CumulusCore (IaaS)
Network and server software provided as a private, public or hybrid virtualized environment.
Cloud application service or Software as a Service (SaaS) deliver software as a service over the Internet, eliminating the need to install and run the application on your own computers and simplifying maintenance and support. Key characteristics include:
- Network-based access to, and management of, commercially available software.
- Activities that are managed from central locations rather than at each customer's site, enabling customers to access applications remotely via the Web.
- Application delivery that typically is closer to a one-to-many model (single instance, multi-tenant architecture) than to a one-to-one mode.
- Centralized feature updating, which negates the need for downloadable patches and upgrades.
Private Cloud Services
The concept of a Private Computer Utility was first described by Douglas Parkhill in his 1966 book "The Challenge of the Computer Utility". The idea was based upon direct comparison with other industries (e.g. the electricity industry) and the extensive use of hybrid supply models to balance and mitigate risks.
Private cloud and internal cloud have been described as neologisms, however the concepts themselves pre-date the term cloud by 40 years. Even within modern utility industries, hybrid models still exist despite the formation of reasonably well functioning markets and the ability to combine multiple providers.
Some vendors have used the terms to describe offerings that emulate cloud computing on private networks. These (typically virtualisation automation) products offer the ability to deliver some benefits of cloud computing whilst mitigating some of the pitfalls. These offerings capitalise on data security, corporate governance, and reliability concerns during this time of transition from a product to a functioning service based industry supported by competitive marketplaces.
They have been criticized on the basis that users "still have to buy, build, and manage them" and as such do not benefit from lower up-front capital costs and less hands-on management, essentially "[lacking] the economic model that makes cloud computing such an intriguing concept
Public Cloud Services
Public cloud or external cloud describes cloud computing in the traditional mainstream sense, whereby resources are dynamically provisioned on a fine-grained, self-service basis over the Internet, via web applications/web services, from an off-site third-party provider who and bills on a fine-grained utility computing basis.
Google Apps is a service from Google providing independently customizable versions of several Google products under a custom domain name. It features several Web applications with similar functionality to traditional office suites, including: Gmail, Google Groups, Google Calendar, Talk, Docs and Sites.
Google Docs is a Web-based word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, form, and data storage service offered by Google. It allows users to create and edit documents online while collaborating in real-time with other users.
The Google Apps/Docs Premier Edition includes:
- 25 GB space for e-mail / account
- 1 GB space for docs
- Text ads optional
- Integrated Postini security, compliance, policy management, and message recovery services
- Conference room/resource scheduling
- 99.9% e-mail uptime guarantee
- APIs for Single Sign On, etc.
- 24/7 phone support
- Google Video (Private company version of YouTube.)
The best part is how Google Apps frees you up to do more of what you got into business to do.
What could your business do with Google Apps?
Hybrid Cloud Services
A hybrid cloud environment consisting of multiple internal and/or external providers "will be typical for most enterprises". By integrating multiple cloud services users may be able to ease the transition to public cloudservices while avoiding issues such as PCI compliance.
Another perspective on deploying a web application in the cloud is using Hybrid Web Hosting, where the hosting infrastructure is a mix between Cloud Hosting for the web server, and Managed dedicated server for the database server.