What Is 'Cloud 

Computing'?
Question: What Is 'Cloud Computing'?

Answer: "Cloud Computing" is a somewhat nebulous word to describe users "renting" or borrowing online software instead of
actually purchasing and installing it on their own computers. It is the same business model as people using Gmail or Yahoo mail
services, except that cloud computing goes much further. Cloud computing is where entire businesses and thousands of
employees will run their computer tools as online rented products. All of the processing work and file saving will be done "in the
cloud" of the Internet, and the users will plug into that cloud every day to do their computer work. 

Cloud computing has two major premises:

1. Software as a Service (aka "Saas" or "SaS")

2. Platform as a Service (aka "PaaS" or "PaS")

Software and Platform as a Service describe the business model of users logging into a centralized hub to access their software
products. Users open their files and software only while online, using only their web browser and passwords. It is similar to the
idea of mainframe terminals, but cloud computing involves a much larger "cloud" (network) of processing computers at the
center.

SaaS/Cloud Example 1: instead of selling you a copy of Microsoft Word for $300, a cloud computing model would "rent" word
processing software to you through the Internet for perhaps 5 dollars a month. You would not install any special software, nor
would you be confined to your home machine to use this rented online product. You simply use your modern web browser to
login from any web-enabled computer, and you can access your word processing documents in the same way that you would
access your Gmail.

SaaS/Cloud Example 2: your small car sales business would not spend thousands of dollars on a sales database. Instead, the
company owners would "rent" access to a sophisticated online sales database, and all the car salesmen would access that
information through their web-enabled computers or handhelds.

SaaS/Cloud Example 3: you decide to start a health club in your hometown, and need computer tools for your receptionist,
financial controller, 4 salespeople, 2 membership coordinators, and 3 personal trainers. But you do not want the headaches nor
the cost of paying part-time IT staff to build and support those computer tools. Instead, you give all your health club staff access
to the cloud of the Internet, and rent their office software online, which will be stored and supported somewhere in Arizona. You
will not need any regular IT support staff then; you will just need occasional contract support to ensure that your hardware is
maintained.

The Benefits of SaaS/Cloud Computing:

The primary benefit of cloud computing is reduced cost for everyone involved. Software vendors do not have to spend thousands
of hours supporting users over the phone... they would simply maintain and repair a single central copy of the product online.
Conversely, users wouldn't have to shell out the large up-front costs of fully purchasing word processing, spreadsheet, or other
end user products. Users would instead pay nominal rental fees to access the large cntral copy.

The Downsides of Cloud Computing:

The risk of cloud computing is that the users must place a high level of trust into the online software vendors that they will not
disrupt the service. In a way, the software vendor holds its customers "hostage" because all of their documentation and
productivity is now in the vendor's hands. Security and protection of the file privacy becomes even more necessary, as the
massive Internet is now part of the business network.

When a 600-employee business switches to cloud computing, they must choose their software vendor carefully. There will be
dramatically-reduced administration cost to use cloud computing software. But there will be an increase in the risks of service
disruption, connectivity, and online security.
 What Is Cloud Computing?
By Melanie Pinola, About.com Guide
See More About:

 cloud computing
 web applications
 technology trends
 working online
Question: What Is Cloud Computing?

Answer:

The terms "cloud computing" and "working in the cloud" refer to performing computer tasks using services delivered entirely
over the Internet. Cloud computing is a movement away from applications needing to be installed on an individual's computer
towards the applications being hosted online. (The "cloud" refers to the Internet and was inspired by technical flow charts and
diagrams, which tend to use a cloud symbol to represent the Internet.)

Examples of Cloud Computing Services

Web-based email services like Gmail and Hotmail deliver a cloud computing service: users can access their email "in the cloud"
from any computer with a browser and Internet connection, regardless of what kind of hardware is on that particular computer.
The emails are hosted on Google's and Microsoft's servers, rather than being stored locally on the client computer.

Over the last few years we've seen tremendous growth in cloud computing, as witnessed by the many popular Web apps used
today, including: VoIP (e.g., Skype, Google Voice), social applications (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn), media services (e.g.,
Picassa, YouTube, Flickr), content distribution (e.g., BitTorrent), financial apps (e.g., Mint), and many more. Even traditional
desktop software, such as Microsoft Office, has moved in part to the Web, starting with its Office 2010 Web Apps.

Types of Cloud Computing

The applications mentioned above refer to software solutions provided over the Internet, or Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). Other
cloud computing services include virtual server storage (Infrastructure-as-a-Service or IaaS), such as Amazon Web Services, and
software and product development tools (Platform-as-a-Service or PaaS), such as Google Apps.

Cloud Computing Benefits

Cloud services free businesses and consumers from having to invest in hardware or install software on their devices. They reduce
maintenance and hardware upgrading needs; because the solutions are all Web-based, even older computers can be used to access
cloud services.

For mobile workers especially, cloud computing provides incredible flexibility: professionals can work from any computing
device anywhere as long as they have access to the Web. It also makes collaboration easier, since distributed teams (or a
combination of mobile workers and in-office staff) can work on shared information stored centrally in the cloud via, for example,
online groupware applications.

Considerations for Working in the Cloud

There are also some issues or obstacles to cloud computing. An Internet connection is obviously necessary to take full advantage
of a cloud service. When you're offline--or if there are any disruptions with the cloud service itself--the data may not be
accessible at all. (Some cloud apps, like Gmail, have offline capability; others, like Mint, require an Internet connection. The
notetaking application, Evernote, offers a good in-between or hybrid solution, with both desktop/phone software and an online
service that syncs your notes to the cloud.)

Another issue with cloud computing besides availability is security. Individuals and companies may not be comfortable storing
information--especially proprietary or sensitive data--on someone else's server on the Internet.

The issues of trust and reliability will be critical for cloud services to resolve before everyone truly moves to the cloud.
Assurances of encryption technologies, privacy protection, and solutions for offline accessibility should go far towards that end.
For now, cloud computing's greatest beneficiaries may be remote workers, as Web-based apps empower us to be truly mobile and
still accomplish our work.

What Is Cloud Computing?

Answer:

The terms "cloud computing" and "working in the cloud" refer to performing computer tasks using services delivered entirely
over the Internet. Cloud computing is a movement away from applications needing to be installed on an individual's computer
towards the applications being hosted online. (The "cloud" refers to the Internet and was inspired by technical flow charts and
diagrams, which tend to use a cloud symbol to represent the Internet.)

Examples of Cloud Computing Services

Web-based email services like Gmail and Hotmail deliver a cloud computing service: users can access their email "in the cloud"
from any computer with a browser and Internet connection, regardless of what kind of hardware is on that particular computer.
The emails are hosted on Google's and Microsoft's servers, rather than being stored locally on the client computer.

Over the last few years we've seen tremendous growth in cloud computing, as witnessed by the many popular Web apps used
today, including: VoIP (e.g., Skype, Google Voice), social applications (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn), media services (e.g.,
Picassa, YouTube, Flickr), content distribution (e.g., BitTorrent), financial apps (e.g., Mint), and many more. Even traditional
desktop software, such as Microsoft Office, has moved in part to the Web, starting with its Office 2010 Web Apps.

Types of Cloud Computing

The applications mentioned above refer to software solutions provided over the Internet, or Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). Other
cloud computing services include virtual server storage (Infrastructure-as-a-Service or IaaS), such as Amazon Web Services, and
software and product development tools (Platform-as-a-Service or PaaS), such as Google Apps.

Cloud Computing Benefits

Cloud services free businesses and consumers from having to invest in hardware or install software on their devices. They reduce
maintenance and hardware upgrading needs; because the solutions are all Web-based, even older computers can be used to access
cloud services.

For mobile workers especially, cloud computing provides incredible flexibility: professionals can work from any computing
device anywhere as long as they have access to the Web. It also makes collaboration easier, since distributed teams (or a
combination of mobile workers and in-office staff) can work on shared information stored centrally in the cloud via, for example,
online groupware applications.
Considerations for Working in the Cloud

There are also some issues or obstacles to cloud computing. An Internet connection is obviously necessary to take full advantage
of a cloud service. When you're offline--or if there are any disruptions with the cloud service itself--the data may not be
accessible at all. (Some cloud apps, like Gmail, have offline capability; others, like Mint, require an Internet connection. The
notetaking application, Evernote, offers a good in-between or hybrid solution, with both desktop/phone software and an online
service that syncs your notes to the cloud.)

Another issue with cloud computing besides availability is security. Individuals and companies may not be comfortable storing
information--especially proprietary or sensitive data--on someone else's server on the Internet.

The issues of trust and reliability will be critical for cloud services to resolve before everyone truly moves to the cloud.
Assurances of encryption technologies, privacy protection, and solutions for offline accessibility should go far towards that end.
For now, cloud computing's greatest beneficiaries may be remote workers, as Web-based apps empower us to be truly mobile and
still accomplish our work.

What Is 'SaaS' (Software as a Service)?

Answer: 'SaaS', or 'Software as a Service', describes when users 'rent' or borrow online software instead of actually
purchasing and installing it on their own computers.It is the same situation as people using Gmail or Yahoo mail services,
except that SaaS goes much further. SaaS is the foundational idea behind centralized computing: entire businesses and thousands
of employees will run their computer tools as online rented products. All of the processing work and file saving will be done on
the Internet, with users accessing their tools and files using a web browser.

SaaS, when combined with PaaS (hardware Platform as a Service), forms what we call 'Cloud Computing'.

SaaS and PaaS describe the business model of users logging into a centralized hub to access their software products. Users open
their files and software only while online, using only their web browser and passwords. It is a resurgence of the 1950's and 1960's
mainframe model, but tailored to web browsers and Internet standards.

SaaS/Cloud Example 1: instead of selling you a copy of Microsoft Word for $300, a cloud computing model would "rent" word
processing software to you through the Internet for perhaps 5 dollars a month. You would not install any special software, nor
would you be confined to your home machine to use this rented online product. You simply use your modern web browser to
login from any web-enabled computer, and you can access your word processing documents in the same way that you would
access your Gmail.

SaaS/Cloud Example 2: your small car sales business would not spend thousands of dollars on a sales database. Instead, the
company owners would "rent" access to a sophisticated online sales database, and all the car salesmen would access that
information through their web-enabled computers or handhelds.

SaaS/Cloud Example 3: you decide to start a health club in your hometown, and need computer tools for your receptionist,
financial controller, 4 salespeople, 2 membership coordinators, and 3 personal trainers. But you do not want the headaches nor
the cost of paying part-time IT staff to build and support those computer tools. Instead, you give all your health club staff access
to the cloud of the Internet, and rent their office software online, which will be stored and supported somewhere in Arizona. You
will not need any regular IT support staff then; you will just need occasional contract support to ensure that your hardware is
maintained.

The Benefits of SaaS/Cloud Computing:

The primary benefit of Software as a Service is reduced cost for everyone involved. Software vendors do not have to spend
thousands of hours supporting users over the phone... they would simply maintain and repair a single central copy of the product
online. Conversely, users wouldn't have to shell out the large up-front costs of fully purchasing word processing, spreadsheet, or
other end user products. Users would instead pay nominal rental fees to access the large cntral copy.
The Downsides of SaaS/Cloud Computing:

The risk of Software as a Service and cloud computing is that the users must place a high level of trust into the online software
vendors that they will not disrupt the service. In a way, the software vendor holds its customers "hostage" because all of their
documentation and productivity is now in the vendor's hands. Security and protection of the file privacy becomes even more
necessary, as the massive Internet is now part of the business network.

When a 600-employee business switches to cloud computing, they must choose their software vendor carefully. There will be
dramatically-reduced administration cost to use cloud computing software. But there will be an increase in the risks of service
disruption, connectivity, and online security.

What is Cloud Computing? Interviewing Dave Vandervort of Xerox

Innovation Group
Living in the Cloud

There are a number of very intelligent, talented people saying "I just don't understand the cloud computing model" or "I
understand this concept, but how is it affecting me, my family or my business?"By posing these questions (and more) to a
number of programming experts, we've been able to come up with some answers.

Here's what Dave Vandervort, Architect-Client Hardware/Software for Xerox Innovation Group, had to say about Cloud
Computing.

RubyGuide: In basic, layman's terms, how would you describe cloud computing?

Dave Vandervort: Cloud computing uses large amounts of computer hardware as a single pool of computing resources rather
than as a lot of individual computers. The user does not have to know or care where the hardware is located or what capacity it
has (up to a point). Need more storage space? Another slave db server for your website? They can be created in the cloud without
you having to install a whole new server, run cables, etc. When you no longer need that extra capacity, turn it off and forget it
ever existed. Typically you only pay for the capacity you use, not the entire infrastructure life cycle.

RG: Can you explain a little about the differences amongst the software as service, platform as service and infrastructure as
service models of cloud computing?

DV: For starters, Software as a Service, is not strictly a CC [Cloud Computing] concept. It’s simply the idea that a web platform
such as Google Docs can give people all the functionality of software installed on their computer, without the need to install
anything beyond a browser. SaaS benefits from the cloud because the cloud makes it very scalable.

The idea behind platform as a service is that resources are made available for building whole applications as components, rather
than programs to be written. Widgets, web editors, pre-built shopping carts, whatever pieces you need could be offered by a
single vendor for the user to mix and match at will. What goes on behind the scenes – for example the server operating system, or
even the programming language services use – is all abstracted away from the user. The vendor provides enough infrastructure to
support easy scaling and charges, cloud-fashion, for use. This is a very complex thing to implement and I’m skeptical of the
maturity of current offerings. I think they have a long way to go.

Infrastructure as service is where cloud computing is currently strongest and showing the most innovation. This is something like
Amazon’s Elastic Compute Cloud, that allows you to ramp up virtual servers in a short time to meet transitory demand.

RG: In the cloud, who is responsible for the virtualization of applications?

DV: In platform or software as service models, the vendor handles that. In the infrastructure models, the user bears most of the
responsibility themselves. The vendor provides the platform, the user decides what it will be used for.

RG:How many of the cloud computing companies out there are providing not only service but development as well?

DV: Very few at this point. Most companies provide one or the other. There seem to be growing numbers of companies that use
cloud infrastructure to make the things they develop for customers more scalable. This is understandable since setting up the
physical structure for cloud computing is very expensive and requires some specialized skills. I think the current situation where
infrastructure is dominated by a very small number of key players, while others depend on that behind their own service
offerings, will remain the norm for the foreseeable future.

Obviously, a couple of the big players (Google, Amazon) like to have their fingers in to all ends of this pie, hardware and
software. But even there, they tend to have clear limits. You can use Google widgets to develop amazing things but then those are
yours. Your problems. You are basically running your own code on their backbone. Or you can use the services they have
developed, such as Amazon Mechanical Turk.

RG: Who is responsible for maintenance or choosing the platform/language on and in which the application is deployed?

DV: For the most part, if you are developing an application to run on someone else’s cloud, maintenance is your problem. As I
said, few companies are offering development of apps to run on their own cloud. If that is the case, maintenance would be
negotiated in the terms of service. That’s standard in software. When you contract someone to do work, you have to establish the
scope of the work. The wider the scope, the more it will cost.

But there is huge room for variation. Google favors making tools and APIs available to allow users to access a service. They are
very good about making sure their sample libraries or tools are offered in a wide variety of languages. Typically those will
include Java, Javascript, Python, Perl, PHP and Ruby. Then the user picks what they prefer within those constraints. In this case,
maintenance is in a fairly standard software development model. If Google releases a new version of the API, it is up to those
who use it to being their offerings up to spec.

RG: I think people tend to think of cloud computing as a business solution as opposed to a way of navigating the Web. How is the
average end-user affected by cloud computing? Is the average person who sits down to surf the Web participating in cloud
computing?

DV: If cloud computing is done right, it should be completely transparent to the end user. They should never know if there is one
computer behind the scenes or a thousand. They should never have to think about what continent the software is hosted on or see
a delay because of increased demand. If someone writes a Google app, they aren’t “participating” in cloud computing. They’re
just using an app, no different from any other as far as they are concerned.

RubyGuide: What are the benefits of "living in the cloud?" The risks?

Dave Vandervort: When you use cloud resources, you give up control over them. Right now, if the computer I am sitting in
front of suddenly dies, I can take it apart and fix it. If, instead, I wrote this using Google Docs, I would have to trust my
computer, my Internet connection AND Google’s infrastructure. The increase in potential points of failure also increases the size
of failure. If my computer dies, no one is affected but me. If Google Docs dies, many thousands of people have problems.

Therefore, when using resources in the cloud like Google docs, it is important to do regular backups. Even if you export your
files and store them on Amazon S3 (another cloud service), you’ve at least spread your risk over different companies rather than
kept them pooled in one place.

There are 3 huge benefits to using the cloud. One is presence. I can access this document from the computer I am sitting in front
of now. If it lived in Google Docs, though, I could get to it from any computer with an Internet connection.
A second benefit is cost. With Google docs, I don’t have to pay for Microsoft Word. With Amazon EC2 or S3, I don’t have to
buy a lot of hardware or hire people to maintain it. These are non-trivial costs that are being avoided.

The last big benefit, in spite of what I said about increased points of failure, is redundancy. By definition a cloud vendor has lots
of resources available for use. Though there have been at least 2 instances when Amazon’s cloud simply disappeared for a short
time, that is far from the norm. Normally, if a hard drive or two, or even a server or two, fail in their cloud infrastructure, there is
enough redundant capacity to take up the slack so that end users won’t even notice. Improving uptime without a commensurate
increase in end user cost is part of what the cloud is about.

Key characteristics
Services to develop, test, deploy, host and maintain applications in the same integrated
development environment
Different PaaS offerings provide different combinations of services to support the application development
life-cycle. Comprehensive PaaS should provide all service options in an integrated development
environment within the actual target delivery platform, with source code control, version control, dynamic
(interactive) multiple user testing, roll out and roll back with the ability to audit and track who made what
changes when to accomplish what purpose

Web based user interface creation tools

PaaS offerings typically provide some level of support to ease the creation of user interfaces, either based
on standards such as HTML and JavaScript or other Rich Internet Application technologies like Adobe
Flex, Flash and AIR. Rich, interactive, multi-user environments and scenarios can be defined, tried out by
real people (non-programmers), with tools that make it easy to log/single out features that annoy or
frustrate either novices or experts. Creation tools allow interfaces to be defined for different user profiles
by function or expertise. PaaS offers improved user experience by incorporating channels for real people
feedback throughout creation, design, development, testing, roll-out, production...the entire life-cycle
through to 'end-of-life" "reincarnation" or "next generation evolution" of the application .

Multi-tenant architecture
PaaS offerings typically attempt to support use of the application by many concurrent users, by providing
concurrency management, scalability, fail-over and security. The architecture enables defining the "trust
relationship" between users in security, access, distribution of source code, navigation history, user
(people and device) profiles, interaction history, and application usage.

Integration with web services and databases

Support for SOAP and REST interfaces allow PaaS offerings to create compositions of multiple web
services, sometimes called "mashups" as well as access databases and re-use services maintained
inside private networks. Support for keeping the user/relationships (if multiple users)/device context and
profile through the mashup across web services, databases and networks.

Support for development team collaboration

The ability to form and share code with ad-hoc or pre-defined or distributed teams greatly enhances the
productivity of PaaS offerings. Schedules, objectives, teams, action items, owners of different areas of
responsibilities, roles (designers, developers, tester, QC) can be defined, updated and tracked based on
access rights.
Utility-grade instrumentation
PaaS offerings provide developers insight into the inner workings of their applications, and the behavior of
their users. Some PaaS offerings use information about user behaviour to enable pay-per-use billing.
Historical/usage evidence may help

 determine whether services are of value to users/customers,

 compare the value of different services, and
 track activity based costs and revenues.
Visualization tools could show usage patterns, exposing functional or correlational relationships between

 services and/or user interactions,

 the value to the user or users, and
 the cost of alternative service paths such as web and cell phone
Financial data collection and, possibly, forecasting, are required to determine who pays what to whom
and when (how often).
Layers
Once an internet protocol connection is established among several computers, it is possible to share
services within any one of the following layers.

[edit]Client
See also: Category:Cloud clients

A cloud client consists of computer hardware and/or computer software that relies on cloud computing for

application delivery and that is in essence useless without it. Examples include some computers, phones
and other devices, operating systems, and browsers.[35][36][37]

[edit]Application
See also: Category:Cloud applications

Cloud application services or "Software as a Service (SaaS)" deliver software as a service over the
Internet, eliminating the need to install and run the application on the customer's own computers and
simplifying maintenance and support.

[edit]Platform
See also: Category:Cloud platforms

Cloud platform services, also known as platform as a service (PaaS), deliver a computing

platform and/or solution stack as a service, often consuming cloud infrastructure and sustaining cloud
applications.[38] It facilitates deployment of applications without the cost and complexity of buying and
managing the underlying hardware and software layers. [39][40]

[edit]Infrastructure
See also: Category:Cloud infrastructure
Cloud infrastructure services, also known as "infrastructure as a service" (IaaS), deliver computer
infrastructure – typically a platform virtualisation environment – as a service, along with raw (block)
storage and networking. Rather than purchasing servers, software, data-center space or network
equipment, clients instead buy those resources as a fully outsourced service. Suppliers typically bill such
services on a utility computing basis; the amount of resources consumed (and therefore the cost) will
typically reflect the level of activity

Server
The servers layer consists of computer hardware and/or computer software products that are specifically
designed for the delivery of cloud services, including multi-core processors, cloud-specific operating
systems and combined offerings

Deployment models

Cloud computing types

[edit]Public cloud
Public cloud describes cloud computing in the traditional mainstream sense, whereby resources are
dynamically provisioned to the general public on a fine-grained, self-service basis over the Internet,
via web applications/web services, from an off-site third-party provider who bills on a fine-grained utility
computing basis.[15]

[edit]Community cloud
Community cloud shares infrastructure between several organisations from a specific community with
common concerns (security, compliance, jurisdiction, etc.), whether managed internally or by a third-party
and hosted internally or externally. The costs are spread over fewer users than a public cloud (but more
than a private cloud), so only some of the benefits of cloud computing are realised. [46]
[edit]Hybrid cloud
Hybrid cloud is a composition of two or more clouds (private, community, or public) that remain unique
entities but are bound together, offering the benefits of multiple deployment models. It can also be defined
as a multiple cloud systems that are connected in a way that allows programs and data to be moved
easily from one deployment system to another.[46]

[edit]Private cloud
Private cloud is infrastructure operated solely for a single organisation, whether managed internally or by
a third-party and hosted internally or externally.[46]

They have attracted criticism because users "still have to buy, build, and manage them" and thus do not
benefit from lower up-front capital costs and less hands-on management, [47]essentially "[lacking] the
economic model that makes cloud computing such an intriguing concept". [48][49]

Issues
[edit]Privacy
The cloud model has been criticised by privacy advocates for the greater ease in which the companies
hosting the cloud services control, thus, can monitor at will, lawfully or unlawfully, the communication and
data stored between the user and the host company. Instances such as the secret NSA program, working
with AT&T, and Verizon, which recorded over 10 million phone calls between American citizens, causes
uncertainty among privacy advocates, and the greater powers it gives to telecommunication companies to
monitor user activity.[57] While there have been efforts (such as US-EU Safe Harbor) to "harmonise" the
legal environment, providers such as Amazon still cater to major markets (typically the United States and
theEuropean Union) by deploying local infrastructure and allowing customers to select "availability
zones."[58]

[edit]Compliance
In order to obtain compliance with regulations including FISMA, HIPAA, and SOX in the United States,
the Data Protection Directive in the EU and the credit card industry's PCI DSS, users may have to
adopt community or hybrid deployment modes that are typically more expensive and may offer restricted
benefits. This is how Google is able to "manage and meet additional government policy requirements
beyond FISMA"[59][60] and Rackspace Cloud or QubeSpace are able to claim PCI compliance.[61]

Many providers also obtain SAS 70 Type II certification, but this has been criticised on the grounds that
the hand-picked set of goals and standards determined by the auditor and the auditee are often not
disclosed and can vary widely.[62] Providers typically make this information available on request,
under non-disclosure agreement.[63]

Customers in the EU contracting with cloud providers established outside the EU/EEA have to adhere to
the EU regulations on export of personal data.[64]
[edit]Legal

An editor has expressed a concern that this article lends undue weight to certain ideas,
incidents, controversies or mattersrelative to the article subject as a whole. Please help to
create a more balanced presentation. Discuss and resolve this issue before removing this
message. (September 2011)

In March 2007, Dell applied to trademark the term "cloud computing" (U.S. Trademark 77,139,082) in the
United States. The "notice of allowance" the company received in July 2008 was canceled in August,
resulting in a formal rejection of the trademark application less than a week later. Since 2007, the number
of trademark filings covering cloud computing brands, goods, and services has increased rapidly. As
companies sought to better position themselves for cloud computing branding and marketing efforts,
cloud computing trademark filings increased by 483% between 2008 and 2009. In 2009, 116 cloud
computing trademarks were filed, and trademark analysts predict that over 500 such marks could be filed
during 2010.[65]

Other legal cases may shape the use of cloud computing by the public sector. On October 29, 2010,
Google filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Interior, which opened up a bid for software that
required that bidders use Microsoft's Business Productivity Online Suite. Google sued, calling the
requirement "unduly restrictive of competition."[66] Scholars have pointed out that, beginning in 2005, the
prevalence of open standards and open source may have an impact on the way that public entities
choose to select vendors.[67]

There are also concerns about a cloud providers shutting down for financial or legal reasons, which has
happened in a number of cases.[68]

Most transitions to a cloud computing solution entail a change from a technically managed solution to a
contractually managed solution. This change necessitates increased IT contract negotiation skills to
establish the terms of the relationship and vendor management skills to maintain the relationship. All
rights and responsibilities that are associated with the relationship between a client and a cloud
computing services provider must be codified in the contract and effectively managed until the
relationship has been terminated. The specific risks and issues to be addressed in your contract with a
cloud provider will vary on a case by case basis, depending upon your specific use needs. Key risks and
issues that are either unique to cloud computing or essential to its effective adoption typically involve
service level agreements; data processing and access; provider infrastructure and security; and contract
and vendor management.[69] It is essential to ensure that each of these key risks and issues is effectively
evaluated and addressed in your contract with a cloud provider.

The NIST definition categorises cloud computing into three service models: software as a service (SaaS),
infrastructure as a services (IaaS) and platform as a service (PaaS). [70] A key common word here is
"service", so one of the key issues to consider when negotiating and managing your contract with a cloud
provider is the level of service that will be required to meet your needs. Since much of the relationship
between an organisation and a cloud computing provider will be contractually governed, it is important for
the contract to include service-level agreements (SLAs) stating specific parameters and minimum levels
for each element of the service provided. The SLAs must be enforceable and state specific remedies that
apply when they are not met. Aspects of cloud computing services where SLAs may be pertinent include:
service availability, performance and response time, error correction time; and latency. The specific
definitions of pertinent SLA terms in a contract are important as well. Such definitions in standard cloud
provider contracts often provide a very narrow way of measuring SLA parameters. For example, these
contracts may define "downtime" so as to exclude any time that service is unavailable due to
maintenance that was scheduled or announced in advance. Calculation of downtime might be restricted
to a minimum number of consecutive minutes or a minimum percentage error rate. Downtime could be
measured by spreading it over a specified time period such as a week or a month. Such clauses can
collectively result in a fairly narrow definition of total downtime. Contracts should state specific remedies,
such as corrections or penalties, for when SLAs are not met. Corrections codify what steps a cloud
provider must take to prevent a future failure to meet an SLA. Penalties often take the form of a financial
credit, so it's important to codify when and how a credit will be provided. The goal of such penalties is not
to get credits but to motivate the supplier to provide the required level of service. Other ways to motivate
appropriate performance include reputational penalties (a full-page ad in The New York Times
announcing missed service levels can be a strong motivator) and rewards for exceeding service levels.
Once you've effectively negotiated your SLA language in the contract and you've adopted the cloud
service, your work is not done. You must then begin to continually monitor the cloud provider's
performance to ensure that they continue to meet those SLAs until such time as the contract is terminated
and you move to an alternative solution.[71]

The virtual nature of cloud computing makes it easy to forget that the service depends on a physical data
center. All cloud computing vendors are not created equal; there are both new and established vendors in
this market space, so they do not all have the same knowledge and infrastructure in place. To ensure
selecting a cloud provider that has well-run, efficiently structured data centers, it is important that an
organisation take steps to understand and verify the infrastructure operations management processes
and mechanisms that the cloud provider has in place. A good starting-point in gathering this information
can be to use a questionnaire. The Cloud Security Alliance's Consensus Assessments Initiative
Questionnaire serves as one good example by which to leverage to build one's own questionnaire.
[72]
 Examples of key areas to evaluate include: capacity and resource planning; data replications, storage,
distribution, and recovery; change management policies and procedures; virtual server provisioning and
management; asset inventory and management policies and procedures; and software development
quality assurance. Once one has identified the appropriate practices, one can determine which address
the specific needs, and then codify them in the contract. One easy way to do this is to incorporate the
cloud provider's responses into the contract as the minimum requirements for the cloud provider to meet
in providing their service to you.[73]

There have been a number of prominent data security breaches recently, all of which serve to
demonstrate one of the risks common to any cloud service adoption: The cloud provider may not handle
your data as securely as you would like. When you use any cloud computing service, you are trusting it
with information, whether that be personal, regulated, proprietary or otherwise sensitive information. In
doing so, you lose some of the control, or at least perceived control, that you had when you did the same
things yourself. The first step to take in mitigating this risk is reading and understanding the cloud
provider’s standard terms and conditions. The next step is to obtain as much knowledge as possible
about the mechanisms and processes that the cloud provider has in place to keep your information
secure. One way to obtain this knowledge is to leverage a questionnaire approach as noted above.
Another option is to review the cloud provider's own documentation of their information security practices
and processes. Some key information security issues to consider investigating in this process include:
secure gateway environment; audit/penetration tests & reports; security monitoring systems; multitenancy
data segregation; identity and access management; and encryption. Once you've identified the cloud
provider's standard practices, compare those to your own needs relative to the type and sensitivity of the
information you'll be entrusting to the cloud. Determine which mechanisms, practices, and processes are
the most important to meet your specific needs, and negotiate to codify them in the contract. [74]

[edit]Open source
See also: Category:Open source cloud computing

Open-source software has provided the foundation for many cloud computing implementations, one
prominent example being the Hadoop framework.[75] In November 2007, the Free Software
Foundation released the Affero General Public License, a version of GPLv3 intended to close a
perceived legal loophole associated with free software designed to be run over a network.[76]

[edit]Open standards
See also: Category:Cloud standards

Most cloud providers expose APIs that are typically well-documented (often under a Creative
Commons license[77]) but also unique to their implementation and thus not interoperable. Some vendors
have adopted others' APIs and there are a number of open standards under development, with a view to
delivering interoperability and portability.[78]

[edit]Security
Main article: Cloud computing security

As cloud computing is achieving increased popularity, concerns are being voiced about the security
issues introduced through adoption of this new model. The effectiveness and efficiency of traditional
protection mechanisms are being reconsidered as the characteristics of this innovative deployment model
differ widely from those of traditional architectures. [79]

The relative security of cloud computing services is a contentious issue that may be delaying its adoption.
[80]
 Issues barring the adoption of cloud computing are due in large part to the private and public sectors
unease surrounding the external management of security-based services. It is the very nature of cloud
computing-based services, private or public, that promote external management of provided services.
This delivers great incentive among cloud computing service providers in producing a priority in building
and maintaining strong management of secure services.[81] Security issues have been categorised into
sensitive data access, data segregation, privacy, bug exploitation, recovery, accountability, malicious
insiders, management console security, account control, and multi-tenancy issues. Solution to various
cloud security issues vary through cryptography, particularly public key infrastructure (PKI), use of
multiple cloud providers, standardisation of APIs, improving virtual machine support and legal support. [79]
[82][83]

[edit]Sustainability
Although cloud computing is often assumed to be a form of "green computing", there is as of yet no
published study to substantiate this assumption.[84] Siting the servers affects the environmental effects of
cloud computing. In areas where climate favors natural cooling and renewable electricity is readily
available, the environmental effects will be more moderate. Thus countries with favorable conditions, such
as Finland,[85] Sweden and Switzerland,[86] are trying to attract cloud computing data centers. Energy
efficiency in cloud computing can result from energy-aware scheduling and server consolidation [87].
However, in the case of distributed clouds over data centers with different source of energies including
renewable source of energies, a small compromise on energy consumption reduction could result in high
carbon footprint reduction [88].

[edit]Abuse
As with privately purchased hardware, crackers posing as legitimate customers can purchase the
services of cloud computing for nefarious purposes. This includes password cracking and launching
attacks using the purchased services.[89] In 2009, a banking trojan illegally used the popular Amazon
service as a command and control channel that issued software updates and malicious instructions to
PCs that were infected by the malware.[90]