PROJECT REPORT ON

‘Cloud Computing’
SUBMITTED TO

SAVITRIBAI PHULE PUNE UNIVERSITY

In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirement for the Award of Degree of

Master’s in Business Administration (MBA-IT)

SUBMITTED BY

Muriel Adam
UNDER GUIDANCE OF

PROF. Shaikh Mohammed Ali

POONA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES &

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

K. B. Hidayatullah Road, Camp, PUNE-41101

ACADEMIC YEAR
2020-21
 Cloud Computing

Acknowledgements

A rewarding experience of course is the opportunity given to me as

a student of PIMSE especially at the IT department that is committed to
producing fully qualified network professionals.
I give thanks first to Almighty God for giving us health and strength
throughout our study period. Since I began our study in the MBA
(Information Technology) program, many people have given me valuable
help.
I am very grateful to Dr. Shakeel Ahmed, Director of the PIMSE, whose
generosity and enthusiasm has made this MBA (IT) Program a reality.

I would like to thank Prof. Shaikh Mohammed Ali, my thesis

supervisor and mentor who provided fantastic project coordination,
excellent ideas and suggestions and an unending patience as we worked
together toproduce an excellent thesis work.

I am highly indebted and thankful to everyone who has been

helpful directly or indirectly viz. IT department, student colleagues,
laboratory assistants, and all who wished me well.

SPECIAL THANKS TO

Prof. Lubna Shaikh

Prof. Shaikh Mohammad Ali

Prof. Zarina Shaikh

2|Page
 Cloud Computing

Table of Contents

4
Introduction
6
History
Cloud Computing 9

Characteristics of Cloud Computing 11

Types of Cloud Computing 13

Deployment Models 17
Where is the Cloud Going 19
Why Now 20

Benefits of Cloud Computing 22

Disadvantages of Cloud Computing 24

Challenges face by Cloud Computing 27

Conclusion 29

Preparing for the future 30

Further Readings 31
 Cloud Computing

Cloud Computing

Introduction:
Cloud computing is Internet based development and use of computer technology. In
concept, it is a paradigm shift whereby details are abstracted from the users who no longer
need knowledge of, expertise in, or control over the technology infrastructure "in the cloud"
that supports them. It typically involves the delivery of dynamically scalable and often
virtualized resources as a service over the Internet.

The term cloud is used as a symbol for the Internet. Typical cloud computing services
provide common business applications online that are accessed from a web browser, while
the software and data are stored on the servers.

These services are broadly divided into three categories: Infrastructure as a Service
(IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). The name cloud
computing was inspired by the cloud symbol that is often used to represent the Internet in
flow charts and diagrams.

"Cloud Computing" refers to the use of Internet based computer technology for a
variety of services. It is a style of computing in which virtualized resources are provided as a
service over the Internet on a pay-peruse basis. All the costs associated with setting up a data
centre such as procuring a building, hardware, redundant power supply, cooling systems,
upgrading electrical supply, and maintaining a separate Disaster Recovery site can be passed
on to a third-party vendor. Since the customer is charged only for computer services used,
cloud computing costs are much less than others.

The cloud when combined with "computing," the meaning gets bigger and fuzzier.
Some analysts and vendors define cloud computing narrowly as an updated version of utility
computing: basically virtual servers available
 Cloud Computing

over the Internet.

Others go very broad,
arguing anything we
consume outside the
firewall is "in the
cloud," including
conventional
outsourcing.

Cloud computing
comes into focus only
when we think about
what IT always needs:
a way to increase
capacity or add
capabilities on the fly
without investing in new infrastructure, training new personnel, or licensing new software.
Cloud computing encompasses any subscription-based or pay per-use service that, in real
time over the Internet, extends IT's existing capabilities.

History:
Computing started off with the mainframe era. There were big mainframes and
everyone connected to them via “dumb” terminals. This old model of business computing
was frustrating for the people sitting at the dumb terminals because they could do only what
they were “authorized” to do. They were dependent on the computer administrators to give
them permission or to fix their problems. They had no way of staying up to the latest
innovations.

The personal computer was a revolution against the dictatorship of centralized

computing operations. There was a kind of freedom in the use of personal computers. But
this was later replaced by server architectures with enterprise servers and others showing up
in the industry. This made sure that the computing was done and it did not eat up any of the
 Cloud Computing
resources that one had with him. All the computing was performed at servers. Internet
grew in the lap of these servers. With cloud computing we have come a full circle. We
come back to the centralized computing infrastructure. But this time it is something which
can easily be accessed via the internet and something over which we have all the control.

In 1999, Salesforce.com was established by Marc Benioff, Parker Harris, and their
associates. They applied many technologies developed by companies such as Google and
Yahoo! to business applications. They also provided the concepts of "on demand" or SaaS
with their real business and successful customers. The key for SaaS is that it is customizable
by customers with limited technical support required. Business users have enthusiastically
welcomed the resulting flexibility and speed.

In the early 2000s, Microsoft extended the concept of SaaS through the development
of web services. IBM detailed these concepts in 2001 in the Autonomic Computing Program,
which described advanced automation techniques such as self-monitoring, self-healing, self-
configuring, and self-optimizing in the management of complex IT systems with various
storage, servers, applications, networks, security mechanisms, and other system elements
that can be virtualized across an enterprise.

Amazon played a key role in the development of cloud computing by modernizing

their data centres. Having found that the new cloud architecture resulted in significant
internal efficiency improvements whereby, small, fast moving teams could add new features
faster and easier, Amazon started providing access to their systems through Amazon Web
Services on a utility computing basis in 2005.

In 2007, Google, IBM, and a number of universities embarked on a large-scale cloud

computing research project. By mid-2008, Gartner saw an opportunity for cloud computing
"to shape the relationship among consumers of IT services, those who use IT services and
those who sell them", and observed that" organizations are switching from company-owned
hardware and software assets to per-use service-based models" so that the "projected shift to
cloud computing ... will result in dramatic growth in IT products in some areas and in
significant reductions in other areas."

Commonly used measurable parameters (upon which the application is charged for):

• CPU Usage.
 Cloud Computing
• External network usage (the amount of data transferred from and to

the server).

• Data transactions (the no. of transactions and the amount of data

sent/received).

Few terms you should understand before moving on…

Cloud Platform:
Cloud platform is a kind of platform that lets developers write applications that run in
the cloud, or use services provided from the cloud, or both. Different names are used for this
kind of platform today, including on demand platform and platform as a service (PaaS).

Cloud Storage:
It’s a method of managing our data (files, photos, music, video, whatever, etc…) from
one or more web-based solutions. Rather than keeping our data primarily on hard drives that
are secured to our computers or other devices, we keep it “in the cloud” where it may be
accessible from any number of devices.

Cloud Infrastructure:
Cloud Infrastructure is the concept of providing `hardware as a service` i.e.
shared/reusable hardware for a specific time of service. Example includes virtualization. This
service helps reduce maintenance and usability costs, considering the need for infrastructure
management & upgrade.
 Cloud Computing
Cloud Services:
A Cloud Service is an independent piece of software which can be used in
conjunction with other services to achieve an interoperable machine-to-machine interaction
over the network. Examples include Amazon’s Simple Queue Service, Google maps,
Amazon’s flexible payment service etc.

Cloud Computing:
As define...

“Cloud computing is the delivery of computing resources over the internet instead
of your computer’s hard drive.”

• Access your information from anywhere at any time.

• Connects to the cloud via the Internet; runs applications and stores data.
• For example, many people use social networking sites or Gmail, and these are cloud
services.

What cloud computing does is to connect the capabilities of resources and make
available these resources as a single entity which can be changed to meet the current needs of
the user. The basis of cloud computing is to create a set of virtual servers on the available
vast resource pool and give it to the clients. Any web enabled device can be used to access
the resources through the virtual servers. Based on the computing needs of the client, the
infrastructure allotted to the client can be scaled up or down.

From a business point of view, cloud computing is a method to address the scalability
and availability concerns for large scale applications which involves lesser overhead. Since
the resource allocated to the client can be varied based on the needs of the client and can be
done without any fuss, the overhead is very low.

One of the key concepts of cloud computing is that as and when the amount of data
increases, the cloud computing services can be used to manage the load effectively and make
the processing tasks easier. In the era of enterprise servers and personal computers, hardware
was the commodity as the main criteria for the processing capabilities depended on the
 Cloud Computing
hardware configuration of the server. But with the arrival of cloud computing, the
service has changed to cycles and bytes - i.e. in cloud computing services, the users are
charged based on the number of cycles of execution performed or the number of bytes
transferred. The hardware or the machines on which the applications run are hidden from the
user. The amount of hardware needed for computing is taken care of by the management and
the client is charged based on how the user uses these resources.

Some major examples of cloud computing we're probably using:

Google Drive: This is a pure cloud computing service, with all the apps and storage found
online. Drive is also available on more than just desktop computers; you can use it on tablets
or on smartphones. In fact, all of Google's services could be considered cloud computing:
Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Reader, Google Voice, and so on. Upgrade to Google Apps
and you can use many of the above with your own domain name attached.

Apple iCloud: Apple's cloud service is primarily used for online storage and
synchronization of your mail, contacts, calendar, and more. All the data you need is available
to you on your iOS, Mac OS, or Windows device. iCloud also stores media files.

Amazon Cloud Drive: Storage at the big retailer is mainly for music, preferably MP3s
that you purchase from Amazon. Hybrid services like Box, Dropbox, and Sugar Sync all say
they work in the cloud because they store a synched version of your files online, but most
also sync those files with local storage. Synchronization to allow all your devices to access
the same data is a foundation of the
cloud computing. Likewise, it's
considered cloud computing if you
have a community of people with
separate devices that need the same
data synched, be it for work
collaboration projects or just to
keep the family in sync.
 Cloud Computing
Characteristics of Cloud Computing:

1- On-Demand Self-Service:

A consumer can unilaterally provision computing capabilities, such as server time

and network storage, as needed automatically without requiring human interaction with
each service provider. Establish, manage and terminate services on your own, without
involving the cloud service provider.

2- Broad Network Access:

Cloud computing simply means network access from just about anywhere
worldwide. Use a standard web browser to access the user interface, without any software
add-ons or specific OS requirements. You just need to log in to your account using an
internet connection in order to extract the important information from the service
provider’s website. This is an important feature of cloud computing as it really helps in
generating the best possible results.

3- Resource Pooling:
Resource pooling is an IT term used in cloud computing environments to describe
a situation in which providers serve multiple clients, customers or "tenants" with
provisional and scalable services. These services can be adjusted to suit each client's
needs without any changes being apparent to the client or end user.

It shares resources and costs across a large pool of users, allowing for
centralization and increased peak load capacity. The provider’s computing resources are
pooled to serve multiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physical
and virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according to consumer
demand.

This is the practice of permitting several clients to knock into a single pool of
servers or disk storage or other type of specific resource.

We know that chances of all the users logging into the account at once are really low and
this is the reason why the company manages everything through resource pooling.
 Cloud Computing
4- Rapid Elasticity:

Leverage capacity as needed, when needed, and give it back when it is no longer
required. Capabilities can be rapidly and elastically provisioned. To the consumer, the
capabilities available for provisioning often appear to be unlimited and can be purchased
in any quantity at any time. Companies sometimes require additional resources in a small
period of time and this is where cloud computing comes in to play. For example, in case
a firm gets a fresh client and needs three extra servers to meet up the customer’s business
requirements, the service provider could permit the firm to uphold three different servers
at a time.

5- Measured Service:
Consume resources as a service and pay only for resources used. Cloud systems
automatically control and optimize resource use by leveraging a metering capability at
some level of abstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g., storage, processing,
bandwidth, and active user accounts). Resource usage can be monitored, controlled, and
reported, providing transparency for both the provider and consumer of the utilized
service.

The best thing about cloud computing is that it comes with a pay per use feature.
This is the reason why more and more companies are choosing it for the purpose of
storage. The usage fee of cloud computing is never a big problem for the enterprises as
you just need to pay for the services that you make use of. You don’t need to pay in
advance and thereby block your money. Once you use it for a specific period of time, you
will just have to pay for that amount of time.

Types of Cloud Computing:

Cloud computing can describe services being provided at any of the traditional layers
from hardware to applications. In practice, cloud service providers (CSP’s) tend to offer
services that can be grouped into three categories: software as a service, platform as a
service, and infrastructure as a service.
 Cloud Computing

Software as a Service (SaaS):

• Provides the same software to different customers via a network, usually the Internet.
• Managed by third party venders
• Accessible via any computer without any downloads Pay only for what you used.

Software as a service features a complete application offered as a service on demand.

The most widely known example of SaaS is salesforce.com, though many other examples
have come to market, including the Google drive offering of basic business services
including email and word processing. Although salesforce.com preceded the definition of
cloud computing by a few years, it now operates by leveraging its companion force.com,
which can be defined as a platform as a service.

Platform as a Service (PaaS):

• Offer an Internet-based platform to developers who want to create services and

application but don't want to build their own cloud.
• No need to buy hardware and software.
• Servers, storage and networking managed by third party venders.
• Rapid development at low cost.

Someone producing PaaS might produce a platform by integrating an OS, application

software, and even a development environment that is then provided to a customer as a
 Cloud Computing
service. The customer interacts with the platform through the API, and the platform
does what is necessary to manage and scale itself to provide a given level of service.
Virtual appliances can be classified as instances of PaaS. A content switch appliance, for
example, would have all of its component software hidden from the customer, and only an
API for configuring and deploying the service provided to them.

PaaS offerings can provide for every phase of software development and testing,
or they can be specialized around a particular area such as content management. Commercial
examples of PaaS include the
Google Apps Engine, which serves applications on Google’s infrastructure. PaaS services
such as these can provide a powerful basis on which to deploy applications, however they
may be constrained by the capabilities that the cloud provider chooses to deliver.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS):

• Allows applications to be run on a cloud supplier’s hardware by allows you to install

a virtual server on their IT infrastructure.
• No need to purchase servers, or network equipment.
• Servers, storage and networking managed by venders.
• Applications and updates managed by users.
• Usually billed based on usage.

Infrastructure as a service delivers basic storage and compute capabilities as

standardized services over the network. Servers, storage systems, switches, routers, and other
systems are pooled and made available to handle workloads that range from application
components to high performance computing applications. Commercial examples of IaaS
include Joyent, whose main product is a line of virtualized servers that provide a highly
available on-demand infrastructure.

Examples:
 Cloud Computing
Salesforce.com

Salesforce.com is one of the pioneers of the software as a service (SaaS) model of

distributing business software, in which access to business software is purchased on a
subscription basis and hosted offsite. They are best known for their Customer
Relationship Management (CRM) products, which it delivers to businesses over the
internet using the SaaS model. Salesforce.com has its services translated into 16
different languages and currently has thousands of customers and over millions of
subscribers.

Force.com Cloud Platform

With Force.com, we can build and deliver applications 5 times faster, at about ½ the
cost of traditional software platforms. We deliver a complete platform with a
simplified programming model so just about anyone can use it to build apps.

Google App
Google app is a service from Google for using custom domain names with several
Google products. It features several Web applications with similar functionality to
traditional office suites, including: Gmail, Google Calendar, Talk, Docs and Sites.

Google app is innovative tools provided by Google that can help small business
firms, Non-Profit Organizations, Corporate houses and Educational institutions in
their day-to-day functioning and also help to take the organization to the next level.
Many schools and universities are making use of Google app to facilitate better co-
ordination among students, staff and faculty. For small business firms it helps
improve collaboration and communication among employees and helps them work
faster and more efficiently.
 Cloud Computing

Deployment Models:
Deploying cloud computing can differ depending on requirements, and the following
four deployment models have been identified, each with specific characteristics that support
the needs of the services and users of the clouds in particular ways. Theses deployment
models are based on customer needs and demands.

Public Cloud:
Cloud infrastructure which can be accessed by any subscriber, run by third parties and
gives different application on the cloud’s servers, reduce customer risk and cost by providing
temporary extension to enterprise infrastructure. The cloud infrastructure is available to the
public on a commercial basis by a cloud service provider. This enables a consumer to
develop and deploy a service in the cloud with very little financial outlay compared to the
capital expenditure requirements normally associated with other deployment options.

Private Cloud:
Cloud infrastructure that’s maintained and operated for specific client. Access limited
to that client with utmost control over data, security and quality of services and operation

may be in-house or third party on the premises.

Hybrid Cloud:
Combination of public and private cloud models with ability to allow data to move
from one cloud to another and that is used to maintain service level in the face of workload
fluctuation with leverage cloud solutions for specific functions that are costly to maintain on
premise i.e. backups and test/development environments. The cloud infrastructure consists of
a number of clouds of any type. This can be a combination of private and public clouds that
support the requirement to retain some data in an organization, and also the need to offer
services in the cloud.
 Cloud Computing

Community Cloud:
Shared among number of groups with similar cloud requirement. Help them to limit
cost of cloud’s establishment due to sharing among groups with operation may be in-house
or third party on the premises. Costs are spread over fewer users than a public cloud but
more than a single tenant.

Where is the Cloud Going?

• IDC's updated IT Cloud Services Forecast predicts that public cloud computing will
grow from $17.4 billion worth of IT spend in 2009 to $44 billion by 2013.

• Additionally, Federal CIO Vivek Kundra has vowed to spend $19 billion of U.S.
government's $70 billion IT budget on cloud computing.

• The five-year growth outlook remains strong, with a five-year annual growth rate of
26% – over six times the rate of traditional IT offerings.
 Cloud Computing

Above figures shows that cloud computing is getting popularity among consumers, due
to low cost, rapid elasticity, scalability and security.

Why Now:

• The acceptance and increase of hardware virtualization and multitenant applications.

• The Internet has become everywhere and an accepted method of connecting providers
with consumers.

• ISPs / Telco’s are offering robust, redundant and managed corporate internet service
enabling service consolidation efficiencies.

• The cost verses risk equation has tipped toward shared solutions.

• Computing capabilities are being seen as an ongoing service rather than an internal

capital expense.
 Cloud Computing

Re-allocate IT expenditures:

DATA CENTER COSTS

50% Operate 25 % Cloud Computing reduces

Labor Expense
Deploy 10 %
Labor costs
Support 10 %
50%
Facilities 7%
Other Cloud Computing reduces
Expenses Network 11 % Facilities, Network,
Hardware, Software
SW 9% maintenance costs

Enterprise Cloud Solutions:

1. Hybrid Cloud:

• Scalability of the Public Cloud with the control and security of a private cloud is
the best cloud solution for enterprises.

2. Test / Development / QA Platform:

• Use cloud infrastructure servers as their test and development platform.

3. Disaster Recovery:

• Keep images of your servers on cloud infrastructure ready to go in case of a

disaster.

4. Cloud File Storage:

• Backup or Archive your company data to cloud file storage.

5. Load Balancing:

• Use cloud infrastructure for overflow management during peak usage times.

6. Overhead Control:
 Cloud Computing
• Lower overhead costs and make your bids more competitive.

7. Distributed Network Control and Cost Reporting:

• Create an individual private networks for each of your subsidiaries or contracts.

8. Messaging Alternatives:

• Replace Microsoft Exchange and SharePoint with Google Apps.

9. Rapid Deployment:

• Turn up servers immediately to fulfil project time lines.

10. Functional IT Labour Shift:

• Refocus your IT labour expense on revenue producing activities.

So far in this report we have highlighted the type of service offered by cloud and its
deployment models. Now we consider its benefits, weaknesses and challenges face by cloud

computing.

Benefits of Cloud Computing:

The following are some benefits of cloud computing-based services and applications:

Cost Saving:
The most important benefit one can get by using cloud computing is cost saving and
especially this has work really well for small sized companies. Companies can reduce their
capital expenditures and use operational expenditures for increasing their computing
capabilities. This is a lower barrier to entry and also requires fewer in-house IT resources to
provide system support.

Reduced time for implementation:

Cloud computing provides the processing power and data storage as needed at the
capacity required. This can be obtained in real time instead of weeks or months that occur
when a new business initiative is brought online in a traditional way.

Dynamic scalability:
 Cloud Computing
Many enterprises include a reasonably large buffer from their average
computing requirement, just to ensure that capacity is in place to satisfy peak demand.
Cloud computing provides an extra processing buffer as needed at a low cost and without the
capital investment or contingency fees to users.

Shortened development life cycle:

Cloud computing adopts the shorter development life cycle that required by the
traditional development approach. Any new business application can be developed online,
connecting proven functional application building blocks together.

Reliability:
Services using multiple redundant sites can support business continuity and disaster
recovery.

Maintenance:

Cloud service providers do the system maintenance, and access is through application
programming interfaces that do not require application installations onto PCs, thus further
reducing maintenance requirements.

Mobile Accessible:
Mobile workers have increased productivity due to systems accessible in an

infrastructure available from anywhere.

Monitor projects more effectively:

Stay within budget and ahead of completion cycle times. This option is really helpful
for small companies or individual as they use the resources according to their requirement
and keeping in mind their projected budget.

Less personnel training is needed:

 Cloud Computing
It takes fewer people to do more work on a cloud, with a minimal learning
curve on hardware and software issues. This result in less spending on infrastructure
and company would spend more on their projects.

Minimize licensing new software:

Stretch and grow without the need to buy expensive software licenses or programs.
Cloud does not require you to buy hardware and software because all the maintenance will be
look after by the venders.

Disadvantages of Cloud Computing:

As you explore your cloud computing options, a few disadvantages to be aware of
include:

More elasticity means less control:

While public clouds are great for quickly scaling up and down your resources,
companies that require complete and total control over their data and applications will need
to avoid the public cloud. Alternative solutions include hybrid clouds, private clouds.

Not everything fits into the cloud:

Depending on the cloud provider, you may face restrictions on available applications,
operating systems, and infrastructure options. Complicating matters more is the simple fact
that not all platforms can live in the cloud. To combat this, it is important to ensure that the
cloud provider you choose also offers physical services. Then if your platform in the cloud
needs to speak to applications on other platforms, this flexibility of physical collocation will

work to ensure successful interoperation.

Data location:

Cloud computing technology allows cloud servers to reside anywhere, thus the enterprise
may not know the physical location of the server used to store and process their data and
applications. Although from the technology point of view, location is least relevant, this has
 Cloud Computing
become a critical issue for data governance requirements. It is essential to understand
that many Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) can also specifically define where data is to
be located.

Data Safety:

Application sharing and multi-tenancy of data is one of the characteristics associated

with cloud computing. Although many CSPs have multi-tenant applications that are secure,
scalable and customizable, security and privacy issues are still often concerns among
enterprises. Data encryption is another control that can assist data confidentiality.

Cloud security policy / procedures transparency:

Some CSPs may have less transparency than others about their information security
policy. The rationalization for such difference is the policies may be proprietary. As a
result, it may create conflict with the enterprise’s information compliance requirement. The
enterprise needs to have detailed understanding of the service level agreements (SLAs) that
stipulated the desired level of security provided by the CSPs.

Cloud date ownership:

In the contract agreements it may state that the CP owns the data stored in the cloud
computing environment. The CSP may demand for significant service fees for data to be
returned to the enterprise when the cloud computing SLAs terminates.

Lock-in with CSP’s application programming interfaces:

Currently many CSPs implement their application by adopting the

APIs. As a result, cloud services transition from one CSP to another CSP, has become
extremely complicated, time-consuming and labour-intensive.
 Cloud Computing

Disaster recovery:

It is a concern of enterprises about the resiliency of cloud computing, since data may be
commingled and scattered around multiple servers and geographical areas. It may be
possible that the data for a specific point of time cannot be identified. Unlike traditional
hosting, the enterprise knows exactly where the location is of their data, to be rapidly
retrieved in the event of disaster recovery. In the cloud computing model, the primary CSP
may outsource capabilities to third parties, who may also outsource the recovery process.
This will become more complex when the primary CSP does not ultimately hold the data.

Challenges face by Cloud Computing:

The following are some of the notable challenges associated with cloud computing,
and although some of these may cause a slowdown when delivering more services in the
cloud, most also can provide opportunities, if resolved with due care and attention in the
planning stages.

Security and Privacy:

Perhaps two of the more “hot button” issues surrounding cloud computing relate to
storing and securing data, and monitoring the use of the cloud by the service providers. The
information housed on the cloud is often seen as valuable to individuals with malicious
intent. There is a lot of personal information and potentially secure data that people store on
their computers, and this information is now being transferred to the cloud. This makes it
critical for you to understand the security measures that your cloud provider has in place, and
it is equally important to take personal precautions to secure your data.

The first thing you must look into is the security measures that your cloud provider
already has in place. These vary from provider to provider and among the various types of
clouds. What encryption methods do the providers have in place? What methods of
protection do they have in place for the actual hardware that your data will be stored on?
 Cloud Computing
Will they have backups of my data? Do they have firewalls set up? If you have a
community cloud, what barriers are in place to keep your information separate from
other companies?

Many cloud providers have standard terms and conditions that may answer these
questions, but the home user will probably have little negotiation room in their cloud
contract. A small business user may have slightly more room to discuss the terms of their
contract with the provider and will be able to ask these questions during that time. There are
many questions that you can ask, but it is important to choose a cloud provider that considers
the security of your data as a major concern.

No matter how careful you are with your personal data, by subscribing to the cloud
you will be giving up some control to an external source. This distance between you and the
physical location of your data creates a barrier. It may also create more space for a third
party to access your information. However, to take advantage of the benefits of the cloud,
you will have to knowingly give up direct control of your data. On the converse, keep in
mind that most cloud providers will have a great deal of knowledge on how to keep your
data safe. A provider likely has more resources and expertise than the average user to secure
their computers and networks.

Lack of Standards:
Clouds have documented interfaces; however, no standards are associated with these,
and thus it is unlikely that most clouds will be interoperable. The Open Grid Forum is
developing an Open Cloud Computing Interface to resolve this issue and the Open Cloud
Consortium is working on cloud computing standards and practices. The findings of these
groups will need to mature, but it is not known whether they will address the needs of the
people deploying the services and the specific interfaces these services need. However,
keeping up to date on the latest standards as they evolve will allow them to be leveraged, if
applicable.

Continuously Evolving:
 Cloud Computing
User requirements are continuously evolving, as are the requirements for
interfaces, networking, and storage. This means that a “cloud,” especially a public one,
does not remain static and is also continuously evolving.

Compliance requirements:
Today’s cloud computing services can challenge various compliance audit requirements
currently in place. Data location; cloud computing security policy transparency; are all challenging
issues in compliance auditing efforts. Examples of the compliance requirement including privacy
laws and financial reporting laws.

Conclusion:
Cloud Computing is outpacing the IT industry.

• Real business value can be realized by customers of all sizes.

• Cloud solutions are simple to acquire, don’t require long term contracts and are easier
to scale up and down as needed.
• Proper planning and migration services are needed to ensure a successful
implementation.
• Public and Private Clouds can be deployed together to leverage the best of both.
• Third party monitoring services ensure customer are getting the most out of their
cloud environment.
• Security Compliance and Monitoring is achievable with careful planning and
analysis.

To summarize, the cloud as mentioned above provides many options for the everyday
computer user as well as large and small businesses. It opens up the world of computing to a
broader range of uses and increases the ease of use by giving access through any internet
connection. However, with this increased ease also come drawbacks. You have less control
over who has access to your information and little to no knowledge of where it is stored. You
also must be aware of the security risks of having data stored on the cloud. The cloud is a big
target for malicious individuals and may have disadvantages because it can be accessed
through an unsecured internet connection.

If you are considering using the cloud, be certain that you identify what information you
will be putting out in the cloud, who will have access to that information, and what you will
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need to make sure it is protected. Additionally, know your options in terms of what
type of cloud will be best for your needs, what type of provider will be most useful to
you, and what the reputation and responsibilities of the providers you are considering are
before you sign up.

Preparing for the Future:

Sampling of IT skills likely to be in demand in the future Functional

application development and support.

 I.e. Oracle, SAP, SQL, linking hardware to software.

• Leveraging data to make strategic business decisions.

 I.e. Business Intelligence : Applying sales forecasts to inventory and

manufacturing decisions.

• Mobile apps.

 Android, iPhone, Windows Mobile.

• WiFi engineers.

 USF to include broadband communications (LTE

replaces GSM/CDMA).

• Optical engineers.

 Optical offers the highest bandwidth today (PON, CWDM, DWDM).

• Virtualization Specialists.

 Economies of scale require virtualization (server,

storage, client…).

• IP Engineers.

• Network Security Specialists.

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• Web developers.

• Social Media developers.

• Business Intelligence application development and support.

Further Reading:
1. Lewis, Grace. Cloud Computing: Finding the Silver Lining, Not the
Silver Bullet. http://www.sei.cmu.edu/newsitems/cloudcomputing.cfm (2009).

2. Lewis, Grace. Basics about Cloud Computing.

http://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/abstracts/whitepapers/cloudcomputingb asics.cfm
(2010).

3. Jansen, Wayne & Grance, Timothy. Guidelines on Security and Privacy in

Public Cloud Computing. National Institute of Standards and Technology, 2011.

4. Strowd, Harrison & Lewis, Grace. T-Check in System-of-Systems

Technologies: Cloud Computing (CMU/SEI-2010-TN-009). Software
Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, 2010.
http://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/abstracts/reports/10tn009.cfm.