Cloud Computing

Computing WithoutSoftware

Well, almost ... You do need a browser

You do it every day!

• Searching the Web• Communicating (Email and Chat)• Getting Information Online• Watching Videos or Listening to Podcasts• Playing Games• Shopping Online• Google Maps• Online Banking• Tracking Investments• Etc.

It's Got Many Names

• Cloud Computing• SaaS (Software as a

Service)• Grid Computing• On Demand Computing• Time Sharing• Web 2.0

Cloud Computing - Definitions

... the trend toward online services that run in a Web browser and store users’ information in a provider’s data center

- Princeton University Workshop Announcement

Cloud Computing - Definitions

. . . the idea of relying on Web-based applications and storing data in the “cloud” of the Internet

- MIT Technology Review

Cloud Computing - Definitions

. . . a computing paradigm shift where computing is moved away from personal computers or an individual application server to a “cloud” of computers

- Wikipedia

Cloud Computing - Definitions

It starts with the premise that the data services and architecture should be on servers. We call it cloud computing – they should be in a cloud somewhere

- Eric Schmidt CEO, Google

Cloud Computing - Definitions

... moving computing and data away from the desktop and the portable PC and simply displaying the results of computing that takes place in a centralized location and is then transmitted via the Internet to the user’s screen

- John Markoff New York Times

Location, Location, Location

• Possession implies control• Control implies power

Location, Location, Location

• In the history of computing, we’ve moved from computing in centralized locations to computing in decentralized locations

Mainframes Desktops and Laptops

Centralized Distributed

Location, Location, Location

Mainframes - High Cost

- Centralized Control

- Expert Management

Desktops and Laptops

- Low Cost

- User Autonomy

- Technical WastelandCloud Computing

- Low Cost (so far)

- Shared Responsibility

- Expert Management

Cloud Computing• Pros

– Access via the Internet from anywhere– Platform independent (Windows, Mac, Linux,

etc.)– No need to backup– No need to transfer files between computers– Maintenance by the provider– Free (or monthly payment)– Automatic,transparent and painless upgrading– Ability to share data with others (collaborate)

Cloud Computing

• Cons– Downtime problems

• Dear User: We're sorry for the three-month service outage

• Uh Oh! The net's down again

– Security problems• Dear User: We apologize if your

confidential information was exposed during our recent maintenance period

Cloud Computing

• The first wave was the transition from email clients, such as Outlook Express and Juno to Web-based services, such as Gmail, HotMail or MobileMe

• The second phase involved storing and transferring data using remote servers

• The third phase is pushing applications, such as word processors, spreadsheets and news readers, to the cloud

Cloud Computing

• Today, you can do almost anything you want without buying software or using anything other than your browser

Cloud Computing

Some Examples

Office Productivity Suites(Word Processor, Spreadsheet, Presentation

Maker)

• Google Docs (http://docs.google.com/)• Open Goo (http://www.opengoo.org)• Peepel (http://www.peepel.com/)• ThinkFree Office (http://

www.thinkfree.com/)• Zoho Office Suite (http://www.zoho.com/)

Word Processors

• Buzzword (https://buzzword.acrobat.com/#o)

• iNet Word (http://www.inetword.com/)• Just Too Easy (http://www.j2e.com/)• Writeboard (http://www.writeboard.com

/)

Spreadsheets & Databases

• Socrata (http://www.socrata.com//)• EditGrid (http://www.editgrid.com/)• Expresso (http://www.expressocorp.com/)• Zcubes (http://

home.zcubes.com/calci.htm)

Presentation Makers

• Preezo (preezo.com/)• Slide Rocket (www.sliderocket.com/)• Vcasmo (www.vcasmo.com/)• 280 Slides (280slides.com/)

Photo Editors

• Photoshop Express (www.photoshop.com)

• FotoFlexer (fotoflexer.com/)• Picnik (www.picnik.com/)• Pixlr (www.pixlr.com/app/)• Snipshot (snipshot.com/)• Splashup (www.splashup.com/)• Pixenate (pixenate.com/)

Personal Finance

• Clear Checkbook (https://clearcheckbook.com/)

• Mint (http://www.mint.com/)• Rudder (http://rudder.com/)• Quicken Online (http://quicken.intuit.com)• Spending Plan (http://

www.spendingplan.com/)

File Storage and Transfer

• FileMail (http://www.filemail.com/)• Megashares (http://

www.megashares.com/)• SendSpace (http://www.sendspace.com/

)• YouSendIt (http://www.yousendit.com/)• TransferBigFiles • (http://www.transferbigfiles.com/)

File Conversion

• Image Converter (http://www.online-utility.org)

• Zamzar (http://www.zamzar.com/)• YouConvertIt (www.youconvertit.com/)

Implications of Centralized Possession of Data

• Security• Accessibility• Privacy• Preservatio

n• Portability

Some Questions to ask about Cloud Computing

• Does the data center that is housing the servers have physical security 24/7?

• Who has permission to access these servers?

• What is the down-time history of the host?

• Is the application 100% Web-based?

10 Questions to ask about Cloud Computing

• Is the vendor experienced in both the execution and hosting of the application?

• Does the vendor provide timely and free upgrades?

• Is the backup strategy adequate (at minimum nightly on-site and weekly off-site)?

• What technical support is available?

Paul Maritz of VMWare, a leader in providing cloud computing applications

says,

“From the consumer point of view, ultimately the user wants his information to belong to him and not to any particular device.

“Increasingly, individuals are characterized by a body of digital information. And that information needs to live on over a period of decades—the rest of our lives—beyond the lifetime of any particular device you might have.

Paul Maritz of VMWare, a leader in providing cloud computing applications

says,

“So everybody is going to need somebody to be the custodian of their information. Just like we don't put our money under the mattress anymore, we put it in the bank, so most of us will become customers of an ‘information bank’ and in so doing we will become dependent on the cloud.”

Week in Review, New York Times,

Sunday, July 12th

• Much of the computer world is inexorably moving toward “cloud computing,” in a shift that could greatly simplify the way we access and process digital information.

Week in Review, New York Times,

Sunday, July 12th

• There would be no more pesky software installations, no more trudging through menu after menu to configure programs, no more backups or upgrades. E-mailing bulky attachments would be a thing of the past, as people could allow others to access their files online, making collaboration easier.

Week in Review, New York Times,

Sunday, July 12th

• Any device, anywhere — from a desktop PC to a mobile phone — could give users instant access to all their files and programs so long as it had a Web browser.

Welcome to the Cloud !

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