What is cloud computing?

someone mentioned it today to me. isn't that just when you access other peoples computers to get info, music etc.?What is cloud computing?
Cloud computing is a buzzword that is all the rage today, and is all about an old idea trying to find a new life



In the old, old days of computers, processors were very large, and very expensive. In order to make practical use of them, "dumb" terminals were connected to central mainframes and numerous users connected to and used applications that were stored and run on the mainframe.

Then along came the PC and everyone ran their own programs on their desktops and laptops. Communication networks just passed data between computers, to reduce the traffic loading. There was not enough capacity in the networks to allow graphics data fo be sent over the system.

Now we have the Internet, and people are trying to sell us on the old model again.

Have the applications and processing power on remote machines, accessed over the web, and just access these from your low powered (and cheaper) "cloud machines"



The advantages:

Someone else worries about patches and keeping apps up to date

You can access very expensive programs for a small fee

Your data is on the web, so if your box dies, you have not lost a thing



Disadvantages

You are going to pay for access to the apps you want. Even if you don't use them often, you will still be paying a monthly fee

If the web is down, or you don't have access, you are DIW (Dead in the Water)

Some provider decides what apps are available. (Oh - we just canceled your favorite? Gee - we are sorry)

Are you going to trust your provider with all your data? I sure won't

If your provider goes bankrupt - what happens?



At least that is the picture some people (Microsoft) is pushing on it's commercials lately



At a corporate level, cloud computing is something entirely different.

Many companies spend large amounts of money maintaining data centers that are often under utilized. But they have to overbuild, because it takes to long to add capacity if the high end estimates turn out to be true.

Everyone knows they usually do not come true, but no one can take a chance.

Companies like Amazon and IBM rent computing power over the web. You can purchase storage space and computing power on the fly, and deploy virtual machines as needed to meet your computing requirements

Instead of taking months to buy and install hardware, you can have new servers up and running in hours.

Other versions of this happen when large companies set up their own internal cloud, which they then configure as needed.



So cloud computing is different things to different people. But for a lot of people, it's just a buzzword that they use to impress someone elseWhat is cloud computing?
The answer basically is yes, it is when you access another computer outside your network. It used to be called co-locating. Cloud is the new catch-phrase. My company recently put all of our internal stuff on a file service website. We can log into it and download time sheets, and expense reports. That is basic cloud computing. Google is going to take that to the next level soon with their chromium operating system.What is cloud computing?
No, that's file-sharing you're thinking of.



Cloud computing is where everything is done out on the internet, rather than installing applications on your pc and creating/saving documents to your hard drive.



Out on the internet (The Cloud), you'd use, say, Google App's to create your work...nothing to install, just access it over the web. Then save your files to your online storage area.



In a nutshell.



Hope it helps.