Utility Computing in Cloud Computing

Utility Computing in Cloud Computing

• Utility computing is a model for delivering computing resources as a service, much like a utility company supplies electricity or water. Resources are consumed on demand, and users pay only for the resources they use.
• This approach contrasts sharply with traditional computing where resources are typically purchased outright and often underutilized.
• Key characteristics of utility computing include on-demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling, measured service, and rapid elasticity.

Comparison with Traditional Computing

• Resource Acquisition: In traditional computing, resources like servers, storage, and networking equipment are purchased as physical assets, often with significant upfront costs. In contrast, utility computing enables users to access resources as needed, paying only for the actual usage and not acquiring large physical assets.

• Resource Utilization: Traditional computing often suffers from significant underutilization of resources, especially with peak demand periods alternating with low load. Utility computing, by its on-demand nature, dynamically allocates resources, maximizing usage and efficiency.

• Scalability: Scaling resources up or down in traditional computing presents significant time and cost challenges. In contrast, utility computing facilitates rapid and on-demand scaling, responding to fluctuations in workload or anticipated demand in a highly agile manner.

• Cost Management: Traditional computing involves fixed costs for hardware and maintenance. Utility computing allows for pay-per-use pricing models that align costs directly with consumption, providing a significant cost advantage.

• Maintenance and Support: Traditional computing involves in-house support for hardware and software maintenance. Utility computing transfers this responsibility to the provider, freeing up internal IT staff for more strategic tasks.

• Infrastructure Management: In traditional computing, organizations handle the entire infrastructure lifecycle, including deployment, maintenance, and upgrades. Utility computing shifts this responsibility to the cloud provider, enabling organizations to focus on their core business objectives.

• Flexibility and Agility: Traditional computing often lacks the flexibility to respond quickly to evolving business needs. Utility computing facilitates agility by quickly provisioning and de-provisioning resources, allowing organizations to adapt to changing demands.

• Disaster Recovery: Traditional disaster recovery plans involve significant infrastructure investment, often inadequate given the potential for unforeseen events. Utility computing facilitates rapid and cost-effective deployment of resources for disaster recovery, leveraging the inherent scalability and redundancy of cloud infrastructure.

Specific Utility Computing Principles in Cloud

• On-demand self-service: Users can provision computing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, automatically without requiring human intervention from the service provider.

• Broad network access: Capabilities are available over the network and accessed through standard mechanisms, including thin or thick client platforms (e.g., mobile phones, tablets, laptops).

• Resource pooling: The provider's computing resources are pooled to serve multiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physical and virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according to consumer demand.

• Measured service: Cloud systems automatically control and optimize resource use by leveraging a metering capability at some level of abstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g., storage, processing, bandwidth, active user accounts). Resource usage can be monitored, controlled, and reported providing transparency for both the provider and consumer of the utilized service.

Key Differences Summarized