Virtualization free essay sample

Future of Cloud Computing Likwa Moyo TS5328 – Virtualization Instructor: Dr. Phillip Davis December 17, 2010 Instructions For this two to four page paper (APA compliant), you are to research the future of virtualization and â€Å"cloud† computing. Briefly define what exactly is meant by â€Å"cloud† computing, its current status, and where it might go in the future. For example, Google Apps is a perfect example of one model of cloud computing. Where might Microsoft find itself a decade later with its cash-cow, Office? Will it still be desktop based? Will it be server based? These are some points to consider. Include a minimum of three references, but using more than three references is enouraged. Cloud computing is a general term for anything that involves delivering hosted services over the Internet (Jo Maitland, Executive Editor of Search Cloud Computing, 2010). No doubt 2010 has been a big year for cloud computing. Businesses are making the move to cloud computing to reduce costs, increase productivity and simplify IT. We will write a custom essay sample on Virtualization or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The on-demand, scalable, affordable IT infrastructure services provided by different vendors is driving a need to respond more quickly to changing business demands. Chad Swartz, an IT manager at Preferred Hotel Group says one of the biggest bonuses of using a cloud provider is getting your hands on topnotch IT gear. They can afford a whole different class of SAN. I can look at Dell; they can look at Hitachi and a lot of other devices that make things run much faster than we could. (Jo Maitland, Executive Editor of Search Cloud Computing, 2010). The Three Categories of Cloud Computing Service Currently there are three primary categories of cloud computing service: 1. Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) Computing infrastructure, such as servers, storage, and network, delivered as a cloud service, typically through virtualization. Geoffrey Wilkins (Wilkins, 2010) says that virtualization is not necessarily synonymous with cloud computing. But it is one of the defining attributes of this service in the cloud. 2. Platform as a service (PaaS) Platforms that can be used to develop and deploy java web applications on Amazon EC2 as an example. PaaS vendors include gigaspaces, openspaces, gridgain to name just a few. 3. Software as a service (SaaS) Software deployed as a hosted service and accessed over the Internet. Basically, instead of the business installing a CRM program to track sales, it pays a fee and to the SaaS provider and the software is available via the web. Figure 1. Service Layer Definition (Craig-Wood, 2010). Key Elements of Cloud Computing Now and in the Future Cloud computing offers a number of important advantages compared to onpremise systems. In addition, the accelerating pace of business is driving a need to respond more quickly to changing business demands. For example, VMware vSphere, a platform for building cloud infrastructures provides: (Intel, 2010) †¢ Scalable data center management, with the ability to run up to 3,000 virtual machines per cluster, while managing up to 1,000 physical hosts (and 10,000 virtual machines) from a single vCenter Server console †¢ Near-native application performance in a virtual environment, with the scalability to support the full range of enterprise applications, including large databases and high-volume transactional and productivity applications. With these advances, businesses of all sizes can now transition confidently toward a high-density cloud that deliver better value to the business at lower cost. Other key elements of the cloud include standardized application platforms provided as a service and a self-service portal that enables business groups to request and manage capacity for their applications (Sudip Chahal, 2010). A good example is Diverseys migration of its 12,000 users from Lotus Notes to Google Apps Premier Edition a suite of messaging and collaboration applications that includes Gmail, calendar, IM,video, and Postini, Google’s e-mail security and archiving service. (http://go. techtarget. com/r/13020003/9659627/1). Cloud computing concerns slowing widespread adoption Concern is still rife because they are yet defined standards, the technology has yet to fully mature, and security concerns are yet to be overcome. Some businesses have concerns around security and a perceived loss of control. Protecting the businesses intellectual property in the cloud is critical. So security is a huge issue. Furthermore if simplicity and cost are your primary concerns, why not use Amazon Web Services, an Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) provider? Because most cloud services are geared at building websites, not running infrastructure. Besides, some businesses take great comfort from a nicely laid-out CoLocation data center, thus are sticking with service providers that still provide more granular controls over the way servers are built, the setup of DMZs, subnets, among other things.