Cloud Computing in Telecommunications and Networking - Assignment Example

Name: Tutor: Course: Date: Telecommunications & Networking Concept description Cloud computing is a description of software, computation, storage and data access that don’t need the knowledge of the end user about the configuration and the place where the service delivery system is. Virtualization, utility and autonomic computing has been adopted on a wide scale as a product of the evolution of cloud computing (Brian, 98).End users provide the details that do not need expertise in technology infrastructure or control over the same infrastructure from which they get their support. Cloud computing provides a description for a model of delivery, consumption, new supplement for Information Technology services which are based on protocols of the internet. It involves provisioning resources which are dynamically virtualized and scalable. Cloud computing comes in as a byproduct of the easy ways of accessing sites for remote computing which the internet provides (Joseph P. Stenzel, Gary Cokins,300).In most cases it appears in tools based on the web or applications which are used by people via web browsers just like any program that may be locally installed on a computer. In other terms cloud computing may be described as a model used for the enablement of convenient access to network of configurable resources of computing (Brian J. S. Chee, Curtis Franklin Jr.,98).Such resources are normally services, applications, servers, networks and storage. These resources should have the quality of being provisioned rapidly and released without much management effort or the interaction of service providers (Brian, 98). Cloud is a term used metaphorically to refer to the internet. It is derived from the drawing of a cloud which formerly was used to represent the network of telephones. Later on it started serving as a depiction of the internet whenever it occurred in diagrams of computer networks. It was an abstraction for the hidden infrastructure it stood for. Providers of cloud computing submit business applications through the internet which are taken from a different web service or even a software such as a web browser. Data and software are kept on servers. Many infrastructures in cloud computing have services which are relayed via built servers and common centers. Clouds occur as single points through which consumers get their computing needs. Commercial dealers must accomplish ‘quality of service requirements’ from the customers. In cloud computing there are services one communicating to the other. In this kind of communication there is ‘simple data passing’ or a number of services between which there is coordination that enables them to perform a given activity (Brian,98).As this communication progresses there is need for some other means. Before, many applications stood alone since they were made for only one use. However today there is evolution in the system to make it more service oriented. Users have the freedom to rent the software for use because of the improved growth in availability and use of the internet assisted by cloud computing. Users can get direct services from big organizations like Amazon, Google or Microsoft instead of buying the software from these companies. The SOA software helps in addressing reusability, multi component, flexibility and extensibility. These characteristics are necessary to those companies which prefer renting to purchasing. The emergence of cloud computing can be associated with technologies like parallel processing, grid computing and distributed computing. These technologies could look similar but they have different modes of functioning one form the other (Martin Gilje Jaatun 469).This technology has been around for some years now but the cloud computing notion is only an evolution of technology emergence in the field of computer science. Cloud computing as a term is taken from the presence of applications and data on ‘a cloud of web servers.’ Due to the availability of cloud computing resources as well as data needed for doing the work is not confined to a person’s computer. They are hosted somewhere else which enables it to be accessed anywhere and at any time. With this the user is able to operate with it at any place and at any time. The two applications which the data centers provide as internet services to its different users together with the software and hardware systems used for provision of the services can be found within cloud computing. As an important cloud computing feature the nodes within it are differentiated so that every node operates as a machine on its own. This enables the user to find virtualization technology easier to use. Cloud computing goes beyond the limitation created through the technology of grid computing. This is done through the connection of a number of bifurcated computers which turns it into a big computer with the power to do processing of many computations as well as handling a huge a quantity of data. Users get an advantage because the technology has every node made into a distinct machine. According to (Brian J. S. Chee, Curtis Franklin Jr.,98).Users can therefore load software as well as operating systems differently on every node depending on the requirements of the nodes. Cloud computing makes use of information technology and stores big quantities of data which permitted users make use of when they have the right applications. The cloud which supports the technique is providing a base upon which changing workload is handled by automatic change depending on the workload’s requirement. Business data, personal data and applications are stored in the cloud. Cloud computing has the ability through which a small number of web services operate to coordinate maps, photos as well as GPS information which can present front pages in the web browsers of various users. Because cloud computing has the workload shift feature it is no longer necessary for people with personal computers involve themselves in running these applications. The cloud is handled by computers networking together. The handling and processing of data by the cloud reduces software and hardware use by the user. The computer of the user is only concerned with the interface software which runs all applications. At present the interface software in use is internet explorer 9. Other versions developed earlier but also still in use are Internet Explorer 8 as well as Mozilla firefox. Many users of the internet have the knowledge of cloud computing since they can make use of e-mails with service providers which are based on the web like hot mail, G mail and Yahoo mail. Due to cloud computing emergence users log in the web based e-mail accounts but they don’t run the email programs in their computers. The computer that provides the service has a cloud that carries software and stores the details of the user’s e-mail account. This is not possible with local computers operated by users. At the moment though there exists no particular definition to explain what cloud computing is and the development of its characteristics are expected to take a bit more time as well as the creation of a standardized definition that will go together with the current field operations. The Business Case Many analysts maintain that the major problem faced by the adoption of cloud computing in a faster way by organizations is the failure to have enough security, portability and reliability. Information Technology managers and Chief Information Officers always give these as the main reasons why they cannot trust cloud providers who are in this case third parties to store and process their personalized and sensitive data. These concerns are however not new meaning they have not come with the cloud computing idea. They can also be found in several other kinds of Information Technology management structures. Among this is outsourcing and hosting which are very close to the technology of cloud computing. Issues about security, ‘vendor lock in’ and reliability are at their peak in the cloud computing technology. CIO’s are concerned much about the security of their corporate information being left in the hands of a third party. Organizations that are planning to try cloud computing may not be sure about the protection of their data. Many of the questions of CIO’s in such organizations revolve around the encryption of their data in storage, when on transfer to the service provider and back, the creation of back ups incase there is failure at the data center and the strategy of restoration. There are many other fears that CIO’s have. However many big providers of public cloud such as Google or AWS have measures and SLAs which provide certain levels of measures and responsiveness whenever the security of the data provided by the CIO has been breached. They also take care of situations in which software and hardware have failed. These problems being expressed by CIO’s are common with cloud providers who are not well established and so they lack the resources, capacity and knowledge needed to give enough security to the satisfaction of the CIO. CIO’s are also worried about the problem of their data being pirated. This is very acute when it comes to ‘personally Identifiable Data.’ CIO’s are very much at the center of data preservation of company data. Fear also emanates from an added number of regulations and legislations more so in cases where there cloud services are provided across the borders. This can result in net work servers being confiscated or data being seized by authorities resident in the service provider’s country (Brian J. S. Chee, Curtis Franklin Jr., 98).This problem can become a reality when a buyer from one area such as the European Union makes use of services provided by cloud computing which is found in a different locality such as the USA. For example the European Union does not allow the transfer of Personally Identifiable Data across the border from the EU. This can only happen if the foreign country involved applies to particular regulations held by the EU. CIO’s are also concerned with the problem of the reliability. Cloud computing has the internet being use as the major mechanism for transportation. The internet has its major problems such as packet loss, latency and the time of response. There is the challenge of organizations that use cloud services to be sure that it gets and retains the right levels of service. CIO’s have the fear that when they chose a given provider of cloud services it will force them to be ‘locked in’ with that specific provider (Lee,300).Because there is no standardization many existing cloud providers have executed and advanced proprietary solutions which do not have the ability to inter-operate one to the other. Virtualization Virtualization is the development of version that is non actual or virtual. This may be a non actual version of an operating system, hardware platform, net work resources or storage device. Virtualization is only a section of the general trend going on in enterprise Information Technology. This trend is inclusive of autonomic computing which enables the Information Technology environment to have self management basing on utility computing and perceived activity whereby the power of computers to process is taken as something that customers pay for when there is need. Virtualization aims at the centralization of administrative tasks and in the process improve work loads and scalability. The technique of virtualization operates by handling the way through which the image of the middle ware, operating system and application allocated to a real machine or a section of the stack away of the server. The technology gives help in the reuse of licenses in middleware, software applications and operating systems the moment the user’s service is released from the platform of cloud computing. Hardware virtualization Hardware virtualization is a type of system that makes use of one processor to operate like many computers in use. It serves two purposes. One purpose involves the running of separate operating systems on a particular hardware. The other purpose allows many users to make use of the processor concurrently. Even though there are financial and logistical gains made from hardware virtualization, there exist some other limitations in practice. Hardware virtualization as a term covers a number of like technologies which do one fundamental function. Technically speaking the proper name should be ‘hardware assisted virtualization.’ The reason is that the processor does part of the work of virtualization. This contrasts with totally software based techniques. Platform virtualization otherwise called hardware virtualization is used to mean the development of virtual machines which work like computers with operating systems. Software used on such operating systems is normally distinct from hardware parts found underneath. A computer which runs Microsoft Windows could have within it a virtual machine which is similar to a computer in appearance and has an operating system called Mac Os X. As a result it is possible to run a soft ware based on Mac Os X on the virtual Machine. In matters of hardware virtualization, host machine is the term used to refer to that machine where virtualization occurs. The virtual machine is otherwise called the guest machine. Just the same way ‘host’ and ‘guest’ in use normally bring out the distinction between software running on the real machine and those running on virtual machine. The ‘virtual machine monitor’ or hypervisor is the software which creates the virtual machine within the hardware hosting it. Hardware virtualization can be divided into various types. The first kind is called full virtualization in which the real hardware is almost fully simulated so that it can permit the “guest operating system” software to run without being modified in any way. Another one is called partial virtualization in which part of the environment being targeted receives simulation. In order to be able to run within such an environment guest software must be modified. In Para virtualization there is no simulation the environment of the hardware. Instead execution is done for the guest software in different distinct domains. To be able to operate in such an environment the guest software should have specific modifications done to them. “The efficiency of hardware virtualization” can easily be increased by use of “hardware assisted virtualization.” The process relies on components of hardware and CPU which are specially designed to better the guest environment’s performance. There should be confusion between hardware virtualization and hardware emulation. Hardware pieces imitate one another in hardware emulation while in hardware virtualization; computer hardware is emulated by some piece of software or hypervisor. Software virtualization Symantec workspace virtualization (SWV), refers to an application virtualization solution’ which was initially started by Altiris. At that time it was given the name “Software Virtualization Solution,” it makes it possible for data and applications to be placed in virtual layers which include both data layers and application layers. Otherwise the data and application layers could be installed on the registry and file system. The former process is achieved by way of filter drivers and technology for layering which Altiris got from FS Logic. Through the placement of applications as well as data in virtual software packages which are otherwise managed layers, makes it possible to have fly activation application resetting, deactivation so that conflicts between the applications are avoided. It also helps for their clean removal without interfering with the installation of the base windows. AppStream works together with Altiris to come up with virtual applications. Symantec Corporation took over Altiris. The corporation boasts of developing the Norton Antivirus together with several other things. AWV can be acquired very easily for trial but it is necessary for one to purchase it so that so that the full features can be enabled. Previously SWV was called SVS or “Software Virtualization Professional (Katarina Stanoevska-Slabeva, 270).Software Virtualization solution makes it possible for the proper files as well as registry settings to be used whereby the operating system is not modified in any way and also other application systems are not interfered with. A number of benefits are obtained from this among them increased flexibility and reliability. During the installation of new software for instance or even application updates an error may occur whereby administrators substitute new DLLs for old ones (Mullins, 2010).This may be a source for bigger problems in applications which share the affected DLLs. With the use of software virtualization solution it is possible to bring to an end worries about problems with DLL. The issuing of application versions needs time to be able to confirm the presence of any conflicts as well as reprovision laboratory testing computers. The software virtualization solution makes it easy to have pre-deployment testing. It also makes the deployment cycle to move faster as well as the reduction of costs incurred on post deployment. With SVS many versions of a given application can be contained in one system without the possibility of conflicts arising between the new and old files (Mullins, 2010). It is very easy to either activate or deactivate the applications being used without posing any risk to the environment or causing a breakage on the already existing applications when a single command is sent to the system of the client. Software Virtualization does the registration of services which are installed by the application together with the windows control manager. This control manager loads the service to make the application fully functional. Work Cited Brian J. S. Chee, Curtis Franklin Jr., Curtis Franklin, Jr. - Computers - 2009 - 270 pages. Cloud Computing: Principles, Systems and Applications‎ - Page 3. Lee Gillam - Computers - 2010 - 379 pages. Cloud Computing: First International Conference, Cloud COM 2009, Beijing ...‎ - Page 621 De-Shuang Huang, Kang-Hyun Jo, Hong-Hee Lee Emerging Intelligent Computing Technology and Applications: 5th Page 423 - Computers - 2009 - 1134 pages. Cloud Computing: Technologies and Strategies of the Ubiquitous Data Center.‎ Martin Gilje Jaatun - Computers - 2009 - 707 pages. CIO Best Practices: Enabling Strategic Value with Information Technology‎ - Page 100. Joseph P. Stenzel, Gary Cokins, Karl D. Schubert - Business & Economics - 2010 - 337 pages. Cloud Computing - The Complete Cornerstone Guide to Cloud Computing Best. Gerard Blokdijk, Ivanka Menken - 2009 - 158 pages. Enterprise Cloud Computing: Technology, Architecture, and Applications‎ - Page xi. Gautam Shroff - Computers - 2010 - 308 pages. Grid and Cloud Computing: A Business Perspective on Technology and Applications‎. Katarina Stanoevska-Slabeva - Computers - 2009 - 274 pages. Mullins, Robert (2010-06-16). "IDC Survey: Risk in the Cloud". Network Computing Read More