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Cloud computing is the new IT trend that is grabbing the industry magazine headlines, and although it is being positively embraced by many users, some are needlessly worried about security issues.

Bringing together the three major trends of virtualisation, utility computing and software as a service (SaaS), cloud computing is still regarded with a degree of suspicion by some. However, as both the US and UK governments utilise the technology they at least have no doubts over its use.

It is the combination of the three component parts of cloud computing that make it particularly appealing to users as they need little or no knowledge of the technology needed to operate it. First used to describe large ATM networks in the early 1990s, when used in the computing context ‘Cloud’ is describing the internet and the way that resources are used across its entirety. It involves the provision of services to users who don’t have to worry about any of the technical issues surrounding the service.

Because resources can be pulled from across the internet it means that cloud computing solutions are entirely scalable and peak loads are easily accommodated. That allows users to go about their business without having to worry about allocation of CPU, storage or network bandwidth.

The shared hosting infrastructure model in regular use today is limited by the physical constraints of the available hardware, usually at one bottleneck point, such as single server. However, cloud hosting has no such restrictions as it utilises the processing power of a series of servers in real time. A user of cloud hosting simply purchases as much processing capacity as they require from a resource that is virtually inexhaustible and therefore provides a seamless service regardless of peaks and troughs in visitor numbers.

Intelligent systems simply ensure that load-balancing is applied across a series of servers, adding or removing them from the cluster as required providing an invisible transition for customers. The technology underpinning the infrastructure enables small and medium–sized enterprises to utilise web hosting architecture in a way that was only available a large corporate IT department a few years ago.

Cloud technology is now utilised by major corporations and governments throughout the world. It is certainly no fad, and despite myths about its lack of security is almost as robust as any traditional system; it is dependent upon the quality of the software and operator. There are also varying types of cloud, such as an on-premise cloud or a virtual private cloud, which are as secure as the system operator wishes them to be as it is in a private environment. However you would be constrained to your pre-configured environment.

Source by Adam Singleton

The term ‘cloud hosting’ has caught the attention of web developers the world over. But while the underlying concepts of cloud technologies date back to the 1960s, and even with the term first coming into commercial use in the 1990s, there is still a great deal of uncertainty revolving around the capabilities and benefits of cloud hosting.

Cloud hosting (‘cloud’ being a metaphor for the internet) is a computation or storage service that’s supported by a pool of distributed computing resources. But before attempting to grasp the concept of cloud hosting, it first helps to know a bit about cloud computing. Cloud computing is a form of computing where resources are provided as a service over the internet. It enables the on-demand allocation or de-allocation of the central processing unit (CPU), as well as large-scale storage and network bandwidth.

Moreover, it can meet scalability requirements to cater to user demands quickly; however, it does not require users to be experts on the technology that supports them. Cloud computing entails three major elements: software as a service – where applications are available on demand and on a subscription basis; utility computing – where server capacity is accessed across a grid as a variably priced and shared service; and virtualisation – where applications are separated from infrastructure.

Derived from the principles of cloud computing, cloud hosting enables the sharing and management of large amounts of distributed data, representing the ultimate in scalability for unpredictable demands. It handles security, load balancing and server resources virtually, so users are not restricted to the limits of one physical piece of hardware or server. Instead, online operations have access not only to a number of servers distributed in real time, but to the heightened processing power that comes with them.

So who uses such services, and could they be right for you? Cloud hosting is ideal for web developers who need a reliable platform for applications, but who would rather not meddle in the technological aspect of the operations. Thus, the service gives developers more room and flexibility to practice innovation, rather than having to worry about web servers.

Indeed, there is much to take into consideration as to whether cloud hosting might be right for you and your web development services. Therefore, it is important that you understand as much as possible about such services; that way you can help determine if cloud hosting could be of benefit to you.

Source by Adam Singleton