Taking into account the specifics of the implementation of the scientific and educational process using distance educational technologies, we can highlightthe following advantages of cloud services:
availability on any personal computer and mobile device, which ensures savings in high-performance software and hardware systems on the side of educational institutions (cloud service users). Clients of cloud services can access their workspace from anywhere connected to the Internet;
the reliability of cloud services is ensured by the fact that the software and hardware platform is located in specialized Data Processing Centers (DPCs), which include 100% redundancy of the network and hardware infrastructure;
economic benefit. The presence of platforms such as Google docs does not require educational institutions to purchase licensed software, configure it, and update it.
Disadvantages cloud servers are:
the need for a constant connection to the Internet. IN populated areas remote from information and communication centers, the likelihood of technical and technological problems accessing the Internet can be high. On the other hand, with the development of 3G, 4G technologies, satellite and mobile transport environments this disadvantage will be practically excluded in the future;
limited software scalability. Many cloud services provide a minimal set of tools for setting up the service workspace. Accordingly, the user often cannot optimally configure his workspace;
inaccessibility of implementing these technologies to small companies due to the high cost of cloud software and hardware
.The concept of a cloud computing model is often viewed in two ways; some see it as security risks and new “threat vectors,” but at the same time this system has new features to improve safety. Improved infrastructure visibility, automation, and standardization all enhance information security. For example, if we use a predefined set of Cloud interfaces in parallel with centralized identity management, along with access control policies, then we reduce the risk of clients accessing unwanted resources by an order of magnitude. Security measures such as the execution of computing services in isolated domains and the use of data encryption significantly increase the security of information, reducing its losses. It is worth adding that the use of automatic initialization and recovery of executable images will reduce the attack surface, allowing you to solve a number of legal aspects.
How to “increase the number of advantages”?
Ensuring security in a Cloud environment is a rather difficult task, the reason for this is the additional risk that arises due to the fact that important services are often provided by third-party organizations on an outsourcing basis. This significantly complicates such aspects as data availability and confidentiality, maintaining integrity, and service availability.
The Cloud Computing concept involves transferring control over operations and data to the Cloud service provider from the client organization. Including the tasks of installing update packages and configuring firewalls can be transferred to the Cloud service provider from the end user.
The consequence of this is the need for clients to establish trusting relationships with suppliers, while assessing the risks and how competently the configuration and management of security tools will be carried out on their behalf. Relationships built this way are important because customers, even though the workload resides in the Cloud, are responsible for the protection and compliance of their critical data.
It is precisely because of the risks associated with outsourcing services that some organizations prefer hybrid or private models over Cloud environments.
Other aspects of Cloud Computing also require a review of risk and security. The reason for this is the difficulty of establishing the location of physical storage of data. Previously visible security processes in such a system are hidden by layers of abstraction, which in turn creates compliance and security challenges.
Serious differences in terms of security in traditional IT environments and Cloud environments are also due to the large-scale collective use of Cloud infrastructure. Very often, users who represent completely different organizations and at the same time have different levels of trust have the same set of system resources.
At the same time, such aspects of today's dynamic IT environments as workload balancing and SLA , involve a large number of possibilities for data corruption and misconfiguration.
Of course, a shared infrastructure needs high level automation and standardization of processes, which will contribute to a higher degree of safety due to the elimination of opportunities for operator errors.
However, the risks inherent in large-scale infrastructure sharing mean that issues such as isolation, compliance, and identity must be given great importance in cloud computing models.
And yet, what is the main advantage of “clouds”?
One of the main benefits of the cloud is cost reduction. However, some analysts provide examples in which the total total costs of owning a cloud solution may be higher than with the classical scheme, and therefore it is necessary to evaluate the cost-effectiveness. Initial costs required for cloud deployment information system, lower than with the classical approach, but in the future their significant growth is possible. For example, Richard Jimarck (Hyperformix), Amy Spellmann (Optimal Innovations) and Mark Preston (RS Performance) conducted a detailed analysis of the prospects for an online store whose management must make a choice: maintain its own server or resort to Amazon's cloud computing service. For both options, costs and energy consumption were calculated for two years in advance. These calculations showed that the cost of a website built using Amazon would initially be lower than the cost of an internal server. However, over time they will begin to exceed them, even taking into account the saved energy. This is explained by the fact that the customer needs the solution not from time to time, but constantly, and ever-increasing cloud computing will require more and more computing power, which increases the payment for the cloud. In addition, the rental price includes costs such as software development, maintenance, hardware maintenance, and the customer pays for the services directly from the supplier. As a consequence of this, and also taking into account the risk assessments described above, it is recommended to work out “cloud” projects so that the solution provider creates the entire infrastructure to order, according to the “private cloud” principle, and there is no rental fee for the use of this resource. Naturally, it will not be possible to completely refuse the services of the supplier, because it is also necessary technical support, and project improvements, and support. However, their cost and the contractor’s labor costs will be similar to the classical scheme, which will not affect the final cost of the project for the customer and, accordingly, the economic efficiency of the “cloud” in comparison with the usual classical model.
Have you already decided to use cloud services? Or maybe you are still thinking, weighing all the pros and cons? This article is aimed specifically at helping you decide, describing all the pros and cons of “cloud services”.
Advantages
+Cheap equipment.
No more purchase required expensive computers with huge performance and plenty of memory, no more need for inconvenient CDs and DVD drives. Now all your information will be stored on the “cloud” and most of the calculations will be done there. The user no longer needs bulky computers or laptops, because now a compact netbook is enough for them to fully work.
+Increased productivity of personal computers.
Since most programs will now be launched remotely, via the Internet, there will always be a sufficient amount of free resources on the computer. Good example– Panda Cloud Antivirus, which will scan your computer for viruses remotely using the company’s powerful servers. According to professionals, this reduces the load on the computer by about half.
+Reducing costs and increasing the efficiency of IT infrastructure.
On average, servers of ordinary companies are loaded at no more than 15% of their capacity. But in certain periods there is a need for additional computing resources. Thus, the company’s servers are either idle or unable to cope with their work. By moving to cloud computing, this waste of resources will be solved. Now you will use only the amount of computing resources you need, and the costs of equipment and its maintenance will be reduced by up to 50%. If a large company is concerned that its data is processed “outside”, then for such a company they can build its own, personal “cloud”.
+Minimize maintenance problems.
Every year there are fewer and fewer physical servers (with Cloud Computing technology), so they become easier and faster to maintain. As for the software, it is already installed, configured and constantly updated in the cloud.
+ Minimizing the cost of purchasing software.
Now, instead of constantly purchasing new programs for all employees, a company only needs to purchase a program for the “cloud” once. Often the cost of programs for use over the Internet is lower than the cost of their counterparts for personal computers. This program will be used only by those users who will need it. And the costs of maintaining them in working order are completely reduced to zero. Sometimes you can order the rental of a program (example: rent 1c).
+Automatic update programs.
At any time when the user launches the desired remote program, he will be confident in his safety. Programs will always be updated to the latest version - without the need for checks or tracking updates.
+Increasing computing power.
If the power of a personal computer is always limited by its own, then it is no longer necessary to have powerful computer for computing complex problems. Users can run the most complex tasks, since all calculations take place in the cloud. In essence, users can easily and cheaply work with a supercomputer without any special purchases.
+Unlimited amount of stored data.
When storing information on the server, users can forget about restrictions hard drives. The cloud is very flexible and automatically adapts to the user's needs. Typically, the available volumes of cloud services amount to millions of gigabytes of free space.
+Compatible with any operating system.
For the cloud, the operating system does not play any role. Mac, Windows or Unix users can seamlessly share documents with each other. Access to programs occurs through web browsers, which are installed equally on any operating system.
+Compatibility of document formats.
If users use the same cloud-based document management software, they will never have incompatible documents and files. This is simply impossible. The most striking example is Google Docs, which allows many people to maintain one documentation at the same time. All you need to access is any computer with a web browser.
+Make collaboration easier for groups of people.
When working in the cloud, there is no point in constantly sending each other new versions of documents - they are always available in the most recent version. And any change made by any person will be instantly visible to the entire team working on the material.
+Constant access to documents.
No one else in the company will be able to forget necessary files or folders. Whether at home, at work or on vacation - if you have the Internet, then your documents are nearby.
+Availability.
Users have the opportunity to connect not only from a computer, but also from any other device that has a browser, be it a phone, smartphone, tablet or netbook.
+Protection against data loss (or theft of physical media).
If you sent data to the “cloud”, it will automatically save it and send copies to backup servers that can be located on different countries and continents.
Minuses.
-Necessary permanent access to the Internet.
All cloud services require an Internet connection. If there is no connection, then you can only work with those documents that were uploaded to local computer. If you have lost access, then you have no programs, documents or files.
-You need fast and high-quality Internet.
If you use the Internet of older generations, then you will have to change it. To work with clouds you need a constant, fast and high-quality Internet. However, in the modern world this thing is easily accessible to anyone at an affordable price.
-Cloud programs may be slow.
Some operations involving large amounts of information transfer may be performed more slowly than using the program installed on personal computer. Speed can also be reduced by slow Internet or overloaded servers through which data is transmitted.
-Not every program is available for remote access.
For example: Microsoft Excel much more functional than its Google Docs counterpart.
-The security of your data may be at risk.
But only “maybe.” If your cloud encrypts data well and makes it permanent backups, then no difficulties should happen.
-If you lost data in the cloud, then you lost it forever.
This is a fact. No exceptions. Fortunately, losing data in the cloud is quite difficult and not everyone can do it, even if they want to.
Despite the fact that there are more pros than cons, everyone chooses what is most effective for their task. We hope you make the right choice.
As Internet connection speeds increase, services that provide ubiquitous and convenient network access to various computing resources and data storage devices. In this material you will learn what cloud computing is and what opportunities it provides to users.
Introduction
Initially the name "cloud", computer systems received due to a completely innocent simplification invented by mathematician programmers. They proposed that all computers located on the same network be designated as a cloud with data depicted inside it. In this case, each computer is not considered as an independent unit, but is part of the whole. By whole we mean that area of the system that is directly involved when working with the user. So everything network resources accessible to us through servers, in fact, can be called a “cloud”.
Cloud services for storing files
“Cloud” systems have gained the greatest popularity due to the development of services that allow files to be stored not in computer memory, but in a specially created Internet storage. Similar functionality provided users with unprecedented freedom of choice, because all files stored in the cloud are available to the owner at any time and from any device connected to the Internet. Among other things, in this case there is no need to store data on local disks, which can save time (for downloading information, etc.) and money for the user.
Cloud services can also be used as backup storage for personal data. In case of failure hard drive your computer, you can always return all the necessary information previously saved in the clouds.
Cloud storage can be used just as effectively to synchronize data between different computer devices. For example, you can make changes to a file on your work computer and be sure that all changes made will be made to all copies of it stored on other devices that are synchronized with the cloud service.
The most popular cloud file storage services include: Google Drive, Yandex.Disk, Microsoft SkyDrive, Dropbox, iCloud and others. Almost all of them, after registration, provide users with a certain amount free space for storing files (usually from 5 GB to 10 GB). If this does not seem enough, then for an additional fee you can organize storage with a capacity of 20 GB to several tens of terabytes.
Cloud software services
However, the importance of cloud computing and its capabilities is difficult to assess only as a universal file storage, because the scope of its application is much wider. For example, some cloud services, such as Zoho Docs or Google Docs, already provide the ability to store not only files, but also a wide variety of applications.
The benefits for the creators of such services are very obvious. The development company receives unlimited opportunities to implement its own software products, and there is no need to even actually transfer the program itself to the user; it is stored and hosted within the cloud. That is why the risk of hacker attacks is minimized, and the program’s technical support service is able to continuously monitor its operation, ensuring stability and ease of use.
Cloud hosting allows developers to control the legality of data entering the server, therefore the risk of distribution and use of illegally produced or simply counterfeit software is sharply reduced. We think there is no need to remind you about the dangers lurking in such “profitable download” files. With them, you can get anything you want: from a fresh Trojan to something worse. This is why it is so important to control the origin of files entering cloud storage.
One of the brightest representatives of cloud programs is the office suite. Microsoft Office 365. Including all the most popular office applications, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and so on, it provides access to your documents from anywhere with Internet access and allows you to work on them from the very different devices, even without Office installed. In addition, users get the opportunity to collaborate on documents, exchange instant messages and not worry about the security of your own data.
Cloud Computing Service Models
In fact, all cloud systems available to the modern user can be divided into four categories. The first includes offering our own software developments to all interested users. At the same time, the programs themselves are permanently hosted on the developers’ websites and are accessible only through a network connection. This category of systems is designated by the abbreviation SaaS (software as a service) and is presented in the form of Adobe online services, Google Docs, Microsoft Office Live Workspase and some others. This way, you don’t have to buy expensive software, but use it on a rental basis for the required time.
The second service model is called PaaS(platform as a service) and provides users with access in the cloud to use various information platforms: operating systems, development and testing tools, database management systems and others. At the same time, consumers can not only operate selected platforms, but also install their own software on them for operation. For example, this way you can try some new software environment without installation on your own PC.
The third category of services proposes to move all the tools necessary for work, including the desktop itself, inside the “cloud,” thus providing users with ready-made workstations that can be accessed from anywhere there is an Internet connection. Such systems are united by the name DaaS(desktop as a service). There can be two options for hosting and displaying such a service: either direct access to all used applications, or access to links to them. In any case, all work is carried out only through the browser, and it is impossible to use applications outside of it.
Today, DaaS technology is considered a promising cloud trend and allows you to deploy a full-fledged workplace, ready to work around the clock with all the necessary software. Moreover, all applications are stored in a special data center, which allows you to effectively use this tool even on low-power computers, laptops, tablets and even smartphones.
Latest service model IaaS(infrastructure as a service) allows users to independently manage cloud resources by renting both hardware (servers, client systems, network equipment, etc.), operating systems and the necessary application software. Largely this technology used corporate clients to create your own cloud computing service.
Disadvantages and advantages of cloud services
Despite quite a few positive aspects in using cloud services, it is worth noting certain disadvantages when working with them. Not the most pleasant fact for the user is the news that all of his data located in one or another “cloud” is practically freely available to law enforcement agencies at various levels (upon request, although no one is obliged to notify you about the request for data), as well as software developers of the service. That is, if you want to find out as much information about you as possible, including from personal correspondence or photo/video files stored in the cloud, anyone who has shown an interest in this and has certain powers will be able to find out. There is only one way to avoid such unwanted intrusion - to abandon the “cloud” in favor of local connection through the software available on the computer itself.
An even greater danger lies in a “cloud” service that does not have enough reliable protection from burglary. In this case, after completing hacker attack Your data can not only fall into the wrong hands, but also be completely destroyed.
For dessert, we’ll add that in addition to access to your information stored in the “cloud,” a particularly successful hacker will be able to receive as a bonus the opportunity to control the operation of your computer or computers (if there are several of them), and this can lead to much more serious consequences.
So, let's summarize. Advantages of using cloud services:
- Use of software of legal origin;
- The ability to log in and access personal data from any device connected to the Internet;
- Possibility of organization backup storage data;
- Sync data across all your devices;
- Small requirements for the initial software and hardware of devices for working in cloud services;
- Possibility of using complex software systems on low-power equipment.
- Inability to control access to stored data of third parties;
- The need to establish an Internet connection with the service every time you need to gain access to files or applications;
- The need to use the services and offers of a specific developer who owns the service;
- The need to regularly pay for some cloud services and services.
Conclusion
Whether to use cloud services or leave the option of working using a regular desktop and computer file storage system is up to everyone to decide for themselves. However, in our age, when only a very naive person relies on the security of an Internet connection, the risks of using such innovative developments sometimes outweigh the benefits. It’s worth considering which of the following is more important to you: freedom of access to files, the ability to remotely store applications and tools used in your work, or the security of data, which can sometimes be very personal. And only if the benefits outweigh the risks, should you choose the “cloud” as an alternative solution to the problem of storing information.
And again, hello, dear readers! :) Let's talk about cloud technologies.
You mean, today another article will be entirely devoted to a very entertaining and promising technology (so to speak, the “gold mine” of the IT industry), hiding under the pseudonym - cloud technologies or in common parlance - “cloud”.
We will talk about the very concept of cloud computing, we will give a variety of examples of its implementation (at the level of solutions for ordinary users), namely, we will talk about the theory, then we will smoothly move on to practice and a little... wander in the clouds :-)
Thus, the purpose of our note, as always good (it cannot be otherwise) is to systematize the basic information related to this topic and sort everything out.
So, Earthlings, get ready, now we will talk about cloud technologies, which, every day, are becoming closer and closer to us.
Let's fly..
Cloud technologies. About everything, a little bit
In recent years, this topic has become one of the most popular in the IT sphere, many articles have been written about it, even more conferences have been held, and how many solutions already exist on the market (and are used to their full extent in everyday life, sometimes even unconsciously) , and can’t be counted at all.
However, as always, there is one “but”, namely, most users still don’t even know what kind of “know-how” cloud technologies are and why they gave up. Well, we will correct the current situation and we will start, as it should be, with theory.
Cloud computing is a distributed data processing technology in which computer resources and capacities are provided to the user as an Internet service. If you explain it in accessible language, then this is your, in a sense, work platform on the Internet, or rather on a remote server.
Let's look at an example to make sure that almost each of us, one way or another, has already encountered this decision.
Do you have an email (e-mail)? Of course have. So, if you work with mail on some service site (for example), which allows you to use this mail, then this is nothing more than a cloud service, which is part of such a thing as cloud technologies. Or, for example, image processing.
If you're downsizing, flipping your photo in Photoshop or another special program, then you have nothing to do with cloud technology - everything happens and is processed locally on your computer. But if, having downloaded an image, for example, through , you process it on the other side, in the browser, then this is that very “cloud”.
More details about cloud technologies
Actually, the whole difference lies solely in the method of storing and processing data. If all operations take place on your computer (using its power), then this is not a “cloud”, but if the process takes place on a server on the network, then this is precisely the trendy thing that is commonly called “cloud technology”.
In other words, cloud technologies are various hardware, software, methodologies and tools that are provided to the user as Internet services to implement their goals, objectives, projects.
As practice shows, the terms “cloud technologies”/“cloud service”, with their generally accepted graphical representation in the form of “clouds”, only confuse users; in fact, their structure can be easily understood if it is presented in the form of the following pyramid.
The base of the pyramid is “infrastructure” - a set of physical devices (servers, etc.), above it is built a “platform” - a set of services and the top - software available upon user request.
Also, you should know that cloud computing is a kind of basis vector obtained as a result of the synthesis of a number of technologies and approaches (so clever! :-)). To make it clear what I mean, here is the following diagram:
I think that now it has become a little clearer, since the scheme is quite simple. However, generally speaking, cloud technologies are a kind of mess that performs calculations with servers and other things without directly involving the resources of your computer.
It may happen that we will all return to computers that are close in power to, so to speak, the first ones and, in fact, will be just a screen with a microprocessor, and all calculations and power will be located and performed remotely, i.e. in servers living there somewhere, namely, in the cloud mentioned repeatedly.
Services provided by cloud systems
Everything related to cloud computing (hereinafter CC) is usually called the word aaS. This is simply deciphered - “as a Service”, that is, “as a service”, or “in the form of a service”.
Currently, cloud technologies and, in fact, their concept, involve providing the following types of services to their users:
- Storage-as-a-Service
This is perhaps the simplest of the CC services, representing disk space on demand. Each of us has at some point encountered a situation where an ominous warning appears on the monitor: " The logical drive is full, to free up space, remove unnecessary programs or data". The Storage-as-a-Service service makes it possible to save data in external storage, in the “cloud”. For you, it will look like an additional logical drive or folder. The service is basic for the rest, since it is included in almost every Examples include other similar services. - Database-as-a-Service
This is probably more for administrators, because this thing provides the opportunity to work with databases, as if the DBMS were installed on a local resource. Moreover, in this case it is much easier to “share” projects between different performers, not to mention how much money can be saved on and required for the competent use of a DBMS in a large or even medium-sized organization. - Information-as-a-Service ("information as a service")
Makes it possible to remotely use any type of information that can change every minute or even every second. - Process-as-a-Service
Represents a remote resource that can link together multiple resources (such as services or data contained within a single cloud or other available clouds) to create a single business process. - Application-as-a-Service
It may also be called Software-as-a-Service (“Software as a service”). Positioned as “software on demand”, which is deployed on remote servers and each user can access it via the Internet, and all issues of updating and licensing for this software are regulated by the provider of this service. Payment, in this case, is made for the actual use of the latter. Examples include Google Docs, Google Calendar, etc. online programs. - Platform-as-a-Service
The user is provided with a computer platform with an installed operating system and some software. - Integration-as-a-Service ("integration as a service")
This is an opportunity to receive a complete integration package from the cloud, including software interfaces between applications and managing their algorithms. This includes the familiar services and features of Enterprise Application Centralization, Optimization and Integration (EAI) packages, but delivered as a cloud service. - Security-as-a-Service
This type of service allows users to quickly deploy products that enable the secure use of web technologies, email correspondence, local network, which allows users of this service to save on deploying and maintaining their own. - Management/Governance-as-a-Service("administration and management as a service")
Makes it possible to manage and set operating parameters for one or many cloud services. These are mainly parameters such as topology, resource usage, virtualization. - Infrastructure-as-a-Service ("infrastructure as a service")
The user is provided with a computer infrastructure, usually virtual platforms (computers) connected to a network, which he independently configures for his own purposes. - Testing-as-a-Service
Makes it possible to test local or cloud systems using test software from the cloud (no on-premises equipment or software is required).
For clarity, let’s summarize all these services of the “cloud” architecture, into one diagram behind which cloud technologies lie (sorry, it’s in English):
Which shows the classification of services by type of service.
Now let’s look at what cloud technologies there are, so to speak, according to the form of ownership. Here, there are three categories:
- Public
- Private
- Hybrid.
Briefly about each:
- Public cloud is an IT infrastructure used simultaneously by many companies and services. Users do not have the ability to manage and maintain this “cloud”, and all responsibility for these issues rests with the owner of the resource. Any company and individual user can become a subscriber to the services offered.
Examples include online services: Amazon EC2, Google Apps/Docs, Microsoft Office Web. - A private cloud is a secure IT infrastructure controlled and operated in the interests of a single organization. An organization can manage the private cloud in-house or outsource the task. The infrastructure can be located either on the premises of the customer or at an external operator (or partly at the customer and partly at the operator).
- Hybrid Cloud is an IT infrastructure that uses best qualities public and private clouds when solving the problem. This type is often used when an organization has seasonal periods of activity, in other words, as soon as the internal IT infrastructure cannot cope with current tasks, part of the capacity is transferred to the public cloud (for example, large volumes of statistical information), as well as to provide access to users to enterprise resources through the public cloud.
Confused? It’s okay, we’ll look at the examples soon and everything will fall into place;)
Cloud computing capabilities
Now let's look at the possibilities of cloud computing:
- Access to personal information from any computer connected to the Internet
- You can work with information from different devices (PCs, tablets, phones, etc.)
- It doesn’t matter which operating system you prefer to work in - web services work in the browser of any OS
- Both you and those around you can view and edit the same information simultaneously from different devices
- Many paid programs became free (or cheaper) web applications
- If something happens to your device (PC, tablet, phone), you will not lose important information, since it is no longer stored in device memory
- Fresh and updated information is always at hand
- You always use the most latest version programs and at the same time you do not need to monitor the release of updates
- You can combine your information with other users
- You can easily share information with loved ones or with people from anywhere in the world.
There are quite a lot of opportunities, however, there are also disadvantages (where would we be without them), which should also be mentioned.
“Fly in the ointment” - disadvantages:
- The need for constant connection.
To gain access to cloud services, you must permanent connection from the Internet - Software and its “customization”.
There are restrictions on software that can be deployed on the clouds and provided to the user. The user has limitations in the software used and sometimes does not have the opportunity to customize it for his own purposes - Confidentiality.
The confidentiality of data stored in public clouds currently causes a lot of controversy, but in most cases, experts agree that it is not recommended to store the most valuable documents for a company on a public cloud, since there is currently no technology which would guarantee 100% data confidentiality - Safety.
The “cloud” itself is a fairly reliable system, but upon penetration, an attacker gains access to a huge data storage. Another disadvantage is the use of systems that use standard OS kernels (for example Windows) as a hypervisor, which allows exploit viruses and system vulnerabilities - High cost of equipment.
For building own cloud it is necessary to allocate significant material resources, which is not beneficial for newly created and small companies - Further monetization of the resource.
It is possible that companies will in the future decide to charge users for the services they provide.
As you can see, there are two sides to the coin. However, this does not harm the development of technology, and may even spur it.
Cloud technologies - the view from the user's side. Solutions overview
We have come to perhaps the most interesting (and so beloved by many readers) part of the article - examples and, so to speak, practice. Here we will look at what solutions, services, programs already exist on the market and what you should pay attention to. Let's start with the services:
- iCloud
Cloudy iCloud service from Apple(which replaced MobileMe), fully automatic and free (albeit with minor functional limitations). It stores all your content (mail, calendar, contacts, documents, music, videos and images, etc.) on servers, and then delivers it to all devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac and PC) using wireless technology Push. - Google Play
A fresh cloud service called Google Play from the “good corporation”, which is designed for users to place movies, music, applications and books on servers specially designed for storing digital information. Access to the service is provided directly from the browser, regardless of the OS, and therefore can be carried out both from a PC and from mobile devices on Android based. Each user has the opportunity to place and store up to 20 thousand music records for free, as well as directly download to the server purchased in stores (Android Market, Google Music and Google eBookstore) digital goods – movies, e-books, programs, music tracks, both purchased and rented. - OnLive
I think that everyone is familiar with the service, fortunately I have already written about it. Provides the opportunity to play modern games even on the simplest and weakest computer. Technically, it looks like this: the game itself is located on a remote server, and the graphics are processed there and are sent to the user’s computer in a “ready” form. Simply put, those calculations that are performed during a normal game on a computer, etc., are already performed on the server, and your computer is used only as a monitor that receives the final picture. If you don’t understand, then all this means that all problems with computer performance and the amount of free space on the hard drive are automatically removed, because no installation is even required. In addition, there is no need to pay quite a lot of money right away for a product (game, etc.) that you do not necessarily like. Moreover, it’s no secret that you don’t want to play through most games again, so it turns out that the cost of several hours (or even several days) of pleasure is unreasonably high. A much more convenient option would be one in which you pay only for the time you play. Or - you would pay some small fixed amount monthly, which would allow you to play any of the available games without restrictions. That's exactly what OnLive offers. - Xbox Live
Another well-known gaming service, which also provides rich Internet functionality and is related to cloud technologies. The essence of the service is that the owners Xbox consoles 360 and PDA based Windows Phone 7, can play with each other computer games and communicate, as well as buy add-ons and various multimedia content, in the online store. It turns out that the service creates a kind of virtual universe for gamers, the components of which are located not on end-user consoles, but in the cloud.
Thus, the last two services offer games as a service. Now let’s imagine that we are not talking about games, but about software. That is, you pay not for the product as such (for the box with the disc), but for the specific functions/opportunities that it provides you. Interesting? Here it is for me :)
Small note
And since we, as users, are most interested in software (and not all sorts of platforms as a service), now we will look at the “software landscape” (SaaS) of clouds. In other words, let's list the most popular software solutions, which, within the framework of the concept of cloud technologies, actually now exist on the market.
Actually, according to the SaaS concept, as mentioned above, you do not pay a lump sum when buying a product, but, as it were, rent it. Moreover, you use exactly those functions that you need (and, accordingly, pay for them). For example, once a year you need a certain program and you are not going to use it more often. So why buy a product that will sit idle?
And why waste space on it (in an apartment, if it’s a box with a disk, or on a hard drive, if it’s a file)? That's right, no why, because there is Alternative option- free online service (providing full functionality of this program).
Working with documents in cloud technologies
It was along this path that the two headliners of the IT industry (and also competitors) - Google and Microsoft - took this path. Both companies have released sets of services that allow you to work with documents.
On Google's side, this is their Google Docs (now Google Drive):
Free online office, including a word processor, spreadsheet processor and “stuff” for creating presentations, as well as an Internet service cloud file storage with file sharing functions.
This is web-based software, that is, a program that works within a web browser without installation on the user’s computer, that is, an alternative version of all sorts of Word, Excel, etc. without the need to purchase and all that. Documents and tables created by the user are saved on a special Google server or can be exported to a file.
This is one of the key advantages of the program, since access to the entered data can be carried out from any computer connected to the Internet (access is protected by a password).
From Microsoft's side, this is their Microsoft Office Web Apps:
Microsoft Office Web Apps allow you to use the capabilities of Microsoft Office through a web browser and work with documents (and not only view them, but also edit them) directly on the website on which they are stored.
Thus, documents look exactly the same in the browser as they do in Office programs, i.e. complete, so to speak, unification.
It is also worth noting that both services are closely related to mail (Gmail in the first case and Hotmail in the second) and file storages, then, to use Google Docs, just open free account Google and you will receive a set of programs for working with texts, spreadsheets, etc., directly in the browser. For many, Google Docs has completely replaced, as mentioned above, the paid MS Office.
To sum it up briefly (for these two services), we can say that the user is transferred from his usual offline environment to online.
Let's move on.
Cloud technologies and data storage
Cloud file storage is no less popular. The most famous repository is considered...
- Dropbox.
You may have several computers, but with the help of this cloud storage you can do shared folder with files for all your PCs and even smartphones. The most interesting thing is that you don’t have to do any special actions here, because the operating system itself will perceive the shared folder, like all other folders on the hard drive, and Dropbox will simply take care of synchronization. The service allows you to store up to 2 GB of data for free. Its main emphasis is on synchronization and information exchange. Dropbox keeps a history of downloads so that after deleting files from the server, it is possible to restore data, plus it keeps a history of file modifications, which is available for the last 30 days. - Windows Live SkyDrive.
The SkyDrive service allows you to save up to 7 GB (and you can exchange files up to 100 MB) of information organized using standard folders form. Images have a preview mode, as well as the ability to show them in the form of slides. In addition to the fact that the service is integrated with Microsoft Office, it also supports the new operating system (more precisely, the SkyDrive client is built into Metro applications and allows you to upload documents and photos to the cloud in one click, and open files from remote storage). - And of course Google Drive. There will be a separate article about it.
By the way, not only all kinds of offices and file storage use cloud technologies. For example, in the fight against digital “evil spirits” they also relied on cloud computing. And here is the result - free antivirus Panda Cloud Antivirus.
It is based on innovative "collective intelligence" technology (which automatically identifies new threats in a minimum period of time) and allows you to minimize the impact of protection on your computer's system resources, using the computing power of cloud technologies for most operations: analysis, blocking and attempts to remove malware.
Antivirus servers use information collected from millions of users of Panda antivirus products around the world to automatically detect and classify new species malware appearing every day.
In a nutshell, it’s something like this, although there are still a lot of services that could be talked about, but then you’ll have to write a volume of War and Peace :)
So let's get to the results slowly.
Cloud technologies. Cloudy or clear?
Simply put, the cloud is an opportunity to always have guaranteed and secure access to all your personal information, as well as avoiding the need to keep a lot of unnecessary things in your pocket (all sorts of flash drives, disks, wires and all that other stuff) or buy a new computer/components /programs/games, etc. There is no doubt that this moment, cloud technologies are one of the most popular and interesting topics in the IT sector and more and more interesting solutions appearing in the world is connected precisely with them.
Of course, it is still difficult for the average user to fully appreciate (and reveal) their full potential, but the fact that it exists is visible to the naked eye.
Thus, without any doubt, the future of cloud technologies seems very bright, because such giants (Microsoft, Apple and Google) are simply not doing anything and it is absolutely clear that if they have entered this uncharted territory, they are clearly not going to it should go away, because two years ago the concept of “cloud” seemed only a beautiful idea and a bold experiment, and today the benefits of cloud technologies can be felt even by those people who are not associated with program development, web technologies and other highly specialized things (the above-mentioned Xbox Live, Windows Live, OnLive, Google Docs- vivid examples of this).
Afterword
Something like that. I hope that the information was interesting, useful and exciting for you. Stay with the project - you are always welcome here;)
As usual, if you have questions, additions, and other differences, then comments are at your service.
PS: Thanks to team member 25 KADR for the existence of this article
In recent years, SaaS solutions or, in other words, IT services implemented on a cloud platform, have become increasingly popular in the business environment. We can say that cloud technologies have confidently entered our lives and continue to gain momentum. In this article we will try to find out what does cloud computing mean and what are its benefits for business?
In a nutshell, cloud solutions are software products that can be accessed via the Internet. If previously people downloaded software exclusively to a computer or server, today cloud technologies have given us access to programs through a web browser. Such applications are especially popular among small and medium-sized businesses. And the well-known IT magazine “CRN” has calculated that today small businesses spend about 100 billion US dollars on purchasing cloud tools.
Today, many software developers offer business software on a cloud platform. Such solutions include office suites, systems for managing customer relationships, as well as industry-specific applications for managing sales, production, logistics, etc. And, for example, separate products have been developed for each area of logistics: warehouse automation, transport logistics automation and tender automation procurement
So why are so many businesses moving to the cloud? The answer is simple. Cloud tools increase productivity, reduce costs for businesses, and, in addition, offer the user many other benefits.
So, let's look at the main advantages of cloud technologies:
1. Flexibility
If a company is actively developing and, as a result, the network of its branches and representative offices is expanding, because such services are hosted on remote servers.
2. Disaster recovery
When using cloud technologies, companies do not need to worry about problems disaster recovery systems Suppliers of such solutions take care of all the worries about maintaining the functionality of systems, and problems are resolved very quickly. According to Aberdeen Group research, enterprises that used the cloud solved system recovery problems four times faster than other companies.
3. Automaticsoftware update
According to research, in 2010, UK companies spent 18 working days per month maintaining non-cloud systems and managing their security. Cloud service providers are independently responsible for maintaining and updating servers, including guaranteeing the safety of data.
4. No capital costs
Cloud solutions do not require capital investments for the purchase of servers and their support, and since they are implemented very quickly, minimal effort will be required from the customer to “launch” the project.
5. Expanding the scope of interaction
Cloud technologies allow all company employees, regardless of their current location, to synchronize work with documents and applications, working in real time.
6. Work from anywhere in the world
To work with cloud system only required mobile device and access to the Internet.
7. Document management
According to one foreign publication, 73% of knowledge workers interact with people in other time zones and regions at least once a month. If the company does not use the cloud, employees are forced to share files via e-mail, resulting in multiple versions of the same document. Cloud solutions allow all files to be stored in one place, and employees can simultaneously work in one central copy, as well as communicate with each other as changes are made. Such cooperation improves overall work productivity.
8. Security of information
It is known that tens of thousands of laptops are lost at airports every year. Along with laptops, valuable and confidential information. If information is stored in the cloud, then if the device is lost, there is no data loss.
9. Competitiveness
The cloud allows companies to act faster in emergency situations than their competitors. Businesses that don't use cloud services, in case of system failure are forced to resort to backup and involve complex data recovery procedures, which is slow and painstaking work.
10. Eco-friendliness
Research shows that using cloud technologies reduces carbon dioxide emissions by at least 30%. environment and energy consumption, which gives an additional bonus to the business.
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