Prepared By: Arjun Mehnidratta 10 MCA 07

Contents
1.Definition 2.Uses 3.Architecture 4.Features 5.Current services of cloud computing 6.Challenges faced by cloud computing in today scenario. 7.Conclusion

1 Introduction
Cloud computing is pretty big and is growing bigger every day. Cloud computing is the future of Computation. Possible everything can be hosted on cloud in the world of computing. When it comes to on-demand IT products and services, cloud computing is the next big thing. The cloud is used as a metaphor for internet, based on its depiction in computer network diagrams. Cloud computing is a form of computing which provides information technology capabilities as a service. Cloud computing enables the users capability to access technology-enables products and services via the Internet (i.e., the Cloud) irrespective of the knowledge about the infrastructure that builds and controls them. The first service on the "cloud" was "Email". The availability of the number of Cloud platforms will increase with the movement of IT industry toward providing on-demand access of platform and software as "a service" to the consumers and enterprises.

2 Basic Infrastructure
There are basically three layers in cloud computing, namely infrastructure, platform and application. Companies use them differently, based on what they offer.

At the bottom is the foundation, the infrastructure. This is where things start and where people begin to build. This is the layer where cloud hosting lives. Hosting in the "cloud" is needed for both ordinary people and enterprise users. Either it's a live code or a website, it can be hosted on the clouds. This cloud hosting comes with on-demand access of services. Users/Enterprises can switch it on or off just like an electrical switch. If they need the services on the cloud then they can switch or upgrade to better resources anytime and apparently they can put it off "back into the clouds" again when the services are not needed. This all happens in the basic infrastructure layer of the cloud computing.

3 Characteristics
3.1 On-Demand Access Individuals can set up the cloud hosting themselves without needing any help. The cloud hosting can be turned on and off just like a normal electrical switch and is easy to use. Its main characteristic is the "On-Demand Access" which gives a user/enterprise to use the service when needed and put it back in the clouds when it is not needed. So now the users can control which services they need and when they need them. Accordingly, they can switch the services on and off depending on their usage and needs. [8

3.2 Ubiquitous Network Access

The cloud computing services and products can be accessed ubiquitously through the network. These services are available through standard Internet-enabled devices. Ubiquitous network access means that the capabilities of cloud provider can be accessed over the network and are available through standard mechanisms by both ordinary and enterprise clients. "This does not necessarily mean Internet access. By definition, a private cloud is accessible only behind a firewall. Regardless of the type of network."

3.3 Location Independent Resource Pooling

Processing and storage demands are balanced across a common infrastructure with no particular resource assigned to any individual user. Resource pooling enables a cloud provider to provide its users via a multi-tenant model. Physical and virtual resources are assigned and reassigned according to the demand of the user. A sense of location

independence is there in that the user usually has no control over the precise location of the provided resources but have an option to be able to indicate location at an elevated level of abstraction (e.g., country, state, or datacenter). Privacy laws and other set of laws necessitate the cloud provider's resources to be in a meticulous location. The cloud provider and cloud user must effort mutually to stick on to those set of laws.

3.4 Rapid Elasticity

"Elasticity is defined as the ability to scale resources both up and down as needed. To the consumer, the cloud appears to be infinite, and the consumer can purchase as much or as little computing power as they need ". The capacity of the cloud hosting can be increased or decreased by the user/enterprise according to the demand.

3.5 Pay Per Use

Users/Enterprises are charged fees for the cloud services on the basis of their usage of a combination of computing power, bandwidth and/or storage capacity. This is one of the most important characteristic of Cloud Computing.

4 Advantages
yMore Mobility: Users can access the information anywhere. It's an advantage for employees who can access the information wherever they are, rather than accessing it from their desks in office. yReduced Cost: Cloud computing technology is paid on the incremental basis. The users/enterprises pay only for what they need. This saves the organizations and firms a lot of money and thus reducing the cost. The saved money can then be used for other important things and resources. yIncreased Storage: Due to cloud hosting, the organizations can store more data as compared to their private computers. yHighly Automated: The software is kept up to date by the service provider on the cloud. So the enterprises and users don't need to worry about the maintenance and updates of the cloud software. yOn-Demand Access: The cloud services can be accessed ondemand and can be switched off when they are not needed.

5 Disadvantages
ySecurity: There is no control over the business data because a proper security model for cloud computing is not yet developed. yRisk of Data Loss: There is always a risk of data loss in cloud hosting due to improper backups or failures in the system in the virtualized environment. yAvailability: Constant connectivity is required to access the cloud services. yFlexibility: There is no possibility of special customization in cloud services and the rate of business IT innovation is possibly lower. yIntegration: The organizations face difficulties to integrate the default cloud services with equipments hosted in other data centres. yHard to Audit: Since the physical location of hardware is unknown, it is hard to organize audits and carry them out.

6 Current Services
6.1 Email On The Go
Email communication is playing a vital role in our lives these days. Emailing is the one area where the cloud computing finds its most practical and common application. An online email service has been offered by many big names (such as Yahoo!, Microsoft, and Google) for many years.

6.2 Remote Data Storage

There are numerous restrictions if it comes to home or business computer. One of them is the need for data storage. Cloud computing makes it easier for the users/enterprises to store their data safely and remotely. Users can now store their MP3's, videos, photos and documents online instead of storing them at home or office computers. This gives them the freedom to access these files wherever they can find the means to get online. These services make it easier for the end-users to store their files and manage them in an easier and much better way. The files are then safe and accessible anywhere. So there is no hassle of securing your files and no risk of data loss due to hard drive failure. These online services have the safeguard to ensure that only a particular end-user can access his/her personal files online. Examples of such online storage services are Microsoft's Skydrive, Humyo, S3 from Amazon and many more. Some of them offer free and some offer paid storage and backup solutions.

6.3 Working in a Virtual Office

"Rather than having a system and space hogging suite of applications like a word processor, a spreadsheet creator and a presentation or publishing platform sitting on your computer, you could opt to work online instead. Accessibility, potential for collaboration and perhaps even online storage are just some of the benefits of satisfying your office suite needs by working online." (PolRid, 2010) Examples of such online services are Microsoft's Office Live, oDesk[24], and many more.

7 Challenges Ahead
One of the most important challenges ahead is that clouds will always be compared to local machine in the time of usage. The user should know the benefits of shifting to the cloud. It is obvious in using services and functionalities on local machines, a user will need more resources. But the user at least knows that he has physical access to the hardware resources and he can audit or manage it anytime. He knows that his data is with him on his local storage in front of his eyes. But what happens when the something wrong happens to the cloud while restoring the user's data. The user is not even aware of the physical place where his data is stored.[27] This makes cloud computing more erratic for him. Some of the challenges which are faced by cloud computing currently are given below. There are some expectations in the minds of the end-users. These expectations should be taken care of by the cloud providers to be more reliable and trustworthy. Following are some of the expectations of end-users from the cloud providers:

yReliability and Liability: Cloud is expected to be a reliable resource by the users, especially if a cloud provider runs missioncritical applications and will expect a clear definition of legal responsibility if some serious problem occurs.

ySecurity and Privacy: Users expect the cloud provider to provide proper security and privacy to the user. There should not be an unauthorized access to data or any other sensitive material that is stored on the cloud. The data should remain private on the cloud.

yAccess and Usage Restrictions: Users expect the cloud to be accessible wherever the internet is available or wherever they think it is possible. There should not be any hindrance from the third parties or even the cloud provider. But the most important issue is the security of the data in the clouds. The end-users expect their data to be very secure and private and it is the job of the cloud provider to meet the users/enterprises expectations. One more issue about cloud computing is its performance. The services of the cloud technology should provide high performance.

9 Conclusion
Cloud computing is a paradigm in the field of IT which is rising day by day and is progressively popular. The leading IT industries like Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and IBM initiated the promotion of cloud computing in the world. But the topic of cloud computing is still a debatable one because some people think that cloud computing is the next big thing and some people think that it is just a hype. Cloud computing has many advantages. It provides better data management and security because all the data is stored on a central server. Thus, the cloud providers/administrators can control the access to the data stored in the clouds. Cloud computing provides on-demand access and the users only pay for what they use. Cloud computing has some disadvantages too because the end-users expect the cloud to be very secure and the cloud providers should meet the expectations of the end-users. One of the most discussed negative aspect of cloud computing is that there is no physical access to the clouds. Whether cloud computing is a hype or not, it's happening and it definitely has a very bright future.