JJ, a young guy who is very interested in my working field. He often asks me some nice questions.He asked what is “Cloud Computing” last night. And we were really enjoying our topic. Here are some points we’ve disscussed, shraring with the friends who come to visit.
“Cloud computing” was raised by Google. We can imagine it a beautiful network application mode on its name. In the “cloud computing” age, we can put those mobile devices aside such as flash disk. Just head to the page of “Google Docs”, create a document and edit it, then share the URL of the document with your friends or your colleagues so that they can visit the document directly on their browsers through the URL. We will no longer have to worry about information lost due to damaged hard disk.
During the “cloud computing” period, “Cloud computing” will do the work of memory and computing for us. “Cloud computing” is said to be a cluster with computers. Every cluster contains maybe hundreds of thousands or even millions of computers. “Cloud computing” still has a further advantage on keeping the computers it contains up-to-date. Google has a number of this “cloud” and so does Microsoft, Yahoo and Amazon. At that time, we only need a computer which can be online. Once needed, we can quickly locate and compute the data wherever we are.
Forms of “Cloud computing”
1.SAAS: The trait of this type of “cloud computing” is: the procedure was sent to thousands upon thousands of users through the browser. In the users’ view, this will save the costs on the authorization of some software. In the suppliers’ view, this will reduce their cost because they only need to maintain a procedure. Salesforce.com is the most famous one on supplying this kind of service by far.
2.Utility computing: This type of “cloud computing” is creating a virtual datacenter which can make memory, I/O device, the ability of memory and computing together to be a virtual resource pool and providing service on the Internet.
3.Network services: It is very close to SAAS. The supplier can provide API for the developers so that they can develop more applications based on the Internet instead of some stand-alone program.
4.Platform for service: It is another type of SAAS. This type of “cloud computing” provides developing environment as a service to the public. You can use a middle-man’s device to develop your procedure and deliver the service to your users through the Internet.
5.MSP (manage service provide): This is the most ancient method of “cloud computing” for people to use. This kind of application was IT industry-oriented, such as Personal payment management system.
6.Commercial service platform: This type of application mixed SAAS and MSP applications. It provides a platform between users and the suppliers.
7.Internet integration: This will integrate those companies which provide similar services on the Internet so that users could compare and choose their own service provider more easily.
The features of “Cloud computing”
1.Large: “Cloud computing” has a large number of computers. Such as Google, whose “cloud computing” has more than 1 million server till now. It can give users an unprecedented computing ability.
2.Virtual: This means that users can stay anywhere, use any kind of terminal to get the service. There is no need for users to know where the process of computing happens. They only need a computer or a mobile phone and they will get everything they need through the Internet.
3.High reliability: “Cloud computing” has made a lot of measures to ensure the service reliability.
4.Being universal: “Cloud computing” is not for a specific application. One “cloud computing” could support different applications running at the same time.
5.Highly extension: “Cloud computing” is highly telescopic. This could satisfy users’ growing demands.
6.Provide services on users’ needs: “Cloud computing” is a large resource pool. And it can be paid on the amount you used.
7.Very cheap: The component of a “cloud computing” is very cheap. The popularity of “Cloud computing” makes the resource’s utilization more efficient. So that you can spend only hundreds of dollars and several days to complete the work which should have spent you tens of thousands of dollars and months of time.
“Cloud computing” can completely change people’s future, but at the same time we need to take environmental issues seriously. So that it will make contribution to human progress, rather than simply upgrade their technology.