

The models of cloud computing: or Architectural service layers:

 Cloud Software as a Service(SaaS): use providers application over a network

Ex: Salesforce.com, Gmail, Facebook
 Cloud Platform as a Service (PaaS): Deploy customer created application to a cloud,
computing platform is provided as service, supplies tools and development environment;
customer interacts with platform through API
Ex: 3Tera, Google application engine, Cog head

Cloud Application Characteristics

These represent ideals that people want for the applications that run on the cloud:
 Incremental Scalability : Cloud environments allow users to access additional compute
resources on-demand in response to increased application loads.
 Agility : As a shared resource, the cloud provides flexible, automated management to
distribute the computing resources among the cloud's users.
 Reliability and Fault-Tolerance : Cloud environments take advantage of the built-in
redundancy of the large numbers of servers that make them up by enabling high levels of
availability and reliability for applications that can take advantage of this.
 Service-oriented : The cloud is a natural home for service-oriented applications, which
need a way to easily scale as services get incorporated into other applications.
 Utility-based : Users only pay for the services they use, either by subscription or
transaction-based models.
 Shared :By enabling IT resources to be consolidated, multiple users share a common
infrastructure, allowing costs to be more effectively managed without sacrificing the
security of each user's data.
  SLA-driven : Clouds are managed dynamically based on service-level agreements that
define policies like delivery parameters, costs, and other factors.
 APIs. Because clouds virtualize resources as a service they must have an application
programming interface (API).

Ten reason: why cloud computing:

\
1. Software as a Subscription
In a cloud, software resides on a service providers servers external to a user’s computer.
In a sense users would not have to buy software for their computers because the software is
loaded per use while the user is online (via a browser or some kind of connector application).
The only models that would support this type of software use would be a subscription based or
pay as you go model.
2. Reduced Software Maintenance
By keeping the software in the 'clouds' users can reduce the amount of maintenance on
their computers. Nowadays essentially every program installed on a computer has an update
function that searches for the latest software changes in order to patch security flaws, correct
software issues, and/or introduce new functionality. When upgrades are made to software on the
cloud it does not affect the user's computer, it would simply mean that unless the change affects
functionality or visual elements, the user will be oblivious to those updates and their computers
will never be affected by those updates. IT staff at businesses would be reduced because the
majority of the maintenance is performed at the service provider.
3. Increased Reliability
The cloud runs on systems that are extremely reliable and provide some form of
redundancy. Unless a user takes the time to setup a backup system for their files or sets up some
kind of redundancy with offsite backups, etc. Users run the risk of losing valuable and sometime
unrecoverable data on their computers. In the case of grid computing if a storage server on the
cloud fails due to hardware or software issues, the service provider needs only to shift the load
over to other servers or bring up a backup server in its place. If it occurred at a users premises
with installed software a simple issue can turn to hours of technical support over the phone,
costly downtime, and unhappy users and customers.
4. Increased Scalability
Running out of hard drive space at home? Looks like an additional hard drive along with
a visit to a computer technician for installation will solve the problem. However in a cloud
computing environment, storage is not an issue, as long as you can pay for it. Service providers
need only to add servers or shift load from one server to another to accommodate for the
additional use of space. The same goes for application use, instead of a small business adding
additional servers to handle business transactions all they have to do is contact the service
provider to let them know that they will need additional resources.

5. Cost Reduction
Costs are reduced in a number of ways. Capital expenditures are reduced because a
lot of the load and storage will be shifted over to the service provider who can provide that
service at a lower cost. Aside from decreased capital expenditures associated with hardware
purchases, users would see the cost of software decrease due to the reduced cost of
subscription software. IT staff at businesses would be reduced because the majority of the
maintenance is performed at the service provider.
6. Environmentally Friendly
One of the greatest advantages of cloud computing is the increased longevity and
use of older hardware used by datacenters. This in turn lessens the amount of electronic
waste dumped because equipment is older and increased use of those resources. When
businesses use current assets instead of purchasing additional hardware they reduce the
size of their carbon footprint because it is one less server that is put into service, it is one
less server that is consuming electricity .
7. Matches Current Computing Trends
The introduction of the netbooks has moved a lot of sales from computers and laptops
with more powerful processors and extended capabilities to less powerful and more efficient
platforms . This signals that users are looking for computers that meet their needs and are
affordable. The advent of cloud computing will be able to match this trend because a lot of the
processing overhead is performed at the servers and not the computer, so the need for an
extremely powerful computer is muted.
8. Portability/Accessibility
The availability of files and software anywhere that there is an active internet connection.
This brings forth added accessibility and productivity for those that are on the road and require
access to files and software. With a large number of companies looking for alternatives to
employees working at the office and the increasing number of employees making up a mobile
workforce. The reduction in application costs and technical support would easily continue to
support this trend towards a mobile workforce that would utilize the computer grid.
9. Efficient Use of Computer Resources
The advent of virtualization has provided companies with ways to efficiently used their
computer resources. Users no longer require separate servers for different applications. With
virtualization multiple server technologies can run from a single server. This shift to
virtualization supports the growth of cloud computing due to the increased capabilities of
servers.

10. Versionless Software

Versionless software refers to the elimination of software upgrade projects. Changes and
updates to software would be constant and version numbers would be transparent to the user, all
the user would see is added functionality. It would also give users "...access to new technology
early and often rather than forcing them to wait for a final, packaged product to be shipped. "
This concept will enable the enterprise to remain in the cutting edge of technology and would
reduce training costs associated with new software releases.
The benefits delivered by cloud computing technology:
 Proven Web-services integration. By their very nature, cloud computing technology is
much easier and quicker to integrate with your other enterprise applications (both
traditional software and cloud computing infrastructure-based), whether third-party or
homegrown.
 World-class service delivery. Cloud computing infrastructures offer much greater
scalability, complete disaster recovery, and impressive uptime numbers.
 No hardware or software to install: A 100% cloud computing infrastructure. The beauty
of cloud computing technology is its simplicity… and in the fact that it requires
significantly fewer capital expenditures to get up and running.
 Empowered business users. Cloud computing technology allows on-the-fly, point-and-
click customization and report generation for business users, so IT doesn’t spend half its
time making minor changes and running reports.
 Automatic upgrades that don’t impact IT resources. Cloud computing infrastructures put
an end to a huge IT dilemma: If we upgrade to the latest-and-greatest version of the
application, we’ll be forced to spend time and resources (that we don’t have) to rebuild
our customizations and integrations. Cloud computing technology doesn’t force you to
decide between upgrading and preserving all your hard work, because those
customizations and integrations are automatically preserved during an upgrade.
 Pre-built, pre-integrated apps for cloud computing technology. The Force.com
AppExchange features hundreds of applications built for cloud computing infrastructure,
pre-integrated with your Salesforce CRM application or your other application
development work on Force.com.

Providers of Cloud Computing..