Cloud Computing

[Chinmoy]

There has been a recent buzz all over the internet on cloud computing and how it will change the way a client communicates and participates in a network. So what is this cloud computing all about?

Well, to start with, the cloud computing treats all clients connected to the server as virtualized resources. Thus you can process data(your data) stored in a network from a web browser which uses a software from the network. So, basically, you save out on storage costs largely. With a group of clients and a server forming a workgroup, the infrastructure forms a floating cloud which is visible everywhere in the network.

Cloud computing strictly follows three provisions of:

1. Infrastructure as a service(IssS)
2. Software as a service(SaaS)
3. Platform as a service(Paas)

Most of us are so unaware of the cloud that we use it without knowing we do. These include BitTorrent file sharing and the SETI.

Over the last few years, a number of operating systems have been developed with cloud support. They include my personal favourite Sun Microsystem’s OpenSolaris, google’s gOS providing google cloud computing and the latest microsoft Windows cloud.

Cloud computing has often been confused with Grid Computing. The underlying difference is that while cloud focuses on a centralized data available to all for use, grid focuses on a centralized data available to all for processing.

[Jordan]

Interesting read. I big on cloud computing and have several blog posts about it: Cloud Computing | Jordan's Technology Blog

I'm curious, since gOS is not released to the public, how do you know it is built with cloud services in mind?