How fast progress is marching, just by leaps and bounds, not otherwise. The technologies that will be discussed have already entered our lives. " The clouds"Call them in the common people, and the AI-TISNIKS say cloud technologies. I propose to deal with this interesting and promising technology.

  • What is the concept of cloud computing?
  • What can be cited as examples of cloud technologies?

Of course, our solution level is ordinary users. Let's touch on the theory at an accessible level and practice. In a word, I will try to systematize the basic information on the topic and, if possible, sort it out on the shelves.

The use of cloud technologies

The topic is quite popular on the Internet. There are many solutions on the market. However, not everyone understands this know-how and why we need it. If we touch upon the above-mentioned theory of cloud computing, then its essence is in distributed data processing.

You can put it differently. Cloud technology is when the user is provided with Internet services, various hardware and software tools, methodologies and tools to achieve his goals, objectives, projects. An example is. It is a completely cloud-based service.

The structure of cloud technology can be represented as follows. These are servers, hard drives and other hardware. On this structure, as on a platform, various services are created and offered. And only then software to which users access.

Changing summer wheels (disks with rubber) of my car for winter ones, I left them right in the service storage. This service reminded me of a trend in IT as well. All my photos from my phone to Android base automatically posted on Picasa (now the same as in G +), the same happens with photos taken with a Canon camera. Files in the Google Drive folder on my computer are automatically synchronized with the folders in the Google Drive service.

Currently, the concept of cloud systems can offer many types of services. Services are provided as a service, this is the essence of the concept. Storing your data as a service. Those. set yourself Google drive for example, and abandon old storage technologies on disks and flash drives.

This is also working with a DBMS, i.e. database as a service. The concept allows you to save on "computer hardware" and even competently use the DBMS in your organization. It is also possible to provide software with Internet access. for example Google docs, Google calendar, as cloud technologies google.

As a service from the cloud, security as a service is already being offered. Those. cloud security technologies that enable users to save money on maintaining their own security system.

Cloud applications

Cloud computing capabilities are also plentiful. This is access from any computer, work with your information from other devices like tablets and phones. It is also not important in what operating system you work and how many people work simultaneously with the same information. It's easy to share and it's easy to integrate yours with information from people around the world.

Your information is not stored on your devices and is thus protected from loss. Not only have many paid programs been replaced by free web applications, but the latest version is always at your service.

Cloud technologies examples:

Let's review the solutions, services, application software already available on the market. Google cloud technologies recently issued Google service Play. The corporation allows us to host our movies, music, books and various applications.

Apple has provided its iCloud service. This service stores all your content and delivers it to any device using Push technology. Gaming services OnLive and Xbox Live offer games as a service.

But the situation is more interesting with the software. Instead of boxed programs, Google Corporation (Microsoft did the same) provided an opportunity to work with Google Drive documents. It is about storing, editing and sharing files.

Pure storage services Dropbox and Windows Live SkyDrive. Dropbox lets you store up to 2GB of data for free. Up to 7GB allows you to store the SkyDrive service.

And so, the cloud is a guaranteed and secure access to your information. The ability to synchronize your computers, not to burden yourself with flash drives, disks and wires. Technologies are in great demand and new items in the IT field will of course be associated with them.

Since "clouds" are a collective concept, it makes sense to classify them according to some attribute. Below are the classifications of "clouds", one of which was proposed by InfoWorld, and the other by the commercial director of Parallels, one of the leaders in the virtualization market.

InfoWorld proposes to divide all "clouds" into six types:

SAAS - directly an application as a service (for example, Zoho Office or Google Apps).

SERVICE COMPUTERS - for example, virtual servers.

WEB SERVICES IN THE CLOUD - Internet services optimized for working in a virtual environment (for example, Internet banking systems).

PAAS is "platform as a service", that is, a new generation of web applications that make it possible to build a set of capabilities at the request of the user (for example, Live Mesh from Microsoft).

MSP is a Managed Service Provider serving service providers (for example, built-in anti-virus scanners for mail portals).

COMMERCIAL SERVICE PLATFORMS - PaaS and MSP convergence (for example, Cisco WebEx Connect).

Clouds are divided into private, public, hybrid and clan.

    Private cloud

A private cloud (English private cloud) is an infrastructure intended for use by one organization, including several consumers (for example, divisions of one organization), possibly also by clients and contractors of this organization. A private cloud can be owned, operated and operated by the organization itself or by a third party (or some combination of these), and it can physically exist both inside and outside the owner's jurisdiction.

    Public cloud

A public cloud is an infrastructure designed for free use by the general public. The public cloud can be owned, operated and operated by commercial, academic, and government organizations (or any combination of these).

    Hybrid cloud

A hybrid cloud is a combination of two or more different cloud infrastructures (private, public or public) that remain unique objects, but are interconnected by standardized or private technologies for transferring data and applications (for example, short-term use of public resources clouds for load balancing between clouds).

    Clan cloud or community cloud

A community cloud is a type of infrastructure designed for use by a specific community (clan) of consumers from organizations that have common objectives (for example, mission, security requirements, policies, and compliance with various requirements). A public cloud can be co-owned, operated and operated by one or more community organizations or a third party (or some combination of these), and it can physically exist both within and outside the owner's jurisdiction.

1.3 The main directions of development of cloud technologies

The four main areas of cloud computing development are:

Some products directly provide users with Internet services such as storage, middleware, collaboration support, and databases.

    Infrastructure as a Service ( IaaS, eng. Infrastructure-as-a-Service) is provided as an opportunity to use the cloud infrastructure to independently manage processing, storage, networking and other fundamental computing resources, for example, a consumer can install and run arbitrary software, which may include operating systems, platform and application software. The consumer can control operating systems, virtual storage systems and installed applications and also have limited control over the set of available network services (eg, firewall, DNS). The control and management of the main physical and virtual infrastructure of the cloud, including the network, servers, types of operating systems used, storage systems is carried out by the cloud provider. Examples of users (system developers, administrators, IT managers).

    Platform as a Service ( PaaS, eng. Platform-as-a-Service) - a model when the consumer is given the opportunity to use the cloud infrastructure to host the underlying software for the subsequent deployment of new or existing applications on it (own, custom-developed or purchased replicated applications). Such platforms include tools for creating, testing and executing application software - database management systems, middleware, runtime environments for programming languages ​​- provided by a cloud provider. Control and management of the main physical and virtual infrastructure of the cloud, including the network, servers, operating systems, storage, is carried out by the cloud provider, with the exception of developed or installed applications, as well as, if possible, configuration parameters of the environment (platform). Examples of users (application developers, testers, administrators)

    Software as a Service ( SaaS, eng. Software-as-a-Service) - a model in which the consumer is given the opportunity to use the provider's application software, which operates in the cloud infrastructure and is accessible from various client devices or through a thin client, for example, from a browser (for example, web mail) or via program interface. Control and management of the main physical and virtual infrastructure of the cloud, including networks, servers, operating systems, storage, or even individual application capabilities (with the exception of a limited set of custom application configuration settings) is handled by the cloud provider. Sample users (business users, application administrators).

Others * aaS: for example:

DaaS (Desktop-as-a-Service) offers each user a standardized virtual workstation, with the ability to customize and install other programs. Access is carried out over the network through a thin client, which can be anything from an ordinary PC to a smartphone (Google Chrome OS).

CaaS (Communications-as-a-Service) is a combination of software and hardware for organizing all types of communication (voice, mail) between employees of one enterprise using third-party solutions.

The SaaS alternative is promoted by Microsoft, called S + S (Software + Services), and combines the strengths of a typical SaaS and a common available application. This is common software, but with a focus on remote services. Cloud computing is turning into a serious technology trend - many experts believe that in the next five years cloud computing will change not only IT processes, but also the market itself information technologies... Thanks to this technology, users of devices of a wide variety of types, including PCs, laptops, smartphones and PDAs, will be able to access programs, storage systems and even application development platforms over the Internet, through services offered by cloud computing providers, and resources in this the case are hosted on the servers of providers.

Based on all of the above, we can conclude that when using cloud computing, information technology consumers can significantly reduce capital costs - for building data centers, purchasing server and network equipment, hardware and software solutions to ensure continuity and availability - since these costs are absorbed a cloud service provider. In addition, the long construction and commissioning times of large information technology infrastructure facilities and their high initial cost limit the ability of consumers to flexibly respond to market demands, while cloud technologies provide the ability to respond almost instantly to an increase in demand for computing power.

When using cloud computing, consumer costs are shifted towards operating costs - thus, the costs of paying for the services of cloud providers are classified.

An introduction to cloud fundamentals



Imagine that you are an executive in a large corporation. Your responsibilities include providing employees with all the hardware and software they need. To ensure the work of employees, you need to buy not only computers, but also software or licenses for it. With each new employee, you have to buy new software if you cannot add a new user to an already purchased license. All of this is so hard that you cannot fall asleep in your dear exclusive bed.

Soon, this problem of managers can be solved. Instead of installing a series of programs on each computer, you only need to download one application. With the help of this application, employees will have access to a server on the Internet, which stores all the programs necessary for a particular job. All programs, from email clients and text editors before data analysis programs will be launched from remote computers owned by another company. This technology, called "cloud", has the potential to revolutionize the entire computing industry.

When using cloud technologies, the load is redistributed in computer systems. Field computers will not be overwhelmed by numerous applications. This load will be taken on by computer network forming a cloud. The hardware and software requirements for employees will be reduced: their computers will only have to load the cloud interface. This interface is comparable to a web browser in its simplicity.

It is possible that you have already used some form of cloud technology, such as email servers (Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail, or Gmail). Instead of running an email client on your computer, you log into your Internet account. Your Account not stored on your computer - it resides on a cloud server.

Cloud computing framework


In order to understand the structure of the cloud technology system, it is convenient to divide it into two sections: front and back. The two sites are connected to each other via a network, most often the Internet. The front section is used by an employee (client). The back section is the cloudy part of the system.

The front end includes the client's computer (or network of computers) and the application required to access the cloud system.
Different cloud systems have different user interfaces. Mail servers use existing web browsers such as Internet Explorer or Firefox. Other systems have their own applications for network access.

The back section includes various computers, servers and data storage systems that create the "cloud". In principle, using the cloud system, you can use any computer program from data processing to video games. Usually each application has its own server.

The central server ensures the operation of the cloud: it manages the system, records traffic and client requests. For the server, there are a number of operating rules called protocols and special middleware. Through middleware, computers can communicate information to one another. Most of the time, the servers are not fully loaded - there is unused capacity left. You can "trick" a physical server and make several virtual ones out of it, each with its own operating system. This technology is called virtualization. Virtualization improves server efficiency, which in turn reduces hardware requirements.

If a cloud computing company has many clients, it will need large amounts of memory. Some companies have hundreds of digital storage devices. A cloud-based system requires twice as many storage devices as the volume of customer information. This is due to the fact that devices can break. All customer information must be copied and stored across multiple devices. Thus, the central server can always download data from backup devices.

Cloud computing applications


There are almost endless cloud computing applications out there. If everything is in order with the middleware, then the cloud system will download programs at the same speed as if they were loaded on a regular computer. In principle, any program, from word editors to programs specially created for any company, can be loaded through the cloud.


Why load programs using another computer system and store data in it? There are several reasons:
Customers have access to their applications anytime, anywhere. They can connect to the cloud system using any computer with Internet access. All data is not stored on one computer hard drive or on the company's internal network.

Equipment costs will decrease. Users will not need more powerful hardware with the highest performance or more memory - the entire load will fall on the cloud system. An inexpensive computer with a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and processor that meets the requirements of the middleware will suffice. No need for a large hard drive - all information is stored on a remote computer.

Corporations in which computing plays an important role must have the right software to operate successfully. With the help of the cloud system, these companies will have access to computer applications. You won't need to buy software or licenses for every employee. Instead, the company will pay a certain amount to the cloud organization.

Servers and digital storage devices take up space. Companies sometimes have to rent storage space for servers and databases. Thanks to cloud technology, data will be stored on another company's equipment and there will be no need to find storage space.

Companies will be able to save money on IT support. Well-established equipment can be more efficient than a network various devices and operating systems.

If the back end of the cloud is a networked computing system, the customer can use the power of the entire network. Often, scientists and researchers are involved in such complex calculations that personal computer it would take years to complete them. On a networked computer system, the client can send the calculations for processing in the cloud. The cloud system can harness the power of all available back-end computers and thus significantly speed up calculations.

Cloud technology challenges


Perhaps the most a big problem cloud computing - security. Many people will be concerned if they have to transfer sensitive data to another company. Business leaders will have doubts about the reliability of cloud systems, since another organization will store the company's information.


The argument in favor of cloud companies is that their existence is directly dependent on their reputation. It is beneficial for them to have a reliable security system. Otherwise, the firm will lose all clients. It is in their best interest to use the best technology to protect customer data.
Another issue is confidentiality. If a customer has access to their data anytime, anywhere, confidentiality can easily be breached. Cloud companies must find a way to protect customer privacy. One of the methods is identification technologies using logins and passwords. Another method is related to the authorization format - each user has access only to those data and programs that are relevant to his job duties.

Among the problems associated with cloud technologies, there are more philosophical ones. Who owns the data: the cloud company or the organization that stores the data? Can a cloud company deny a customer access to their data? These and other questions about the nature of cloud computing are the subject of discussions between companies, law firms and universities.
What impact will cloud technology have on other industries? The IT environment is already asking the question: how will the emergence of cloud technologies affect the maintenance and repair of computers? If companies migrate to modernized computer systems, their IT support needs will decrease. According to some industry experts, the demand for IT services will shift to the back end of the cloud.

Another computer science research subject is autonomous work computers. An autonomous computer system monitors itself and takes action to prevent or correct problems. On the this moment the autonomous operation of computers remains a theory. But, if one day this becomes a reality, the demand for IT support services will significantly decrease.

Research stages

    Set a work goal.

    Find a source of information.

    Process information.

    Give definitions, reveal concepts.

    Analyze the results.

    Draw conclusions.

Research Objectives

    Study the basic information about "Cloud" technologies, about the varieties and applications of these technologies.

    Consider "cloud" technologies, in particular, in education, and more about MICROSOFT technologies.

General Provisions

The term " cloud computing"(English - cloud computing) is applicable for any services that are provided via the Internet. The essence of cloud technologies is to provide users with remote access to services, computing resources and applications (including operating systems and infrastructure) over the Internet. Development of this sphere of hosting (Hosting service for the placement of client equipment on the territory of the provider, ensuring its connection to communication channels with high throughput) was driven by the emerging need for software and digital services that could be managed internally, but that would be more cost effective and efficient. These Internet services, also known as "cloud services", can be divided into three main categories:

    infrastructure as a service

    platform as a service

    software as a service

Compared to the traditional approach, cloud services allow you to manage larger infrastructures, serve different groups of users within the same cloud, and also mean complete dependence on the cloud service provider. When providing a cloud service, a pay-per-use payment type is used. Usually, the unit of measurement of the time of work is taken as a minute or hour of resource use. When assessing the amount of data, the unit of measurement is taken as a megabyte of stored information. In this case, the user pays for exactly the amount of resources that he actually used during a certain time. In addition, the cloud infrastructure provides the user with the ability, if necessary, to "raise" or "lower" the maximum limits of allocated resources, thereby taking advantage of the elasticity of the service provided. The user of cloud services does not need to worry about the infrastructure that ensures the performance of the services provided to him. All tasks related to configuration, troubleshooting, infrastructure expansion, etc. are undertaken by the service provider.

Types of clouds

Clouds can be public or private.

    A private cloud is an infrastructure designed for use by a single organization that includes several consumers (for example, divisions of the same organization). A private cloud can be owned, managed and operated by the organization itself or by a third party (or some combination of these), and it can physically exist both inside and outside the owner's jurisdiction.

    A public cloud is an infrastructure designed for free use by the general public. The public cloud can be owned, operated and operated by commercial, academic, and government organizations (or any combination of these). The public cloud physically exists in the jurisdiction of the owner - the service provider.

    A hybrid cloud is a combination of two or more different cloud infrastructures (private, public) that remain unique objects, but are interconnected by standardized or private technologies for transferring data and applications (for example, short-term use of public cloud resources for balancing loads between clouds).

    A public cloud is a type of infrastructure designed for use by a specific community of consumers from organizations with common tasks. A public cloud can be co-owned, operated and operated by one or more of the community organizations or a third party (or any combination of these), and it can physically exist both within and outside the owner's jurisdiction

    In practice, the boundaries between all these types of computation are blurry.

Three layers of cloud services

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Infrastructure for rent. The user is provided with a "clean" instance of a virtual server with a unique IP address or set of addresses and part of the storage system. To control the parameters, start and stop this instance, the provider provides the user with a programming interface (API).

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

PaaS can be thought of as a turnkey virtual platform consisting of one or more virtual servers with operating systems and specialized applications installed. Most cloud providers offer the user a choice of a variety of ready-to-use cloud environments.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

The SaaS concept provides the ability to use software as a service and do it remotely over the Internet. This approach allows you not to buy a software product, but simply temporarily use it when a need arises.

Benefits of cloud computing

    The user pays for the service only when he needs it, and most importantly, he pays only for what he uses.

    Cloud technologies allow you to save money on purchasing, maintaining, upgrading software and equipment.

    Scalability, fault tolerance and security - automatic allocation and release of the necessary resources depending on the needs of the application. Maintenance, the software is updated by the service provider.

    Remote access to data in the cloud - you can work from anywhere on the planet where you have access to the Internet.

Disadvantages of cloud computing

    The user is not the owner and does not have access to the internal cloud infrastructure. The safety of user data is highly dependent on the provider company.

    A disadvantage that is relevant for Russian users: in order to receive high-quality services, the user must have reliable and fast access to the Internet.

    Not all data can be entrusted to an Internet provider not only for storage, but even for processing

    There is a risk that the online service provider will one day fail to backup data and it will be lost as a result of a server crash.

    Trusting your data to an online service, you lose control over them and limit your freedom (the User will not be able to change some of his information, it will be stored in conditions beyond his control).

Application of cloud technologies

As an example of the use of cloud technologies in education, one can name electronic diaries and journals, personal accounts for students and teachers, an interactive reception room, and more. These are thematic forums where students can exchange information. This is also a search for information, where students can solve certain educational problems even in the absence of a teacher or under his guidance. To do this, you can use:

    computer programs

    electronic textbooks

    simulators

    diagnostic, test and training systems

    applied and instrumental software

    laboratory complexes

    systems based on multimedia technology

    telecommunication systems (e.g. e-mail, teleconferencing

    electronic libraries and more.


Microsof cloud technology for educational institutions

Microsoft Cloud: Office 365, Azure Education

Microsoft Office 365 for Educational Institutions allows you to take full advantage of cloud services, helping to save time and money, and also increases the productivity of students and employees. Basic functionality that includes cloud versions of Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and Office Web Apps, and Lync Online with video conferencing will be available free of charge. You can find detailed information about new prices and tariffs at the link: [email protected].Office 365 Education combines the power of friends Office applications for desktop systems with Internet versions of the next generation of Microsoft communications and collaboration services. Office 365 is easy to use and administer, with the robust security and reliability of a leading global service provider.

More detailed information You can find it at the link: http://www.microsoft.com/ru-ru/office365/education/school-services.aspx#fbid=RAc3tEIrx3K.

With the Windows Azure in education offering, educators have the opportunity to incorporate one of the most innovative and rapidly evolving technologies into their learning experience, both in theory and practice. It's no secret that in a few years the demand in the labor market for specialists in the field of cloud computing will increase significantly, with using Windows Azure in education universities have the opportunity to train such specialists.

Cloud computing involves running applications or storing data on servers located in distributed data centers that are accessible over the Internet. A dedicated cloud platform is required to develop and run such applications. Such a platform is Windows Azure, the "cloud" analogue of the operating Windows systems Server. However, if Windows Server Is software that you purchased and deployed on servers in your local data center, then the Windows Azure platform is hosted in Microsoft data centers and is available to you remotely as an environment for developing and executing applications. You do not need to buy and install software, you only pay for the rent of computing resources and capacities of the Microsoft data center platform.

How does Windows Azure work?

At the heart of Windows work Azure is running a virtual machine for each instance of the application. The developer determines the required amount of data storage and the required computing power (number of virtual machines), after which the platform provides the appropriate resources. When the initial resource requirements change, in accordance with the new customer request, the platform allocates additional or reduces unused data center resources for the application.

A feature of the PaaS (platform-as-a-service) model is the separation of the application and infrastructure: the developer only needs to determine the amount of resources required for the application, and all actions to provide the requested resources, manage them, dynamic distribution, monitoring, scaling, etc. are performed provider.

For students wishing to study cloud technologies on their own or working on projects in the cloud computing industry, Microsoft also provides free access to Windows Azure, allowing them to immerse themselves in the educational process without any restrictions.

Teachers:

    5 months of access

    2 small compute nodes

    3GB storage

    2 connections to service bus

    2 SQL Asure Web Edition (1GB)

Students:

Work completed.

Cloud technologies are technologies for using server resources with the simultaneous launch of a large number of virtual servers, independently of each other. Interruptions to one server will not affect other servers, ensuring overall uptime. In addition, cloud technologies make it possible to uniformly regulate and pay only for the resources used, without overpayments.

Typically, a modern cloud consists of a large number of high-performance servers running virtual machines(servers), their own for each user.

One of the main advantages of the cloud, in addition to the independence of each user from the rest, is the ability to smoothly regulate the amount of resources used and, accordingly, pay only those resources that are really required to solve the problem. No additional fees.

How the cloud can be used

There are two best practices for using the cloud for most businesses today:

  • Hosting web projects;
  • IT infrastructure outsourcing.

The first way focused on companies whose activities are directly related to the Internet. As a rule, these are operators of popular online stores, information sites, databases of real estate and services, developers and owners of web services. These companies require a powerful and flexible platform to host their web projects. The cloud becomes this platform.

Second way much more versatile and suitable for almost any company, from trade to manufacturing, from service to warehouse and logistics. This is IT infrastructure outsourcing.

Rather than purchasing and installing equipment in an office where it is suboptimal and subject to risks, not to mention the cost and IT staff, office IT is easy to build in the cloud.

All the usual services, corporate portal, Email, messaging and file exchange, project and customer relationship management (CRM) systems now run in the cloud. At the same time, you do not need to hire employees or spend serious funds on the purchase of equipment and software licenses.

Cloud technologies - deployment models

Private cloud(English private cloud) is an infrastructure intended for use by one organization, including several consumers (for example, divisions of one organization), possibly also by clients and contractors of this organization.

A private cloud can be owned, operated and operated by the organization itself or by a third party (or some combination of these), and it can physically exist both inside and outside the owner's jurisdiction.

Public cloud(English public cloud). Infrastructure designed for free use by the general public. May be owned, operated and operated by commercial, academic, and government organizations (or any combination of these). Physically exists in the jurisdiction of the owner - the service provider.

Hybrid cloud(English hybrid cloud) is a combination of two or more different cloud infrastructures (private, public or public) that remain unique objects, but are interconnected by standardized or private technologies for transferring data and applications.

Public cloud(eng. community cloud) - a type of infrastructure designed for use by a specific community of consumers from organizations with common objectives (for example, mission, security requirements, policies, and compliance with various requirements).

A public cloud can be co-owned, operated and operated by one or more community organizations or a third party (or some combination of these), and it can physically exist both within and outside the owner's jurisdiction.

Service Models

Software as a Service(SaaS, English Software-as-a-Service) - a model in which the consumer is given the opportunity to use the provider's application software operating in the cloud infrastructure and accessible from various client devices or through a thin client, for example, from a browser (for example, a web -mail) or program interface.

Control and management of the underlying physical and virtual infrastructure of the cloud, including the network, servers, operating systems, storage, or even individual application capabilities (with the exception of a limited set of custom application configuration settings) is carried out by the cloud provider.

Platform as a Service(PaaS, Platform-as-a-Service) - a model when the consumer is given the opportunity to use the cloud infrastructure to host the underlying software for the subsequent placement of new or existing applications on it (own, custom-developed or purchased replicated applications).

Such platforms include tools for creating, testing and executing application software - database management systems, middleware, runtime environments for programming languages ​​- provided by a cloud provider.

The control and management of the main physical and virtual infrastructure of the cloud, including the network, servers, operating systems, storage, is carried out by the cloud provider, with the exception of developed or installed applications, as well as, if possible, configuration parameters of the environment (platform).

Infrastructure as a Service(IaaS, English IaaS or Infrastructure-as-a-Service). Provided as an opportunity to use the cloud infrastructure to independently manage processing, storage, networking and other fundamental computing resources. For example, a consumer can install and run arbitrary software, which can include operating systems, platform and application software.

The consumer can control operating systems, virtual storage systems and installed applications, as well as limited control over the set of available services (eg, firewall, DNS). The control and management of the main physical and virtual infrastructure of the cloud, including the network, servers, types of operating systems used, storage systems is carried out by the cloud provider.

Economic aspects

When using cloud computing, information technology consumers can significantly reduce capital costs - for building data centers, purchasing server and network equipment, hardware and software solutions for continuity and uptime - as these costs are absorbed by the cloud provider.

In addition, the long construction and commissioning times of large IT infrastructure facilities and their high initial cost limit the ability of consumers to flexibly respond to market demands. Whereas cloud technologies provide the ability to almost instantly respond to an increase in demand for computing power.

When using cloud computing, consumer costs are shifted towards operating costs. Thus, the costs of paying for the services of cloud providers are classified.

To explain the economic implications of cloud computing approaches, an analogy is often used with water or electricity services provided in developed infrastructures through corresponding utilities. They are readily available and paid as they are consumed, and are not developed by each consumer of their own water intake or by installing their own electrical installation.

Cloud technology: the benefits of clouds

Moving to cloud computing brings significant economic benefits:

  • Placing your IT infrastructure in the cloud allows you to achieve savings in total cost of ownership from 30% to 70%.
  • Reducing capital costs by up to 70% when purchasing equipment.
  • Increase of resources of use and maintenance of equipment up to 70% monthly.
  • Saving data center resources (electricity, cooling, space) up to 50% monthly.
  • Reducing the cost of equipment redundancy by 50-70% with the same level of availability on a monthly basis.
  • Reducing licensing costs by 30% monthly.
  • Reduce deployment time for new services by up to 90%.

The main advantages of cloud technologies over physical servers:

  • Availability. Cloud technologies are available to everyone from anywhere with the Internet.
  • Mobility. Company employees are becoming more mobile. They can access their workplace from anywhere in the world. It is enough to have a laptop, tablet or smartphone.
  • Year-round trouble-free sustainable work of the Company.
  • Increase security by consolidating computing resources. Minimizing the "human factor". Accountability of users for unauthorized access to the system and downloading of data.
  • Data encryption, cryptography and data protection in accordance with Art. 152-FZ.
  • Improving the quality of provided IT services with fewer highly qualified specialists.
  • No upfront capital costs or significant reductions.
  • A tenfold reduction in time spent on implementation and operational reallocation of resources.
  • Prompt selective capacity build-up.

Cloud technologies for business

  • Accelerating the processes of introducing new technologies.
  • Reducing the cost of purchasing IT infrastructure.
  • Improving the efficiency of the company through the use of best practices.
  • Reducing software costs by renting only what you need.
  • Reducing costs by standardizing the software used.
  • Reduced risk of data loss and IT staff costs.