What is Cloud Computing?

A Cloud can do many things but most people use it for files, think of it as a USB pen in your pocket but all you need to do is log on to get the files you uploaded.What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud Computing is a very vague term and you will find it applied to a lot of different types of services. At it's most general, Cloud Computing is some sort of computing resource that is accessed over the internet, is purchased on-demand, and can rapidly scale up and down based on demand. A cloud computing service may be an application, a database, or just a service that processes data.



The big advantages of it is that there is very little up-front cost to get started, and capacity of the service can be rapidly scaled up and down as needed. Disadvantages would be that since it's accessed over the internet, without an active connection you can't access the service, and accessing it over the public internet can lead to security issues you wouldn't have with an internal server.What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing is technology that delivery computing as a service rather than a product. The shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility over a network (the Internet). Data and applications are maintained using the internet and central remote servers. Consumers and businesses can use the applications / access their personal files without installation at any computer with internet access. Technology centralizes storage, memory, processing and bandwidth.



A simple example of cloud computing is Yahoo email, Gmail, or Hotmail etc. Internet based companies using cloud computing technology are: Amazon, Google, etc.





Based on the location it is hosted cloud may be private, public, hybrid, community cloud.



On the basis of service provided cloud is classified as:



Infrastructure As A Service (IAAS)

Platform As A Service (PAAS)

Software As A Service (SAAS)





http://www.wikinvest.com/concept/Cloud_C鈥?/a>

http://microreviews.org/types-of-cloud-c鈥?/a>



Advantages: No installation required so business save a lot

Access your data at all times;

A physical storage center is no longer needed;





Disadvantages: Internet connection is mandatory

Security is an issue;

Lost control comes with handing over your data and information;



to know more search in Google "disadvantages of cloud computing"; "advantages of cloud computing" and you can find many differences.What is Cloud Computing?
Let us simplify this with a simple example: Gmail is a cloud service. Having said that, this doesn't mean that any service hosted on the web is a cloud service. Cloud Computing Services "must have" following 5 attributes:

---available everywhere i.e. uses Internet technologies, hassle-free, in most cases no installations/downloads etc.
---available on demand i.e. metered like your electric bills.
---can be accessed on any device i.e. device independent.
---Resource Sharing i.e Multi-Tenant (ability of the software to be offered to multiple users),
---Scalable %26amp; Elastic i.e. capacity can be sized up or sized down with in minutes, based on demand. Your business is growing you spin up more servers %26amp; pay only for whatever you use. Come recession %26amp; if your business is shrinking use less number of servers %26amp; pay less. This is as simple %26amp; quick as a simple configuration/settings. (No need to buy infrastructure which may lie idle/unproductive once your business doesn't require them)

A common user will use Cloud SaaS (Gmail, Dropbox etc). Developers %26amp; techies use Cloud IaaS (hosting infrastructure) %26amp; PaaS (development environment).

As far as disadvantages are concerned a few experts believe that security %26amp; data privacy may be a few of the issues in cloud. With advancement in technology %26amp; laws, these issue may subside gradually with time.
cloud is an online data base where you get so much storage space which can be accessed from anywhere in the world eg if you stored a word doc in uk you can then go to say new zealand and access it from a computer