Overview of cloud platforms and appliances

Obscured by Clouds

Almost every virtualization provider defines the term cloud to match their own offerings. These offerings are then promoted as Cloud Services or Cloud Servers. Public Cloud, Private Cloud, Hybrids, Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) – the list goes on and on. In this article, we will attempt to peek through the mist of terminology and provide readers with an orientation on the topic. We will provide an overview of the properties of real-life cloud offerings that can be found on the Internet.

Definition and Features

Administrators typically will not be interested in a theoretical definition of cloud computing. Instead, they will want to know two things: Do I already have something similar to a cloud in my server room or data center that I can use? How can cloud computing supplement my existing technology and IT platforms and help me solve current and future problems in my environment? On the one hand, clouds can help support new business models and services for consumers and startups that previously required a huge amount of effort or enormous financial risk. For example, if you have programmed a new web application in Ruby, you can simply launch it in the cloud; if it takes off, your scaling options are virtually unlimited, and you can add Content Delivery Networks (CDN). As an example, SlideShare [1] integrates document downloads and Flash file hosting with Amazon S3 and CloudFront Services. But even if your blog suddenly takes off and becomes a global event, you can migrate it to the Amazon or Rackspace CDN with just a couple of clicks – or so says the theory. The cloud means a technological revolution that requires major rethinking to put it to optimum use.

Buy ADMIN Magazine

SINGLE ISSUES

Print Issues

Digital Issues

 

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Print Subs

Digisubs

 

TABLET & SMARTPHONE APPS

US / Canada

UK / Australia