1.

Introduction to Cloud
The increased degree of connectivity and the increasing amount of data has led many providers
and in data centers to employ larger infrastructures with dynamic load and access balancing.
By distributing and replication of data across servers on demand, resource utilization has been
significantly improved. Similarly web server hosts duplicate images of relevant customers who
requested a certain degree of accessibility across multiple servers and route requests
according to traffic load. CLOUD is delivery of on-demand computing resources everything from
applications to data centers over the internet on a pay-for-use basis. The word cloud was used
as a metaphor for the Internet and a standardized cloud-like shape was used to denote a
network on telephony schematics and later to depict the Internet in computer network. It refers
to a Network or Internet. In other words we can say that Cloud is something which is present at
remote location. The cloud symbol was used to represent the Internet as early as 1994
2. Cloud Computing
Cloud Computing is the delivery of services and computing over the internet. It helps the
individuals and businesses to use softwares and hardware managed at remote locations by
third parties. It refers to the manipulation, configuring and accessing of applications, data
storage and infrastructure and developmental tools online.

Cloud computing is a model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a

shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage,
applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal
management effort or service provider interaction. This cloud model promotes availability
and is composed of five essential characteristics, three service models and four deployment
models.(National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST).
Cloud Computing virtualizes systems by pooling and sharing resources, providing from a
centralized infrastructure, wherein costs are assessed on a metered basis and resources are
agile and scalable. It provides solutions for IT infrastructure at a low cost

2.1 Characteristics of Cloud Computing

1. On-Demand Self-Service: The user can utilize computing capabilities such as network
storage automatically without requiring human interaction with service provider
2. Broad Network Access: The capabilities can be accessed through heterogeneous thin
client platforms such as workstations, laptops, tablets and smart-phones.
3. Resource Pooling: The resources being provided are pooled in multiple servers. The
physical and virtual resources are dynamically allocated and reassigned according to
consumer demand. Hence resources are location independent. But the consumer has no
control on knowledge of exact location of resource.
4. Rapid Elasticity: The capabilities can be automatically scaled to accommodate demand
for resources. Hence for the consumer the capability available for provisioning often
appears to be unlimited and can be appropriated in any quantity of time.
5. Measured Service: The Cloud Systems automatically control and leverage optimized
resources. Resources can be monitored, controlled and reported which provides for
transparency to both providers and users of the service.
Apart from these core features of cloud computing, some additional features are also in
consideration:
1. Lower Costs
2. Ease of Utilization
3. Reliability
4. Outsourced IT Management
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5. Simplified Maintenance & Upgrades

6. Quality Of Service
2.2 Cloud and Dynamic Infrastructure

The Cloud Infrastructure consists of Servers, storage, network and management softwares,
deployment softwares, and platform virtualization as shown above.
1. Hypervisor: Firmware or low level program that acts as a virtual machine manager. It
allows sharing the single instance of cloud resources between several users.
2. Management Software: Helps to maintain and configure the cloud infrastructure.
3. Deployment Software: Helps to integrate cloud applications, and other resources.
4. Server: Helps to compute resource sharing and offers resource allocation, de-allocation,
monitoring and security services etc.
5. Storage: Uses distributed file system for storage purpose. If one resource fails, it can be
extracted from the other making cloud a reliable resource.
3. Cloud Service Models
Based on the services that the cloud provides to the users, there are mainly three types of
computing models: Infrastructure-as-a-Service, Software-as-a-Service, and Platform-as-aService.

1. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) - The capability is provided t the consumer to utilise the

providers softwares running on a cloud infrastructure. Various types of Saas
applications are listed as below:
a. Billing & Invoicing system
b. Customer Relationship Management applications(CRM)
c. Human Resource Applications
Examples of Saas Applications in use:
a. Google Apps: Offers web based email, website creation and management,
Documentation management etc.
b. NetSuite: Offers Business management software applications including accounting ,
ERP, Inventory Management, E-commerce etc.
2. Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) This offers runtime environment for development and
deployment of applications. PaaS has a feature of point-and-click tools that enable
users to create web applications. Developers can use the in-built APIs to create
applications. Examples of Paas offerings are:
a. Google App Engine- Platform used to develop and run Java, Python applications on
the Googles infrastructure
b. Microsoft Windows Azure- It is an on-demand compute and storage services as well
as development and deployment platform for applications on Windows.
c. CloudBees- This is Java platform for building and deploying java application.
3. Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) The capability provided to the users is to
provision processing, storage, networks, and other fundamental computing resources
where user is able to deploy arbitrary software which includes OS and applications.
IaaS provides access to fundamental resources such as physical and virtual machines,
virtual storage, VLAN, IP Addresses, Software bundles etc.
Examples of IaaS offerings:
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a. Amazon Elastic Cloud (EC2) Special virtual machines called Amazon Machine
Images(AMI) that can be deployed and the run on the EC2 Infrastructure.
b. RackSpace Cloud Servers Dynamically scalable computing, storage and load
balancing resources.
4. Cloud Deployment Models
Depending on the type of data being worked upon and the environment in which its
being used, Clouds can come in different forms such as: Private, Public, and Hybrid
Clouds.
1. Private Cloud: The private cloud allows the services and systems to be accessible
within an organization. The private cloud is operated within a single organization;
however it may be managed by a third-party or internally

Advantages of Private Cloud:

Higher Security and privacy Operations are not available to general public
hence the resources shared from distinct pool of resources therefore ensures
security and privacy of data and information.
More Control Private Clouds have more control on their resources and
hardware than public cloud as accessibility is limited.
Cost and Energy Efficient Provides more efficiency as is of lower cost
Disadvantages:
Restricted Area Private Clouds are accessed locally hence very difficult to
deploy globally
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Inflexible Pricing In case of increasing demand more hardware has to be

purchased which is costly.
Limited Scalability Can be scaled only within capacity of internal hosted
resources.

2. Public Cloud The public Cloud allows systems to be easily accessible to general
public. E.g Google, Amazon, Microsoft provide cloud services via internet.

Advantages of Public Cloud model:

Cost Effective- Since public cloud share the same resources with large
number of users, its economically viable
Reliability Since it employs large number of resources if any one fails the
other can take over.
Flexibility easy to integrate public cloud with private cloud giving users a
flexible approach
High Scalability Cloud resources can be made available on demand from a
pool of resources hence can be scaled down as per demand.
Disadvantages:
Low Security In this model data is hosted off-site and shared publicly hence
no high level security measures.
Less customizable Its less customizable than private Cloud.

3. Hybrid Cloud- This model is a mixture of public and private cloud. The critical
activities are performed in the private cloud whereas the non-critical activitie are
performed in the public cloud.

Advantages of hybrid Cloud:

Scalability It offers features of both public and private cloud scalability.
Flexibility It offers both scalable public resources as well as private secure
resources.
Security Ensures a high level of security
Disadvantages:
Networking Issues Due to the presence of both the clouds simultaneously,
the networking connections are quite complex.
Security compliance It is imperative that the cloud services are compliant
with the organizations security policies.
Infrastructural Dependency model is dependent on internal IT infrastructure
hence redundancy in necessary across the Data centers.

5. Pros and Cons Of Cloud Computing

The cloud computing provides numerous advantages to both the service providers and its
users of all business sizes.
Pros:

Cost Efficiency The biggest advantage of cloud computing is the elimination of

the stand-alone servers or software. By using the cloud capabilities businesses
can save licensing fees and at the same time eliminate the cost of storage of data,
upgradation and its management. With the arrival of more scalable and convenient
models, pay-as-u-go payments, cloud is getting more attractive
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Increased Storage Capacity Clod can store much more data than a single
system or a server in a way offering almost unlimited capacity, eliminating the
worry of running out of storage.
Continuous Availability and Convenience services provided are accessible
anywhere anytime. This has given a collaboration boo, as its easier to access or
share any document or file
Backup an Recovery The process of backing up and data recovering is easier
and simplified as data does not reside a particular physical drive. In some cases
the cloud itself is a backup of the data on local servers.
Device Diversity and Location Independence Services can be accessed from a
wide range of devices available. With the advent of cloud the Bring Your Own
Device (BYOD) policy can be easily adopted permitting employees to use their
personal devices for official work.

Cons:

Security Issues Cloud computing means internet computing. So we should not

store any sensitive data that we are not comfortable to put on the internet.
Dependency Major disadvantage is dependency on the provider. Sometimes if a
user wishes to shift to other service provider the transfer of high volumes data
from old to new provider is cumbersome.
Limited Control Since applications and softwares run on third party infrastructure
the user has limited control over the functions and execution of the hardware and
software.
Increased Weakness Since cloud based solutions are exposed to internet , the
are a vulnerable target for hackers and security breaches.

6.Applications Cloud Computing

These are some examples for cloud based applications :
1. Mozy - mozy.co.uk
Mozy is an online backup service that continuously backs up the files on your computer or
server. It gives small businesses the space to back up all their computer and server files for a
very reasonable price, so owners of SMEs know their files are retrievable, even during a data
loss crisis.
2. Skype - skype.com
Skype turns your computer into a phone: you can call or chat (with or without video) to other
Skype users for free. You can also call landlines and mobile phones for a small fee. SMEs can
use Skype to keep in touch with everyone they work with and for. Colleagues and clients can
meet without leaving their respective cities, saving businesses precious time and money.
3. Box - Box.com
Box.com is like a file folder that all your gadgets and devices can access. You simply drag a file
into Box, and you can instantly access it from anywhere. If youve ever cursed yourself for
leaving that important file on your office computer or ever needed to send a client a file
immediately, Box can keep that from happening again.
4. Toggl - toggl.com
Toggl is a time-tracking app. It allows you to create tasks and projects and assign a certain
amount of time to each project. It also logs how long tasks take to complete and how much time
you have left to spend in a project, making billing incredibly easy and accurate.
5. MailChimp - mailchimp.com
MailChimp is an email publishing platform which allows businesses of all sizes to design and
send their email campaigns. Measuring the success of your email campaigns is really easy as
the software integrates with Google Analytics for tracking purposes.
6. Quickbooks - quickbooks.intuit.co.uk
Quickbooks has an online accounting service. It can help with all your accounting needs,
including monitoring cash flow, creating VAT returns, setting budgets and creating business
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reports. It is as useful to SMEs as the desktop program that came first, but it is accessible from
anywhere in the world
7. Google Apps for Business - google.com
Google Apps pretty much eliminate the need for many computer programs. You can create and
save text documents, spreadsheets, slide shows and more on Google Docs, and several
people can work on one file simultaneously. Google Calendar makes creating and sharing
calendars easy, and event reminders can be emailed to invitees. Gmail for Business gives
companies personalised email accounts that are easy to set up and amend and that have the
flexibility and storage space of Gmail.
9. Outright - outright.com
Outright is a cloud finance app that helps small businesses with their business accounting. It
allows you to track income/expenses, tax obligations, and profits/losses in real time. Ideal for
small companies or just entrepreneurs looking to get a hold on their finances, Outright is the
perfect finance app to provide access to your data whilst on the move.
What traditional products or services are being transformed by cloud-based applications?
Email - (Which is now a "Traditional Service") Many companies are moving the email
infrastructure from on-premise to hosted email so they can reduce complexity, upgrade easily,
improve Anti-Spam/Anti-Virus solutions, increase mobility support and reduce capex.
CRM - Clearly Salesforce has lead the way - and empowered many companies to more easily
share, organize and semi-automate the handling of prospect lists and existing customer
interactions. There are many providers of Cloud-based CRM solutions - and each of them
brings some unique capabilities. An exciting aspect that is transforming the CRM space at this
time is the integration of Social Media and the ability to see and understand customers across
networks.
Collaboration - An almost native application for the cloud - many companies are now leveraging
cloud-based applications and services to create, share and store their valuable business
documents and assets. From simple file share systems to comprehensive customizable cloudbased collaboration platforms that include work-flow and automated event based processing we will no doubt see an increase in the deployment of cloud-based collaboration.
Analytics- The cloud has enabled a massive increase in the amount of data that can more
easily and cost effectively be captured and analyzed. Companies of all sizes are increasing
their budgets and capabilities as the value of the data they can more easily analyze increases.
ERP - Companies of all sizes are reviewing and/or implementing managed cloud-based ERP
applications to decrease their costs, upgrade their capabilities and improve their processes by
leveraging cloud based ERP applications.
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Payroll- A good majority of payroll is the US is now processed by a handful of SaaS based
payroll providers.
Marketing - There are several great cloud-based marketing automation platforms that are
replacing the traditional products and services that were isolated and time-consuming to
implement a modern prospecting and lead nurturing platform.
Disaster Recovery Services - Lot's to discuss here - but I can sum it up by saying that the
traditional model of expensive - and somewhat wasteful DR services (for applications, data etc.)
are being replaced by more flexible, cost-effective cloud-based DR solutions. The cloud's
consumption based cost model will transform traditional stand-by DR services

7.

Conclusion

Cloud Computing is a great technology and we might be using it somewhere either for personal
or for business purposes. From the above study we got to know various thing about cloud
computing. They are:
1. For an organisation, Cloud Computing is a cheap way to have all resources stored at
one secure place.
2. Cloud computing has also made thing lot simpler as we can access our data anytime,
anywhere and from any devices.
3. Apart from these much pros, cloud computing also raises some doubts in the minds of
user about the safety of data or anyone can access it or not.
4. Also we have concluded that it is a most prominent and fast growing area as demand is
increasing and more players could enter this sector.
5. Cloud computing is cheap as well as doesnt require any space in the organisation and
doesnt need any infrastructure.

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