Briefing-47

Briefing-47

An Introduction to Cloud Computing

UKOLN: Supporting The Cultural Heritage Sector

An Introduction to Cloud Computing

UKOLN: Supporting The Cultural Heritage Sector

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is an umbrella term used to refer to Internet based development and services. The cloud is a metaphor for the Internet. A number of characteristics define cloud data, applications services and infrastructure: Remotely hosted: Services or data are hosted on someone elses infrastructure. bi!uitous: Services or data are available from any"here. Commodified: The result is a utility computing model similar to traditional that of traditional utilities, li#e gas and electricity. $ou pay for "hat you "ould li#e.

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is an umbrella term used to refer to Internet based development and services. The cloud is a metaphor for the Internet. A number of characteristics define cloud data, applications services and infrastructure: Remotely hosted: Services or data are hosted on someone elses infrastructure. bi!uitous: Services or data are available from any"here. Commodified: The result is a utility computing model similar to traditional that of traditional utilities, li#e gas and electricity. $ou pay for "hat you "ould li#e.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

SaaS is a model of soft"are deployment "here an application is hosted as a service provided to customers across the Internet. SaaS is generally used to refer to business soft"are rather than consumer soft"are, "hich falls under %eb &.'. (y removing the need to install and run an application on a users o"n computer it is seen as a "ay for businesses to get the same benefits as commercial soft"are "ith smaller cost outlay. Saas also alleviates the burden of soft"are maintenance and support but users relin!uish control over soft"are versions and re!uirements. They other terms that are used in this sphere include Platform as a Service )*aaS+ and Infrastructure as a Service )IaaS+.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

SaaS is a model of soft"are deployment "here an application is hosted as a service provided to customers across the Internet. SaaS is generally used to refer to business soft"are rather than consumer soft"are, "hich falls under %eb &.'. (y removing the need to install and run an application on a users o"n computer it is seen as a "ay for businesses to get the same benefits as commercial soft"are "ith smaller cost outlay. Saas also alleviates the burden of soft"are maintenance and support but users relin!uish control over soft"are versions and re!uirements. They other terms that are used in this sphere include Platform as a Service )*aaS+ and Infrastructure as a Service )IaaS+.

Cloud Storage
Several large %eb companies )such as Ama,on and -oogle+ are no" e.ploiting the fact that they have data storage capacity "hich can be hired out to others. This approach, #no"n as /cloud storage allo"s data stored remotely to be temporarily cached on des#top computers, mobile phones or other Internet0lin#ed devices. Ama,ons 1lastic Compute Cloud )1C&+ and Simple Storage Solution )S2+ are "ell #no"n e.amples.

Cloud Storage
5ver time many big Internet based companies )Ama,on, -oogle6+ have come to realise that only a small amount of their data storage capacity is being used. This has led to the renting out of space and the storage of information on remote servers or 7clouds7. Information is then temporarily cached on des#top computers, mobile phones or other internet0lin#ed devices. Ama,ons Ama,on 1lastic Compute Cloud )1C&+ and Simple Storage Solution )S2+ are the current best #no"n facilities.

Data Cloud
Cloud Services can also be used to hold structured data. There has been some discussion of this being a potentially useful notion possibly aligned "ith the Semantic %eb 3&4, though concerns, such as this resulting in data becoming undifferentiated 324, have been raised.
This document is available at: 8http:99""".u#oln.ac.u#9cultural0heritage9documents9briefing0:;9<

Data Cloud
Cloud Services can also be used to hold structured data. There has been some discussion of this being a potentially useful notion possibly aligned "ith the Semantic %eb 3&4, though concerns, such as this resulting in data becoming undifferentiated 324, have been raised.
This document is available at: 8http:99""".u#oln.ac.u#9cultural0heritage9documents9briefing0:;9<

Opportunities and Challenges

The use of the cloud provides a number of opportunities: It enables services to be used "ithout any understanding of their infrastructure. Cloud computing "or#s using economies of scale. It lo"ers the outlay e.pense for start up companies, as they "ould no longer need to buy their o"n soft"are or servers. Cost "ould be by on0demand pricing. =endors and Service providers claim costs by establishing an ongoing revenue stream. >ata and services are stored remotely but accessible from /any"here. In parallel there has been bac#lash against cloud computing: se of cloud computing means dependence on others and that could possibly limit fle.ibility and innovation. The /others are li#ely become the bigger Internet companies li#e -oogle and I(? "ho may monopolise the mar#et. Some argue that this use of supercomputers is a return to the time of mainframe computing that the *C "as a reaction against.

Opportunities and Challenges

The use of the cloud provides a number of opportunities: It enables services to be used "ithout any understanding of their infrastructure. Cloud computing "or#s using economies of scale. It lo"ers the outlay e.pense for start up companies, as they "ould no longer need to buy their o"n soft"are or servers. Cost "ould be by on0demand pricing. =endors and Service providers claim costs by establishing an ongoing revenue stream. >ata and services are stored remotely but accessible from /any"here. In parallel there has been bac#lash against cloud computing: se of cloud computing means dependence on others and that could possibly limit fle.ibility and innovation. The /others are li#ely become the bigger Internet companies li#e -oogle and I(? "ho may monopolise the mar#et. Some argue that this use of supercomputers is a return to the time of mainframe computing that the *C "as a reaction against.

Security could prove to be a big issue. It is still unclear ho" safe outsourced data is and "hen using these services o"nership of data is not al"ays clear. There are also issues relating to policy and access. If your data is stored abroad "hose @5I policy do you adhere toA %hat happens if the remote server goes do"nA Bo" "ill you then access filesA There have been cases of users being loc#ed out of accounts and losing access to data.

Security could prove to be a big issue. It is still unclear ho" safe outsourced data is and "hen using these services o"nership of data is not al"ays clear. There are also issues relating to policy and access. If your data is stored abroad "hose @5I policy do you adhere toA %hat happens if the remote server goes do"nA Bo" "ill you then access filesA There have been cases of users being loc#ed out of accounts and losing access to data.

The uture
?any of the activities loosely grouped together under cloud computing have already been happening and centralised computing activity is not a ne" phenomena: -rid Computing "as the last research0led centralised approach. Bo"ever there are concerns that the mainstream adoption of cloud computing could cause many problems for users. %hether these "orries are grounded or not has yet to be seen.

The uture
?any of the activities loosely grouped together under cloud computing have already been happening and centralised computing activity is not a ne" phenomena: -rid Computing "as the last research0led centralised approach. Bo"ever there are concerns that the mainstream adoption of cloud computing could cause many problems for users. %hether these "orries are grounded or not has yet to be seen.

!eferences
C. &. 2. Software as a service, %i#ipedia, 8http:99en."i#ipedia.org9"i#i9Soft"areDasDaDservice< Welcome to the Data Cloud, The Semantic %eb blog, E 5ct &''F, 8http:99blogs.,dnet.com9semantic0"eb9ApG&'H< Any any any old data, *aul %al#s blog, ; 5ct &''F, 8http:99blog.paul"al#.net9&''F9C'9';9any0any0any0old0data9<
?ay &''L

!eferences
C. &. 2. Wikipedia: Software as a service, %i#ipedia, 8http:99en."i#ipedia.org9"i#i9Soft"areDasDaDservice< Welcome to the Data Cloud, The Semantic %eb blog, E 5ct &''F, 8http:99blogs.,dnet.com9semantic0"eb9ApG&'H< Any any any old data, *aul %al#s blog, ; 5ct &''F, 8http:99blog.paul"al#.net9&''F9C'9';9any0any0any0old0data9<
?ay &''L

*roduced by I5JK: a national centre of e.pertise in digital information management @or further information see 8http:99""".u#oln.ac.u#9<

*roduced by I5JK: a national centre of e.pertise in digital information management @or further information see 8http:99""".u#oln.ac.u#9<