Abstract: workloads to recover from many
unavoidable hardware/software failures.
Buying computers for everyone isn't enough -- we
also have to purchase software or software licenses
to give employees the tools they require. Whenever
we have a new hire, we have to buy more software
or make sure our current software license allows
another user. It's so stressful that we find it difficult
to go to sleep on our huge pile of money every
night. Cloud computing helps us to overcome this
problem.
Cloud computing, a computing platform for the
next generation of the Internet. Cloud computing
infrastructure allows enterprises to achieve more
efficient use of their IT hardware and software
investments. Cloud computing increases
profitability by improving resource utilization.
Pooling resources into large clouds drives down
costs and increases utilization by delivering
resources only for as longs those resources are
needed. Cloud computing allows individuals,
teams, and organizations to streamline procurement
processes and eliminate the need to duplicate
certain computer administrative skills related to
setup, configuration, and support.
what is cloud?
A cloud is a pool of virtualized computer resources.
A cloud can:
 Host a variety of different workloads,
including batch-style back-end jobs and
interactive, user-facing applications.
 Allow workloads to be deployed and
scaled-out quickly through the rapid
provisioning of virtual machines or
physical machines.
 Support redundant, self-recovering, highly
scalable programming models that allow
 Monitor resource use in real time to enable
rebalancing of allocations when needed.
WHAT IS CLOUD COMPUTING?
 Cloud computing is Internet-based
computing, whereby shared resources,
software, and information are provided to
computers and other devices on demand,
like the electricity grid.
 It allows individuals, teams, and
organizations to streamline procurement
processes and eliminate the need to
duplicate certain computer administrative
skills related to setup, configuration, and
support.
 It describes a new supplement,
consumption, and delivery model for IT
services based on the Internet, and it
typically involves over-the-Internet
provision of dynamically scalable and
often virtualized resources.
 Cloud computing infrastructure allows
enterprises to achieve more efficient use
of their IT hardware and software
investments.
 Cloud computing infrastructure
accelerates and fosters the adoption of
innovations.
 Cloud computing describes both a
platform and a type of application. A
 cloud computing platform dynamically
provisions, configures, reconfigures, and
deprovisions servers as needed.
Figure 2 Cloud Computing Sample Architecture
Figure 1 Cloud computing conceptual diagram
ARCHITECTURE:
Cloud architecture, the systems architecture of
the software systems involved in the delivery of
cloud computing, typically involves multiple cloud
components communicating with each other over
application programming interfaces, usually web
services. This resembles the UNIX philosophy of
having multiple programs each doing one thing well
and working together over universal interfaces.
Complexity is controlled and the resulting systems
are more manageable than their monolithic
counterparts.
The two most significant
components of cloud computing architecture are
known as the front end and the back end.
1. The front end is the part seen by the client,
i.e. the computer user. This includes the
client’s network (or computer) and the
applications used to access the cloud via a
user interface such as a web browser.
2. The back end of the cloud computing
architecture is the ‘cloud’ itself, comprising
various computers, servers and data storage
devices.
LAYERS:
i. Client:
A cloud client consists of computer
hardware and/or computer software
that
relies on cloud computing for application
delivery, or that is specifically designed for
delivery of cloud services and that, in either
case, is essentially useless without it.
Examples include some computers, phones
and other devices, operating systems and
browsers.
ii. Application:
Cloud application services or
"Software as a Service (SaaS)" deliver
software as a service over the Internet,
 eliminating the need to install and run the
application on the customer's own
computers and simplifying maintenance and
support.
iii. Platform:
Cloud platform services or
"Platform as a Service (PaaS)" deliver a
computing platform and/or solution stack as
a service, often consuming cloud
infrastructure and sustaining cloud
applications. It facilitates deployment of
applications without the cost and complexity
of buying and managing the underlying
hardware and software layers.
iv. Infrastructure:
Cloud infrastructure services, also
known as "Infrastructure as a Service
(IaaS)", delivers computer infrastructure -
typically a platform virtualization
environment - as a service. Rather than
purchasing servers, software, data-center
space or network equipment, clients instead
buy those resources as a fully outsourced
service. Suppliers typically bill such
services on a utility computing basis and
amount of resources consumed (and
therefore the cost) will typically reflect the
level of activity. IaaS evolved from virtual
private server offerings.
v. Server:
The server’s layer consists of
computer hardware and/or computer
software products that are specifically
designed for the delivery of cloud
services,including multi-core processors,
cloud-specific operating systems and
combined offerings.
ISSUES:
 Privacy
 Compliance
 Legal
 Open source
 Open standards
 Security
 Availability and performance
 Sustainability and sitting
ADVANTAGES:
 Cloud computing increases profitability
by improving resource utilization.
 It allows enterprises to achieve more
efficient use of their IT hardware and
software investments.
 Agility improves with users' ability to
rapidly and inexpensively re-provision
technological infrastructure resources.
 Cost is claimed to be greatly reduced and
capital expenditure is converted to
operational expenditure.
 Device and location independence
enable users to access systems using a web
browser regardless of their location or
what device they are using.
 Multi-tenancy enables sharing of
resources and costs across a large pool of
users.
 Reliability is improved if multiple
redundant sites are used, which makes
well designed cloud computing suitable
for business continuity and disaster
recovery.
 Scalability via dynamic ("on-demand")
provisioning of resources on a fine-
grained, self-service basis near real-time,
without users having to engineer for peak
loads.
 Security could improve due to
centralization of data,[42] increased
security-focused resource.
 Maintenance of cloud computing
applications is easier, since they don't
 have to be installed on each user's
computer.
Cloud computing and video games:
Onlive, a newly launched online gaming
platform, is testing the idea that video games can be
streamed rather than downloaded. All eyes of the
gaming world are on Onlive because its skeptics
believe this mode of gaming, just out of beta, was
delivered prematurely. Yet, if successful, it could
dramatically alter the dynamics of game play.
Instead of games being downloaded to
computers, they are streamed from remote date
centers-the cloud. Much attention is on cloud
computing because noted corporations like
Amazon, Google, and Microsoft have developed
expansive cloud platforms and offer a range of
services to both private and public sectors. Cloud
capabilities work well for applications such as
streaming media. So well, in fact, that media giant
Apple iTunes announced plans for future migration
to cloud infrastructure. Netflix, a rival mogul, is
already a client of Amazon. Companies are moving
to the cloud because it provides more reliable, less
expensive, and faster service to their customers.
Perlman acknowledges that awarding
gamers instant gratification is a key factor to
Onlive's potential success. Additional advantages to
cloud gaming include eliminating expense and
necessity of upgrading outdated equipment. Gamers
also gain the convenience of mobility and the
capability to play hi-tech games on low end
computers. Supporters of streaming look forward to
the ease of playing games "anywhere, anytime";
from a computer, television, iPhone, or an iPod.
Critics of cloud gaming wonder if the promise of
instant gratification is too good to be true. One
major concern is the clear difference between
streaming movies and streaming video games.
Movies move through a predetermined set of
images, video game images are grafted from
moment to moment; leading to the issue of latency.
In a movie, a lag is annoying. In a video game, that
millisecond delay could mean the death of a
character.
Skeptics further raise questions about privacy,
ownership rights, storage, and cost. Because the
cloud gaming concept is still in infancy, many
issues won't be resolved until further down the road.
Consumers will have to decide if the pros of
moving to streaming are worth the risk of investing
in a technology still in beta stages.
If Onlive works through the bugs and establishes
itself as a new leader in the video game sector, its
competitors won't be far behind. Gaikai, a rival
streaming service, is already available to the public
and OTOY is preparing to launch its "multiple-
teraflop supercomputer" and video compression
technology. Sony hasn't made an official statement,
but shortly after Onlive's unveiling, it is rumored to
have filed a trademark notice for the word 'PC-
cloud'. Speculation is that Sony plans to take over
cloud gaming and more. Whatever its plans, cloud
computing is attracting enough converts to have a
future with or without games.
Conclusion:
In today's global competitive market,
companies must innovate and get the most from its
resources to succeed. This requires enabling its
employees, business partners, and users with the
platforms and collaboration tools that promote
innovation. Cloud computing infrastructures are
next generation platforms that can provide
tremendous value to companies of any size. Cloud
computing can be also applied to video game
applications.