Cloud Computing: Benefits and Advantages

The Cloud

• The cloud is elastic, pooling computer resources via the Internet, making it a preferred option for most organizations.
• It provides a cost-effective solution, cutting average monthly storage costs by at least 50%.

Characteristics of Cloud

• Elastic: automatically adjusts for unpredictable demand, limiting financial risks.
• Pooled: same physical hardware is shared via virtualization, providing economies of scale.
• Over the Internet: access resources over the Internet, eliminating the need for on-premises servers.

Why is the Cloud Preferred to In-House Hosting?

• Cheap processors, essentially free data communication, and data storage.
• Virtualization technology enables flexible, standardized processing capabilities.
• Internet-based standards enable flexible, standardized processing capabilities.

When Does the Cloud Not Make Sense?

• When law or standard industry practice require physical control or possession of data.
• Examples include financial institutions that are legally required to maintain physical control over their data.

Cloud Types

• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): provides bare server computer, data storage, network, and virtualization hosted by the cloud.
• Platform as a Service (PaaS): provides hosted computers with an operating system, runtime environment, and middleware.
• Software as a Service (SaaS): provides hardware infrastructure, operating system, application programs, and databases.

Cloud Type: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

• Provides cost savings over traditional on-premises hosting.
• Examples include Rackspace Inc. and Amazon's Simple Storage Service.

Cloud Type: Platform as a Service (PaaS)

• Hosted computers with an operating system, runtime environment, and middleware provided by vendors.
• Middleware bridges different applications to provide unified service.
• Examples include Microsoft Windows Azure, Oracle On Demand, and Amazon EC2.

Cloud Type: Software as a Service (SaaS)

• Provides hardware infrastructure, operating system, application programs, and databases.
• Examples include Salesforce.com, Google Drive, OneDrive, Office 365, and Skype for Business.

Content Delivery Network (CDN)

• A system of distributed servers that deliver web pages and other web content.
• Minimizes latency and provides specialized type of PaaS.

Using Web Services Internally

• Set up a private internet within the company.
• Write applications using web services standards.
• Use JavaScript to access web services.

How Can Falcon Security Use the Cloud?

• SaaS: use cloud-based applications such as Google Mail, Google Drive, Office 365, and Salesforce.com.
• PaaS: use cloud-based platforms to host applications.
• IaaS: use cloud-based infrastructure to host servers and data storage.

Private Cloud

• A cloud owned and operated by an organization for its own benefit.
• Creation involves creating a private internet, designing applications using web services standards, and managing servers with elastic load balancing.

Virtual Private Cloud

• A subset of a public cloud that has highly restricted, secure access.
• An organization can build its own VPC on top of public cloud infrastructure like AWS or other cloud vendors.

What Does the Cloud Mean for Your Future?

• Cloud services are faster, easier to use, and cheaper.
• Fewer organizations will set up their own computing infrastructure.
• The cloud will foster new categories of work, providing individuals, small businesses, and large organizations with elastic resources at a low cost.