Zhu Bunzhi Read the ten misreading of cloud computing from his own perspective

Cloud computing is the 4th quarter of 2007, the emergence of a term. The definition and connotation of it are different, we can find at least 100 kinds of statements on the Internet, but there is no accepted definition. This paper tries to synthesize the advantages of each family, and proposes the definition and characteristics of cloud computing. The requirement for this definition is to capture the nature of cloud computing in the most refined language, to cover today's popular typical cloud computing solutions (including Google Cloud computing, Amazon Cloud computing, Salesforce cloud computing, cloud security, etc.), but to differentiate other relevant concepts such as Grid computing, Parallel computation, etc.).

The definition of cloud computing has a narrow and broad sense. The narrow sense of cloud computing means that vendors build data centers or supercomputers through distributed computing and virtualization technologies to provide data storage, analytics, and scientific computing services to technology developers or business customers on a free or on-demand basis, such as Amazon's data Warehouse rental business, Microsoft's SSDs, and so on. The broad sense of cloud computing, refers to vendors through the establishment of network server clusters, to various types of customers to provide online software services, hardware leasing, data storage, calculation and analysis of different types of services. Clearly, the broad range of cloud computing includes more vendors and service types, such as 800 customers, Wallison development of online CRM software, domestic Ufida, Kingdee and other old management software manufacturers also launched the online financial software, Google released the Google application suite, etc., can be included in this category.

Cloud computing is neither grid computing nor virtualization, but an end-to-end solution integrated with multiple products and services.

Cloud computing is SaaS? Cloud computing is only applicable to small and medium-sized enterprises? Cloud computing does not guarantee enterprise data security?

What is cloud computing? The industry still has many misreading of cloud computing.

Misreading 1, cloud computing is grid computing

Grid technology is an integral part of cloud computing. How to provide resources to a task is the main difference between them (grid and cloud). Grid computing focuses on how to move a task to what it needs, typically a remote and already available resource. Typically, a grid is a group of servers, and a large computing task can be split into smaller tasks that are assigned to these servers to run in parallel. Grid computing is mainly used in education and scientific research institutions, but less in enterprises.

We can think of cloud computing as a phase upgrade of the previous generation computing pattern (such as grid computing, transparent computing, utility computing). We can also define cloud computing: Cloud Computing is a computing model in which applications, data, and IT resources are provided to users through the network in a way that serves them. Cloud computing is also a methodology for infrastructure management, with a large number of computing resources forming an IT resource pool for dynamically creating highly virtualized resources for user use. In the cloud computing environment, all computing resources, such as servers, can be dynamically generated from the hardware infrastructure and modified to meet the needs of the task. As a result, cloud computing can support grid computing, as well as non grid computing, such as a three-tier architecture application or Web2.0 application.

Misreading 2, implementing cloud computing needs to discard existing IT infrastructure resources

The essence of cloud computing is to maximize the utilization of IT investments through consolidation, sharing, and dynamic provisioning, including new investments and existing resources. Therefore, the implementation of cloud computing does not need to abandon the original IT infrastructure resources. The implementation of cloud computing systems can take advantage of existing IT infrastructure resources, and cloud computing systems can efficiently monitor the management of current and new IT infrastructure resources.

Misreading 3, cloud computing is only suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises

Small and medium-sized enterprises can derive great benefits from cloud computing, because cloud computing allows them to lease resources from cloud providers without the need to spend huge sums of money and it technology to maintain an infrastructure. Cloud computing can help these small and medium-sized enterprises to incubate their innovations in a cloud environment and shorten the time they put their products into the market. In this mode, we will deploy some public cloud like Wuxi's cloud computing center to provide this shared services and resources.

At the same time, the cloud in the enterprise environment also has another application mode, we call it the private cloud model, the enterprise itself builds the cloud computing infrastructure, facing internal users or external customers to provide cloud computing services. The enterprise has the autonomy of the infrastructure, and can improve the service based on its own demand, carry on the independent innovation.

Misreading 4, cloud computing is a technology or product

The most realistic and complete requirement for cloud computing customers should be an end-to-end solution integrated with multiple products and services. The implementation of cloud computing concepts can help customers manage their IT environments more efficiently by leveraging technologies such as virtualization, automation, Web2.0, and so on, and integrating these technologies into a range of scenarios.

Misreading 5, Cloud computing is SaaS

Focusing only on software as a service (SaaS) is one piece of the cloud, and the ultimate goal of the cloud is it as a service (ITaaS). Of course, SaaS can benefit from the rapid deployment and resource extensions provided by the cloud, so that SaaS applications can be scalable in terms of number of users and rapid deployment.

Misreading 6, cloud computing is virtualization

Virtualization is an integral part of the cloud. Cloud is more advanced than virtualization is that the cloud can be the end user on the virtual machine directly to the user's customized IT environment. Cloud computing integrates existing technologies for virtualization, Grid computing, and utility computing and builds on them.

Misreading 7, cloud computing needs to put the enterprise's data in a public place, can not guarantee the security of enterprise data

This depends on how the enterprise stores their data. Some public clouds do not meet the needs of the enterprise. However, they can be shared with mail, photos and video, or some other personal application service. For businesses, storing data on a standardized and standardized cloud ensures the safe and efficient use of their data.

Misreading 8, the financial crisis will reduce the IT investment budget and affect the vast implementation of cloud computing

According to IDC's analysis, the trend of adopting cloud technology will be strengthened because of the financial crisis originating in the United States. From an economic point of view, the cloud is very attractive to companies: The cloud can help save up to 80% of the usable area, 60% of the power and refrigeration consumption, up to three times times the facility utilization, make the existing resources more efficient.

In a downturn, cloud computing becomes a competitive advantage. Through analysis, Gartner is confident that in five years, the cost of most data centers spent on energy will equate to hardware input. In addition to the energy crisis, which drives big companies to transform their data centres into more efficient, government incentives and shared responsibility for "green" are prompting them to do so.

Misreading 9, cloud computing technology immature, not landing

Cloud computing is not rhetoric. Government departments and businesses, such as the Wuxi government and itricity in Europe, have helped bring cloud computing into their production environment with IBM's help, and have delivered the convenience of cloud computing to their customers.

However, to turn the benefits of cloud computing into reality while reducing risk, I would advise my clients to take the 80/20 approach of moving 80% of their business to the cloud, which would benefit from dynamic resource management while retaining 20% of the critical business in a proprietary private environment.

Misreading 10, the world only needs a big cloud

A public cloud is not enough for both business and individual users. The public cloud is provided by third parties to end users, generally free or inexpensive, and can be used over the Internet. There are now many of these types of clouds, providing services to end users through a public, open network. Enterprise users worry about the security, privacy, compliance, and normalization of this common pattern. Although this model can save itself the cost of purchasing and maintaining a data center, companies are more likely to choose to build private clouds to keep data secure.

And, in addition to common services, cloud computing should be customizable to provide the best quality of service to end users. User groups can define special services and applications based on their own characteristics.

2009 is a great time to implement cloud computing, as all the required technologies have been formed and the market needs large-scale scalable IT resources. (published in the original Chinese computer users)