Cloud Computing

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 public and
private networks, i.e., WAN, LAN or VPN. Applications such as e-mail, web conferencing,
customer relationship management (CRM) execute on cloud.
Cloud Computing refers to manipulating, configuring, and accessing the hardware and
software resources remotely. It offers online data storage, infrastructure, and application.

Cloud computing offers platform independency, as the software is not required to be

installed locally on the PC. Hence, the Cloud Computing is making our business
applications 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.
Private Cloud
The private cloud allows systems and services to be accessible within an organization. It is
more secured because of its private nature.
Community Cloud
The community cloud allows systems and services to be accessible by a group of
organizations.
Hybrid Cloud
The hybrid cloud is a mixture of public and private cloud, in which the critical activities are
performed using private cloud while the non-critical activities are performed using public
cloud.

Service Models
Cloud computing is based on service models. These are categorized into three basic service
models which are -

 Infrastructure-as–a-Service (IaaS)
 Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)
 Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)

The Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) is the most basic level of service. Each of the service
models inherit the security and management mechanism from the underlying model.

Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)
IaaS provides access to fundamental resources such as physical machines, virtual machines,
virtual storage, etc.
Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)
PaaS provides the runtime environment for applications, development and deployment
tools, etc.
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
SaaS model allows to use software applications as a service to end-users.

Grid Computing
At its most basic level, grid computing is a computer network in which each computer's
resources are shared with every other computer in the system. Processing
power, memory and data storage are all community resources that authorized users can tap
into and leverage for specific tasks. A grid computing system can be as simple as a collection
of similar computers running on the same operating system or as complex as inter-networked
systems comprised of every computer platform you can think of.The grid computing concept
isn't a new one. It's a special kind of distributed computing. In distributed computing,
different computers within the same network share one or more resources. In the ideal grid
computing system, every resource is shared, turning a computer network into a powerful
supercomputer. With the right user interface, accessing a grid computing system would look
no different than accessing a local machine's resources. Every authorized computer would
have access to enormous processing power and storage capacity.Though the concept isn't
 new, it's also not yet perfected. Computer scientists, programmers and engineers are still
working on creating, establishing and implementing standards and protocols. Right now,
many existing grid computer systems rely on proprietary software and tools. Once people
agree upon a reliable set of standards and protocols, it will be easier and more efficient for
organizations to adopt the grid computing model.
Grid computing systems work on the principle of pooled resources. A grid computing system
uses the concept: share the load across multiple computers to complete tasks more efficiently
and quickly. Normally, a computer can only operate within the limitations of its own
resources. There's an upper limit to how fast it can complete an operation or how much
information it can store. Most computers are upgradeable, which means it's possible to add
more power or capacity to a single computer, but that's still just an incremental increase in
performance.Grid computing systems link computer resources together in a way that lets
someone use one computer to access and leverage the collected power of all the computers in
the system. To the individual user, it's as if the user's computer has transformed into a
supercomputer.

Grid Computing Lexicon

Some of the terms related to grid computing:

 Cluster: A group of networked computers sharing the same set of resources.

 Extensible Markup Language (XML): A computer language that describes other data and
is readable by computers. Control nodes (a node is any device connected to a network that
can transmit, receive and reroute data) rely on XML languages like the Web Services
Description Language (WSDL). The information in these languages tells the control node
how to handle data and applications.
 Hubs: A point within a network where various devices connect with one another.
 Integrated Development Environment (IDE): The tools and facilities computer
programmers need to create applications for a platform. The term for an application testing
ground is sandbox.
 Interoperability: The ability for software to operate within completely different
environments. For example, a computer network might include both PCs and
Macintosh computers. Without interoperable software, these computers wouldn't be able to
work together because of their different operating systems and architecture.
 Open standards: A technique of creating publically available standards. Unlike proprietary
standards, which can belong exclusively to a single entity, anyone can adopt and use an open
standard. Applications based on the same open standards are easier to integrate than ones
built on different proprietary standards.
 Parallel processing: Using multiple CPUs to solve a single computational problem. This is
closely related to shared computing, which leverages untapped resources on a network to
achieve a task.
 Platform: The foundation upon which developers can create applications. A platform can be
an operating system, a computer's architecture, a computer language or even a Web site.
 Server farm: A cluster of servers used to perform tasks too complex for a single server.
 Server virtualization: A technique in which a software application divides a single physical
server into multiple exclusive server platforms (the virtual servers). Each virtual server can
run its own operating system independently of the other virtual servers. The operating
systems don't have to be the same system -- in other words, a single machine could have a
virtual server acting as a Linux server and another one running a Windows platform. It works
because most of the time, servers aren't running anywhere close to full capacity. Grid
computing systems need lots of servers to handle various tasks and virtual servers help cut
down on hardware costs.
 Service: In grid computing, a service is any software system that allows computers to interact
with one another over a network.
 Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP): A set of rules for exchanging messages written in
XML across a network. Microsoft is responsible for developing the protocol.
 State: In the IT world, a state is any kind of persistent data. It's information that continues to
exist in some form even after being used in an application. For example, when you select
books to go into an Amazon.com shopping cart, the information is stateful -- Amazon keeps
track of your selection as you browse other areas of the Web site. Stateful services make it
possible to create applications that have multiple steps but rely on the same core data.
 Transience: The ability to activate or deactivate a service across a network without affecting
other operations.

Working of Grid Computing

Several companies and organizations are working together to create a standardized set of
rules called protocols to make it easier to set up grid computing environments. It's possible to
create a grid computing system right now and several already exist. But what's missing is an
agreed-upon approach. That means that two different grid computing systems may not be
compatible with one another, because each is working with a unique set of protocols and
tools.
 In general, a grid computing system requires:

 At least one computer, usually a server, which handles all the administrative duties for
the system. Many people refer to this kind of computer as a control node. Other application
and Web servers (both physical and virtual) provide specific services to the system.
 A network of computers running special grid computing network software. These
computers act both as a point of interface for the user and as the resources the system will tap
into for different applications. Grid computing systems can either include several computers
of the same make running on the same operating system (called a homogeneous system) or a
hodgepodge of different computers running on every operating system imaginable (a
heterogeneous system). The network can be anything from a hardwired system where every
computer connects to the system with physical wires to an open system where computers
connect with each other over the Internet.
 A collection of computer software called middleware. The purpose of middleware is to
allow different computers to run a process or application across the entire network of
machines. Middleware is the workhorse of the grid computing system. Without it,
communication across the system would be impossible. Like software in general, there's no
single format for middleware.
If middleware is the workhorse of the grid computing system, the control node is the
dispatcher. The control node must prioritize and schedule tasks across the network. It's the
control node's job to determine what resources each task will be able to access. The control
node must also monitor the system to make sure that it doesn't become overloaded. It's also
important that each user connected to the network doesn't experience a drop in his or her
computer's performance. A grid computing system should tap into unused computer
resources without impacting everything else.

The potential for grid computing applications is limitless, providing everyone agrees on
standardized protocols and tools. That's because without a standard format, third-party
developers -- independent programmers who want to create applications on the grid
computing platform -- often lack the ability to create applications that work on different
systems. While it's possible to make different versions of the same application for different
systems, it's time consuming and many developers don't want to do the same work twice. A
standardized set of protocols means that developers could concentrate on one format while
creating applications.
Peer-to-peer (P2P) Computing
Peer-to-peer (P2P) computing or networking is a distributed application architecture that
partitions tasks or workloads between peers. Peers are equally privileged, equipotent
participants in the application. They are said to form a peer-to-peer network of nodes.
Peers make a portion of their resources, such as processing power, disk storage or network
bandwidth, directly available to other network participants, without the need for central
coordination by servers or stable hosts. Peers are both suppliers and consumers of resources,
in contrast to the traditional client-server model in which the consumption and supply of
resources is divided. Emerging collaborative P2P systems are going beyond the era of peers
doing similar things while sharing resources, and are looking for diverse peers that can bring
in unique resources and capabilities to a virtual community thereby empowering it to engage
in greater tasks beyond those that can be accomplished by individual peers, yet that are
beneficial to all the peers.
The peer to peer computing architecture contains nodes that are equal participants in data
sharing. All the tasks are equally divided between all the nodes. The nodes interact with each
other as required as share resources.

Characteristics of Peer to Peer Computing

The different characteristics of peer to peer networks are as follows:

 Peer to peer networks are usually formed by groups of a dozen or less computers.
These computers all store their data using individual security but also share data with
all the other nodes.
 The nodes in peer to peer networks both use resources and provide resources. So, if
the nodes increase, then the resource sharing capacity of the peer to peer network
increases. This is different than client server networks where the server gets
overwhelmed if the nodes increase.
 Since nodes in peer to peer networks act as both clients and servers, it is difficult to
provide adequate security for the nodes. This can lead to denial of service attacks.
  Most modern operating systems such as Windows and Mac OS contain software to
implement peer to peer networks.

Advantages of Peer to Peer Computing

Some advantages of peer to peer computing are as follows:

 Each computer in the peer to peer network manages itself. So, the network is quite
easy to set up and maintain.
 In the client server network, the server handles all the requests of the clients. This
provision is not required in peer to peer computing and the cost of the server is saved.
 It is easy to scale the peer to peer network and add more nodes. This only increases
the data sharing capacity of the system.
 None of the nodes in the peer to peer network are dependent on the others for their
functioning.

Disadvantages of Peer to Peer Computing

Some disadvantages of peer to peer computing are as follows:

 It is difficult to backup the data as it is stored in different computer systems and there
is no central server.
 It is difficult to provide overall security in the peer to peer network as each system is
independent and contains its own data.

Autonomic Computing

Autonomic computing is a computer’s ability to manage itself automatically through

adaptive technologies that further computing capabilities and cut down on the time required
by computer professionals to resolve system difficulties and other maintenance such as
software updates. The move toward autonomic computing is driven by a desire for cost
reduction and the need to lift the obstacles presented by computer system complexities to
allow for more advanced computing technology.

The autonomic computing initiative (ACI), which was developed by IBM, demonstrates
and advocates networking computer systems that do not involve a lot of human
intervention other than defining input rules. The ACI is derived from the autonomic
nervous system of the human body.

IBM has defined the four areas of automatic computing:

 Self-Configuration.
 Self-Healing (error correction).
 Self-Optimization (automatic resource control for optimal functioning).
 Self-Protection (identification and protection from attacks in a proactive manner).
 AC was designed to mimic the human body’s nervous system-in that the
autonomic nervous system acts and reacts to stimuli independent of the individual’s
 conscious input-an autonomic computing environment functions with a high level
of artificial intelligence while remaining invisible to the users. Just as the human
body acts and responds without the individual controlling functions (e.g., internal
temperature rises and falls, breathing rate fluctuates, glands secrete hormones in
response to stimulus), the autonomic computing environment operates organically in
response to the input it collects.

IBM has set forth eight conditions that define an autonomic system:

1. The system must know itself in terms of what resources it has access to, what its
capabilities and limitations are and how and why it is connected to other systems.
2. The system must be able to automatically configure and reconfigure itself depending
on the changing computing environment.
3. The system must be able to optimize its performance to ensure the most efficient
computing process.
4. The system must be able to work around encountered problems by either repairing
itself or routing functions away from the trouble.
5. The system must detect, identify and protect itself against various types of attacks to
maintain overall system security and integrity.
6. The system must be able to adapt to its environment as it changes, interacting with
neighboring systems and establishing communication protocols.
7. The system must rely on open standards and cannot exist in a proprietary
environment.
8. The system must anticipate the demand on its resources while keeping transparent to
users.

Autonomic computing is one of the building blocks of pervasive computing, an anticipated

future computing model in which tiny – even invisible – computers will be all around us,
communicating through increasingly interconnected networks leading to the concept of The
Internet of Everything (IoE). Many industry leaders are researching various components of
autonomic computing.

BENEFITS

The main benefit of autonomic computing is reduced TCO (Total Cost of Ownership).
Breakdowns will be less frequent, thereby drastically reducing maintenance costs. Fewer
personnel will be required to manage the systems. The most immediate benefit of autonomic
computing will be reduced deployment and maintenance cost, time and increased stability of
IT systems through automation, Another benefit of this technology is that it provides server
consolidation to maximize system availability, and minimizes cost and human effort to
manage large server farms.