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Here is given a brief introduction to cloud computing, as it consists of delivering services via the world wide web. Business users are capable of accessing resources and services from a variety of providers. Businesses are able to have a dynamic resource allocation into their IT infrastructure on a usage capacity on-demand, as a result businesses do not have to prior invest in terms of in-house expertise, security or large financial commitments including the ongoing maintenance of their whole IT infrastructure.
Below are the main characteristics of Cloud Computing for Business:
• On-Demand Self-Service: Businesses can provision computing capabilities custom implemented to their requirements.
• Resource Pooling: IT infrastructure resources, such as storage, processing and memory, are pooled to serve multiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physical and virtual resources dynamically assigned according to demand.
• Rapid Elasticity: Consumer’s capabilites can be rapidly and elastically provisioned and purchased in any quantity at any time. As a result, IT Managers are less pressured to predict utilization, thereby reducing capital expenditure.
• Measured Service: Metering capability allows automatic control and optimization of resources through cloud computing. Resource usage is monitored, controlled and reported.
Migrating to the cloud can provide many benefits to businesses. It follows that it is imperative that an understanding of the different cloud configurations including service models, ownership and location of the hardware, and the degree of capacity reservation, are essential to help the overall understanding for any business strategies and implementations.
Implementation Models or Cloud Configurations:
• Infrastructure as a Service (Iaas), this configuration permits to deploy and run software by provisioning components such as processing, storage, networks and other fundamental computing resources. Businesses do not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure. The underlying service providers own the equipment and are thus responsible for their own maintenance. However, the businesses do have control over operating systems, storage and deployed applications. Examples include Amazon Web Services.
• Platform as a Service (Paas), this configuration permits the deployment onto the cloud infrastructure customised solutions including applications created using tools supported and hosted by the service provider. However, businesses do not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure, such as the network, servers, operating systems or storage, but has control over the deployed applications. Examples include Google Apps Engine and Microsoft Azure.
• Software as a Service (Saas), businesses are capable to use the service provider applications running on a cloud infrastructure. Businesses do not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, storage or even individual application abilities. An example is web-based email.
Deployment:
• Private Cloud, In this model, the cloud infrastructure is self-owned by a business. It can be managed by the organization itself or a third-party provider, and it can exist on or off the organization’s premises. However, there are challenges of managing large initial investments, significant changes in internal IT operations and support, and time to achieve technology capability
• Public Cloud, the cloud infrastructure is made available to the general public or a large industry group. The infrastructure is vendor-owned.
• Hybrid Cloud, a combination of both private and public clouds, hybrid clouds are organized in such a way that a portion of the infrastructure is deployed in a private cloud and the rest is exposed on the public cloud. In this case, there is an increased need for a central cloud management solution to address challenges in both private and public configurations.
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