Cloud computing question.... HELP?

Ok so I鈥檓 undertaking my dissertation and I鈥檝e done a load of research but i still have a few questions....



I plan on setting up a server or two and a few networked host devices as well as the intermediary devices to link them, all within the uni campus.



The goal is to allow users to access software on those servers from home or within the campus, the software needing to be accessed are database programs like Weka, mySQL and maybe even Microsoft Visio for diagram construction.



I鈥檝e been doing some research into cloud and this seem like the best option, however im getting abit lost when it comes to IaaS and SaaS... if I鈥檓 right IaaS won鈥檛 allow me to do what i need as instead it is aimed towards controlling the cloud where as SaaS just provides software without maintaining the cloud??



Say I were to use Ubuntu Enterprise cloud or Eucalyptus to create the networked cloud, would I then be able to grant access to these programs by creating a virtualised image of a system with only OS, Weka, SQL and visio installed so the user gains access to that system image and runs it? or will I need to look elsewhere???



Any help would be greatly appreciated as I feel kinda lost nowCloud computing question.... HELP?
I have to concur with BigE for my answer, but suspect it isn't the one you're actually looking for. I would be tackling this problem with a premise of "what problem am I REALLY trying to solve?" That being controlled access to network resources and there are probably a half a dozen old venerable (spelled understood and not in a fast-flux evolution) means of accomplishing that goal. HTaccess is probably the oldest, though that's deprecated now in modern releases of Apache. VPN is another one, though possibly over-kill and fairly tough on your users for configuration of iPhones and netbooks.



Unfortunately, you used "dissertation" in your first sentence, which makes my highly suspicious that you're trying to BECOME a Cloud guru and if that is the problem you're trying to solve, than you're probably on your own. I say this because to date, there are exactly NO IEEE ratified standards in this nebulous Cloud arena and enormous vested interests are involved in keeping it that way.



Good luck and may the force be with you. :-)



SmileyCloud computing question.... HELP?
I commend you for trying to do cloud computing. I am not a clould guy, but I don't think

you need to "cloud" your database, at least for rev 1. That is like 10 times the complexity, and

can be done later. Databases are meant to be accessed via a network, so personally I would

concentrate on getting the user frontend right.

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