Enterprise-oriented cloud computing, part 1th: Understanding some basic concepts of the cloud

Introduction

What is cloud computing?

This seems to be a cliché and simple question, but it's actually not. Currently, there are hundreds of (or even thousands of) definitions of cloud computing on the web. To fully answer this question, it may be more convenient to understand what is not cloud computing before trying to define it.

Some people say that cloud computing is just another term for the service (SaaS) model of software that has been at the forefront of the Web 2.0 movement. Others say that cloud computing is a marketing hype, just a new face for old technologies such as utility computing, virtualization or grid computing. This view ignores the fact that cloud computing is broader than any of these specific technologies. To ensure this, cloud solutions typically include these technologies (and some other technologies), but it is a comprehensive strategy that distinguishes cloud computing from its predecessor products.

For this article, we define cloud computing as a comprehensive solution in which all computing resources (hardware, software, networking, storage, and so on) can be quickly delivered to users based on command instructions. You can manage the resources or services provided to ensure availability, security, and quality. The key to these solutions is that they can scale and shrink, enabling users to get the resources that are right for their needs: neither more nor less.

In short, cloud computing solutions enable it to be delivered as a service.

Why use cloud computing?

There are many reasons why more and more companies are turning to IT solutions that include cloud computing. First, cloud computing can reduce the costs associated with delivering IT services. Reduce capital and operating costs by acquiring resources only when resources are needed and paying only for the resources that are required. In addition, by reducing some of the burden associated with managing various resources across the enterprise, your key staff can focus more on creating value and business innovation. Finally, the cloud computing model provides business agility. By extending or shrinking the entire IT infrastructure to meet the requirements, companies can more easily meet rapidly changing market demands and ensure that their customers are in the lead.

In many ways, cloud computing enables the integration of many existing technologies (SOA, virtualization, automated computing) with new ideas to develop a complete IT solution.

Cloud Profiling

With an acceptable cloud definition support, let's look at each layer of the cloud. Figure 1 summarizes the three rule components of the cloud model. The figure accurately reflects the proportion of IT quantity to cost, physical space requirements, maintenance, management, management oversight, and obsolescence. In addition, these layers can represent not only cloud profiling, but also general IT profiling.

Figure 1. Cloud Profiling

The layers that make up the cloud include:

Application Services

Everyday Web users may be most familiar with this layer. The application service layer resides in an application that is suitable for the SaaS model. They are applications that run in the cloud and are provided to the user as a service as required. Sometimes these services are free, providers generate revenue from projects such as Web ads, and sometimes application providers create revenue directly from the use of services. Does it sound familiar? Maybe so, because we almost all use them. If you use the Turbo Tax online tax, check your emails with GMail or Yahoo mail, or schedule appointments with Google Calendar, you must be familiar with the top layer of the cloud. They are just two examples of these types of applications. There are thousands of SaaS applications from the actual record, and the number is growing after using WEB 2.0 technology.

Perhaps the public is not fully aware of these applications because many of the applications in the application services layer are directed towards the enterprise community. There are some managed software products: handling payroll processes, human resources management, collaboration, customer relationship management, business partnership management, and so on. Common examples of these products include: ibm®lotus®live, IBM Lotus sametime®, Unyte, Salesforce.com, Sugar CRM, and WebEx.

In both cases, the application provided through the SaaS model can benefit the user, who does not have to install and maintain the software, and these applications can be used with a license model that supports the use of paid concepts.

Platform Services

This is a layer where we can see the application infrastructure as a set of services. This includes, but is not limited to, middleware as a service, message delivery as a service, integration as a service, information as a service, connectivity as a service, and so on. The services here are primarily designed to support applications. These applications can run in the cloud and can run in more traditional enterprise data centers. To achieve the scalability required within the cloud, the different services provided here are often virtualized. Examples of cloud-related products in this section include Ibm®websphere®application Server virtual images, Amazon Web Services, Boomi, Cast Iron, and Google App Engine. Platform services enable users to ensure that the application infrastructure is provided on demand and that they are equipped with applications that meet the needs of the user.

Infrastructure services

At the bottom of the cloud is the infrastructure services layer. Here, we see a set of physical assets, such as servers, network devices, and storage disks that are provided to consumers as supply services. The services here support the application infrastructure (regardless of whether the infrastructure is provided through the cloud) and more users. For platform services, virtualization is a common way to provide resources on demand. Examples of infrastructure services include: IBM Bluehouse, VMWare, Amazon EC2, Microsoft Azure Platform, Sun parascale Cloud Storage, and so on.

Infrastructure services primarily address the problem of correctly equipping data centers by computing power on demand. In addition, because this layer generally leverages virtualization technology, you can achieve cost savings resulting from more efficient resource utilization.

Public, private, and mixed clouds

Now that you know what cloud computing is and what constitutes a cloud computing solution, let's look at the three main types of cloud. For the purposes of this article, we will describe several types of enterprise users related to cloud computing (Figure 2):

Figure 2. Cloud Type