Definition

It may seem as though cloud computing network has burst onto the scene out of nowhere. While it does represent a breakthrough, cloud computing networks are not entirely new. In fact, cloud computing leverages and extends established technologies such as virtualization, hosting, service-oriented architectures, and Web-based services.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology officially defines cloud computing as follows: “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.” What this means practically is that cloud computing networks deliver a level of resource abstraction that paves the way for more powerful models of IT infrastructure establishment and IT service delivery.

The beauty of cloud computing networks is that it can be deployed in a number of forms:

  • Public Cloud – A third-party service provider owns and manages the cloud computing resources. The service provider’s customers can self-provision the cloud computing resources they need on-demand via the Internet and pay only for the resources they actually use.
  • Private Cloud – Cloud computing resources are owned and managed by an enterprise, with access restricted to individuals who belong to the enterprise. The private cloud computing network may reside within enterprise boundaries or be hosted externally.
  • Hybrid Cloud – Public and private cloud models are combined to take advantage of the benefits of each: the rapid access and scalability of public cloud networks, and the additional layer of security of private cloud networks. For example, an application may be deployed via a private cloud network, with the public cloud network on standby to support spikes in demand or for disaster recovery.
  • Community Cloud – When enterprises must collaborate with their suppliers, partners, and customers, a private cloud network may be too restrictive, while a public cloud network may be too exposed. The community cloud is administered like a private cloud network, but offers access to all, and only all, collaborating parties.

Applications

The applications for cloud computing generally fall into one of three service types:

  • Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) – The cloud computing service provider delivers the servers, processors, storage, and network elements (routers, servers, bandwidth, etc.) upon which a customer’s operating systems and applications can execute.
  • Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) – The cloud computing service provider offers additional capabilities, such as middleware, that facilitate execution of a customer’s applications. In some instances, PaaS encompasses some or all of the IaaS capabilities to give customers a more robust service option.
  • Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) – The cloud computing service provider hosts applications which can be accessed on-demand by a customer’s end users via the Internet. Because SaaS involves end users, it is the service type most commonly associated with cloud computing.

Key Considerations

The benefits of cloud computing are numerous and significant. Infrastructure and application deployment time and resource burdens are greatly reduced. Resources can be provisioned on a just-in-time basis, rather than on a worst-case-scenario basis. Expenditures for as-needed resources become part of operations instead of larger, upfront capital investments. Applications can be accessed from anywhere, which is particularly important given the exploding growth of mobile devices. Application scalability with cloud computing is far more elastic than its traditional on-premise, client-server counterpart; in addition, application maintenance and upgrades are simpler and faster.

Cloud computing does have its potential pitfalls, however. Is the cloud computing service provider a viable corporate entity over the short-term and the long-term? Is sensitive information truly secure in cloud computing’s multi-tenant environment? Will compliance with corporate and regulatory mandates be compromised by the service provider? How will the extended architecture and hosted application impact performance from the end user’s perspective?

The cloud computing upside likely far outweighs its downside in most instances, but enterprises must be diligent. Enterprises can protect themselves and take full advantage of cloud computing by turning to a comprehensive performance management and monitoring solution that:

  • Offers the breadth and depth to monitor and manage cloud network, server, and application performance throughout the enterprise and across the “extended WAN” to the cloud computing service provider.
  • Tracks cloud network performance in real-time and over the course of time.
  • Examines cloud network performance from the end user’s perspective.
  • Assimilates performance data and assesses snapshots and trends to ensure the service provider is meeting all quality of service and service level agreement guarantees.
  • Provides cloud network management, monitoring, and auditing of all activities down to the individual transaction level.