What is Cloud Computing?

Sometimes also referred to as ‘node’ computing, cloud computing is simply a series of computer servers that work together to handle a lot of web traffic. In a hosting sense, a lot of companies offer hosting with a cloud computing plan – the ability to put a website on a large computer network of servers already set-up. They then charge for the processing power and bandwidth that is actually used.

One benefit is that this type of web hosting can usually withstand a large spike in traffic (known as the ‘Digg’ Effect – or the ‘Slashdot’ effect – for those who have been on the Internet a while longer) because of the way that the network is setup to handle the tasks associated with providing content on the web. On top of this, the web hosting company is able to charge only for what is used on the cloud of servers, whether it’s storage space, computational power or bandwidth (moving the data).

Another benefit is the ability to scale – quickly. Once someone is part of the cloud, it’s very easy to use more of the cloud’s resources without having to ‘upgrade’ to a larger server. A few years ago, upgrading servers (sometimes multiple times) was the only way to keep up with the growth of a website. Today, though, cloud computing allows companies to ’scale up’ their web architecture quickly and easily.

The History of Cloud Computing

Ian Foster and Carl Kesselman came up with the concept of “the grid” in the beginning of the ’90s. Basically, their thought was that computational power of computers could be metered and sold much like electricity on the electric grid. Many years passed as the software and hardware needed to make their vision become a reality was created. They have both helped with many of the advances in computational computing over the last 13 plus years.

By the early 2000s, the concept of cloud computing was advancing considerably. It wasn’t until around 2006, when Amazon launched their EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud ) service, that the idea or concept of cloud computing really began to take off. Since its launch, Amazon’s EC2 has gotten a lot of press over the years. A lot of companies have used that and the other computing cloud types of services that Amazon offers.

Today, many other web hosting companies are getting into cloud computing – some even in a big way. It’s easier than ever for companies to deploy small, medium or large web applications onto the cloud and know they’ll be able to scale any increase in traffic over time or overnight. Knowing this, a lot of companies have come forward with their own cloud computing hosting solutions. With more competition, there is usually more innovation found, which is good for the whole idea of cloud computing as a resource to help handle the load of the Internet.

The future of cloud computing and web hosting is bright. As advances are made, prices are lowered and more value for the money is offered, more people will begin to go with grid web hosting, joining with a cloud of computers to share in the benefit of strength in numbers. Not a lot of companies can afford to create their own cloud in the virtual realm, but paying a fee to access the power of one is a reasonable option for a lot of companies.
Cloud Computing Pros:

Automatic Provisioning

While the time it takes to provision a server (get it ready for hosting your website) is getting shorter all the time for traditional web hosting methods, when you buy a piece of the grid or a portion of the cloud, it’s like being ‘turned on.’ This automatic provisioning is one of the big benefits of cloud computing. There are still pitfalls and things that can happen when launching a site or series of websites, but for the most part, the automatic provisioning found with most cloud computing hosting plans is a big help.

Automatic Deployment

Beyond just deploying a server (cloud computing thinks more in terms of allocating space or resources rather than the current notion of ‘physical’ hosting somewhere), when it comes to getting a web application online, cloud computing makes it a breeze. Whether it’s a small app or a very complex multi-layered tool that’s going to get a lot of traffic, cloud computing can flip the switch and deploy an app onto the Internet. Being first to market is important online and automatic deployment of web tools of applications can make the difference between being first and being third or fourth.

The Ability to Scale Quickly and Seamlessly

Traditionally, there has been a lot of pain and many long nights of junk food and heavily caffeinated drinks for those who had to move a website or a series of websites to a newer, larger server. If the need to move happened during a large traffic spike, it could be difficult to upgrade the site to a new server without a little hassle for all the new users. Hosting via cloud computing allows websites to scale upward on an unlimited basis (at least, technically speaking).

Pay as You Go

With pay as you go, there’s no need to worry about paying for something that isn’t being used – in this case, server processing power, server space, or network bandwidth. Also, if there’s a sudden spike in traffic, companies don’t have to make a big investment in a larger server. The cost can be relative to the spike in traffic, which is nice for companies that are just starting out and don’t have large cash reserves.

Cloud Computing Cons:

Technology Still Evolving

Unlike traditional web hosting that has been around a long time, cloud computing hosting has only been around a short while, which means there are still bugs and ‘kinks’ being worked out. As time passes, though, and more people begin to use cloud computing to handle their needs when it comes to publishing or establishing a presence online, improvements to the way it works are going to be made.

The Cost of Complex Cloud Computing Hosting

For very large and complex web applications that expect a lot of web traffic, current pricing models and structures can end up costing a company more than if they hosted their website with more traditional web hosting. This isn’t true in all cases, but the bigger and more complex the website, the more bandwidth, space and processing power it’s going to take. With pay as you go plans, this could get costly if a company doesn’t know exactly what to expect or if anything changes dramatically in the needs for the website.

Limitations and Restrictions of Cloud Computing:

Reliability

Any cloud computing network is only as good as the way the entire cloud of computers are hooked together and the maintenance they receive – both the hardware and the software. Also, with the technology relatively new, there’s still a lot of work happening to improve the effectiveness and reliability of cloud networks. Cloud computer networks for hosting are getting more reliable all of the time, but due to the complexity of the way they work, there can sometimes be small problems or glitches.

Customization

A lot of large enterprise companies (and even some smaller and medium sized ones) require (or even demand) the ability to customize server deployments for various reasons. When plugging into a cloud network of computers for online applications, companies lose the ability to customize the server to their specific needs. Sometimes, when dealing with large traffic websites or the storage of sensitive data, it’s important for a company to maintain control of how their server is set-up.

Sequential Processing and Scalability

While cloud computing offers some ease of scalability, there is a ceiling that’s eventually reached because of sequential processing and current limitations of cloud computing. While the ‘clouds’ are getting larger and larger all the time, there’s still a limitation that can be reached depending on a web site’s particular needs.

Cloud Computing and Privacy

Citizens of the ‘cloud’ have a lot of neighbors and share the ’space’ (or, better, the resources) with them. This isn’t usually a problem, but if there are concerns for privacy, sharing physical or virtual space with other people might not be recommended. This does not mean that data is not safe on cloud computing networks, but when it comes to some data, it’s better to keep it in-house, secure in a locked space.

Bandwidth

The speed of computers is increasing faster than the speed of bandwidth, which means that even if cloud computing can help with running complex web applications, there’s still the problem of moving data from place to place and the bandwidth needed. Eventually bandwidth will catch up, but in the meantime, it’s still a little hit or miss.

Cloud Computing and Hosting

As with any new or emerging technology, there are going to be problems small and large in the beginning. This is the case currently when it comes to cloud computing and web hosting. While there are a lot of advantages to this type of web hosting, there are also some down sides that might keep larger enterprise options away from deploying onto a cloud of computers for web hosting.

On the other hand, for small and medium sized businesses or start-ups, cloud computing can be a game changer, and something that levels the field for them to compete against larger, more established companies. There is an emerging market of companies (and individuals) who want to deploy a website or set of websites onto the cloud to reap the benefits. As the technology continues to evolve and advance, this number is only going to get larger.

When it comes to the notion of cloud computing and using it as a means to efficiently and effectively host a lot of web content (by getting companies to pay per usage), there’s a lot that has come and gone in the past, but there’s also a lot to look forward to in the future. As more and more companies both offer and buy this service from web hosting clouds or grids, more money and time will be spent on making the technology that runs the hosting clouds or hosting grids to work better.

The expansion of cloud computing is good for all parties involved and is one of the big reasons that for web hosting, cloud computing hosting is such a hot topic on the Internet and has been over the last few years. As it continues to evolve and improve, more companies will be drawn to it as the best solution for web hosting.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.