Introduction

"Cloud Computing," to put it simply, means "Internet Computing." The Internet is

commonly visualized as clouds; hence the term cloud computing for computation don
e through the Internet. With Cloud Computing users can access database resources
via the Internet from anywhere, for as long as they need, without worrying abou
t any maintenance or management of actual resources. Besides, databases in cloud
are very dynamic and scalable.
Cloud computing is unlike grid computing, utility computing, or autonomic comput
ing. In fact, it is a very independent platform in terms of computing. The best
example of cloud computing is Google Apps where any application can be accessed
using a browser and it can be deployed on thousands of computer through the Inte
rnet.
Key Characteristics
Cloud computing is cost-effective. Here, cost is greatly reduced as initial expe
nse and recurring expenses are much lower than traditional computing. Maintenanc
e cost is reduced as a third party maintains everything from running the cloud t
o storing data. Cloud is characterized by features such as platform, location an
d device independency, which make it easily adoptable for all sizes of businesse
s, in particular small and mid-sized. However, owing to redundancy of computer s
ystem networks and storage system cloud may not be reliable for data, but it sco
res well as far as security is concerned. In cloud computing, security is tremen
dously improved because of a superior technology security system, which is now e
asily available and affordable. Yet another important characteristic of cloud is
scalability, which is achieved through server virtualization.
In a nutshell, cloud computing means getting the best performing system with the
best value for money.
Cloud Computing Architecture
Cloud computing architecture, just like any other system, is categorized into tw
o main sections: Front End and Back End. Front End can be end user or client or
any application (i.e. web browser etc.) which is using cloud services. Back End
is the network of servers with any computer program and data storage system. It
is usually assumed that cloud contains infinite storage capacity for any softwar
e available in market. Cloud has different applications that are hosted on their
own dedicated server farms.
Cloud has centralized server administration system. Centralized server administe
rs the system, balances client supply, adjusts demands, monitors traffic and avo
ids congestion. This server follows protocols, commonly known as middleware. Mid
dleware controls the communication of cloud network among them.
Cloud Architecture runs on a very important assumption, which is mostly true. Th
e assumption is that the demand for resources is not always consistent from clie
nt to cloud. Because of this reason the servers of cloud are unable to run at th
eir full capacity. To avoid this scenario, server virtualization technique is ap
plied. In sever virtualization, all physical servers are virtualized and they ru
n multiple servers with either same or different application. As one physical se
rver acts as multiple physical servers, it curtails the need for more physical m
achines.
As a matter of fact, data is the most important part of cloud computing; thus, d
ata security is the top most priority in all the data operations of cloud. Here,
all the data are backed up at multiple locations. This astoundingly increases t
he data storage to multiple times in cloud compared with a regular system. Redun
dancy of data is crucial, which is a must-have attribute of cloud computing.
Different forms of Cloud Computing
Google Apps., Salesforce.com, Zoho Office and various other online applications
use cloud computing as Software-As-Service (SAAS) model. These applications are
delivered through browser, and multiple customers can access it from various loc
ations. This model has become the most common form of cloud computing because it
is beneficial and practical for both the customers and the services providers.
For customers, there is no upfront investment and they can Pay-As-They-Go and Pa
y-As-They-Grow. On the other hand, the service providers, can grow easily as the
ir customer base grows.
Aamzon.com, Sun and IBM offer on-demand storage and computing resources. Web ser
vice and APIs enable developers to use all the cloud from internet and allow the
m to create large-scale, full-featured application. Cloud is not simply limited
to providing data storage or computing resources, it can also provide managed se
rvices or specific application services through web.
Cloud Computing Concerns
Security of confidential data (e.g., SSN or Credit Card Numbers) is a very impor
tant area of concern as it can make way for very big problems if unauthorized us
ers get access to it. Misuse of data can create big issues; hence, in cloud comp
uting it is very important to be aware of data administrators and their extent o
f data access rights. Large organizations dealing with sensitive data often have
well laid out regulatory compliance policies. However, these polices should be
verified prior to engaging them in cloud computing. There is a possibility that
in cloud computing network, sometimes the network utilizes resources from anothe
r country or they might not be fully protected; hence, the need arises for appro
priate regulatory compliance policies.
In cloud computing, it is very common to store data of multiple customers at one
common location. Cloud computing should have proper techniques where data is se
gregated properly for data security and confidentiality. Care must be taken to e
nsure that one customer s data does not affect another customer s data. In addition,
Cloud computing providers must be equipped with proper disaster recovery polici
es to deal with any unfortunate event.
Selection of Provider
A good service provider is the key to good service. So, it is imperative to sele
ct the right service provider. One must make sure that the provider is reliable,
well-reputed for their customer service and should have a proven track record i
n IT- related ventures. The Cloud Computing Incidents Database (CCID) records an
d monitors verifiable, noteworthy events that impact cloud computing providers.
Visit the following Wikipedia link to obtain the list all such events. http://wi
ki.cloudcommunity.org/wiki/CCID
Relational Database and Cloud Computing
Comparison has often been drawn between Relational Database and Cloud Computing.
They are related for sure but they should not be confused for being the same th
ing. In actual fact, they are not really competing with each other. There are so
me unique requirements of applications when they do not call for any advance que
ry techniques but rather need fast access to database. In such scenarios cloud c
omputing should be used. In cloud, data is stored across myriad geographic locat
ions, and processing data from different geographic database leads to delay in r
eceiving data. In case of applications where there is the need of processing hug
e database using complex queries, traditional relational database is best suited
. Cloud has its limitations. As for now, it only supports distributed computing;
transactional operations are not currently supported in cloud computing.
SummaryCloud Computing is the next big thing in the arena of computing and stora
ge. There are some concerns about security and its availability. However, differ
ent service providers are coming up with various solutions and suggestions in re
sponse to customers concerns. In any case, cloud is getting bigger and better, an
d as long as they are available through web services, without capital infrastruc
ture investment at reasonable price, it is for sure going to proliferate and cre
ate robust demand in times to come.