Trend technology today is cloud computing technology. Cloud computing is new technology that incorporation between internet and services without full booting, we can run applications to run simple jobs further more the applications can running base on web base (source: from wikipedia). Cloud computing can service software, processing, power, storage, memory etc and user can use for demand according need it base on internet. If we ask about definition cloud computing there are many argument, the one important thing is how to use this technology to support us at anywhere and anytime.
Cloud computing make possible all services can be access from internet using devices such as pda, smartphone, laptop, pc and another devices that support to do it then we can share it to each other. With centralized resource and application on the cloud, we can focus to our business without thinking about complexity behind of the cloud because all resource and application be handled by provider.
That not all service on the internet can be called as cloud computing, some characteristic of cloud computing :
- Measured services, Consumption of the resource can be managed and optimize, with a measurement system that can measure resource consumption of user/consumer. So all resource that consumer using can transparently then user will know how much they paid.
- On demand self services, user can request and manage service without making interactive with some one on provider, for example interactive via web portal. All service can be done automatically by system.
- Broad network access, service can be access via internet
- Rapid elasticity, provider can expanse or reduce capacitance quickly all request by user/consumer, from the consumer will see that there are no limit capacity.
- Resource pooling, cloud provider give serve resource that group on the one location or another data center with multi-tenant mechanism, It mean resource can be use together between all user and user no need to know where the resource come from.
Cloud computing is divide into service :
- Software as a Service (SaaS), consumer can use this service by subscribe or pay per use, the disadvantage from this service is limited features application, because application that can handle is generally. For example, salesforce.com, zoho.com and xero.com
- Platform as a Service (Paas), provider provide modules to build application that can running on the platform, the disadvantage is consumer can’t control the resource of the platform. For example Google App Engine, force.com, facebook.com
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), provider rent storage, processing, power, memory operating system, network etc that can be used by consumer to run their application. It’s like co-location, if co-location consumer know about machine that used where as IaaS, consumer do not know about type of machine and how to provide it. Capacity can change by user cloud computing still in a debate, especially about standarization. For conclusion, advantage and disadvantage Cloud Computing is :
Advantage :
- Investment resource (hardware) costs can be saved
- Consumer or company can more focus on their business without thinking about resource of server or storage and etc
- Management and operational can be monitor easier so operational costs can be saved.
Disadvantage :
- If you have low bandwidth for internet connection may be you will get slow connection for you application.
- If cloud provider don’t have or have bad system management backup, you can not access to it directly.
- If you have store your database on the cloud who is owner for the database, can your data be secure?
Further more cloud computing will continue to evolve as time goes.
