Cloud technology concept. Cloud technologies in education. Services provided by cloud systems

Also, such a concept as “Cloud” or “Cloud computing” exists in IT technologies. What does it mean?

« Cloud"(cloud computing) - a type of providing network access, convenient and ubiquitous, to a common pool (union) of computing resources (applications and services, networks, servers, data storage systems), which can be provided at any time with minimal management burden and the ability to interact with the service provider. To make it easier to understand the interpretation of cloud computing, let’s look at an example. At your workplace you have an old, weak computer at your disposal.

But it is connected to the Internet and, willy-nilly, you have to perform everything on it necessary work. At one point, you were advised to log on to the website of the provider providing the Cloud Computing service. At your own peril and risk, you visited this site, registered and... Oh Gods, there is no end to your surprise. Now it doesn’t matter how powerful your computer is, it is only needed to connect to the Internet and authenticate on the cloud service. There, you can safely use computers of any configuration, perform tasks on various programs, and it doesn’t matter what hardware requirements these programs put forward. A service provider providing cloud computing services will be able to provide stable, uninterrupted operation with any necessary programs and applications.

Description of the cloud model

The cloud model assumes high ease of access to the service and is represented by the main characteristics, service models, that is, types of service provision and types of cloud deployment.

Main characteristics

There are five main types of Essential Characteristics.

1. Self-service service ( On-demand self-service). The user, as necessary, will provide himself with all the tools and resources necessary for the calculation. By requesting storage and server time from the provider in a one-way manner, without providing the services of personnel posing as the service provider.
2. Free network access ( Broad network access). Standard network access to services from various devices: personal computers; mobile; tablets; laptops and so on.
3. Resource Pool ( Resource pooling). The computing power of the service representative is organized in the form of a pool (association) to be able to serve all kinds of consumers using the multiple rental type. This provides the potential for dynamic reassignment of various resources, both physical and virtual. Depending on user requirement. At the same time, the customer of the services does not attach importance to and does not control the location of resources.
4. Fast elasticity ( Rapid elasticity). This is a type in which computing resources and capabilities are provided quickly and flexibly (elastically). That is, the amount of allocated space can constantly change. The resources are presented to the user in an unlimited volume; they can be purchased at any time and in the required quantity.
5. Measurable service ( Measured Service). Automatic control and optimization of consumed resources. By mutual agreement between the user and the provider, monitoring of resources is carried out. After monitoring, a report is displayed showing the consumption of all resources, this ensures transparency of the use of the service, both for the consumer and for the service provider.

Service Models )

There are three main service delivery models - Software as a Service, or SaaS for short, Platform as a Service, or PaaS, and Infrastructure as a Service, IaaS for short. All service models need to be looked at more closely.

Software as a Service

Software as a service - this model is driven by the following. The service representative (provider) develops a WEB application, configures it and further manages it. The customer receives access to the software via the Internet. All costs for maintaining the application and maintaining its functionality are borne by the provider, and the consumer only pays for use software"Cloud" service.

Platform as a Service

Platform as a service - provision by the provider of a platform on which development, deployment, testing of WEB applications for their support and similar operations can be carried out. Such platforms must have certain characteristics: creation tools; database management systems; middleware; programming language execution environments.

Management and control of physical and virtual infrastructure cloud service is carried out by a service representative.

Infrastructure as a Service

Infrastructure as a service - this service is mainly designed for use by enterprises. The client is offered various infrastructures: servers; data warehouses; network equipment; software equipment for managing all resources. The main advantage of this service for the user is that he does not need to purchase expensive equipment necessary to perform any task. The client pays only for what he needs at a particular moment to complete a specific task.

Deployment Models

There are four cloud deployment models, let's look at them.

1. Private cloud- private cloud. This infrastructure is used to serve one organization, but makes it possible to include several consumers. Such a cloud can be managed either by the organization itself or by a third party. The infrastructure can exist at the consumer, or at an external provider.
2. Public cloud- public cloud. Such a cloud is created accessible to a large group of users. Sometimes these users are not connected by common interests, but work in the same field of activity. Such services are often the property of various organizations, commercial, management, government, scientific, and so on. The cloud is physically owned by the service provider.
3. Community cloud- public cloud. A type of cloud that is used by a specific community or organization that has common objectives (security requirements, mission, policies, etc.). This structure can be managed either by the company itself or by a third party, and can exist on both the user and provider side.
4. Hybrid cloud- hybrid cloud. This is a combination of two or more cloud structures interconnected by technologies (standardized or proprietary) for transferring data and applications. For example, packet transmission data.

Afterword

Cloud computing technology provides enormous benefits to both the individual user and companies. Availability, performance, portability, constant updating, development of new types of services provided, all this is only a small part of the characteristics of Cloud Computing. Take advantage of technology CloudComputing and you yourself will see and evaluate the veracity of this statement.

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 IT-sphere, many articles have been written about it, an even larger number of 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) is impossible to count.

However, as always, there is one thing "But"namely, the majority of users still don’t even know what kind of “know-how” cloud technologies are and why they gave up in the first place. Well, we will correct the current situation and we will begin, as it should be, from theory.

Cloud computing ( cloud computing) is a distributed data processing technology in which computer resources and power are provided to the user as an Internet service. If you explain 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 e-mail ( 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 reduce the size, flip your photo to 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 realize their goals, objectives, and 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 infrastructure pyramid is a set of physical devices(servers, etc.), a “platform” is built above it - 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.

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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 that concerns cloud computing(Further SS), usually called the word aaS. This is simply deciphered - " as a Service", that is, "as a service", or "as a service".

Currently, cloud technologies and, in fact, their concept, involve providing the following types of services to their users:

• Storage-as-a-Service("storage as a service")
  This is perhaps the simplest of SS-services, which are 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". Service Storage-as-a-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 all of them. An example would be other similar services.
• Database-as-a-Service("database as a service")
  This is probably more for administrators, because this thing provides the opportunity to work with databases, as if DBMS was 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 proper use 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("process control 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("application as a service")
  It may also be called Software-as-a-Service(“Software as a service”). It is positioned as “software on demand”, which is deployed on remote servers and each user can access it via the Internet, and all updates and licenses for this software are regulated by the provider of this service. Payment, in this case, is made for the actual use of the latter. An example is Google Docs , Google Calendar and so on. online programs.
• Platform-as-a-Service("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 well-known services and features of enterprise application centralization, optimization and integration packages ( EAI), but provided as a "cloud" service.
• Security-as-a-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, and local networks, which allows users of this service to save on the deployment and maintenance of 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("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.
• 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 need a constant connection to 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 privacy
• 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 as a hypervisor (for example Windows), which allows the use of viruses and system vulnerabilities
• High cost of equipment.
  To build your own cloud, you need 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 - a 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 is worth paying attention to. Let's start with the services:

• iCloud
  Cloud service iCloud from company Apple(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,MacAndPC) by 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 specially designed storage digital information servers. 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 the base Android. Each user has the opportunity to place and store up to 20 -ten thousand musical recordings on a free basis, 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, when normal game they are executed on the computer, etc., here they are already executed on the server, and your computer is used only as a monitor that receives the final image. If you don’t understand, then all this means is that all problems with computer performance and quantity are automatically removed. free space on your hard drive, because you don’t even need installation. 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. This is exactly what it offers OnLive.
• 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 owners of consoles Xbox 360 And PDA on the base Windows Phone 7, can play computer games with each other 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 not located on consoles end users, but in the cloud.

So two latest 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) 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 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 complete functionality this program).

Working with documents in cloud technologies

It was along this path that two headliners of the IT industry (and also competitors) took - Google And Microsoft. Both companies have released sets of services that allow you to work with documents.

From the outside Google - it's theirs 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, i.e., 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 server Google 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 the outside Microsoft - it's theirs Microsoft Office Web Apps:

Applications Microsoft Office Web Apps, allow you to take advantage of the opportunities 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 in programs Office, 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, you want to use Google Docs, just create a free Google account and you will receive a set of programs for working with texts, spreadsheets, etc., right in your browser. For many, Google Docs completely replaced, as mentioned above, paid MS Ooffice.

If you fail summary(for these two services), then we can say that the user is transferred from his usual offline environment to online.
Let's move on.

Cloud technologies and data storage

No less popular cloud storage files. The most famous repository is considered...

• Dropbox.
  You may have several computers, but with the help of this cloud storage you can create a common 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. 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 changes, which is available for the period of the last 30 days.
• Windows Live SkyDrive.
  Service SkyDrive allows you to save up to 7 GB (and files can be exchanged up to 100 MB) of information organized using standard folders. 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 client SkyDrive built into applications Metro 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 - a 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 received from millions of users of antivirus products Panda worldwide to automatically detect and classify new types of malware emerging 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?

To put it simply, the cloud is an opportunity to always have a 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 IT-sphere 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) they just certainly don’t do anything and it’s absolutely clear that if they’ve already entered this uncharted territory, they clearly don’t intend to leave it, because two years ago the concept "cloud" seemed just a beautiful idea and a bold experiment, but today the benefits of cloud technologies can be felt even by those people who are not involved in 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

annotation

This paper examines cloud technologies and service models (SaaS)(PaaS)(IaaS). The Software as a Service service model, examples of cloud technology data, pros and cons, and development prospects are discussed in detail.

The explanatory note consists of 77 pages and contains 39 drawings, 2 diagrams and 1 table.

Abstract2

Introduction4

Chapter 1 Cloud Technologies5

1.1 The concept of “Cloud technologies” 5

1.2 History of the emergence of cloud technologies 11

1.3 Overview of cloud products 12

Chapter 2 SaaS Service Model18

2.1 Service models (SaaS) (PaaS) (IaaS) 18

2.2 Cloud software as a service (SaaS) 22

2.3 SaaS - History. Philosophy. Development drivers 28

Chapter 3 Cloud Development SaaS technologies 33

3.1 Examples of “cloud SaaS technologies” 33

3.2 Pros and cons of cloud SaaS technologies 37

3.3 Prospects for the development of cloud technologies SaaS 40

Conclusion44

References45

Introduction

Everything is changing, the world does not stand still, and most Internet users are also changing their attitude towards the World Wide Web. The reason for this is “cloud technologies”, which set the “fashion” for using the Internet and storing files on the Internet. It is “behind the cloud” that Facebook, Amazon, Twitter and those “engines” on which services like Google Docs, Gmail, Google Drive, Yandex Disk are based, now work. One Drive etc. All this is good, but so far it remains for the uninitiated only words, pompous and incomprehensible. So how does it work anyway?

Despite the fact that terms such as “cloud technologies” or “cloud computing” have long been heard by many, however, very few people understand what exactly cloud technology is.

At first glance, it may seem that everything is too confusing to delve into. In fact, this technology is very simple and almost every one of us has been using it for a long time, without even thinking about it. So, for example, everything works on the basis of the cloud social media, file hosting services, YouTube, email clients, banking services and much more.

In simple terms, cloud technology involves using a computer/web application located on remote servers through a convenient user interface or application format. Businesses and companies use various types of applications in the cloud, such as for customer relationship management (CRM), human resources, accounting, and other organizational needs.

Relevance of this research work due to the fact that cloud technologies are used everywhere these days. Every modern company or organization uses cloud software products in one way or another in its activities. Ordinary people store their documents and files in the clouds every day.

The purpose of this work is to study the issue of the emergence and development of “Cloud technologies”. Analyze cloud software as a service (SaaS). Based on the goal, it is necessary to complete the following tasks:

· formulate the concept of “Cloud technologies”;

· talk about the main platforms using the cloud;

· present the positive and negative aspects of the service;

· highlight the prospects for further development in the world.

Chapter 1. Cloud technologies

The concept of "Cloud technologies"

Under cloud computing (Fig. 1) (from English. cloud computing, the term “cloud (dispersed) data processing” is also used) usually means providing the user with computer resources and capacity in the form of Internet service. Thus, computing resources are provided to the user in a “pure” form, and the user may not know which computers are processing his requests, under which operating system this is happening, etc.

Fig.1 Visualization of cloud technologies.

Clouds are often compared to mainframes, finding many similarities between them. The fundamental difference between the cloud and mainframes is that its computing power is theoretically unlimited. Second fundamental difference is that, simply put, terminals for mainframes served only for interactive user interaction with the task launched for processing. In the cloud, the terminal itself is a powerful computing device, capable of not only accumulating intermediate information, but also directly managing the global system of computing resources.

Among the earlier (in the 1990s) data processing technologies, so-called grid computing has become somewhat widespread. This direction was initially considered as an opportunity to use free resources processors and development of a system of voluntary rental of computing power. A number of projects (GIMPS, distributed.net, SETI@home) have proven that this computing model is quite effective. Today, this technology is used to solve scientific and mathematical problems that require significant computing resources. It is known that grid computing is also used for commercial purposes. For example, they are used to perform some labor-intensive tasks related to economic forecasting, seismic data analysis, and the development and study of the properties of vaccines and new drugs. Indeed, grid computing and clouds have many similarities in architecture and principles applied. However, the cloud computing model is considered more promising today due to a much more flexible platform for working with remote computing resources.

Currently, large computing clouds consist of thousands of servers located in data centers(data center). They power tens of thousands of applications that are used by millions of users simultaneously. Cloud technologies are a convenient tool for businesses that are too expensive to maintain their own ERP, CRM or other servers that require the purchase and configuration of additional equipment.

ERP (Fig.2) ( Enterprise Resource Planning– enterprise resource planning) – an organizational strategy for the integration of production and operations, labor management, financial management and asset management, focused on the continuous balancing and optimization of enterprise resources through a specialized integrated package of application software that provides a common data and process model for all areas of the enterprise. .

Fig. 2 ERP systems

CRM (Fig. 3) (Customer Relationship Management) is a customer relationship management system, that is, application software designed to automate strategies for interaction with customers (clients), in particular, to increase sales levels, optimize marketing and improve customer service by maintaining information about clients and the history of relationships with them, establishing and improving business procedures and subsequent analysis of the results.

Fig. 3 CRM systems

Among private users, cloud services such as, for example, those provided by Google (“Documents”, “Calendar”, etc.) are gradually becoming widespread due to their convenience.

The reasons for the growing popularity of cloud technologies are clear: the possibilities for their application are very diverse and allow saving on both maintenance and personnel, as well as on infrastructure. Hardware can be greatly simplified when processing data and storing information in remote data centers. All these problems are almost entirely transferred to the service provider.

In addition, this approach allows you to standardize software, even if different operating systems are installed on enterprise computers (Windows, Linux, MacOS, etc.). Cloud technologies make it easier to provide access to company data both for clients and for employees who are away from the office but have the ability to connect via the Internet.

It is clear that using cloud computing is much more convenient. The most important disadvantage that can be immediately noticed is the complete dependence on the provider of these services. In fact, the enterprise (user) finds itself hostage to the service provider and Internet access provider. Although the reliability of cloud computing providers is increasing, a lot of effort must be put into ensuring the reliability and security of data, such as having redundant communication channels, redundant power to be able to switch to them, and, of course, thinking about information availability and security. In addition, cloud computing is completely unsuitable for enterprises related to state and military secrets. No commission will issue a certificate for such a system when working with information that is not subject to disclosure.

As noted, modern cloud technologies are not only used in ready-made network and server equipment, but are also gradually penetrating the embedded cloud market and causing large-scale restructuring of the market. The implementation of embedded systems leads to the placement computer processors in products such as resource consumption meters, smart sensors, M2M modules, cars, Appliances etc. This allows you to control device operation, data collection, and interactive experiences by connecting to computer network.

The idea of ​​connecting all kinds of devices to the global network is called Internet of Things(Fig. 4)(Internet of Things - IoT). According to Kevin Dallas, CEO Microsoft manager Windows Embedded, the idea of ​​the Internet of Things has existed for many years, but to implement it, one link was missing to build such a network - the cloud.

Fig.4 Internet of Things.

As the number of embedded computers increases due to falling processor prices and the ubiquity of the Internet, the volume of data transferred and subsequently processed (often in real time) also increases. Therefore, we can assume that the role of the Internet of Things and cloud computing will increase in the coming years.

According to the deployment model, clouds (Fig. 5) are divided into private, public (public) and hybrid.

Fig.5 Cloud deployment models

Private clouds(Fig.6) – These are the internal cloud infrastructure and services of the enterprise. These clouds are located within the corporate network. An organization can manage a private cloud in-house or outsource this task to an external contractor. 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. The ideal option for a private cloud is a cloud deployed on the territory of an organization, maintained and controlled by its employees.

Fig.6 Private clouds.

Private clouds offer the same benefits as public clouds, but with one important difference: the enterprise itself installs and maintains the cloud. The complexity and cost of creating an internal cloud can be very high, and the cost of operating it can exceed the cost of using a public cloud. available clouds.

It should be noted that private clouds have advantages over public clouds: more detailed control over various cloud resources provides the company with any available configuration options. Additionally, private clouds are ideal when you need to do work that cannot be trusted to a public cloud due to security concerns.

Public clouds(Fig.7) – these are cloud services provided by the provider. They are located outside the corporate network. Users of these clouds do not have the ability to manage or maintain this cloud; all responsibility rests with the owner of this cloud. The cloud service provider assumes responsibilities for installing, managing, delivering, and maintaining software, application infrastructure, or physical infrastructure. Clients pay only for the resources they use.

Fig.7 Public clouds.

Any company and individual user can become a subscriber to the services offered. They offer an easy, affordable way to deploy websites or business systems with great scalability that would otherwise be unavailable. Examples: online services Amazon EC2 and Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3), Google Apps/Docs, Salesforce.com, Microsoft Office Web.

However, public cloud services are mainly provided in the form of standard configurations, that is, based on the conditions of the most common use cases. This means that the user has fewer configuration options compared to systems in which the resources are managed by the consumer himself. It should also be kept in mind that because consumers have little control over the infrastructure, processes that require stringent security and compliance measures are not always suitable for implementation in the public cloud.

Hybrid clouds(Fig. 8) are a combination of public and private clouds. They are typically created by the enterprise, and management responsibilities are shared between the enterprise and the public cloud provider. A hybrid cloud provides services, some of which are public and some of which are private. Typically this type of cloud is 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 that in raw form are not valuable to the enterprise), as well as to provide users with access to enterprise resources ( to a private cloud) via a public cloud. A well-designed hybrid cloud can serve both security-critical processes, such as receiving payments from customers, and more non-essential ones.

Fig.8 Hybrid clouds.

The main disadvantage of this type of cloud is the difficulty of effectively creating and managing such solutions. It is necessary to obtain services from different sources and organize them as if it were a single source. Interactions between private and public components can further complicate the solution. Since this is a relatively new architectural concept in the field of cloud computing, more and more new practical recommendations and tools, and its widespread adoption may be delayed until it is better understood.

According to Tom Bittman, vice president and leading analyst at the American research and consulting company Gartner, among the above three cloud deployment models, private clouds are the most relevant for business at the moment. Bittman outlined five key points that help provide a more accurate understanding of the private cloud design.

There's more to the cloud than virtualization. While server and infrastructure virtualization is an important foundation of private cloud computing, virtualization and the management of a virtualized environment do not constitute a private cloud.

Virtualization allows you to better structure, pool, and dynamically provision infrastructure resources: servers, desktops, storage capacities, networking equipment, middleware, etc. But for an environment to technically be considered a cloud environment, other components are also needed, such as virtual machines, operating systems or middleware containers, highly resilient operating systems, grid computing software, storage abstraction software, scaling and clustering tools.

The term "private cloud", as opposed to public or hybrid, refers to resources used by a single organization, or means that an organization's cloud resources are completely isolated in the cloud from others.

The cloud is not necessarily a source of savings. One of the main misconceptions is that the cloud will save money. Savings are possible, but not a mandatory attribute.

A private cloud allows you to more efficiently reallocate resources to meet corporate requirements, and can reduce capital costs for equipment. But a private cloud requires investment in automation, and the savings alone may not be worth the full cost. So, cost reduction is not the main advantage of this model. From this point of view, the main incentive to implement the cloud model should not be savings, but speed to market, the ability to quickly adapt and dynamically scale in accordance with demand, which allow increasing the speed of implementation of new services.

A private cloud is not always implemented at the customer's premises. A private cloud means privacy, not a specific location, resource ownership, or self-management. Many providers offer non-local private clouds, that is, they allocate resources to a single customer, excluding sharing one pool by several clients. “The cloud is private because of its privacy, not because of where it is deployed or who owns it or is responsible for managing it,” Bittman emphasizes. Some, for example, can place their data centers with hosting providers or pool the resources of different customers, but isolate them from each other using a virtual private network (VPN) and other similar technologies.

The private cloud (like the public cloud) is not just about infrastructure services. Server virtualization is a major trend and therefore a powerful driver of private cloud computing. But private cloud is not just about infrastructure as a service (IaaS). For example, for developing and testing new software, a high-level platform as a service (PaaS) makes more sense than simply providing virtual machines.

Today, the fastest growing segment of cloud computing is IaaS. It provides the lowest-level data center resources in an easy-to-use form, but does not fundamentally change how it works. To create new applications that are native to the cloud and provide completely new services that may be very different from what previous applications provided, developers are more comfortable using PaaS.

A private cloud may no longer be private. On the one hand, a private cloud provides the benefits of the cloud: agility, scalability and efficiency, and eliminates some of the security risks, potential and real, that characterize public clouds. On the other hand, service levels, security, and compliance controls in public cloud services will certainly improve over time. Therefore, some private clouds may become entirely public. Most private cloud services will likely evolve into hybrid cloud services, expanding available options through the use of public cloud services and other third party resources.

So, cloud technologies are a convenient tool for enterprises that are too expensive to maintain their own ERP and CRM. With the help of “clouds” it has become possible to connect all kinds of devices to the global network - the “Internet of Things”. According to the deployment model, clouds are divided into private, public (public) and hybrid.

The concept of "cloud computing" originated in 1960, when John McCarthy suggested that computer computing would one day be performed using "public utilities."

Cloud computing may seem like a relatively new phenomenon. However, their history dates back to the early 1950s, when the advent of mainframe computers allowed multiple users to access central computer. In the 1960s, some ideas emerged that resembled what we call cloud computing today, such as J. C. R. Licklider's "intergalactic computer network" concept.

The ideology of cloud computing gained popularity in 2007 due to the rapid development of communication channels and the exponentially growing need of both businesses and private users to horizontal scaling their information systems.

The modern cloud began in 2006 when Amazon.com, then an online bookstore, introduced Amazon Web Services (AWS), kickstarting the cloud computing movement. AWS provides a wide range of services, such as computing power and data storage, and remains the leading and highly reliable cloud web services platform infrastructure to this day.

Amazon.com was soon joined by Nexflix, Microsoft, Google, Apple, and IBM, and the cloud computing market grew in size.

Properties and models of cloud computing

Basic properties

NIST in its document `The NIST Definition of Cloud Computing` defines following characteristics clouds:

• the possibility of self-service without human intervention from the provider;
• availability of broadband network access;
• concentration of resources on individual sites for their efficient distribution;
• fast scalability - resources can be allocated unlimitedly and released at high speed depending on needs;
• managed service - the cloud management system automatically controls and optimizes resource allocation based on measured service parameters (storage system size, bandwidth, number of active users, etc.).

On-demand self-service. The consumer has the opportunity to access the provided computing resources unilaterally as needed, automatically, without the need to interact with employees of each service provider.

Broad network access. The provided computing resources are available over the network through standard mechanisms for various platforms, thin and thick clients ( mobile phones, tablets, laptops, workstations, etc.).

Resource pooling. The provider's computing resources are pooled to serve many consumers using a multi-tenant model. Pools include a variety of physical and virtual resources that can be dynamically assigned and reassigned according to consumer requests. It is not necessary for the consumer to know the exact location of the resources, but it is possible to specify their location at a higher level of abstraction (for example, country, region, or data center). Examples of this type of resource include storage systems, computing power, memory, throughput networks.

Rapid elasticity. Resources can be elastically allocated and released, in some cases automatically, to quickly scale with demand. For the consumer, the possibilities for providing resources are seen as unlimited, that is, they can be appropriated in any quantity and at any time.

Measured service. Cloud systems automatically manage and optimize resources using measurement tools implemented at the abstraction level for various types of services (for example, management of external memory, processing, bandwidth or active user sessions). Resources used can be monitored and controlled, which provides transparency as both for the provider and for the consumer using the service.

Cloud service models

Software as a service (SaaS). The ability to provide the consumer with the use of provider applications running in the cloud infrastructure. Applications are accessible from a variety of client devices or through thin client interfaces such as a web browser (such as webmail) or program interfaces. The consumer does not manage the underlying cloud infrastructure, including networks, servers, operating systems, storage systems, and even individual application settings, with the exception of some user-defined application configuration settings.

The consumer must put in place “on its own territory” appropriate policies and procedures that exclude the transfer of access rights to information to third parties. In this sense, the objective advantages of “clouds” should not be confused with relieving the customer of any efforts to ensure the security of their own information perimeter.

Solving security problems includes traditional and broad known solutions, although it contains a number of specific solutions that, in the process of performing traditional tasks, must be optimized to save productivity virtual environment, adding security.

Even large cloud service providers are already experiencing serious equipment failures. In the global practice of cloud computing, there are cases when a consumer could not access applications for a long time. And a banal “Internet shutdown” due to the fault of the provider (not necessarily the provider directly serving the customer; the backbone operator may also be at fault) can make working with “cloud” resources impossible in principle.

Obviously, before starting projects related to moving certain IT services to the cloud, customers should assess such risks, conduct a thorough inventory of applications (fixing a list of business-critical ones), and only then make decisions on how to build your “cloud” IT future.

Alternative hot standby ISP, alternative cloud solution provider, transparent maintenance management archival copies data, insurance, strict liability conditions in agreements with suppliers are mandatory security elements in the clouds.

The problems of ensuring information integrity in the case of using individual “cloud” applications can be solved thanks to modern database architectures, backup systems, integrity checking algorithms and other industrial solutions. But that's not all. New challenges may arise when it comes to integrating multiple cloud applications from different vendors.

For those companies for which information security issues are very acute, for example, these are enterprises associated with the military-industrial complex, working with state secrets, or strictly bound by the requirements of non-disclosure of data about private clients, the way out of the situation is the creation of private clouds. The fact is that private clouds, unlike public or hybrid systems, are most similar to the virtualized infrastructures that IT departments of large corporations have already learned to implement and over which they can maintain full control. Information security deficiencies in public cloud systems pose a serious problem. Most hacking incidents occur in public clouds.

Virtualization can be secure and compliant with information security regulations. However, customer security demands still often outpace vendor capabilities.

Gartner experts are of the opinion that this is the direction that should change the established status quo in information technology in the near future. It is expected that cloud computing will push even more intensive development of the Internet. Gartner predicts that the trend will be fully formed over the next few years.

Analysts also note that cloud computing technology will reduce costs and increase demand for new IT products, but the growth effect of such technologies will only appear in the long term.

Choosing a cloud vendor is almost like getting married. Both parties are determined for the best and are confident that the relationship will be long and full of love and mutual understanding. But... appearances can be deceptive, and relationships with the vendor can deteriorate. In such a case, you need a “marriage” contract (more precisely, a clear and comprehensive contract), guaranteeing that both parties involved know their rights and obligations.

CRN turned to the leaders of the VAR company Progress Software to gain first-hand knowledge. Matt Cicciari, OpenEdge/SaaS platform marketing and cloud adoption manager, and Mike Ormerod, cloud and SaaS solutions architect, shared their experience: what key elements should be present in the “nuptial agreement” with a cloud vendor so that a potential client can confidently say "Yes".

Prepare the network

During the Interop 2012 exhibition in Las Vegas, Cisco Systems released the results of its annual Global Cloud Networking Survey, which was attended by 1,300 IT professionals from 13 countries. Over a third of IT professionals believe that it is built in accordance with cloud concept The network is a necessary element of infrastructure to begin the process of migrating applications to the cloud. 28% of them believe that a cloud-optimized network is more important than a virtualized data center, 21% - than a service level agreement with a cloud service provider.

At the same time, almost 40% of respondents would prefer to avoid any network restructuring associated with the implementation of private or public clouds by all means possible. In other words, many IT managers are aware of the importance of building a specialized network infrastructure for cloud computing, but few are ready to tackle objectively complex projects.

Praveen Akkiraju, vice president and general manager of the Cisco Services Routing Technology Group, warns that business leaders must have a clear understanding of all the necessary steps before a full-scale deployment of cloud infrastructure at the planning stage. Cisco representatives believe that in the foreseeable future the number of such projects will grow at an increasingly rapid pace. According to the Global Cloud Index report, by 2014, more than half of the data center capacity will be used to service cloud computing; by 2015, cloud traffic will grow 12 times and reach 1.6 zettabytes per year. 73% of participants have all the necessary information to implement private and public cloud environments; they consider streamlined processes and proper planning to be the cornerstone of a successful project.

First understand the cloud

Progress Software executives warn that the decision to adopt the cloud can get bogged down in terms, acronyms and notations. It is important that potential customers do their homework and become familiar with vendor terms before entering into negotiations. “You shouldn’t jump into a new business right away if you don’t understand some terms and technologies,” says Chicciari. “First of all, you need to understand what you are getting into,” echoes Ormerod.

Know all the details of the SLA

The recent string of cloud failures has taught us something. There needs to be a clear service level agreement (SLA) to ensure this union has a long and happy life. Progress Software executives recommend that cloud service buyers carefully review all SLA terms to know who is responsible for what in different circumstances. It is important to ensure that mission-critical applications do not change later; a signed SLA protects not only your reputation, but also the name of the vendor. “The text and language of the SLA is everything,” says Ormerod. “As with any contract, you must have absolute clarity about who is doing what, when and how,” adds Cicciari.

Have a work plan

Don't forget: cloud vendors are not IT management service providers. When you step into the cloud, you have the same responsibilities as you would with on-premises infrastructure. The cloud does not belong to the “set it and forget it” category, and the “out of sight, out of mind” principle does not apply here. It is important to plan how day-to-day operations will be carried out, who has access to what and when, and all aspects of IT security. You also need to understand maintenance procedures, be it bug fixes or upgrades. "Just because you don't see something doesn't mean you're not responsible for it," Cicciari says.

Have a disaster recovery plan

The union of two is constant work, and something can go wrong. It is important to plan for unexpected problems. Progress Software is ready for this. Before you take the plunge into the cloud, you need to have a plan in place to recover from failures and recreate your production environment. High availability is the cloud vendor's job, but failure recovery is not, warns Cicciari. “There is a misconception: I send all my applications to the cloud - and there are no worries,” echoes Ormerod.

Know where your data is

If the union breaks up, then division of property is inevitable. The situation is approximately the same with the cloud. The vendor's contract should detail what happens to the customer's data if the customer or the vendor goes out of business, if one of the parties is merged or purchased, and how long the vendor must retain the customer's data. Data residency and regulatory compliance are also important aspects of moving to the cloud, Ormerod says.

Multi-platform cloud

This may seem like a lie, but any cloud vendor agreement must contain a support clause various types clouds with the ability to use other platforms. You should ask vendors whether they provide public cloud, private cloud and hybrid model support, says Cicciari. For a long-lasting relationship, the customer must be able to use multiple cloud vendors simultaneously for the same application, system or environment. “Why limit yourself to just one cloud? - he says. “What if something happens at Amazon, GoGrid or Rackspace?” Customers must ask themselves, “How easy will it be for me to migrate my applications from one vendor to another?” - adds Ormerod.

Need an exit strategy

And finally, what to do if the relationship doesn’t work out and both parties are forced to break up? Once the honeymoon period is over, users need to know what to do, says Cicciari. What to do if a problem occurs, how to recover data and start again cloud application? What if the customer simply changes his mind and no longer wants to use the cloud? What if your business profile or market has changed and you need to change your strategy? Agreement cloud service should include an exit strategy so that both the vendor and the customer can part ways amicably, avoiding unpleasant disputes.

Cloud Computing: Myths and Misconceptions

The cloud is based only on software

Theoretically, it is quite possible to build a cloud on standard servers (x86) and intelligent software. We combine several virtual devices and get a “cloud”. But in reality this is far from the case. By various reasons such as maintaining adequate performance (specialized ASICs or dedicated hardware resources), ensuring compatibility (installing drivers for each new platform x86), or control functions (HIPPA, PCI-DSS, departmental isolation, etc.), not all system developers have yet abandoned the use of dedicated hardware resources for certain elements of their data centers. In principle, the inevitability of virtualization of some components of the computer environment is obvious. Therefore, market leaders produce appropriate equipment. For example, Nexus 1000v, which provides virtual machine traffic transparency at the network security, with built-in VN-Link technology providing network mobility. As well as a virtual security gateway and vWAAS. In some cases, clients choose virtual devices. In other cases, they prefer a combination of software and hardware resources, such as the control points introduced by the Nexus 1010v. All these unified network services provide system developers standard set techniques that allow, if necessary, to share software and hardware resources.

Cloud and elastic resources

Many network equipment vendors have not fully implemented the idea of ​​elastic resources. The fact is that the concept of “elastic resources” should not be limited only to servers and data storage systems, it should extend to the entire “cloud”, including its network elements.

Cloud and pooled resources

This is another area that many people associate only with servers and storage systems. For many years, before the advent of the cloud, the network was an end-to-end resource that provided services (bandwidth, security, segmentation or isolation, QoS, etc.) to individual groups of systems. As networks have become more virtual, more automated, and the number of their tenants has grown, companies offering solutions in this market have continued to expand the intelligent logic of their products required to operate modern cloud systems. These solutions allow customers to deploy modular virtual systems (such as Vblock and SMT from Cisco).

Virtualization makes the cloud more flexible

On the one hand, this is absolutely true regarding dynamic distribution resources and prompt inclusion of new virtual machines using templates and clones. However, this requires some structural changes. For example, when using vMotion, Live Migration, or XenMotion, the source and destination must be in the same logical domain. And surveys of virtual system administrators show that they have to perform thousands of virtual machine migrations per month. So, in addition to this flexibility, all they have to do is eliminate the traditional level distinction. To do this, they need to be given the opportunity to build large, two-level networks, devoid of constant problems hierarchical networks. And it would be even better if this concept covered not one, but many networks, thereby greatly simplifying the problem of application mobility and disaster prevention. Just as the network once began to support the transfer of various multimedia data in real time, it must now adapt to changes associated with virtualization and dynamic computing environments.

A virtual machine is the same server, only software

This is not entirely true. Indeed, the application and the guest operating system probably do not see any difference, but network administrators and security services are not at all indifferent. The virtual machine no longer starts and ends at one end Ethernet cable. In fact, its traffic may have nothing to do with this cable, if it communicates with another virtual machine within the same host. Or it can move from one host to another several times a day, thereby occupying gigabytes of traffic (virtual machine and storage system). Therefore, it is much more reasonable to introduce a function in the cloud to register all these migrations, assign certain policies (security, QoS function, role-based access system, etc.) to these virtual machines to limit their movement to certain places, and, thereby, expand the capabilities of the technical support service. Most virtual machine administrators would be happy to have such capabilities, especially now that they are being asked to provide information about virtual machines, backups, disaster recovery, guest operating systems, storage systems, and all other elements that are somehow related to virtualization.

Clouds are planned and networks are administered

This may be true, but it implies that your computing environment is still isolated from your network. You can look at things differently. Technologies such as virtualization require not only tighter integration of computing and network operations, but also more high level automation and control, such a level of automation that would provide open access to all autonomous systems And functional modules with given policies.

Estimates of the effect for the economies of EU countries

In its December 2010 Cloud Dividend 2011 report, the Center for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) states that by 2015, cloud computing will power developed economies European countries will receive an additional 177.3 billion euros per year. The report, commissioned by EMC, is the first of its kind to assess the macroeconomic implications of cloud adoption for Europe's five largest economies.

The authors of the CEBR report concluded that if the implementation of cloud technologies continues at the expected pace in the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain and France, then by 2015 they will bring the economies of these countries 177.3 billion euros per year. It is important to note that the lion's share of these funds, as the study shows, will be provided through the development of private and hybrid models cloud computing.

CEBR has calculated that the annual economic impact of cloud computing for each country by 2015 will be: Effect, billion euros:

• Germany - 49.6
• France - 37.4
• Italy - 35.1
• UK - 30.0
• Spain - 25.2

The €177.3 billion could cover loans to some of the region's indebted countries, such as Ireland (€85 billion) and Greece (€110 billion), and help the UK government meet its plan to cut public spending by €95.7 billion over four years , which it recently announced.

Cloud computing is a new approach to IT that makes technology available to businesses when and how they need it, says the study. This speeds time to market, removes traditional barriers to entry and allows companies to seize new business opportunities. By increasing competition, this direct effect of cloud computing will have a huge impact on market structure in many sectors of the economy, and consequently on global macroeconomic indicators, says CEBR.

CEBR believes that cloud computing will become important factor economic growth, competitiveness and new business creation across the eurozone. This underscores the technology's importance to the region's economic recovery, particularly in the face of the growing threat from emerging economies that have traditionally benefited from more intense competition.

The study focuses on the three most common cloud computing models:

• public cloud, which is under the control of the service provider;
• a private cloud controlled by the organization’s own IT department;
• hybrid cloud, which is a combination of the first two models.

CEBR predicts that by 2015, €133 billion, or 75% of the total annual economic impact of €177.3 billion, will come from non-public cloud computing models. The private cloud model allows you to kill two birds with one stone: organizations receive dynamic, on-demand, self-service, and scalable cloud computing services, but control remains in the hands of IT so that security and manageability requirements are not compromised.

During the study, CEBR also found that private cloud would contribute €23.8 billion in accelerating growth and new business creation. The resulting indirect and derivative investments and general spending will create additional demand for goods and services, which in turn will increase gross value added (GVA) and employment in the economy. CEBR forecasts that by 2015, indirect economic benefits from additional GVA in all five countries will total €280 billion - 60 billion per year - and that indirect and induced employment between 2010 and 2015 may reach 2,396,000 workers.

CEBR Lead Economist Oliver Hogan said: “CEBR research shows that cloud computing is not simply a matter of short-term improvements in the efficiency of individual companies' IT investments and therefore their productivity. This technology could become a critical macroeconomic driver that will be critical to driving economic growth in Europe, which is especially important in today's uncertain economic environment. As an enabler of productivity improvements, cloud computing is likely to play a particularly important role in ensuring that Europe remains competitive in the global market and therefore boosts export growth. Moreover, as one of the main modern means achievements maximum efficiency investment in IT, cloud computing can also become a driver of European business investment, which, in turn, will move European countries forward.”

EMC EMEA President Rainer Erlat said: “The agility and competitiveness that private and hybrid cloud computing brings to enterprises creates a real opportunity for European businesses to help companies expand their advantage while driving economic recovery. own countries. It is widely accepted that achieving economic recovery and maintaining economic stability requires debt reduction while promoting commercial competition. Cloud computing, which will replace many of today's IT technologies by offering more efficient, flexible and simpler solutions, is a viable means to achieve this.”

Cloud computing will help companies not only take advantage of opportunities to expand their business, but also achieve significant cost savings. The fee-for-service model leads to lower capital expenditures (CAPEX) and current expenses(OPEX), rapid return on investment and more efficient reallocation of resources. These savings can be reinvested, encouraging innovation, increasing competitiveness and directly improving profitability, creating tangible benefits for countries' economies.

Research methodology

The Cloud Dividend report calculates the savings (capex and operating expenses) that companies realize from adopting cloud computing services and measures the impact of those savings on macro and corporate economic indicators, such as favorable business opportunities; creation of new enterprises; indirect gross value added (GVA); contribution to the payment of taxes; as well as costs for cloud computing services in order to determine economic significance of this technology for each country.

“Cloud Dividends - 2011” is the first in a series of two reports. The second report, due in February 2011, will look at the economic impact and impact of cloud computing on specific industries in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK.

The report can be downloaded

The Internet has become an integral part of people's lives, and new opportunities are regularly emerging that can make various tasks easier. What's new are cloud technologies that can be used in different areas: education, medicine, logistics and so on.

What is cloud technology?

Let's start with a definition: cloud technologies imply the user's ability to access data without installing applications on his device, since all the software is provided by servers. It is important to know that such services can be either free or paid, and it all depends on the requests. To understand what the use of cloud technologies is, you need to understand their difference from conventional conditions.

1. Let's take email as an example: mail client installed on the computer and all data is saved on the hard drive. In this case, the user decides what to do with the files.
2. If we talk about mail, which a person uses through a browser, then this is already a cloud technology. It is clear here that if problems arise with the server, then access to mail will be lost.

Benefits of cloud services

First, let's look at the existing advantages, which include:

1. To store information, you do not need to buy expensive computers and components, because everything will be stored on the cloud.
2. PC performance increases, because cloud technologies in office work and other areas launch programs remotely, so there is a lot of free space on the computer.
3. Maintenance problems are decreasing every year, because the number of physical servers is constantly decreasing, and the software is constantly being updated.
4. The cost of purchasing software is reduced, since you only need to buy a program for the “cloud” once and that’s it, and sometimes you can even order its rental.
5. Cloud technologies have no restrictions on the amount of data stored. In most cases, the volume of such services amounts to millions of gigabytes.
6. Programs are updated automatically, so there is no need to monitor this, as is the case with downloaded applications.
7. The cloud can be used on any operating system since programs are accessed through web browsers.
8. New cloud technologies make it possible to have access to documents anytime and anywhere, because the main thing is the availability of the Internet.
9. Good security and protection against information loss, since sent data is automatically saved and copies are sent to backup servers.

Disadvantages of cloud technologies

The “cloud” also has a number of disadvantages that are worth knowing and taking into account:

1. Access is not possible in the absence of the Internet, and if there is no Internet, then it will be possible to work only with documents downloaded to the computer. It is worth noting that the Internet must be fast and of high quality.
2. The cloud service may be slower when transferring a large amount of information than with an installed program.
3. It's rare that security is poor, but in most cases the Cloud takes backups so there's no need to worry.
4. Many people are confused by the fact that they need to pay for the provision of a number of services, but this is a business project from which people need to earn money.

Application of cloud technologies

There is a certain classification of cloud services, so the following categories of “clouds” are distinguished:

1. Public. This is an IT infrastructure that can be used immediately big amount companies and services. The subscriber can be any company or individual. Users of public cloud technologies do not have the ability to manage and maintain the cloud, since this is only done by the owner of the service.
2. Private. When describing the types of cloud technologies, we should focus on this secure IT infrastructure, controlled and operated in the interests of only one organization. It can be located on the customer's premises or at an external operator.
3. Hybrid. This type has the main advantages of both previous options. This “cloud” is in most cases used by organizations that have seasonal periods of activity, that is, when there is not enough internal IT infrastructure, then part of the capacity is transferred to cloud technologies.

Cloud technologies in education

Computers and the Internet have also made their way into the education system, making it possible to improve and facilitate the process of performing a number of tasks. Cloud technologies in the educational process can be used for the following purposes:

1. Organizing the collaboration of employees on important documents, for example, an annual plan or program. Everyone is responsible for their own part of the document, and if necessary, all users will have the opportunity to leave comments and add information.
2. General project work, so the teacher can assign assignments to students, divide responsibilities and check reports, giving comments.
3. Cloud technologies can be used to create an electronic diary and transfer any written assignments. This is a great option for children who are homeschooled or miss school for some reason.

Cloud technologies in medicine

Recently, the “cloud” has been actively introduced into medicine, which raises it to a new level. New technologies provide enormous potential for revolutionary changes, because it becomes much easier to maintain and systematize medical documentation. The use of cloud technologies in medicine is important because they help to quickly determine the diagnosis and make a conclusion. At the moment, such a service is just beginning to be implemented, since there are no regulatory mechanisms for maintaining medical confidentiality.

Cloud technologies in logistics

The cloud has excellent potential in transport and warehouse logistics. Using cloud technologies, it is possible to ensure full interaction between all participants in the chain, that is, the sender, operators, transport company and recipient. All of them can communicate in real time, regardless of location. Using cloud technologies provides the following advantages:

• conduct open tenders for contractors;
• determine the most successful routes;
• control delivery;
• process and store all transportation data;
• improve the quality of order fulfillment.

Cloud technologies in banking

The competition among banks is enormous and not all are able to withstand times of crisis. Such financial institutions are beginning to use innovative technologies to cut costs. Cloud data storage services are aimed at automating financial processes. As a result, there is an increase in the efficiency of credit institutions by reducing the cost of reporting. It is important to note that since there is a threat of attackers entering cloud storage, customer information is not stored there.

Cloud technologies for business

Business people use the cloud for the following purposes:

1. Rental in progress virtual server, thanks to which the manager can fully control all hosted services, regardless of the provider.
2. It’s easy to create a virtual contact center online, so you can save on renting premises and organizing workspaces. Work can begin within two days from the date of submission of the application to the provider.
3. Cloud services for business are used to create virtual office, that is workplace will not be tied to a specific computer. The “cloud” reproduces the company’s internal network, that is, it includes disks, folders and planning programs.

Games via cloud service

In the 2000s, cloud streaming services began to appear, allowing users to play heavy games over the Internet without downloading or loading their computer. In America and China this direction is already well developed. Recently, Microsoft made an official statement that they will be developing a DeLorean system, thanks to which a person will play through a cloud service, and the system will predict his actions before he presses the keys.