Definition of cloud computing? Seven different interpretations

The rapid development of hardware products directly led to the rapid growth of data volume on the Internet, when the mass data as a concept was proposed, the data measurement units from GB up to TB to calculate. On the personal computer side, because of the birth of a new concept, so that users do not have to withstand the massive data level of computing. Cloud computing-the word that has become the most popular concept today-provides another form of application.

For example, if the cloud is understood as the Internet Internet used by today's users, then the meaning of "cloud" combined with "computing" becomes very complicated. The definition of cloud computing varies from user to vendor understanding, and in general, cloud computing refers to an upgraded version of the Public/utility computing (Utility computing) comprised of virtual servers. Another explanation in the industry is that any operation outside the firewall can be called "cloud computing," which even includes conventional outsourced applications. For these broad definitions, it is difficult to describe them visually. Now the industry's leading cloud makers have launched their own strategies, including Amazon, Google, Salesforce, Microsoft, SUN, IBM, Oracle, and EMC's cloud strategy, and have tentatively explored the impact of cloud computing on businesses.

In fact, when we take into account the actual needs of it, the concept of cloud computing becomes clearer: one way to increase resource capacity or improve computing performance without adding hardware infrastructure investments, without training new employees, or without buying new software. Cloud computing encompasses all of the existing capabilities of the IT industry, including all real-time subscriptions via the network or a Pay-per-use service model.

Cloud computing is still in its infancy, and while various vendors are developing different cloud computing services, from sophisticated applications to storage services to spam filtering, there are signs that developers and integrators of cloud computing are emerging and that cloud computing will go into enterprise applications.

Here's a quick look at what types of cloud computing applications are.

1. SaaS Software as Service

Such cloud computing is a Web browser that provides a single software application to thousands of users. In the view of the user, they do not need to purchase the server device or software authorization beforehand, but for the manufacturer, the cost of providing only one application is much lower than that of the conventional software service mode.

In addition, SaaS in the Human Resources software application is also more common, even it has begun to expand to the ERP domain. Furthermore, the SaaS-based "desktop" application apps and Zoho office suddenly became more determined as the leading model for SaaS Software as a service.

2. Public/Utility Calculation

Public/Utility computing is now being paid a new meaning, and cloud computing, pioneered by many vendors, is providing the industry with the required storage resources and virtualized servers. Today's public/utility computing is not a complementary tool for enterprises to use, but gradually began to occupy a niche in the data center.

In addition, some vendors are starting to help enterprise users create virtual data centers, such as the LIQUIDQ services of liquid computing, which help businesses integrate memory, OS, storage, and computing capacity across the network into a virtual pool of resources.

3. Web services in the domain of cloud computing

Similar to SaaS, Web services vendors provide APIs to enable developers to develop Internet applications rather than provide full-featured applications themselves. The Cloud computing services range from decentralized business services such as strike iron and xignite to maps, ADP payroll processing, USPS services, Bloomberg and regular credit card processing services.

4, PAAs platform is the service

Platform as a service (Platform as a service) is a variant of the software that serves (SaaS), a form of cloud that provides the development environment as a service to the user. That is, users can create their own application software on the vendor's infrastructure to run it, and then pass it directly from the vendor's server to other users (such as vegging-out) over the network. However, such services are subject to the design and capacity constraints of the manufacturer, and the user is therefore not free enough.

5, Management Service provider (MSP)

Management Services (Consolidator service) is one of the oldest forms of cloud computing, and it is intended for IT managers rather than end users, such as virus scanning services for e-mail, and application software monitoring services. The management security services provided by SecureWorks, IBM and Verizon can be categorized as such, including the Postini anti-spam service currently being acquired by Google. Other products of MSP also include desktop management services, such as CenterBeam and Everdream offerings.

6. Service Business Platform

This cloud computing service incorporates SaaS and MSP, and it actually provides an interactive service platform for users. This is very common in the everyday business world, for example, a consumer management system allows users to order travel or secretarial services from a network platform, and the way and price of service delivery are set by the user beforehand. Its very typical example is Rearden commerce and Ariba.

7. Cloud Computing Integration

The integration of cloud computing services is only just beginning. SaaS provider Opsource recently launched Opsource Services Bus, which uses cloud-computing integration technology from a small company called Boomi. Another SaaS provider, Workday, recently acquired another company in the field, Capeclear. Capeclear provides an ESB for Business-to-business integration (Enterprise service buses, Enterprise Services bus).

Today, if cloud computing is valuable to the IT department of a large enterprise, it will have more immediate benefits for the SME user. With limited budgets and limited it talent, through cloud computing, small businesses can also use enterprise-class advanced technology, with lower upfront costs and a very easy extension to business requirements.

Cloud computing is not widely used. Because many cloud-based services are too isolated for users, cloud computing is more likely to be seen as an ethereal "sky operation". However, as virtualization and SOA become increasingly popular in the enterprise, a flexible, scalable infrastructure can ultimately make every enterprise a "cloud" node.

In fact, as cloud computing matures, more and more SMEs are shifting their demand for it technology to the cloud rather than spending a lot of money building complex IT architectures within the company.