Cloud Computing

Cloud Computing

Cloud Computing offers the advantage of optional utilization of infrastructure by utilizing technologies like virtualization, etc. and it also paves a new way of delivering services- Software as a service, Platform as a service and infrastructure as a service. The salient features that can be leveraged under Cloud Computing are: Optimum utilization of Infrastructure Elasticity and Scalability Online Provisioning of Services to various Users through Self Provisioning Portal Tracking the usage of the resources and services for different users. The technology is of immense use Where the infrastructure has to be optimally utilized Significantly speed up design and roll out service On demand provisioning of Compute, Storage, Platform and Applications The proposed draft IT policy under preparation also mentions that the emerging technology like Cloud Computing, will help in value creation and drive transformation domestically. Cloud computing refers to the delivery of computing and storage capacity [1] as a service [2] to a heterogeneous community of end-recipients. The name comes from the use of a cloud-shaped symbol[3] as an abstraction for the complex infrastructure it contains in system diagrams[4]. Cloud computing entrusts services with a user's data, software and computation over a network. There are three types of cloud computing:[5] Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). Using Infrastructure as a Service, users rent use of servers (as many as needed during the rental period) provided by one or more cloud providers. Using Platform as a Service, users rent use of servers and the system software to use in them. Using Software as a Service, users also rent application software and databases. The cloud providers manage the infrastructure and platforms on which the applications run. End users access cloud-based applications through a web browser or a light-weight desktop or mobile app while the business software and user's data are stored on servers at a remote location. Proponents claim that cloud computing allows enterprises to get their applications up and running faster, with improved manageability and less maintenance, and enables IT to more rapidly adjust resources to meet fluctuating and unpredictable business demand.[6][7] Cloud computing relies on sharing of resources to achieve coherence and economies of scale similar to a utility (like the electricity grid) over a network (typically the Internet).[8] At the foundation of cloud computing is the broader concept of converged infrastructure and shared services.[9]