Cloud Storage: High-impact Strategies - What You Need to Know: Definitions, Adoptions, Impact, Benefits, Maturity, Vendors

Kevin Roebuck

Description

Cloud storage is a model of networked online storage where data is stored on multiple virtual servers, generally hosted by third parties, rather than being hosted on dedicated servers. Hosting companies operate large data centers; and people who require their data to be hosted buy or lease storage capacity from them and use it for their storage needs. The data center operators, in the background, virtualize the resources according to the requirements of the customer and expose them as storage pools, which the customers can themselves use to store files or data objects. Physically, the resource may span across multiple servers.

Cloud storage services may be accessed through a web service application programming interface (API), or through a Web-based user interface.

This book is your ultimate resource for Cloud Storage. Here you will find the most up-to-date information, analysis, background and everything you need to know.

In easy to read chapters, with extensive references and links to get you to know all there is to know about Cloud Storage right away, covering: Cloud storage, Cloud storage gateway, Cloud computing, Acrobat.com, ADrive, Amazon Relational Database Service, Amazon S3, Amazon SimpleDB, Backblaze, Carbonite (online backup), Cirtas, CloudMe, Comodo Backup, Comparison of streaming media systems, Comparison of video hosting services, Content delivery network, Cooperative storage cloud, CTERA Networks, Cyberduck, Data center, Drop.io, ASUS WebStorage, Egnyte, ElephantDrive, EMC Atmos, Evernote, Filesanywhere, Gladinet, Gluster, Google Storage, Grid casting, Hibari (database), HTTP(P2P), Humyo, I-drive, ICloud, Iland, Jungle Disk, KeepVault, LIBOX, The Linkup, Comparison of online backup services, Livedrive, Memeo, Memopal, MiMedia, MobileMe, MObStor, Moozone, Mozy, Nirvanix, Ovi (Nokia), Ovi Maps, Oystor, P2PTV, Pdfvue, Rackspace Cloud, SlideRocket, SpiderOak, StorSimple, Streaming media, Sun Cloud, SwissDisk, Syncdocs, Syncplicity, TwinStrata, Ubuntu One, Video spokesperson, VisualBee, Windows Live Devices, Windows Live Mesh, Windows Live SkyDrive, Yahoo! Briefcase, Zmanda Cloud Backup, ZumoDrive

This book explains in-depth the real drivers and workings of Cloud Storage. It reduces the risk of your technology, time and resources investment decisions by enabling you to compare your understanding of Cloud Storage with the objectivity of experienced professionals.

Sujets

• Computers
• Informatique
• General officer
• General

Informations

• Publié par: Emereo Publishing
• Date de parution: 24 octobre 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781743332825
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 9 Mo

Extrait

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Contents

Articles Cloud storage Cloud storage gateway Cloud computing

Acrobat.com ADrive Amazon Relational Database Service Amazon S3 Amazon SimpleDB Backblaze Carbonite (online backup) Cirtas CloudMe Comodo Backup Comparison of streaming media systems Comparison of video hosting services Content delivery network Cooperative storage cloud CTERA Networks Cyberduck Data center Drop.io ASUS WebStorage Egnyte ElephantDrive EMC Atmos Evernote Filesanywhere Gladinet Gluster Google Storage Grid casting Hibari (database) HTTP(P2P) humyo

1 2 2 16 20 21 23 26 28 29 34 36 38 39 44 52 58 60 64 65 75 78 80 83 84 86 89 90 92 94 95 97 98 100

i-drive iCloud Iland Jungle Disk KeepVault LIBOX The Linkup Comparison of online backup services Livedrive Memeo Memopal MiMedia MobileMe MObStor Moozone Mozy Nirvanix Ovi (Nokia) Ovi Maps Oystor P2PTV Pdfvue Rackspace Cloud SlideRocket SpiderOak StorSimple Streaming media Sun Cloud SwissDisk Syncdocs Syncplicity TwinStrata Ubuntu One Video spokesperson VisualBee Windows Live Devices Windows Live Mesh Windows Live SkyDrive

101 102 105 107 108 110 112 113 117 119 122 123 124 132 133 134 136 138 143 145 146 149 152 157 159 161 162 166 168 169 170 172 173 175 175 177 180 184

Yahoo! Briefcase Zmanda Cloud Backup ZumoDrive

References Article Sources and Contributors Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

Article Licenses License

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Cloud storage

Cloud storage

Cloud storageis a model of networked online storage where data is stored on multiple virtual servers, generally hosted by third parties, rather than being hosted on dedicated servers. Hosting companies operate large data centers; and people who require their data to be hosted buy or lease storage capacity from them and use it for their storage needs. The data center operators, in the background, virtualize the resources according to the requirements of the customer and expose them as storage pools, which the customers can themselves use to store files or data objects. Physically, the resource may span across multiple servers. Cloud storage services may be accessed through a web service application programming interface (API), or through a Web-based user interface.

Cloud storage advantages [1] • Companies need only pay for the storage they actually use. • Companies do not need to install physical storage devices in their own datacenter or offices, which reduces IT and [1] hosting costs. • Storage maintenance tasks, such as backup, data replication, and purchasing additional storage devices are [1] offloaded to the responsibility of a service provider, allowing organizations to focus on their core business

Potential concerns • Security of stored data and data in transit may be a concern when storing sensitive data at a cloud storage provider [1] [1] • Performance may be lower than local storage • Reliability and availability depends on wide area network availability and on the level of precautions taken by the service provider. • Users with specific records-keeping requirements, such as public agencies that must retain electronic records according to statute, may encounter complications with using cloud computing and storage.

References [1] ZDNet, Nasuni Cloud Storage Gateway By Dan Kusnetzky, June 1, 2010, (http://www.zdnet.com/blog/virtualization/ nasuni-cloud-storage-gateway/1983)

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Cloud storage gateway

Cloud storage gateway

Acloud storage gatewayis a network appliance or server which resides at the customer premises and translates cloud storage APIs such as SOAP or REST to block-based storage protocols such as iSCSI or Fibre Channel or [1] [2] file-based interfaces such as NFS or CIFS. According to a 2011 report by Gartner Group, Cloud gateways are expected to increase the use of cloud storage by [3] lowering monthly charges and eliminating the concern of data security. Taneja Group Inc. analysts predict that the [4] cloud gateway appliance market will grow to more than $400 million in 2014, from $11 million at the end of 2010.

Characteristics Unlike the cloud storage services which they complement, cloud storage gateways use standard network protocols which provide a seamless integration with existing applications. Cloud storage gateways can also serve as intermediaries to multiple cloud storage providers. Some cloud storage gateways also include additional storage [1] features such as backup and recovery, caching, compression, encryption, deduplication and provisioning.

References [1] GigaOm, Show Me the Gateway—Taking Storage to the Cloud, By Gary Orenstein. (http://gigaom.com/2010/06/22/ show-me-the-gateway-taking-storage-to-the-cloud/) [2] Boles, Jeff. Cloud file storage pros and cons (http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/generic/0,295582,sid5_gci1528586,00.html). [3] Stanley Zaffos, Adam W. Couture. Hybrid Cloud Gateway Appliances Expand Cloud Storage Use Cases. Gartner Group Research G00209453. [4] Sliwa, Carol. New hybrid cloud storage appliances attract attention for primary data. (http://searchcloudstorage.techtarget.com/feature/ New-hybrid-cloud-storage-appliances-attract-attention-for-primary-data) May 2011.

Cloud computing

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Cloud computing

Cloud computingrefers to the logical computational resources (data, software) accessible via a computer network (through WAN or Internet etc.), rather than from a local computer. Data are stored on Server Farms generally located in the country of the service provider. The on-line service is offered from a cloud provider. These technologies are regarded by some analysts as a [1] technological evolution, or are seen as a marketing trap by others like [2] [3] Richard Stallman.

Introduction

Overview

Cloud computing logical diagram

In the past, computing tasks such as word processing were not possible without the installation of application software on a user's computer. A user bought a license for each application from a software vendor and obtained the right to install the application on one computer system. With the development of local area networks (LAN) and more networking capabilities, the client-server model of computing was born, where server computers with enhanced capabilities and large storage devices could be used to host application services and data for a large workgroup. Typically, in client-server computing, a network-friendly client version of the application was required on client computers which utilized the client system's memory and CPU for processing, even though resultant application data files (such as word processing documents) were stored centrally on the data servers. Multiple user licenses of an application were purchased for use by many users on a network.

Cloud computing differs from the classic client-server model by providing applications from a server that are executed and managed by a client's web browser, with no installed client version of an application required. Centralization gives cloud service providers complete control over the versions of the browser-based applications provided to clients, which removes the need for version upgrades or license management on individual client computing devices. The phrase "software as a service" (SaaS) is sometimes used to describe application programs offered through cloud computing. A common shorthand for a provided cloud computing service (or even an aggregation of all existing cloud services) is "The Cloud". Any computer or web-friendly device connected to the Internet may access the same pool of computing power, applications, and files in a cloud-computing environment. Users may remotely store and access personal files such as music, pictures, videos, and bookmarks; play games; or do word processing on a remote server. Data is centrally stored, so the user does not need to carry a storage medium such as a DVD or USB flash drive. Desktop applications that connect to internet-host email providers may be considered cloud applications, including web-based email services.

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Cloud computing

How it works A cloud user needs a client device such as a laptop or desktop computer, pad computer, smart phone, or other computing resource with a web browser (or other approved access route) to access a cloud system via the World Wide Web. Typically the user will log into the cloud at a service provider or private company, such as their employer. Cloud computing works on a client-server basis, using web browser protocols. The cloud provides server-based applications and all data services to the user, with output displayed on the client device. If the user wishes to create a document using a word processor, for example, the cloud provides a suitable application running on the server which displays work done by the user on the client web browser display. Memory allocated to the client system's web browser is used to make the application data appear on the client system display, but all computations and changes are recorded by the server, and final results including files created or altered are permanently stored on the cloud servers. Performance of the cloud application is dependent upon the network access, speed and reliability as well as the processing speed of the client device. Since cloud services are web-based, they work on multiple platforms, including Linux, Macintosh, and Windows computers. Smart phones, pads and tablet devices with Internet and World Wide Web access also provide cloud services to telecommuting and mobile users. A service provider may pool the processing power of multiple remote computers in a cloud to achieve routine tasks such as backing up of large amounts of data, word processing, or computationally intensive work. These tasks might normally be difficult, time consuming, or expensive for an individual user or a small company to accomplish, especially with limited computing resources and funds. With cloud computing, clients require only a simple computer, such as netbooks, designed with cloud computing in mind, or even a smartphone, with a connection to the Internet, or a company network, in order to make requests to and receive data from the cloud, hence the term "software as a service" (SaaS). Computation and storage is divided among the remote computers in order to handle large volumes of both, thus the client need not purchase expensive hardware or software to handle the task. The outcome of the processing task is returned to the client over the network, dependent on the speed of the Internet connection.

Technical description Cloud computing provides computation, software, data access, and storage services that do not require end-user knowledge of the physical location and configuration of the system that delivers the services. Parallels to this concept can be drawn with the electricity grid, wherein end-users consume power without needing to understand the component devices or infrastructure required to provide the service. Cloud computing describes a new supplement, consumption, and delivery model for IT services based on Internet [4] [5] protocols, and it typically involves provisioning of dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources It is a [6] byproduct and consequence of the ease-of-access to remote computing sites provided by the Internet. This may take the form of web-based tools or applications that users can access and use through a web browser as if they were [7] programs installed locally on their own computers. Cloud computing providers deliver applications via the internet, which are accessed from a Web browser, while the business software and data are stored on servers at a remote location. In some cases, legacy applications (line of business applications that until now have been prevalent in thin client Windows computing) are delivered via a screen-sharing technology such as Citrix XenApp, while the computing resources are consolidated at a remote data center location; in other cases, entire business applications have been coded using web-based technologies such as AJAX. Most cloud computing infrastructures consist of services delivered through shared data-centers and appearing as a single point of access for consumers' computing needs. Commercial offerings may be required to meet service level [8] agreements (SLAs), but specific terms are less often negotiated by smaller companies.

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Cloud computing

Risks Cloud computing's users are exposed to risks mainly associated with: 1)Information securityand users'privacy • Using a service ofcloud computingto store data may expose the user to potential violation of privacy. Possession of a user's personal information is entrusted to a provider that can reside in a country other than the user's. In the case of a malicious behavior of thecloud provider, it could access the data in order to performmarket research [9] anduser profiling. • In the case of wirelesscloud computing, the safety risk increases as a function of reduced security offered by wireless networks. In the presence of illegal acts like misappropriation or illegal appropriation of personal data, the damage could be very serious for the user, with difficulty to reach legal solutions and/or refunds if the provider resides in a state other than the user's country. • In the case of industries or corporations, all the data stored in external memories are seriously exposed to possible cases of international or cyber_espionage. 2)International,politicalandeconomicproblems • May arise when public data are freely collected and privately stored fromcloud's archiveslocated in a country other than those of the cloud's users. Crucial and intellectual productions and large amounts of personal informations are increasingly stored in private, centralized and partially accessible archives in the form of digital data. No guarantee is given to the users for a free future access. • Issues are related with the location of thecloud's archivesin a few rich countries. If not governed by specific international rules: 1. it could increase the digital divide between rich and poor nations (if the access to the stored knowledge will be not freely ensured to all). 2. being the intangible property considered as a strategic factor for the modern knowledge-based economies it could favorite big corporations with "polycentric bodies" and "monocentric minds" only located in the "cloud's countries". 3)Continuity of service • Delegating their data-managing and processing to an external service, users are severely limited when these services are not operating. A malfunction also affects a large number of users at once because these services are often shared on a large network. As the service provided is supported by a high-speed Internet connection (both in download and upload), even in the event of an interruption of the line connection due to the user's Internet Service Provider (ISP) he or she will face a complete paralysis of the work. 4)Data migrationproblems when changing thecloud provider • Another issue is related with the data migration or porting when a user wants to change his cloud provider. There is no defined standard between the operators and such a change is extremely complex. The case of bankruptcy of [10] [11] the company of the cloud provider could be extremely dangerous for the users.

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Cloud computing

Overview

Comparisons Cloud computing shares characteristics with: [12] • Autonomic computing—computer systems capable of self-management." • Client–server model–client–server computingrefers broadly to any distributed application that distinguishes [13] between service providers (servers) and service requesters (clients). • Grid computing—"a form of distributed computing and parallel computing, whereby a 'super and virtual computer' is composed of a cluster of networked, loosely coupled computers acting in concert to perform very large tasks." • Mainframe computer—powerful computers used mainly by large organizations for critical applications, typically bulk data processing such as census, industry and consumer statistics, enterprise resource planning, and [14] financial transaction processing. • Utility computing—the "packaging of computing resources, such as computation and storage, as a metered [15] service similar to a traditional public utility, such as electricity." • Peer-to-peer–distributed architecture without the need for central coordination, with participants being at the same time both suppliers and consumers of resources (in contrast to the traditional client–server model). • Service-oriented computing–Cloud computing provides services related to computing while, in a reciprocal manner, service-oriented computing consists of the computing techniques that operate on [16] software-as-a-service.

Characteristics Cloud computing exhibits the following key characteristics: •Agilityimproves with users' ability to re-provision technological infrastructure resources. •Application Programming Interface(API) accessibility to software that enables machines to interact with cloud software in the same way the user interface facilitates interaction between humans and computers. Cloud computing systems typically use REST-based APIs. •Costis claimed to be reduced and in a public cloud delivery model capital expenditure is converted to operational [17] expenditure. This is purported to lower barriers to entry, as infrastructure is typically provided by a third-party and does not need to be purchased for one-time or infrequent intensive computing tasks. Pricing on a utility computing basis is fine-grained with usage-based options and fewer IT skills are required for implementation [18] (in-house). [19] •Device and location independenceenable users to access systems using a web browser regardless of their location or what device they are using (e.g., PC, mobile phone). As infrastructure is off-site (typically provided by [18] a third-party) and accessed via the Internet, users can connect from anywhere. •Multi-tenancyenables sharing of resources and costs across a large pool of users thus allowing for: •Centralizationof infrastructure in locations with lower costs (such as real estate, electricity, etc.) •Peak-load capacityincreases (users need not engineer for highest possible load-levels) [20] •Utilization and efficiencyimprovements for systems that are often only 10–20% utilized. •Reliabilityis improved if multiple redundant sites are used, which makes well-designed cloud computing suitable [21] for business continuity and disaster recovery. •Scalabilityvia dynamic ("on-demand") provisioning of resources on a fine-grained, self-service basis near real-time, without users having to engineer for peak loads. •Performanceis monitored, and consistent and loosely coupled architectures are constructed using web services [18] as the system interface.

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