What's cloud computing exactly?

Cloud computing is a marketing term, and as such it means whatever the vendors want it to.

Most people use it to mean that you are using applications and data on the Internet rather than on your PC or local server. SalesForce.com and Google Docs are good examples.

Others use it in all sorts of ways. For example VMWare, the virtualisation specialists, talk about setting up your own 'private cloud', by which they really mean running your PCs and servers as virtual machines in a data centre.

Generally it means that your client device doesn't need to be a powerful PC - it can be a thin client or a mobile or whatever.

HTH

onlive ftw

And how. The only good thing about this terminology is the ironic entertainment value embedded in it--cloud computing is nebulous, leaves you damp and with little to no sight distance when you get close to it, and fades away in a stiff breeze.

I'm really, really tired of the IT sector's need to keep re-naming and mis-naming things so the biz sounds as Universally Important and Cool as it tried to back in the early days of getting a PC in every pot.

But I shouldn't complain too much. I earn my living chasing down this sort of problem and tidying it up so its at least internally consistent...

Actually it can be just about anything you want it to be.  Basically you just rent raw computing resources and use them for whatever the hell you want.  If you are running SETI@home or Folding@Home or any of those type of apps then you are taking part in another form of cloud computing - except you are letting them do it for free with your computer as part of ther "cloud".

Cloud Computing ... Grid Computing ... Distributed Computing ... call it what you want.

In a weird way it is the computer industry coming full circle.

Back in the olden days, when beer was cheap and I was cheaper, computing resources were hideously expensive so you would pay computing companies to do your IT work for you and pay for everything piecemeal - disk space by the byte, processing time - even printout per page.

Then companies could afford their own mainframe with terminals and line printers.

Then PCs came along with file servers, dot matrix and laser printer.

But networking was relatively expensive and slow

Now that networking is relatively cheap and fast - and computing resources are ridiculously cheap and immensely powerful - the economics are changing again and, for some applications, it makes sense to offload the grunt work.

As someone mentioned above - OnLive is perhaps the first company to apply this stuff to gaming.  Imagine a service like Impulse, Steam, or Metaboli but where you never actually have to download the game - all you need is their client app and you can play any game in the catalogue immediately.

There are other potential uses for gaming: how about a strategy game AI spread across multiple machines in the "cloud" - like turning on multi-threaded AI on steroids.

it's pretty much up in the air at this point.

Cloud Computing is an attempt to get a concept into the minds of the less technically inclined at a Business level.  To even start explaining to a Business Level exec (etc) the detail of remote services, on line storage, Web Marketing, leasing software components yaddie yaddie yadda, is a fruitless exercise - as would be explaining  the real intricacies (as opposed to ill-informed emotional rumour) of the Stock Market to a technical Guru who spends their life up to their armpits in bits and ergs and is equally baffled by many financial concepts.

At a business level, the critical importance of IT is well understood even if its operation is not, and in most Corporations is regarded as a "cost of doing business" - an important principle, as the funding is then regarded as base Infrastructure funding, and a "must have".  There's always the euphamistic 1% exception, surprise surprise, but by in large thats the view at Business level.

The Cloud Computing concept strikes a cord with Business level individuals (when explained) as it "replaces" or "enhances" the "IT Department" in their minds and puts a fluffy concept of online services (which are still rapidly evolving as the rush to get everything online continues) in a conceptual context.  The end result is at the senior levels they understand  better then, that the services they need will come from "the cloud" - whilst that may sound daft to some, in the world of the higher exec, it means a lot where they have to deal in large scale concepts in order to steer the "strategic ship", and it really does help in putting round pegs in round holes.

To those not operating at that level that concept makes no sense, but then, its not aimed at them. The end result is many from a non-business background try to rationalise it in terms they do understand which results in inevitable mistatement of why the concept there and its purpose. 

If you want to test that out, try next time you are work and get into the benefits of NAS and why the long term trend in software is subscription modules with a non-tech Boss, and see how far you get. 

Then explain it in terms of services provided by "The Cloud" which results in a better return on IT investment, the former explanation will send the recipient to sleep, the latter will get an invite to lunch with a request for ongoing help to "clear the fog" about IT from their confused brain.

Regards

Zy

I would earn far less than my meager income if what you say was not true.

However, I still believe language games like "cloud computing" hurt more than they help because that sort of C-level coddling *definitely* trickles down. When we expect so little of our management leadership, we end up with line-level grunts who could care less about how what they're selling or supporting works so long as they have strong buzzwords to use or adequate automation to invoke. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to follow the general outlines of modern IT. You just need the tech folks to lay off the jargon, adopt a consitent and fairly precise vocabulary, and teach the really important words to the outsiders.

Ahhhh.....finally a tongue found it's way into a cheek!

As a concept that gets my Vote

Regards

Zy

It's Something I endure every time im at the PC after eating a big bowl of chilli. 

And there is NO better way.... not to mention that life's too boring without it... providing it's not into a buttcheek.

Actually, I thought 'cloud computing' was when someone died, went to Heaven and their laptop couldn't be prised from their cold dead fingers prior to ascension.. thus they end up on a cloud with a Dell/Hewlett Packard/Compaq, etc, instead of a harp.

Agree with pretty much everybody that it's a nebulous term.

I'd have to disagree. Time and time again, there has always been value for local storage, no matter how good the network is.

Agreed. There will always be need for a close-to-hand storage.

Yup, localised hardware storage plus backups is an essential... like what if your ISP/network does down and you have no access to the 'cloud'?

Nope, it's not an idea I'd put 100% faith in.  Sure hardware can collapse, but you have a greater chance of recovering localised data, whereas when a distant and intangible 'cloud' go goes down you're pretty much stuffed.  However, it could prove useful to those with limited onboard storage, and probably easier, more convenient than handling dozens of data discs... while it's working, that is.  Yup, if I were to use it for the more inconsequential, non-crucial data, I'd still have local 'hard' copies... to be sure.

It's usually where most peoples heads are when they hit the on button.

Quoting HG_Eliminator, reply 10

It's Something I endure every time im at the PC after eating a big bowl of chilli. 

End of HG_Eliminator's quote

Regretfully, too true.

I remember the beginnings of personal computing...it was all about one having the control over the apps and data. I'd hate to see that disappear. I also am very wary of the security of these sites: After all, they draw skilled hackers like flowers do bees.

I really do not wish to surrender the control I currently have to anonymous sites whose security is dubious. Of course, I do know that my data has probably already been jacked from government sites, etc. No matter what, you can't seem to win.

HG_Eliminator...I agree with that assessment however I don't need a bowl of chili...yuck. Years ago skywriting was a big thing. Now it's the 'modern' version. Pick a cloud...set up your rig then...type away...hehe. Zubaz would love that. Typo's in the sky...hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!

Wasn't that a song?

'Typo's In The Sky With Zubaz'

I do most of my computing in a fog.

Yes... and I do mine in a green, somewhat odious cloud.

.......Yep This is my Cloud-Computer. CPU is invisible being in clouds.......