Cloud computing is a model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access
to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g. networks, servers,
storage, applications and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released
with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.*
On-demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid
elasticity and measured service are all characteristics of cloud computing. In
most cases, it takes only a credit card and an e-mail address to make use of
cloud computing services. Applications running in the Cloud can be available to
end-users worldwide via the internet. Cloud computing makes efficient use of
computing resources and can instantly scale to meet demand. Consumers of cloud
computing only pay for services used based on measurements such as the CPU time,
disk storage and bandwidth used by their applications or, in some service
models, monthly fees per end-user for applications.
Cloud
computing services are broadly grouped into three service models: Software as a
Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).
Software as a Service is probably the most familiar model in the IT industry
and it is sometimes referred to as a “rental” model where and end-user can rent
an application, use it through a web browser and not worry about the
infrastructure, platforms or the application itself.
Platform as a Service allows deployment of applications written for a
specific platform that can be offered as SaaS to end-users or used by the
deploying organization. With PaaS, the deploying organization does not manage
the hardware, operating systems or networking.
The Infrastructure as a Service model allows the deploying organization to
manage operating systems and to deploy and run applications at will but does not
include managing the underlying Cloud infrastructure.
Cloud computing can be used for once-off jobs, such as a newspaper that
converted scanned images of its archives into PDF files in 24 hours rather than
months, or delivering that next killer social computing site that suddenly has
millions of users. It can be used to automate a sales force or to keep the
company books.
Mitrais has been engineering its own products to operate in the Cloud using
the Software as a Service model and will test and demonstrate the capability in
the second half of 2010. This includes both Java and .NET technology based
products interoperating potentially in different Cloud infrastructures. This has
given Mitrais depth and breadth in Cloud computing to help our customers to move
into the brave new world of running in the Clouds.
* The NIST Definition of Cloud Computing