Cloud technology concept. Characteristics of the main types of "cloud" services. What is "cloud technology"

Hello again, dear readers! :) Let's talk about cloud technologies .

Tobish, today another note will be entirely devoted to a very entertaining and promising technology(so to speak, the "goldmine" of the IT industry), hiding under a pseudonym - cloud technologies or in the common people - "cloud".

Let's talk about the concept itself cloud computing, we will give a variety of examples of its implementation (at the level of solutions for ordinary users), namely, we will talk about the theory, then we will smoothly move on to practice and a little .. we will live in the clouds :-)

Thus, the purpose of our note, as always good (it cannot be otherwise) is to systematize the basic information related to this topic and put everything on the shelves.

So, Earthlings, get ready, now we will tell you about the cloud technologies cjsc, which, every day, are getting closer and closer to us.

We flew ..

Cloud technologies. About everything, little by little

In recent years, this topic has become one of the most popular in IT-the sphere, many articles have been written about it, an even greater number of conferences have been held, and how many solutions already exist on the market (and are used by us in all Everyday life, sometimes even unconsciously), and never count.

However, as always, there is one "but", namely, most of the users still do not know what kind of" know-how "cloud technologies are and what it is for, they have given up altogether. Well, we will correct the situation and we will start, as it should be, with theory.

Cloud computing ( cloud computing) is a distributed data processing technology in which computer resources and the capacities are provided to the user as an internet service. If you explain accessible language, then - this is yours, in a sense, a work site on the Internet, or rather on a remote server.

Let's look at an example to make sure that almost all of us, in one way or another, have already encountered this solution.

Do you have e-mail ( e-mail)? Of course have. So, if you work with mail on some service site (for example,) that allows you to use this mail, then this is nothing more than a cloud service, which is part of such a thing as cloud technologies. Or, for example, image processing.

If you downsize, flip your photo to Photoshop or other special program, then you have nothing to do with cloud technology - everything happens and is processed locally on your computer. But if, after uploading an image, for example, through, you process it on the other side, you are in the browser, then this is the very "cloud".

More details about cloud technologies

Actually, the whole difference lies solely in the method of storing and processing data. If all operations take place on your computer (using its power), then this is not a "cloud", but if the process takes place on a server in the network, then this is exactly the trendy thing that is commonly called "cloud technology".

In other words, cloud technologies are different hardware, software, methodologies and tools that are provided to the user as Internet services to achieve their goals, objectives, projects.

As practice shows, the terms "cloud technologies" / "cloud services", with their generally accepted graphical representation, in the form of "clouds", only confuses users, in fact, their structure can be easily understood if you imagine it in the form of the following pyramid.

The base of the "infrastructure" pyramid is a set of physical devices (servers, etc.), a "platform" is built above it - a set of services and the top - software available upon user request.

Also, you should be aware that cloud computing is a kind of basis vector obtained as a result of the synthesis of a number of technologies and approaches (tricky! :-)). To make it clear what I mean, I will give the following diagram:

I think that now it has become a little clearer, since the scheme is quite simple. However, generally speaking, cloud technologies are a kind of mess that performs calculations with servers and other things without directly attracting the resources of your computer.

It may so happen that we will all return to computers that are close in power to, so to speak, the first and, in fact, will represent only one screen with a microprocessor, and all calculations and capacities will be located and performed remotely, i.e. in somewhere there living servers, namely, in the cloud mentioned more than once.

Services provided by cloud systems

All that concerns сloud сomputing(Further SS), it is usually customary to call the word aaS... It stands for it simply - " as a Service", that is," as a service "or" as a service ".

Currently, cloud technologies and, in fact, their concept, involves the provision of the following types of services to its users:

  • Storage-as-a-Service("storage as a service")
    This is perhaps the simplest of SS-services, which is disk space on demand. Each of us has ever faced a situation when an ominous warning appeared on the monitor: " The logical disk is full to free up space, remove unnecessary programs or data". Service Storage-as-a-Service makes it possible to save data in external storage, in the "cloud". For you, it will look like an additional logical drive or folder. The service is basic for the rest, since it is part of almost every one of them. Other similar services can serve as an example.
  • Database-as-a-Service("database as a service")
    There is more likely more for admins, because this thing provides the ability to work with databases, as if DBMS was installed on a local resource. Moreover, in this case, it is much easier to "share" projects between different performers, not to mention how much money can be saved on and required for competent use DBMS in a large or even medium-sized organization.
  • Information-as-a-Service("information as a service")
    It makes it possible to remotely use any kind of information that can change every minute or even every second.
  • Process-as-a-Service("process management as a service")
    It is a remote resource that can tie together multiple resources (such as services or data contained within the same cloud or other available clouds) to create a single business process.
  • Application-as-a-Service("application as a service")
    Also, maybe it is called Software-as-a-Service("Software as a service"). It is positioned as "software on demand", which is deployed on remote servers and each user can access it via the Internet, with all issues of updates and licenses for this security regulated by the service provider. Payment, in this case, is made for the actual use of the latter. An example is Google docs, Google calendar etc. online programs.
  • Platform-as-a-Service("platform as a service")
    The user is provided with a computer platform with an installed operating system and some software.
  • Integration-as-a-Service("integration as a service")
    This is an opportunity to receive a complete integration package from the "cloud", including software interfaces between applications and managing their algorithms. This includes the well-known services and features of the centralization, optimization and integration of enterprise applications ( EAI), but provided as a "cloud" service.
  • Security-as-a-Service("security as a service")
    This view services provides the ability for users to quickly deploy products to provide safe use web technologies, e-mails, local network allowing users this service save on deploying and maintaining your own.
  • Management / Governace-as-a-Service("administration and management as a service")
    Allows you to manage and set the parameters of one or many "cloud" services. These are mainly parameters such as topology, resource utilization, virtualization.
  • Infrastructure-as-a-Service("infrastructure as a service")
    The user is provided with a computer infrastructure, usually virtual platforms (computers) connected to a network, which he independently configures for his own purposes.
  • Testing-as-a-Service("testing as a service")
    Provides the ability to test local or "cloud" systems using test software from the "cloud" (no hardware or software is required at the enterprise).

For clarity, let's summarize all these services of the "cloud" architecture, in one diagram behind which cloud technologies are hidden (sorry, that in English):

Which shows the classification of services by type of service.

Now let's consider what cloud technologies are, so to speak, according to the form of ownership. Here, there are three categories of them:

  • Public
  • Private
  • Hybrid.

Briefly about each:

  • Public cloud is an IT infrastructure used simultaneously by many companies and services. Users do not have the ability to manage and maintain this "cloud", and all responsibility for these issues rests with the owner of the resource. Any company and individual user can become a subscriber of the offered services.
    Examples are online services: Amazon EC2, Google Apps / Docs, Microsoft Office Web.
  • Private cloud is a secure IT infrastructure controlled and operated for the benefit of a single organization. The organization can manage the private cloud on its own or outsource the task. The infrastructure can be located either at the customer's premises, or at an external operator (or partially at the customer and partially at the operator).
  • Hybrid cloud is an IT infrastructure that uses best qualities public and private clouds when solving the task. Often this type is used when the organization has seasonal periods of activity, in other words, as soon as the internal IT infrastructure cannot cope with current tasks, part of the capacity is transferred to the public "cloud" (for example, large amounts of statistical information), as well as to provide users with access to enterprise resources through the public "cloud".

Confused? Nothing, we'll analyze examples soon and everything will fall into place;)

Cloud computing capabilities

Now let's look at the possibilities of cloud computing:

  • Access to personal information from any computer connected to the Internet
  • You can work with information from different devices(PCs, tablets, phones, etc.)
  • It doesn't matter what operating system you prefer to work with - web services work in the browser of any OS
  • The same information, both you and others, can view and edit simultaneously from different devices
  • Many paid programs became free (or cheaper) web apps
  • If something happens to your device (PC, tablet, phone), then you will not lose important information, since it is no longer stored in the device memory
  • Fresh and updated information is always at hand
  • You always use the most latest version programs and at the same time you do not need to monitor the release of updates
  • You can combine your information with other users
  • You can easily share information with loved ones or with people from anywhere in the world.

There are quite a few opportunities, however, there are also disadvantages (where can we go without them), which should also be mentioned.

"Fly in the ointment" - disadvantages:

  • The need for a permanent connection.
    To access cloud services, you need a permanent Internet connection
  • Software and its "customization".
    There are restrictions on software that can be deployed on the "clouds" and provided to the user. The user has limitations in the software used and sometimes does not have the ability to customize it for his own purposes
  • Confidentiality.
    The confidentiality of data stored in public "clouds" currently causes a lot of controversy, but in most cases experts agree that it is not recommended to store the documents most valuable for the company on the public "cloud", since there is currently no technology. which would guarantee 100% data confidentiality
  • Safety.
    The "cloud" itself is a fairly reliable system, but when penetrating into it, an attacker gains access to a huge data store. Another disadvantage is the use of systems in which, as a hypervisor, standard OS kernels are used (for example Windows), which allows you to use viruses and system vulnerabilities
  • Expensive equipment.
    To build your own cloud, you need to allocate significant material resources, which is not beneficial for newly created and small companies
  • Further monetization of the resource.
    It is possible that companies in the future will decide to charge users for the services they provide.

As you can see, there are two sides to the coin. However, this does not harm the development of technology, and may even spur it on.

Cloud technologies - a user's perspective. Solution overview

We have come to perhaps the most interesting (and so beloved by many readers) part of the article - examples and, so to speak, practice. Here we will consider what solutions, services, programs already exist on the market and what should be paid attention to. Let's start with services:

  • iCloud
    Cloud service iCloud from company Apple(replaced MobileMe), fully automatic and free (albeit with minor functional restrictions). It stores your all kinds of content (mail, calendar, contacts, documents, music, videos and images, etc.) on servers, and then delivers it to all devices ( iPhone, iPad, iPod touch,MacandPC) through wireless technology Push.
  • Google play
    A fresh cloud service called Google play from the "corporation of good", which is intended for users to place films, music, applications and books on specially designed storage digital information servers. Access to the service is provided directly from the browser, regardless of the OS, and therefore can be carried out both from a PC and from mobile devices based on Android... Each user has the ability to place and store up to 20 -thousands of music records for free, as well as directly download to the server purchased in stores ( Android Market ,Google Music and Google eBookstore) digital goods - movies, eBooks, programs, music tracks, both purchased and rented.
  • OnLive
    I think that everyone is familiar with the service, since I have already written about it. Provides the ability to play modern games even on the simplest and weakest computer. Technically it looks like in the following way: the game itself is located on a remote server and graphics are processed there, which is sent to the computer to the user already in a "finished" form. Simply put, those calculations that are performed on a computer during a normal game, etc., are already performed on the server, and your computer is used only as a monitor that receives the final image. If you do not understand, then all this means that all problems with the performance of the computer and the amount of free space on the hard disk are automatically removed, because even installation is not required. In addition, there is no need to pay quite a lot of money right away for a product (game, etc.) that you don't necessarily like. In addition, it is no secret that most games do not want to be played again, so it turns out that the cost of several hours (or even several days) of pleasure is unreasonably high. Much more convenient would be the option in which you would pay only for the time you play. Or - you would pay a certain small fixed amount on a monthly basis, which would allow you to play without restrictions in any of the available games. This is exactly what it offers OnLive.
  • Xbox live
    Another, well-known, gaming service that also provides rich Internet functionality and is related to cloud technologies. The essence of the service is that the owners of consoles Xbox 360 and PDA on the base Windows Phone 7 can play with each other computer games and communicate, as well as buy add-ons and various multimedia content in the online store. It turns out that the service creates a kind of virtual universe for gamers, the components of which are located not on the consoles of end users, but in the cloud.

Thus, the last two services offer games as a service. Now imagine that it comes not about games, but about software. That is, you pay not for the product as such (for the box with the disc), but for the specific functions / capabilities that it provides to you. Interesting? Here it is for me :)

A small note

And since we, as users, are most interested in software (and not all platforms there, as a service), now we will consider the "software landscape" ( SaaS) clouds. In other words, let's list the most popular software solutions, which, within the framework of the concept of cloud technologies, in fact, now exist on the market.

Actually, according to SaaS-concept, as mentioned above, you do not pay in a lump sum when buying a product, but as if you rent it. Moreover, you use exactly those functions that you need (and, accordingly, pay for them). For example, once a year you need some kind of programmer and you are not going to use it more often. So why buy a product that will sit idle?

And why waste space on it (in the apartment, if it's a box with a disk, or on a hard drive, if it's a file)? That's right, not why, because there is Alternative option- free online service (providing full functionality of this program).

Working with documents in the cloud

It was along this path that the two headliners of the IT industry (and also competitors) went - Google and Microsoft... Both companies have released a set of services that allow you to work with documents.

From the side Google - it's theirs Google docs(now Google drive ):

Free online office, which includes a word processor, spreadsheet processor and "pribluda" for creating presentations, as well as an Internet service cloud storage files with file sharing functions.

This is a web-based software, that is, a program that works within a web browser without installation on the user's computer, i.e. alternative version any Word, Excel and so on without the need to purchase and all that. User-generated documents and tables are stored on a dedicated server Google or can be exported to a file.

This is one of the key advantages of the program, since the entered data can be accessed from any computer connected to the Internet (while the access is password protected).

From the side Microsoft - it's theirs Microsoft Office Web Apps:

Applications Microsoft Office Web Apps, allow you to use the features Microsoft Office, through a web browser and work with documents (moreover, not only view them, but also edit them) directly on the website where they are stored.

Thus, documents look in the browser exactly the same as in programs. Office, i.e. complete, so to speak, unification.

It is also worth noting that both services are closely interconnected with mail ( Gmail in the first case and Hotmail in the second) and file storages, you want to use Google docs, it is enough to create a free Google account and you will receive a set of programs for working with texts, spreadsheets, etc., right in your browser. For many, Google docs completely replaced, as mentioned above, paid MS Office.

To summarize (for these two services), we can say that the user is transferred from his usual offline environment to online.
Let's go further.

Cloud technologies and data storage

Cloud file storage is no less popular. The most famous repository is ..

  • Dropbox.
    You can have several computers, but with this cloud storage you can make shared folder with files for all your PCs and even smartphones. The most interesting thing is that you don't have to do any special actions here, because the operating system itself will perceive the shared folder, like all other folders on the hard drive, and the dropbox will just synchronize. The service allows you to store up to 2 GB of data. It focuses on synchronization and information exchange. Dropbox keeps a history of downloads so that after deleting files from the server it is possible to restore data, plus a history of file changes is kept, which is available for the period of the last 30 days.
  • Windows Live SkyDrive.
    Service SkyDrive allows you to save up to 7 GB (and you can exchange files up to 100 MB) information sorted with standard folders form. For images there is a preview mode, as well as the ability to show them in the form of slides. In addition, the service is integrated with Microsoft Office, it also supports the new operating system (more precisely, the client SkyDrive built into apps Metro and allows you to upload documents and photos to the "cloud" in one click, open files from a remote storage).
  • And of course Google drive... There will be a separate article about him.

By the way, not only all sorts of offices and file storages use cloud technologies. For example, in the camp of the fight against digital "evil" they also relied on cloud computing. And here is the result - free antivirus Panda Cloud Antivirus.

It is based on innovative "collective intelligence" technology (which automatically detects new threats in a minimum period of time) and allows you to minimize the impact of protection on system resources computer, using the computing power of cloud technologies for most operations: analysis, blocking and attempts to remove malware.

Anti-virus servers use information received from millions of users of anti-virus products Panda around the world, to automatically detect and classify new types of malware that appear every day.

In a nutshell, something like this, although there are still a bunch of services that could be talked about, but then you will have to write a volume of War and Peace :)
So let's get to the bottom line on the sly.

Cloud technologies. Cloudy or clear?

Quite simply, the cloud is an opportunity to always have guaranteed and secure access to all your personal information, as well as avoiding the need to keep a lot of unnecessary things in your pocket (all sorts of flash drives, disks, wires, and so on) or buy a new computer / components / programs / games, etc. There is no doubt that on this moment cloud technology is one of the most requested and interesting topics in IT-sphere and more and more interesting solutions appearing in the world is associated with them.

Of course, it is still difficult for an ordinary user to fully assess (and reveal) their full potential, but what he is is visible to the naked eye.

Thus, without a doubt, the future of cloud technologies seems to be very bright, because such giants ( Microsoft, Apple and Google) they just do nothing for sure and it is quite clear that if they have already entered this unexplored territory, they are clearly not going to leave it, because two years ago the concept "cloud" seemed just a beautiful idea and a bold experiment, and today the benefits of cloud technologies can be felt even by those people who are not associated with software development, web technologies and other highly specialized things (the above Xbox Live, Windows Live, OnLive, Google Docs are vivid examples of this).

Afterword

Something like that. I hope that the information was interesting, useful and exciting for you. Stay with the project - here you are always welcome;)

As usual, if you have questions, additions, and other differences, then comments are at your service.

PS: Thanks to team member 25 FRAME for the existence of this article

Since "clouds" are a collective concept, it makes sense to classify them according to some attribute. Below are the classifications of "clouds", one of which is proposed by InfoWorld, and the other by the commercial director of Parallels, one of the leaders in the virtualization market.

InfoWorld proposes to divide all "clouds" into six types:

SAAS - directly an application as a service (for example, Zoho Office or Google Apps).

SERVICE COMPUTERS - for example, virtual servers.

WEB SERVICES IN THE CLOUD - Internet services optimized for working in a virtual environment (for example, Internet banking systems).

PAAS is "platform as a service", that is, a new generation of web applications that make it possible to build a set of capabilities at the request of the user (for example, Live Mesh from Microsoft).

MSP is a Managed Service Provider serving service providers (for example, built-in anti-virus scanners for mail portals).

COMMERCIAL SERVICE PLATFORMS - PaaS and MSP convergence (for example, Cisco WebEx Connect).

Clouds are divided into private, public, hybrid and clan.

    Private cloud

A private cloud (English private cloud) is an infrastructure intended for use by one organization, including several consumers (for example, divisions of one organization), possibly also by clients and contractors of this organization. A private cloud can be owned, managed and operated by the organization itself or by a third party (or some combination of these), and it can physically exist both inside and outside the owner's jurisdiction.

    Public cloud

A public cloud is an infrastructure designed for free use by the general public. The public cloud can be owned, operated and operated by commercial, academic, and government organizations (or any combination of these).

    Hybrid cloud

A hybrid cloud is a combination of two or more different cloud infrastructures (private, public or public) that remain unique objects, but are interconnected by standardized or private technologies for transferring data and applications (for example, short-term use of public resources clouds for load balancing between clouds).

    Clan cloud or community cloud

A community cloud is a type of infrastructure designed for use by a specific community (clan) of consumers from organizations that have common objectives (for example, mission, security requirements, policies, and compliance with various requirements). A public cloud can be co-owned, operated and operated by one or more of the community organizations or a third party (or any combination of these), and it can physically exist both within and outside the owner's jurisdiction.

1.3 The main directions of development of cloud technologies

The four main areas of cloud computing development are:

Some products directly provide users with Internet services such as storage, middleware, collaboration support, and databases.

    Infrastructure as a Service ( IaaS, eng. Infrastructure-as-a-Service) is provided as the ability to use the cloud infrastructure to independently manage processing, storage, networking and other fundamental computing resources, for example, a consumer can install and run arbitrary software, which may include operating systems, platform and application software. The consumer can control Operating Systems, virtual storage systems and installed applications, and have limited control over the set of available network services (eg, firewall, DNS). The control and management of the main physical and virtual infrastructure of the cloud, including the network, servers, types of operating systems used, storage systems is carried out by the cloud provider. Examples of users (system developers, administrators, IT managers).

    Platform as a Service ( PaaS, eng. Platform-as-a-Service) is a model when the consumer is given the opportunity to use the cloud infrastructure to host the underlying software for the subsequent placement on it of new or existing applications (proprietary, custom-developed or purchased replicated applications). Such platforms include tools for creating, testing and executing application software - database management systems, middleware, runtime environments for programming languages ​​- provided by a cloud provider. The control and management of the main physical and virtual infrastructure of the cloud, including the network, servers, operating systems, storage, is carried out by the cloud provider, with the exception of those developed or installed applications, as well as, if possible, the configuration parameters of the environment (platform). Examples of users (application developers, testers, administrators)

    Software as a Service ( SaaS, eng. Software-as-a-Service) - a model in which the consumer is given the opportunity to use the provider's application software that runs in the cloud infrastructure and is accessible from various client devices or through a thin client, for example, from a browser (for example, web mail) or via program interface. Control and management of the underlying physical and virtual infrastructure of the cloud, including the network, servers, operating systems, storage, or even individual application capabilities (with the exception of a limited set of custom application configuration settings) is carried out by the cloud provider. Sample users (business users, application administrators).

Others * aaS: for example:

DaaS (Desktop-as-a-Service) offers every user a standardized virtual workplace, with the ability to customize and install other programs. Access is via the network via thin client, which can be anything from an ordinary PC to a smartphone (Google Chrome OS).

CaaS (Communications-as-a-Service) is a combination of software and hardware for organizing all types of communication (voice, mail) between employees of the same enterprise using third-party solutions.

An alternative SaaS option is promoted by Microsoft, it is called S + S (Software + Services) and combines strengths typical SaaS and common application available. This is common software, but with a focus on remote services. Computing in the cloud is turning into a serious technology trend - many experts believe that in the next five years cloud computing will change not only IT processes, but also the information technology market itself. Thanks to this technology, device users different types, including PCs, laptops, smartphones and PDAs, will be able to access programs, storage systems, and even application development platforms over the Internet, through services offered by providers of cloud computing, and resources in this case are located on the servers of the providers.

Based on all of the above, we can conclude that when using cloud computing, information technology consumers can significantly reduce capital costs - for building data centers, purchasing server and network equipment, hardware and software solutions to ensure continuity and availability - since these costs are absorbed a cloud service provider. In addition, the long construction and commissioning times of large information technology infrastructure facilities and their high initial cost limit the ability of consumers to flexibly respond to market demands, while cloud technologies provide the ability to respond almost instantly to an increase in demand for computing power.

When using cloud computing, consumer costs are shifted towards operating costs - thus, the costs of paying for the services of cloud providers are classified.

The definition of cloud computing is at first glance very confusing: it is a model for providing ubiquitous and convenient network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (for example, servers, applications, networks, storage systems, and services) that can be quickly provisioned and released with minimal management effort. and the need to interact with the provider.

In order to better imagine what cloud computing is, a simple example can be given: before, a user used to access certain software (messengers and programs) installed on his PC to access e-mail, but now he simply goes to the website of the company whose services Email he likes, directly through the browser, without the use of intermediaries.

But this example is more suitable for private clouds. We are interested in these technologies in business. The modern implementation began in 2006. Amazon then unveiled its web services infrastructure, which not only provides hosting, but also provides the client with remote computing power.

Three models of "clouds"

Recall that there are three cloud computing service models:

Software as a service (SaaS, Software as a Servise). The consumer is provided with software - provider applications running on the cloud infrastructure.

Platform as a Service (PaaS, Platform as a Service). The consumer is provided with tools for deploying consumer-generated or purchased applications on the cloud infrastructure that are developed using the provider-supported tools and programming languages.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)... The consumer is provided with data processing, storage, networking and other basic computing resources on which the consumer can deploy and execute arbitrary software, including operating systems and applications.

Benefits of cloud services

Last year, the total volume of the global market in the field of cloud technologies amounted to about $ 40 billion. Some experts predict that by 2020 this figure will reach $ 240 billion. Russia ranks 34th in the introduction of cloud computing into business with an indicator of $ 250 million.

There are several advantages associated with the use of cloud technologies.

Availability. Anyone who has a computer, tablet, or anyone can access information stored on the cloud. mobile device connected to the Internet. This leads to the following advantage.

Mobility. The user does not have a permanent attachment to one workplace. From anywhere in the world, managers can receive reports, and managers can monitor production.

Profitability. Reduced cost is one of the important benefits. The user does not need to buy expensive computers and software that are large in terms of computing power, and he is also freed from the need to hire a specialist to maintain local IT technologies.

Rent. The user receives the necessary package of services only at the moment when he needs it, and pays, in fact, only for the number of purchased functions.

Flexibility. All necessary resources are provided by the provider automatically.

High manufacturability. Large computing power at the user's disposal that can be used for storing, analyzing and processing data.

Reliability. Some experts argue that the reliability that modern cloud computing provides is much higher than the reliability of local resources, arguing that few enterprises can afford to purchase and maintain a full-fledged data center.

Google Apps for Business highlights these same benefits, but adds that the company is protecting the environment by using their cloud computing, explaining that Apps services are powered by data centers. Google data which are ultra-low power, so their carbon and energy costs will be significantly lower when using local servers.

How much does it all cost?

The cost of Google Apps for business, according to the company, is $ 5 per user per month, with free space on a cloud disk of 5 GB (if you wish, you can buy another 20 GB to 16 TB at a price of $ 4 to $ 1430 per month, respectively).

Also, the user can purchase Google Apps with a safe for $ 10 per month, which includes standard package services plus archiving of important business data, collection of data for legal purposes, search and export of any corporate data. Providing domains - for a separate cost. It is worth noting that one email account is considered a user.

Microsoft is also fighting for its share of cloud computing. They are based on Office 365. It focuses on an end-to-end CRM solution, claiming that Microsoft Dinamics CRM includes marketing, sales, and customer service management blocks. That is, using this function, it is possible to solve a range of relationship management tasks, from attracting customers to cross-selling.

Also highlighted are "smart" analysis, role-based interface and high mobility.

The purchase of Office 365 offers several options: Office Professional Plus 2010 plan - 555 rubles. per month per user. Subsequent tariffs cost 250, 300, 525 and 750 rubles. per month for each user, respectively. By the way, Office 365 is free to try.

Despite all positive reviews, there is also some criticism of cloud technologies.

The main criticism is that when using virtual software, information automatically falls into the hands of the developer of this software. So says Richard Stallman, founder of the free software movement.

The problem of data integration with both internal corporate and cloud services of other providers is highlighted.

Experts point to the problem of uncontrolled data: information left by the user will be stored for years without his knowledge, or he will not be able to change some part of it. For example, on Google services the user is not able to delete the services he has not used and even individual data groups.

Despite this, most experts are of the opinion that the advantages of this technology outweigh its disadvantages.

Lecture Cloud Technologies

Cloud computing (computing) is a distributed data processing technology in which computer resources and capacities are provided to the user as an Internet service.

The main types of cloud technologies include:

    " Infrastructurehowservice" ("Infrastructure as a Service" or "IaaS")

    " Platformhowservice" ("Platform as a Service", " PaaS")

    "Software as a Service"("Software as a Service" or "SaaS").

Let's consider each of these technologies in more detail.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

IaaS is the provision of computing infrastructure as a service based on the concept of cloud computing.

IaaS has three main components:

    Hardware (servers, storage systems, client systems, networking equipment)

    Operating systems and system software (virtualization, automation, basic resource management)

    Middleware (e.g. for systems management)

IaaS is based on virtualization technology that allows the user to divide the equipment into pieces that meet the current needs of the business, thereby increasing the efficiency of using the available computing power. A user (a company or a software developer) will have to pay only for the server time, disk space, network bandwidth and other resources that he really needs to work. In addition, IaaS provides the customer with a complete set of management functions in one integrated platform.

IaaS eliminates the need for enterprises to maintain complex data center, customer and network infrastructures, while also reducing the associated capital and operating costs. In addition, additional savings can be realized by providing the service as part of a shared infrastructure.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

PaaS is the provision of an integrated platform for developing, testing, deploying and supporting web applications as a service.

To deploy web applications, the developer does not need to purchase hardware and software, and there is no need to organize their support. Client access can be arranged on a rental basis.

This approach has the following advantages:

    scalability;

    fault tolerance;

    virtualization;

    safety.

Scalability PaaS assumes automatic allocation and release of necessary resources depending on the number of users served by the application.

PaaS as an integrated platform for developing, testing, deploying and supporting web applications, it will allow the entire range of development, testing and deployment of web applications to be performed in one integrated environment, thereby eliminating the cost of maintaining separate environments for separate stages.

Ability to create source code and provide it in general access within the development team significantly improves the productivity of building applications based on PaaS.

Software as a Service (SaaS).

SaaS- an application deployment model, which implies the provision of an application to the end user as an on demand service. Such an application is accessed over the network, and most often through an Internet browser. In this case, the main advantage of the SaaS model for the client is the absence of the costs associated with installing, updating and maintaining the equipment and software running on it. The target audience is end consumers.

In the SaaS model:

    the application is adapted for remote use;

    one application can be used by several clients;

    payment for the service is charged either as monthly subscription fee, or based on the total volume of transactions;

    application support is already included in the payment;

    application upgrades can be done by service personnel smoothly and transparently for customers.

From the point of view of software developers, the SaaS model allows you to effectively combat unlicensed use of software, due to the fact that the client cannot store, copy and install the software.

In fact, SaaS software can be viewed as a more convenient and cost-effective alternative to internal information systems.

An evolution of the SaaS logic is the concept WaaS (Workplace as a Service - Workplace as a Service). That is, the client receives at his disposal a virtual workplace fully equipped with everything necessary for the operation of the software.

    Communications (VoIP)

    Antispam and antivirus

    Project management

    Distance learning

    Data storage and backup

All three types of cloud services are interconnected and represent a nested structure.

In addition to various methods of providing services, there are several options for deploying cloud systems:

Private cloud- is used to provide services within one company, which is both a customer and a service provider. This is a variant of the "cloud concept" when the company creates it for itself, within the organization. First of all, implementation private cloud removes one of the important questions that customers certainly have when familiarizing themselves with this concept - the question of data protection from the point of view of information security. Since the "cloud" is limited by the framework of the company itself, this issue is solved by standard existing methods. For private cloud reduction in the cost of equipment is characteristic due to the use of idle or inefficiently used resources. And also, reducing the cost of purchasing equipment by reducing logistics (we do not think about which servers to buy, in what configurations, what productive capacities, how much space to reserve each time, etc.)

In fact, the capacity increases in proportion to the overall load growing, not depending on each arising task - but, so to speak, on average. And it becomes easier to plan and buy and sell - to launch new tasks into production.

Public cloud- used by cloud providers to provide services to external customers.

Mixed (hybrid) cloud- joint use of the above two deployment models

Let's start by defining cloud computing. This phenomenon is new, therefore there are not many authoritative sources where this concept is defined. The most comprehensive and fundamental approach to this issue were American specialists Peter Mell and Tim Grants from the Laboratory. Information technologies National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). In his work The NIST Definition of Cloud Computing they write the following (translated by the author from English).

Cloud computing Is a model for providing convenient network access in the "on demand" mode to a shared set of configurable computing resources (for example, networks, servers, data stores, applications and / or services) that the user can quickly use for their tasks and release when reduced to minimum number of interactions with the service provider or own management efforts. This model is aimed at increasing the availability of computing resources and combines five main characteristics, three service models and four deployment models.

Cloud computing characteristics:

  1. Self-service on demand
    The consumer, when he needs it, can independently use computing capabilities, such as server time or network data storage, in automatic mode without interacting with the service provider's staff.
  2. Widely available over the network (Internet)
    Opportunities are available over the network; they are accessed using standard mechanisms, allowing the use of heterogeneous thin and thick client platforms (for example, mobile phones, laptops, PDAs).
  3. Pooling resources
    The vendor pools its computing resources to serve a large number of customers using the multi-tenancy principle. Various physical and virtual resources are dynamically allocated and reallocated according to user needs. There is a feeling of independence from location, when the customer does not know and does not control where exactly the computing resources that he uses are located, but, perhaps, can determine their location at a more abstract level (for example, a country, region or data center). An example of a resource would be data storage, computing power, RAM, throughput, virtual machines.
  4. Ability to adapt quickly
    Computing capabilities can be quickly and flexibly backed up (often automatically) to quickly scale to customer needs, and also quickly freed up. From the consumer's point of view, the available options often look unlimited and can be purchased in any quantity at any time.
  5. Measurable service
    Cloud systems automatically control and optimize resource use by measuring some abstract parameters. The parameters vary depending on the type of service. For example, this could be: the size of the data store, processing power, bandwidth, and / or the number of active user records. Resource usage is tracked, controlled; reports are generated. Thus, both the supplier and the consumer receive transparent information about the volume of services provided (consumed).

Service models:

  1. Cloud Software as a Service (SaaS) - cloud software as a service, hereinafter referred to as “software as a service”;
  2. Cloud Platform as a Service (PaaS) - cloud platform as a service;
  3. Cloud Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - cloud infrastructure as a service.

We will disclose only the first service model as related to the topic of this work. Software as a Service (SaaS) Is providing the consumer with the opportunity to use the provider's applications running on the cloud infrastructure. Applications are accessed from a variety of client devices through a thin client interface such as a web browser. The consumer does not control or manage the cloud infrastructure on which the application is running, including the network, servers, operating systems, data stores, and even application settings. A possible exception is some custom application settings.

Deployment models:

  1. Private Cloud
  2. Community cloud
  3. Public cloud
  4. Hybrid cloud

We will only disclose the third deployment model as relevant to the topic of this work. Public cloud (PublicCloud)- in this model, the cloud infrastructure is available to everyone or a wide industry group and is owned by the cloud service provider.

Above, we have defined cloud computing and described its main characteristics. We also gave the classification of cloud computing according to the service model and the deployment model, that is, we talked about what types of cloud computing exist. So what is small business cloud services?

The concept contains the words "cloud" and "services", which means that we are talking about services provided from the cloud, that is, using the cloud infrastructure.

Since these services are intended "for small companies", then:

  1. These services should help you run your business;
  2. These services should be affordable for small companies;
  3. They must be widely available;
  4. They should not require specific knowledge from the consumer (for example, in the field of information technology).

Based on the above, we will give the following definition. Cloud services for small companies Are applications for business automation, distributed on the SaaS (software as a service) model through the Public Cloud and available to a wide range of customers at an affordable price.