Benefits of Cloud Computing - Essay Example

Computer Science Cloud Computing With the development of a computerized world in the recent past, technologists have resorted to cloud computing as one of the most efficient method of storing and sharing information. Cloud computing refers to the mechanism that connects a large number of computers through the internet, to allow clients within the network to share crucial information and develop a common network. Cloud computing ensures that a large volume of information is available within virtual systems and clients across the world can access it effectively. This is a technology whose history dates back in the 1950s and gradual development of this technology continues even today. Although this technology has many advantages to a global society, it has a number of risks that make it disadvantageous in its application. The development of the cloud computing technology spans a long historical period that has seen it the common phrase today in the in information technology today. In the 1950s the mainframe computer technology had many drawbacks that necessitated the need of sharing resources within computer networks in public institutions. During this time, the mainframe computers were slow and expensive and it was virtually impossible to provide each person with a mainframe computer. Consequently, the need for sharing information arose in public institutions where the number of computers were much less than the number of clients. To achieve this, the static terminals, which were used for communicating but had no processors, were invented to ensure that the CPU clock speed and the resources within the mainframe memory could be shared among various clients. Between the year 1960 and 1990, cloud computing became more common as scientists suggested that it was possible to connect the whole world through the use a few data centers and numb terminals located from all over the world (Furht, and Armando 10). At this stage, this technology was foreseen as an invention that would globalize the world and connect all human beings within a cohesive network. The period between 1990 and 2000 has been a period of rapid transition of cloud computing technology. Telecommunication service providers adopted the virtual private network (VPN) in which their clients could access networks remotely. Also, this was the time when the cloud computing symbol was used by service providers to mark a separation between the core network and the client side of the network. After the proliferation of the internet technology, the internet formed common network where information could be shared and distributed within virtual computer systems. In 2000, companies such as the Amazon modernized their data centers and provided high capacity networks where information could be accessed by many clients in their online presence. Today, this technology has been adopted within the business systems to synchronize global business operations and form high capacity networks that can provide data to all clients in the world (Furht, and Armando 15). Cloud distributors have become popular as they adopt hardware Virtualization and utility computing that have become the drivers of the cloud computing technology. The cloud computing architecture is divided into two ends that separate the storage and the access sides. Strickland (2) regards the two sides of the cloud computing architecture as the front end and the back end. The front end side is constituted by the client’s computer network and the associated applications that facilitate access of the networks. Mozilla Firefox and the internet explorer are just some of the applications that are commonly used by clients to access the internet on the front end. On the other hand, the back end side constitutes the computers, servers and the autonomous data storage systems that allow the formation of a cloud that can be accessed from the front end. The internet forms a link between the front end and the back end as it forms the channel of communication between the clients and storage servers. The entire communication process requires a set of protocols and middleware programs to facilitate data transfer and information processing within the distribution network. Another demand of this network is an efficient, secure software application, often referred to as middleware, that helps clients to share and access resources from the cloud network. Cloud computing service providers have adopted standard service models that they use to develop and efficient cloud network. Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) is one of the service models that cloud network designers have found useful within these networks. This fundamental model refers to the physical infrastructure that is necessary in developing an efficient communication network. Basically, it is composed of the virtual machines, servers containing application specific information, storage hardware and load balancers that are necessary to ensure efficient distribution of the client loads within the network. Secondly, the Platform as a service (PaaS) model is used to provide a computing platform that dictates the mechanisms that the clients use to access resources within the cloud. Typically, the PaaS model is composed of execution runtime, database, development tools and web servers. Lastly, the Software as a Service (SaaS) Model is another important model within a cloud computing architecture. This model comprises of the virtual desktop, communication games and management software. The service provides use software within the cloud to manage the entire cloud architecture and provide the clients with cloud client terminal in which they can access the architecture. For instance, in business models, users are allowed to reach the relevant databases and software from the client side through a remote connection (Buyya, Broberg, and Andrzej 43-45). The models link to the client through browsers, terminal emulators, or even mobile applications. Cloud computing has many advantages that have underpinned its current adoption and integration into business, academic and social networks. First, cloud computing provides an effective method of hoarding and storing information through a virtual network. In the globalized world, information is the backbone of development and its availability is a necessary requirement. With cloud computing and internet technology, information can be shared across the world and every person can access information from wherever position. Secondly, the method is cost efficient and provides a cheap method of making information available to every person. By sharing information, it makes it unnecessary for every person to acquire personal storage devices that would be expensive and hard to obtain. Consequently, unnecessary expenses are avoided without having to sacrifice efficient information access. Apart from these, cloud computing improves information access and reduces the time of information access within a cloud (Velte, Velte and Elsenpeter 11-38). These benefits of cloud computing have made it a popular technology today as more organizations embrace and register with cloud computing service providers. Also, it is possible to look the benefits of cloud computing from the client and the service provider sides. On the client side, cloud computing helps them to access, share and utilize information without necessarily having to incur the cost of storage infrastructure which would be expensive for them. For instance, business companies can share its information within its international branches and synchronize its activities from the remote locations. The service providers, on the other hand, benefit from the increased acceptance of this technology. Business organizations pay for registration within a cloud and real time access of resources is accompanied by some cost. Currently, cloud computing service providers are experiencing a growth rate of about 90% each year (Viswanathan Para 3). In this regard, the superiority of cloud computing has made it an adorable technology in the world of development. However, cloud computing has its associated risks that have undermined its proliferation within the world today. Viswanathan (Para 8) points out that one of the current worries about cloud computing is the existence of security threat. Each business organization that registers within a cloud exposes its sensitive business information to a world that is full of rivalry. With an increase in cybercrime, business organizations have become more conscious in sharing information making them retract from cloud computing. Consequently, cloud computing infrastructure developers still have a great challenge to eliminate the security risks that are associated with this technology. Another risk that confronts cloud users is the danger associated with system dysfunction. Even the most effective cloud vendors run into an infrastructure breakdown that often has dire consequences to the service recipients. For a business organization, infrastructure collapse will paralyze all business operations leading to loss of much profit. These risks make cloud computing a weak technology that has both benefits and risks for the subscribers. In this regard, the cloud computing technology should be approached with more awareness and the need to establish the best service providers is a necessary competence. In conclusion, cloud computing technology, since its advent in 1950, has grown to become an adorable information sharing platform. With its effective and service-oriented model, it provides and effective and cheap way of sharing and accessing information through an internet link. With the high demand of information in the world today, this technology has solved the problem of information shortage in the world today. At the service provider end, the core network forms the data center and the users on the client side have applications and protocols to access information remotely. However, the alarm of increased cybercrime, security has become a matter of concern within this technology. Apart from this challenge, the risk of network collapse poses the subscribers on the risk of losing information of even remaining closed during a network fluctuation. Nevertheless, this technology has become a backbone of globalization and has found application in social, business and academic networks. Works Cited Buyya, Rajkumar, James Broberg, and Andrzej Gos?cin?ski. Cloud Computing: Principles and Paradigms. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley, 2011. Internet resource. Furht, Borivoje, and Armando Escalante. Handbook of Cloud Computing. New York: Springer, 2010. Internet resource. Strickland, Jonathan.  "How Cloud Computing Works"  2008. Web. Accessed from:  [Accessed on 17th Dec, 2013] Velte, Anthony T, Toby J. Velte, and Robert C. Elsenpeter. Cloud Computing: A Practical Approach. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. Internet resource. Viswanathan, Priya. Cloud Computing-Is it Really all that Beneficial? 2013. Web. Accessed from: [Accessed on 17th Dec, 2013] Read More