What to consider before leaping into Cloud Computing????

Link to us: http://sn.im/disadvantagecc

Now that you have known the advantages of cloud computing. Today I will be writing on the disadvantages of Cloud Computing. Hence, let’s look at the few threats associated to cloud computing as you may want consider them before using the cloud computing services.

One of the disadvantages of cloud computing is it requires Internet connection to be able to access your application and files. If the Internet connection is weak, you will encounter problems or will not be able to run any application or files. This is simply because cloud computing does not function without the Internet connection.

The second disadvantage is, it is not compatible to run on low speed connection such as dial-up connection. The cloud computing requires a larger bandwidth to be able to run web- based application and also download any data as this programs take up a lot of bandwidth.

The third disadvantage is, all application features in cloud computing might be limited in order to allow user to access the application easily. For instance, the Microsoft Power Point has more features compare to the Google Presentation’s. Sometimes too many features on the application causes the program not to function efficiently.

Another disadvantage of cloud computing is the security issue. This is because there have been questions asked on whether data’s stored in cloud are secured or could be easily accessed by unauthorised users? Still, the debate on this issue is going on as most of the cloud computing service providers claim that it is secured.

Hence, what is your opinion on the disadvantages of cloud computing??? Is there any other thing you may want to consider before using cloud computing services???

Reference:

Internet reference:

Cloud Computing Pros and Cons for End Users, InformIT, [Online], Retrieved on 31 August 2010.

URL: http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1324280&seqNum=2

What's good about Cloud Computing??

Link to us: http://sn.im/advantagecc

No technology is perfect. Everything in the world has its pros and cons. Being one of the cutting edge technologies of today's world, cloud computing also brings both good and bad. Let's take a look at the advantages of cloud computing. Below is a summary of the advantages of cloud computing:

Advantages of Cloud Computing (click the image to enlarge)

One of the major advantages of cloud computing is that it lowers costs. All cloud services, applications or softwares are web-based, which means they all run on the "cloud". Thus, users do not need to have high end computers to run the applications. Users can simply run the web-based applications smoothly even though the computer has less memory, low processing power, small hard disk and other limited resources. Users also do not need to purchase expensive software applications because most of the applications are available for free through cloud computing. For example, one of Google's cloud services Google Docs suite is for free and the premium edition for businesses also costs a lot cheaper than Microsoft Office suite. Maintenance costs are also lowered because there is no hardware required and the softwares are all available from the "cloud". Therefore, Cloud Computing can lower the costs for hardwares and also softwares.

Other than that, it also improves the computer's performance. It doesn't improve the computer performance directly, but indirectly. This is because when all files and software-based applications are stored and run in the 'cloud', there are less heavy programs utilizing the computer's resources. Computers can then boot up and run faster because there are less processes to be loaded. At the same time, the probability of computer hang to occur will also decrease.

Having unlimited storage capacity is also one of the advantages of cloud computing. This is also one of the major advantages of cloud computing that is very commonly used by users nowadays. All the data are stored in a virtual storage space which can store up to hundreds of petabytes, whereby one petabyte is approximately one million gigabyte. Users do not have to worry about the limited storage space to store their important files. Besides being able to store a massive amount of data, cloud computing storage is also relatively reliable. In normal situations, there is a huge risk of important data loss if all the data is stored in one computer without any external backup. However, if the data is stored in the "cloud", even if the computer crashes, the data still remains in the "cloud" and is accessible from any device anywhere and anytime. In short, cloud computing also allows the files to be accessed universally. That is why it is encouraged that users store an extra backup with cloud computing.

These are just a few examples of what cloud computing can do. There are still many more advantages of cloud computing like improved document format compatibility, device independence, easier group discussion or group collaboration and others. Here is a short video explaining on what is cloud computing in simple terms and also the advantage of cloud computing for having reliable data storage with the help of simple drawings:




What other advantages of cloud computing can you think of? Do you have any objections upon the above stated advantages?

Reference:

Printed Reference:

Michael Miller. 2009. Cloud Computing: Web-Based Applications That Change the Way You Work and Collaborate Online. Que Publishing, United States.

Internet Reference:

WebHostingReport: The Advantages of Cloud Computing

URL:http://www.webhostingreport.com/learn/advantages-of-cloud-computing.html

Analysis Post Week 2

Link to us: http://sn.im/pollanalysis2

This will be our second poll question analysis results, which is “Who do you think will conquer Cloud Computing?”. We have received 11 votes from our guests. To ease the view of the results, we have simplified the results into a pie chart as below:

Each percentage of votes are shown below:

A) Microsoft (2 Votes – 18%)

B) Google (5 Votes – 45%)

C) Amazon (1 Votes – 9%)

D) Oracle (0 Votes – 0%)

E) IBM (3 Votes – 27%)


From the pie chart, we can clearly see that Google has the highest percentage in the votes which covers 45% of the total. Why is Google the highest voted company???? This is mainly because most of the end users are familiar with Google as a search engine web site. Users can easily search anything from it just by typing in the keyword. The second highest percentage of votes that cover 27% is IBM (International Business Machine). IBM is well known for its contribution in computer system, hardware, software and IT services. Microsoft is the third highest voted company which covers 18% in the pie chart. This is because not many users know about what Microsoft truly, when we say about Microsoft users only think about it application software (e.g. Microsoft office) and operation software. Those who voted Microsoft may believe it might have the chance to conquer cloud computing compared to the first and second highest vote. On the other hand, Amazon has one vote which makes it 9% in the pie chart showing that this person believe Amazon might someday lead in cloud computing as everyone will need to go to Amazon to order not just e-books but also other items from it. It was surprise that Oracle has no votes. Through our view, it might be because not many people know about Oracle.


Finally, we appreciate and would like to thank all of you who participated in the last poll. We sincerely hope that you will continue to participate in our future polls. For those who did not participate in the previous poll, what would you have chosen? Was it the one you are familiar with or you already have your own answer?

The 'Cloud'

Link to us: http://sn.im/cloudtype

Now that we know about cloud computing, let’s get to know more about what is the cloud. The cloud basically refers to the larger network of servers and computers connected to one another. Like how the real natural clouds can be categorized into a few types, the ‘cloud’ in cloud computing, which refers to the network of the computers and servers, can also be categorized into a few types. There are a few possible ways of categorising the ‘cloud’. However in this post, we will introduce you to the most common way of categorising the ‘cloud’. These types are private cloud, public cloud and hybrid cloud.

(Image from :http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cloud_computing_types.svg, Aug 2010)

Private Cloud

A private cloud is also known as an internal cloud. As defined from Univa UD, a private cloud is:

“A cloud environment which creates a pool of resources behind a company's firewall and includes resource management and dynamic allocation, charge back and support for virtualization.”

(http://searchenterprisewan.techtarget.com/Types-of-cloud-computing-services-WAN-managers-should-consider, Aug 2010)

It generally includes any virtual server that provides storage or service that is created for the sole purpose of a company or an organization. It can only be accessed by authorized users only, such as the staffs or members of the organization. Consequently, some companies provide these cloud computing services to customers as well.

Public Cloud

A public cloud, also known as an external cloud, as its name suggests, is cloud computing services that are opened to the public. From Univa UD, it is defined as:

“A cloud environment which exists outside a company's firewall, offered as a service by a 3rd party vendor.”

(http://searchenterprisewan.techtarget.com/Types-of-cloud-computing-services-WAN-managers-should-consider, Aug 2010)

It is usually provided by external service providers with or without an amount of fees. As the cloud computing technology is growing rapidly, the numbers of public cloud service providers are also increasing tremendously. This is because it can also be used as a form of business or marketing strategy. Today, there are many major companies and organization that provides free cloud computing services. One of the leading organisations in cloud computing technology is Google. This is because, Google offers a vast collection of web-based applications that are presented with cloud computing. Next we have Microsoft who is also one of the major companies which implemented cloud computing technology and provides cloud services to users, such as SkyDrive. IBM on the other hand has a Cloud Computing Centre devoted to researching and offering cloud services to its users.

Hybrid Cloud

This can be also referred to as mixed cloud. Univa UD has defined it as:

“A cloud environment in which external services are leveraged to extend or supplement the internal cloud.”

(http://searchenterprisewan.techtarget.com/Types-of-cloud-computing-services-WAN-managers-should-consider, Aug 2010)

It is mainly just a combination of both the private and public cloud. Even though it is rarely seen, there are some companies that do offer mixed cloud services.


So now that you know about the 'Cloud', which type of cloud do you think has more benefits? Is it the private cloud? The public cloud? Or the hybrid cloud??

Reference:

Printed Reference:

Michael Miller. 2009. Cloud Computing: Web-Based Applications That Change the Way You Work and Collaborate Online. Que Publishing, United States.

Internet Reference:

UnivaUD: Types of Cloud

URL: http://www.univaud.com/about-cloud/types.php

How Cloud Computing Works???

Link to us: http://sn.im/ccarchitecture

To simplify the architecture of cloud computing, the cloud computing system can be divided into two ends, which is the front end and back end. Both ends are connected to each other with a network. The commonly used network to connect these two ends is the Internet. The front end includes the users or clients’ computers, whereas the back end includes various computers, servers and data storage systems which is also known as the ‘cloud’ section of the system.

The front end consists of computer network and applications that provides an interface for the users to access the back end of the system. The user interface of each cloud computing system varies from one another. Certain systems have their own distinctive applications that offer clients network access. The back end made up of a group of servers and computers that can be accessed by the public through the Internet. It can be operated from a single or multiple locations. The back end also comprises of any form of computer program, such as video games and data processing applications. In between of the front end and the back end of the cloud computing system is the central server. It monitors traffic and requests from clients to ensure everything runs smoothly. Protocols and a middle-ware are required to allow communication to take place between networked computers.

This is the process of how cloud computing works:

(Diagram 1, Cloud Computing Architecture, with reference from Michael Miller. 2009. Cloud Computing: Web-Based Applications That Change the Way You Work and Collaborate Online. Que Publishing, United States. )

For example, when a user requests for an application or a document to be opened, the request is sent to the system management. The system management then searches for the exact resources which have been requested by that user. The system’s provisioning services then pick out the necessary resources from the server, and launch the web application requested. The usage of the back end is tracked from time to time to ensure that the resources are apportioned to the appropriate user.

What do you think about our explanation on how cloud computing works? Is it easy to understand? Or confusing?

Reference:

Printed Reference:

Michael Miller. 2009. Cloud Computing: Web-Based Applications That Change the Way You Work and Collaborate Online. Que Publishing, United States.

Internet Reference:

Jonathan Strickland, How Stuff Works: Cloud Computing Architecture

URL: http://communication.howstuffworks.com/cloud-computing1.htm

Analysis Post Week 1

Link to us : http://snipurl.com/pollanalysis1


According to the poll question, which is "How do you think cloud computing can help students?", we have received several votes from our guests. This post is an analysis on the compiled results. Prior to the poll results, we have simplified the results into a pie chart as below :

We have provided multiple choices for the poll. The percentage of total votes for each choice is below:
A) Extra backup (20%)
B) Easy download of software's (20%)
C) Can manage files easily (10%)
D) All of the above (10%)
E) None of the above (40%)


From the pie chart, we can clearly see that the choice with the highest number of votes is "None of the above", whereby 40% of the total voters agreed that none of the above options can help students. This is because some voters may not have a strong understanding about cloud computing or have never heard of the term before. However, there are some who are aware of cloud computing but disagree towards the idea because they believe that cloud computing is more for business, and serious use rather than for students. The choices with the second most votes is "Extra backup" and "Easy download of software". This is probably because majority of the voters who chose these two options might be students or lecturers. Students and lecturers often uses cloud computing as an extra backup or to download free software's, notes, exercises and past-year questions for education purposes. Thus, most of them have the mind-set that cloud computing is all about storing files only. Some colleges or universities even have school portals with cloud computing technologies to allow students and lecturers to upload or download shared files. One example of such a website is Intionline. Other than that, around 10% voters agreed that cloud computing can help students to manage files easily. This is because managing files is only a minor function of cloud computing and less people use cloud computing to manage their files. Thus, not many voters agree to that statement. Lastly, there is also a minority of voters, around 10% of total number of people voted that cloud computing can execute all of the above mentioned functions to help students. Since this blog not only targets teenagers but also the general public, different age of group might have different opinions on the same topic.


Finally, we appreciate and would like to thank all of you who participated in the last poll. We sincerely hope that you will continue to participate in our future polls. For those who did not participate in the previous poll, what would you have chose? Was it what the majority chose, or the minority?

What is Cloud Computing?

Link to us: http://snipurl.com/cloudcomp


If you are wondering what is cloud computing? Cloud Computing is one of the latest emerging internet technology that has been mostly talked about among all IT professionals lately. This technology promises more efficiency and great duration of life span. Furthermore, it is said to change the way the computer and the internet is being used.

Cloud computing brings changes to the world in certain ways like how we store information and run applications. The term "Cloud" was used to describe this technology because the programs and data is not run on an individual desktop computer, instead being hosted in the computers and servers which can be accessed through the internet. Hence, users can run application and access their personal files at any computer as long as they have Internet connection.

However till today cloud computing has not been properly defined. This is because there are different perspectives on this latest technology. Cisco has defined cloud computing as follows:

"IT resources and services that are abstracted from the underlying infrastructure and provided “on-demand” and “at scale” in a multitenant environment."

The others have defined cloud computing as a virtual server available in the Internet. Hence, what is your opinion on the definition of Cloud Computing? Please share your views with us by posting your comments.

Reference:

Printed Reference:

Kapil Bakshi. 2009. Cisco Cloud Computing - Data Center Strategy, Architecture, and Solutions. Cisco, United States.

Welcome to iCloud9 !

Link to us: http://snipurl.com/icloud9intro


Hi Guests,

We are computing students from INTI College Subang Jaya. iCloud9 is a blog that is all about Cloud Computing. This blog is created by us for assignment purposes and to share information to everyone regarding cloud computing. We will be posting all the latest information about Cloud Computing, 10 weeks from now.

The main objective of this blog is to gain a better understanding and knowledge on cloud computing. Besides that, we would also like to bring awareness to the public about this latest technology. For more information on our objectives and our authors, you can visit our About Us page.

Feel free to participate by commenting on our posts and voting in the poll that will be updated weekly. If you have any questions and further enquiries, feel free to contact any of our authors below :
Chen Fun Yen
Tharmini Janarthanan
Keng Xin Dee

Regards,
iCloud9 author