What is Cloud?

The term Cloud refers to a Network or Internet. In other words, we can say that Cloud is
something, which is present at remote location. Cloud can provide services over network, i.e., on
public networks or on private networks, i.e., WAN, LAN or VPN. Applications such as e-mail,
web conferencing, customer relationship management (CRM),all run in cloud.

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud Computing refers to manipulating, configuring, and accessing the applications online.
It offers online data storage, infrastructure and application. We need not to install a piece of
software on our local PC and this is how the cloud computing overcomes platform dependency
issues. Hence, the Cloud Computing is making our business application mobile and
collaborative.

Basic Concepts
There are certain services and models working behind the scene making the cloud computing
feasible and accessible to end users. Following are the working models for cloud computing:
• Deployment Models
• Service Models

DEPLOYMENT MODELS
Deployment models define the type of access to the cloud, i.e., how the cloud is located? Cloud
can have any of the four types of access: Public, Private, Hybrid and Community.

PUBLIC CLOUD
The Public Cloud allows systems and services to be easily accessible to the general public.
Public cloud may be less secure because of its openness, e.g., e-mail.

PRIVATE CLOUD
The Private Cloud allows systems and services to be accessible within an organization. It offers
increased security because of its private nature.

COMMUNITY CLOUD
The Community Cloud allows systems and services to be accessible by group of organizations.

HYBRID CLOUD
The Hybrid Cloud is mixture of public and private cloud. However, the critical activities are
performed using private cloud while the non-critical activities are performed using public cloud.

SERVICE MODELS
Service Models are the reference models on which the Cloud Computing is based. These can be
categorized into three basic service models as listed below:
1. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
2. Platform as a Service (PaaS)
3. Software as a Service (SaaS)
Infrastructure as a Service: IaaS provides virtual machines, virtual storage, virtual
infrastructure, and other hardware assets as resources that clients can provision.
The IaaS service provider manages all the infrastructure, while the client is responsible for all
other aspects of the deployment. This can include the operating system, applications, and user
interactions with the system.
• Platform as a Service: PaaS provides virtual machines, operating systems, applications,
services, development frameworks, transactions, and control structures.
The client can deploy its applications on the cloud infrastructure or use applications that were
programmed using languages and tools that are supported by the PaaS service provider. The
service provider manages the cloud infrastructure, the operating systems, and the enabling
software. The client is responsible for installing and managing the application that it is
deploying.
• Software as a Service: SaaS is a complete operating environment with applications,
management, and the user interface. In the SaaS model, the application is provided to the client
through a thin client interface (a browser, usually), and the customer's responsibility begins and
ends with entering and managing its data and user interaction. Everything from the application
down to the infrastructure is the vendor's responsibility.

CHARACTERISTICS OF CLOUD COMPUTING

• On-demand self-service: A client can provision computer resources without the need for
interaction with cloud service provider personnel.

• Broad network access: Access to resources in the cloud is available over the network
using standard methods in a manner that provides platform-independent access to clients of all
types. This includes a mixture of heterogeneous operating systems, and thick and thin platforms
such as laptops, mobile phones, and PDA.

• Resource pooling: A cloud service provider creates resources that are pooled together in a
system that supports multi-tenant usage. Physical and virtual systems are dynamically allocated
or reallocated as needed. Intrinsic in this concept of pooling is the idea of abstraction that hides
the location of resources such as virtual machines, processing, memory, storage, and network
bandwidth and connectivity.

• Rapid elasticity: Resources can be rapidly and elastically provisioned. The system can add
resources by either scaling up systems (more powerful computers) or scaling out systems (more
computers of the same kind), and scaling may be automatic or manual. From the standpoint of
the client, cloud computing resources should look limitless and can be purchased at any time and
in any quantity.

• Measured service: The use of cloud system resources is measured, audited, and reported to
the customer based on a metered system. A client can be charged based on a known metric such
as amount of storage used, number of transactions, network I/O (Input/Output) or bandwidth,
amount of processing power used, and so forth. A client is charged based on the level of services
provided.
PRINCIPLES OF CLOUD COMPUTING
Enablement: Plan for cloud computing as a strategic enabler, rather than as an outsourcing
arrangement or technical platform.

Cost/benefit: Evaluate the benefits of cloud acquisition based on a full understanding of the
costs of cloud compared with the costs of other technology platform business solutions.

Enterprise risk: Take an enterprise risk management perspective to manage the adoption
and use of cloud.

Capability: Integrate the full extent of capabilities that cloud providers offer with internal
resources to provide a comprehensive technical support and delivery solution.

Accountability: Manage accountabilities by clearly defining internal and provider

responsibilities.

Trust: Make trust an essential part of cloud solutions, building trust into all business processes
that depend on cloud computing.

What is Distributed Computing?

The field of computer science that deals with distributed systems is called distributed computing.
A distributed system is made up of more than one self-directed computers communicating
through a network. These computers use their own local memory. All computers in the
distributed system talk to each other to achieve a certain common goal. Alternatively, different
users at each computer may have different individual needs and the distributed system will do
the coordination of shared resources (or help communicate with other nodes) to achieve their
individual tasks.

What is the difference between Cloud and Distributed Computing?

Cloud computing is a technology that delivers many kinds of resources as services, mainly over
the internet, while distributed computing is the concept of using a distributed system consisting
of many self-governed nodes to solve a very large problem (that is usually difficult to be solved
by a single computer). Cloud computing is basically a sales and distribution model for various
types of resources over the internet, while distributed computing can be identified as a type of
computing, which uses a group of machines to work as a single unit to solve a large scale
problem. Distributed computing achieves this by breaking the problem up to simpler tasks, and
assigning these tasks to individual nodes.
What Is Client-Server System
In the computing world today, client-server system has become so popular because it is being
used virtually every day for different applications. Some of the standardized protocols that client
and servers use to communicate with themselves include: File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Simple
Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) and Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). Thus, Client-server
system can be define as a software architecture made up of both the client and server, whereby
the clients always send requests while the server responds to the requests sent. Client-server
provides an inter-process communication because it involves the exchange of data from both the
client and server whereby each of them performs different functions

Benefits of client server model

• It splits the processing of application across multiple machines
• It allows easier sharing of resources from client to servers.
• It reduces data replication by storing data on each server instead of client.

Example of applications using client-server system –

File transfer: This is the transmission of files between the client and server. It also allows
storing of files on the server. Files such as movies, images, music can be stored.
Mail transfer: This is the transfer of messages such as the email using the Mail Transfer
Protocol (MTP).
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP): Is the transferring of multimedia files such as
images, text between the client and server . HTTP is use to improve communication between the
client and server, by serving as a request-response protocol.

Issues And Challenges In Client-Server System:

There are lots of issues in a client-server system, some of which include: -
The number of people: In most client-server network, few servers are always involved
which make the setup looks like a waste of time. A client server network is quite difficult to set
up, so it requires lots of servers so as not to render the application useless.
It requires skilled expertise: A lot of client-server network are not well build and
managed. Setting up a client server network is so complex, so it requires skilled technician and
maintenance engineers to handle it.
The servers are quite expensive: The servers are being designed to meet high standard
for it to be reliable and have better performance. Getting the good design and architecture for the
client-server system, contributes to it being expensive.
Security: The most of all is the security issue . The client operating system is easily accessed
by servers, and this expose the client system to a number of problems . The message being
exchange between the client and server leads to lot of security challenges. A lot of things are
encompassing by the security challenges, some of which include: physical damage, threats and
virus attack. In other to have a secured network, there are some basic rules to be followed such
as;
- The Audit network
- The discretionary control
- The object re-use
- Authorization and identification
What is Cloud Storage?
CLOUD STORAGE is a way of storing data online instead of your local computer. It requires
an internet connection in order to upload, modify, and share documents, presentations,
spreadsheets, images, audio, video, etc. with others. Online storage service providers don't store
any data on the hard disk of your PC. Cloud storage tools help you to access your data from any
device.
Following is a handpicked list of top cloud storage tools, with popular features. This list includes
commercial(paid) as well as open-source (free) software

1) Google Drive
Google Drive is a free online data storage service provided by Google. The service syncs stored
files, photos, and more across all the user's PCs, tablets, and mobile devices. It offers 15 GB of
free space.
Features:
• You can build Docs, Sheets, Slides.
• It provides real time synchronization.
• You can create forms that help you to run a survey.
• The tool can be used for macOS.
• Integrates with thousands of external apps like a mind map, Gantt chart, diagram tools,
etc.
• It allows to store documents up to 1.02 million characters, spreadsheets up to 5 million
cells, presentation up to 100 MB, and Google Sites up to 2000,000 characters per page.
2. Dropbox
Dropbox is a file hosting service providing personal cloud, file synchronization, cloud storage,
and client software. It is designed to collaborate your projects whether you are working alone or
in a team.
Features:
• It offers you to safely sync data across all devices.
• Your file size should be 50 GB or smaller
• Service is available for macOS, Linux, and Windows operating systems.
3. Media Fire
MediaFire is a file hosting, cloud storage, and synchronization service. It provides an easy-to-use
solution for managing digital stuff online as well as on the go. MediaFire can be used for iPhone,
Windows, OSX, Web, and Android.
Features:
• Maximum file uploading limit is 20 GB
• It offers the professional an ad-free experience to employees.
• Lets you to paste link in any files and MediaFire will upload to your account
• Allows you to specify access control.
4. Amazon Drive
Amazon Drive or Amazon Cloud Drive is a cloud storage application of Amazon. The service
provides secure cloud storage, file sharing, photo printing, and file backup.
Features:
• It helps you to organize and edit photos online.
• Amazon Drive automatically backs up the photos and videos on your phone.
• Allows you to Sync files and folders.
Infrastructure as a Service:
IaaS provides virtual machines, virtual storage, virtual infrastructure, and other hardware assets as
resources that clients can provision. The IaaS service provider manages all the infrastructure, while the
client is responsible for all other aspects of the deployment. This can include the operating system,
applications, and user interactions with the system.

BENEFITS:
IaaS allows the cloud provider to freely locate the infrastructure over the Internet in a cost-
effective manner. Some of the key benefits of IaaS are listed below:
• Full Control of the computing resources through Administrative Access to VMs.
• Flexible and Efficient renting of Computer Hardware.
• Portability, Interoperability with Legacy Applications.

ISSUES:
IaaS shares issues with PaaS and SaaS, such as Network dependence and browser based risks. It
also have some specific issues associated with it. These issues are mentioned in the following
• Compatibility with legacy security vulnerabilities
• Robustness of vm-level isolation
• Data erase practices

CHARACTERISTICS:
Here are the characteristics of IaaS service model:
• Virtual machines with pre-installed software.
• Virtual machines with pre-installed Operating Systems such as Windows, Linux, and
Solaris.
• On-demand availability of resources.
• Allows to store copies of particular data in different locations.
• The computing resources can be easily scaled up and down.

Platform as a Service:
PaaS provides virtual machines, operating systems, applications, services, development
frameworks, transactions, and control structures. The client can deploy its applications on the
cloud infrastructure or use applications that were programmed using languages and tools that are
supported by the PaaS service provider. The service provider manages the cloud infrastructure,
the operating systems, and the enabling software. The client is responsible for installing and
managing the application that it is deploying.

BENEFITS:
Following are the benefits of PaaS model:
• Lower administrative overhead
• Lower total cost of ownership
• Scalable solutions
• More current system software
ISSUES:
Like SaaS, PaaS also place significant burdens on consumer's browsers to maintain reliable and
secure connections to the provider systems. Therefore, PaaS shares many of the issues of SaaS.
However, there are some specific issues associated with PaaS as given in the following
• Lack of portability between paas clouds
• Event based processor scheduling
• Security engineering of paas applications

CHARACTERISTICS:
Here are the characteristics of PaaS service model:
• PaaS offers browser based development environment. It allows the developer to create
database and edit the application code either via Application Programming Interface or
point-and-click tools.
• PaaS provides built-in security, scalability, and web service interfaces.
• PaaS provides built-in tools for defining workflow and approval processes and defining
business rules.
• It is easy to integrate with other applications on the same platform.
• PaaS also provides web services interfaces that allow us to connect the applications
outside the platform.

Software as a Service:
SaaS is a complete operating environment with applications, management, and the user interface.
In the SaaS model, the application is provided to the client through a thin client interface (a
browser, usually), and the customer's responsibility begins and ends with entering and managing
its data and user interaction. Everything from the application down to the infrastructure is the
vendor's responsibility.

CHARACTERISTICS:
Here are the characteristics of SaaS service model:
• SaaS makes the software available over the Internet.
• The Software are maintained by the vendor rather than where they are running.
• The license to the software may be subscription based or usage based. And it is billed on
recurring basis.
• SaaS applications are cost effective since they do not require any maintenance at end user
side.
• They are available on demand.
• They can be scaled up or down on demand.
• They are automatically upgraded and updated.
• SaaS offers share data model. Therefore, multiple users can share single instance of
infrastructure. It is not required to hard code the functionality for individual users.
• All users are running same version of the software.
BENEFITS:
Using SaaS has proved to be beneficial in terms of scalability, efficiency, performance and much
more. Some of the benefits are listed below:
• Modest Software Tools
• Efficient use of Software Licenses
• Centralized Management & Data
• Platform responsibilities managed by provider
• Multitenant solutions

ISSUES:
There are several issues associated with SaaS, some of them are listed below:
• Browser based risks
• Network dependence
• Lack of portability between SaaS clouds
CALENDAR
A web-based calendar service stores your calendars on the Internet, where they can be accessed
from any computer that has an Internet connection. This lets you check your schedule when
you’re on the road, even if your assistant in the office or your spouse at home has added new
appointments since you left. Web-based calendars are also extremely easy to share with other
users in any location, which make them great for collaborative projects.

Google Calendar
The most popular web-based calendar today, no doubt due to its association with the web’s most-
used search engine, is Google Calendar (calendar.google.com). Google Calendar is free, full
featured, and easy to use. It lets you create both personal and shared calendars, which makes it
ideal for tracking business group, family, and community schedules.

Yahoo! Calendar
One of Google Calendar’s primary competitors is Yahoo! Calendar (calendar.yahoo.com),
hosted by its search competitor Yahoo! This web-based calendar looks, feels, and functions quite
similarly to Google Calendar, and is also free for anyone to use. you can share your Yahoo!
calendars with other users, in a collaborative environment. Just click the Sharing link and
indicate how you want to share—no sharing, view-only for friends, view-only for anyone, or
view-only with special friends allowed to edit. Choose this last option for true collaboration

Scheduler
Schedulebook (www.schedulebook.com) offers several different types of web based scheduling
services. Depending on the application, you can use Schedule book to schedule employees,
customers, or other interested parties.
The company’s three offerings are
_ Schedulebook Professionals, which is a business-oriented schedule/calendar/planning
application
_ Schedulebook Office, which schedules the use of any shared resource, such as company
meeting rooms or even vacation homes
_ Schedulebook Aviation, which is used by the aviation industry to schedule aircraft, flight
training, and similar services You can make the scheduling operation as simple or as complex as
you like.
For example, some businesses might include new client information forms as part of the online
scheduling process. And, of course, the web-based software eliminates scheduling conflict,
making for a more efficient schedule for you.

Event Management
Scheduling a company meeting is one thing; putting together a large-scale event, such as a
conference or seminar or trade show, is quite another. An undertaking of this scale involves more
than just clearing a few schedules and making sure the conference room is free at 10 a.m. on
Friday. A big event is a big project with lots of individual tasks.
To stage a successful event, you have to market it to potential attendees, sign up those attendees,
process their fee payments, make sure that the event space and conference rooms are properly
scheduled, handle travel and hotel arrangements, register attendees when they arrive onsite,
manage event workers, and make sure everything runs on time during the event. It’s a
tremendous undertaking. It’s not surprising, therefore, that several companies have
introduced web-based event management applications. What’s nice about hosting these apps in
the cloud is that you can work on the same master database whether you’re in your office before
the event or sitting at the registration desk during the event. In addition, these web-based apps
enable attendees to register in advance online, and for you to process onsite registration via
notebook PCs connected to the Internet. Everything you need and use is hosted offsite, on the
web, for you to access whenever and wherever you need be.

Task Management
Now let’s pivot from schedules to tasks. Planning and task applications let you manage
everything from simple to-do lists to complex group tasks, all over the Internet and
collaboratively with other users.

iPrioritize
Sharing to-do lists is important for families, community groups, and businesses. Your to-do list
might be as simple as a grocery list or as complex as a list of activities for a community program
or business project. Whatever the application, iPrioritize (www.iprioritize.com) is a good basic
to-do list manager. A authorized users can create a new to-do list, add items to the list, prioritize
tasks by dragging them up and down the list, and mark items complete when finished. And,
because it’s web based, you can access your lists anytime and anyplace.

Remember the Milk

When you need to “remember the milk” at the grocery store, check out the aptly named
Remember the Milk (www.rememberthemilk.com) web-based to do list manager. Once you
create a list, you can arrange reminders via email, instant messaging, or text messages to your
mobile phone.

Ta-da List
Here’s another web-based to-do list manager. Ta-da List (www.tadalist.com)lets you make all
sorts of lists, share them with friends, family, and coworkers, and then check off items as they’re
completed.

Tudu List
Tudu List (www.tudulist.com) is a little different from other to-do list managers in that it also
includes a web-based calendar. Items are added both to the appropriate to-do list and to your
calendar, on the date they’re due.

Project Management Applications

Traditional project management software helps project managers and team members
organize and track all the various tasks in a project. To do this, the software typically
includes scheduling, budget management, and resource-allocation components.
Web-based project management applications do all this online, with a centralized project file
accessible to all team members. This enables improved communication and collaboration
between members of the project team. The scheduling component of a project management
application helps the project manager schedule the series of events that comprise the total
project. This should include a list of dependencies—those events that need to be completed
before other events can start. The project management application should then be able to
calculate the project’s critical path, which is the series of events that determine the length of the
entire project. After the project has been planned, it then has to be executed. The project
management application should enable this execution by creating task lists for team members,
allocation schedules for project resources, overview information for the team manager, and, as
the project progresses, an early warning of any risks to the project’s completion. All that said,
most web-based project management applications work in a similar fashion. Let’s examine some
of the most popular of these cloud services.
@task
The web-based project management program known as @task (www.attask.com) offers a variety
of traditional projection management functions. The application includes an interactive
drag-and-drop Gantt chart, critical path analysis, project milestones, planned/projected/ estimated
comparisons, resource scheduling, issue management, and calendar views for project tasks.
Tasks can even be managed remotely via a special software widget for Apple’s iPhone

Copper Project
Copper Project (www.copperproject.com) is a project management application that can be hosted
either on the company’s servers or on your own server. Either version enables web-based
collaboration. Copper includes useful features such as a drag-and-drop weekly or monthly
timeline, resource management, email alerts, statistical reports, and a unique personal time
management tool. The program’s Springboard view lets you see the progress of multiple projects
on a single screen; you can drill down from there by client or project.

Project Drive
The Project Drive (www.project-drive.net) application includes communication and
collaboration features in addition to basic project management functionality. Users get a
customizable overview dashboard, templates for fast project setup, Gantt charts, task
management, resource allocation, document sharing and management, automated
communication tools, a group calendar, cost analysis and budgeting, and a large number of
management reports.

Collaborating on Word Processing

Just about everyone who uses a computer uses a word processing program. You use your word
processor—most likely some version of Microsoft Word—to write memos, letters, thank you
notes, fax coversheets, reports, newsletters, you name it. The word processor is an essential
part of our computing lives. But what do you do when you don’t have your word processor
at hand? Maybe you’re visiting your parents’ home for the holidays and you want to catch up on
your memo writing, but your folks don’t have a computer in the house—or they do, but it doesn’t
have Word installed. Or maybe you’re on a short business trip, without your trusty notebook PC,
and you need to fire off a short letter for work. Or perhaps you’re a student on campus with an
assignment due, and you left your computer back in the dorm.

How Web-Based Word Processing Works

Microsoft Word is a software program that is installed on your computer’s hard disk. Web-based
word processors, in contrast, are hosted in the cloud, not on your hard drive—as are the
documents you create with these applications. And these web-based applications mimic the key
features of Microsoft Word, so you don’t give up much in the way of functionality. Read on to
learn more.

Web-Based Spreadsheets Work

If you work with numbers at all, you’re familiar with Microsoft Excel (or, if you’re showing
your age, Lotus 1-2-3 or Borland’s Quattro Pro). Excel is a software program that you use to
work with numbers; you enter numbers into individual cells arranged in rows and columns, and
then use formulas and functions to perform calculations on those numbers.
Whereas Excel is a traditional desktop software program stored on your computer’s hard disk, a
web-based spreadsheet application is hosted in the cloud— as are the individual spreadsheets
you create with the application. Web-based spreadsheet applications do their best to emulate the
most-used features of Microsoft Excel, down to the assortment of functions, charts, and the like.
So if you know how to use Excel, you’ll be quite comfortable with most of the web based
Spreadsheet applications discussed here.
Your spreadsheets can be accessed from any Internet-connected computer, not just the computer
you originally created the spreadsheet with.
Your spreadsheets are still accessible if you have a computer problem or hard disk crash.
You an easily share your spreadsheets with others—enabling workgroup collaboration with users
in other locations.

Databases Work
A local database is one in which all the data is stored on an individual computer.
A networked database is one in which the data is stored on a computer or server connected to a
network, and accessible by all computers connected to that network. Finally, an online or web-
based database stores data on a cloud of servers somewhere on the Internet, which is accessible
by any authorized user with an Internet connection. The primary advantage of a web-based
database is that data can easily be shared with a large number of other users, no matter where
they may be located. When your employee database is in the cloud, for example, the human
resources department in your Alaska branch can access employee information as easily as can
the HR staff in Chicago—as can HR managers traveling across the country to various college job
fairs. And, because the data itself is stored in the cloud, when someone at one location
updates a record, everyone accessing the database sees the new data. Synchronization is not an
issue.

Storing and Sharing Files and Other Online Content

cloud computing isn’t just about accessing applications over the web. The cloud can also be
used to store documents, either as a giant backup drive or as your primary source of file storage.
In addition, you can use the cloud to store and share your favorite websites. By putting your
favorites online, you can share them with all your friends—no email or instant messaging
necessary. (When stored on the cloud, you can also access your favorites when you’re using
another computer, which is great when you’re traveling or out of the office.) Let’s look at some
of the more popular cloud storage services—many of which also offer file-sharing capabilities.

Amazon S3
The Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) provides unlimited online storage. You access your
stored data via a simple web interface. S3 launched in March 2006, making it one of the most
established online storage services in today’s market.
Amazon charges fees for the amount of data stored and for the bandwidth used in uploading and
downloading that data.

ElephantDrive
ElephantDrive (www.elephantdrive.com) is a user-friendly online file-storage service. They offer
three different versions of different-sized users: Home Edition, Pro Edition, and Pro Plus Edition.
Each edition has different storage and transfer limits. The Home Edition is priced at an
affordable $9.95/month.

myDataBus
The myDataBus service (www.mydatabus.com) is a combination cloud storage and file-sharing
service. You can use myDataBus to store your individual files or to share photos, videos, and
music with your friends and family. The service also offers group collaboration tools and
integration with Facebook, MySpace, LiveJournal, and other similar sites.