Tthazen's List: Cloud Computing

• Cloud computing - correctly: a Computing Cloud - is a colloquial expression used to describe a variety of different computing concepts that involve a large number of computers that are connected through a real-time communication network (typically the Internet). Cloud Computing is a jargon term without a commonly accepted non-ambiguous scientific or technical definition. In science Cloud computing is a synonym for distributed computing over a network and means the ability to run a program on many connected computers at the same time. The popularity of the term Cloud computing can be attributed to its use in marketing to sell hosted services in the sense of Application Service Provisioning that run Client server software on a remote location.

• Cloud computing is all the rage. "It's become the phrase du jour," says Gartner senior analyst Ben Pring, echoing many of his peers. The problem is that (as with Web 2.0) everyone seems to have a different definition.
• As a metaphor for the Internet, "the cloud" is a familiar cliché, but when combined with "computing," the meaning gets bigger and fuzzier. Some analysts and vendors define cloud computing narrowly as an updated version of utility computing: basically virtual servers available over the Internet. Others go very broad, arguing anything you consume outside the firewall is "in the cloud," including conventional outsourcing.

• Cloud computing is a type of computing that relies on sharing computing resources rather than having local servers or personal devices to handle applications.

• Cloud computing is comparable to grid computing, a type of computing where unused processing cycles of all computers in a network are harnesses to solve problems too intensive for any stand-alone machine.

   
• oal of cloud

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• • Achieve economies of scale – increase volume output or productivity with fewer people. Your cost per unit, project or product plummets.
   
  • Reduce spending on technology infrastructure. Maintain easy access to your information with minimal upfront spending. Pay as you go (weekly, quarterly or yearly), based on demand.
   
  • Globalize your workforce on the cheap. People worldwide can access the cloud, provided they have an Internet connection.
   
  • Streamline processes. Get more work done in less time with less people.
   
  • Reduce capital costs. There’s no need to spend big money on hardware, software or licensing fees.
   
  • Improve accessibility. You have access anytime, anywhere, making your life so much easier!
   
  • Monitor projects more effectively. Stay within budget and ahead of completion cycle times.
   
  • Less personnel training is needed. It takes fewer people to do more work on a cloud, with a minimal learning curve on hardware and software issues.
   
  • Minimize licensing new software. Stretch and grow without the need to buy expensive software licenses or programs.
   
  • Improve flexibility. You can change direction without serious “people” or “financial” issues at stake.

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  As you explore your cloud computing options, a few disadvantages to be aware of include:

   
   
  • More elasticity means less control: While public clouds are great for quickly scaling up and down your resources, companies that require complete and total control over their data and applications will need to avoid the public cloud. Alternative solutions include hybrid clouds, private clouds, and colocation.
   
   
   
  • Not everything fits into the cloud: Depending on the cloud provider, you may face restrictions on available applications, operating systems, and infrastructure options.  Complicating matters more is the simple fact that not all platforms can live in the cloud. To combat this, it is important to ensure that the cloud provider you choose also offers physical colocation services. Then if your platform in the cloud needs to speak to applications on other platforms, this flexibility of physical colocation will work to ensure successful interoperation.

• Major cloud computing advantages include:

   
   
  • Less maintenance:  Hardware, applications and bandwidth are managed by the provider.
   
  • Continuous availability: Public cloud services are available wherever you are located.
   
  • Scalability: Pay only for the applications and data storage you need.
   
  • Elasticity: Private clouds can be scaled to meet your changing IT system demands
   
  • Expert service: Expedient’s cloud computing services are continuously monitored and maintained by our onsite staff of expert data center technicians.

• Advantages:

   
   
  1. Easy Implementation Cloud hosting allows businesses to retain the same applications and business processes without having to deal with the backend technicalities. Readily manageable by the Internet, a cloud infrastructure can be accessed by enterprises easily and quickly. Another advantage is a lesser cost for in-house IT infrastructure maintenance. While some providers may say cloud hosting allows companies to save money by taking away the need for an IT support and management team, the opposite is true. We at Stratosphere Networks believe redundancy is key. While a backup can be an extra cost, it can be worth it in the event of a technical failure within the cloud.
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  • Accessibility Access your data anywhere, anytime. An internet cloud infrastructure maximizes enterprise productivity and efficiency by ensuring your application is accessible from any place anytime, allowing collaboration and sharing among users in multiple locations.
     
   
  • No Hardware Required A physical storage center is no longer needed as it is hosted in the cloud. Again, a backup could be worth looking into in the event of a disaster that could leave your company's productivity stagnant.
     
   
  • Cost Per Head Overhead technology costs are kept at a minimum with cloud hosting services, enabling businesses to use the extra time and resources for improving the company infrastructure.
     
   
  • Troubleshooting, installation and configuring Cloud hosting provides easy, optimal utilization and management. In addition to 24x7x365 monitoring, Stratosphere Networks will install, troubleshoot and configure your cloud software and handle any customization and upgrades your enterprise may need.
     
   
  • Flexibility for Growth Easily scalable so companies can add or subtract resources based on their own needs. As companies grow, the need to expand their cloud infrastructure will also grow.
     
   
  • Efficient Recovery Cloud computing delivers faster and more accurate retrieval of applications and data. With less downtime, it is the most efficient recovery plan.

• Disadvantages:

   
   
  1. You are no longer in control When moving services to the cloud, you are handing over your data and information. For companies who have an in-house IT staff, they are unable to handle issues on their own by logging onto a server. Instead they have to open a ticket like any end user. This may be hard for clients to understand, especially an IT staff that is used to handling tickets and internal technical issues internally. Stratosphere Networks guarantees our 24/7 live help desk will rectify any problems immediately - we are just one phone call away.
      
   
  2. You may not get all the features Not all cloud services are the same. Your cloud provider may not provide every feature or customization you want as some tend to offer limited versions and enable the most popular features. Before installation, make sure you know what your cloud service provider offers before signing up.
      
    
  3. Just because clouds require no hardwire, doesn't mean you should do away with your servers  Yes, you may have fewer servers to handle which means less for your IT staff to handle, but in no way does that mean you can let go of all your servers and your staff. While it may seem costly to ha
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  2. No redundancy A cloud server is essentially not redundant nor is it backed up. As technology may fail here and there, avoid getting burned by purchasing a redundancy plan. Although it is an extra cost, in most cases it is well worth it.
      
   
  3. Bandwidth issues For ideal performance, clients have to plan accordingly and do not pack large amounts of servers and storage devices into a small set of data centers.
      
     

• Questions to ask yourself when moving towards the cloud

   

  Security Since my data is not in my control, can I trust that my data will be secure?

   

  Reliability Is it truly accessible anytime? What happens if the cloud fails?

   

  Performance Will my provider ensure I am getting top performance of my cloud services? Can I test this to make sure I am getting my money's worth?

   

  Portability Will I be able to move my applications and data around seamlessly? And is it accessible from anywhere?

   

  Cost While costs may vary depending on the complexity and level of services your business requires, cloud services could potentially be significantly less than investing in in-house software. The question is, is having in-house software worth it for backup purposes? Yes.

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• With increased access to laptops and netbooks, educators are building classrooms in the cloud. With anywhere - anytime access to learning materials, students and their teachers are able to communicate, cooperate, and collaborate without the barriers of classroom walls, paper textbooks, and traditional assignments.
  
  Tools such as Google Apps allow educators to design assignments and assessments that incorporate online books and resources, images, audio, video, and gadgets. Traditional paper and pencil activities are enhanced when students can easily collaborate, manipulate images, and build multimedia projects.
  
  Students working in these transmedia environments move seamlessly from books to social networks to online tools for reading, writing, and calculating.
  
  This website was designed to demonstrate the potential of this new way of thinking about teaching, learning, and technology. 

• October 28, 2011 - After 15 drafts, NIST's working definition of cloud computing has been published as The NIST Definition of Cloud Computing. According to this official definition, cloud computing is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.
   Final Version of NIST Cloud Computing Definition Published

   

• This is the third time I am writing this post. Yes, the third time. I normally type up a post and keep it in the cloud to cut, paste and post. I was trying the Blogger app on my phone and saved this post twice with the intent of going back to it for edits. For whatever reason, the posts were blank. Twice. #Idiot 

   By keeping documents in the cloud, they will safely sit in a folder waiting to be edited and shared when I want. They will not vanish into the ether or be whisked away by gremlins. If all of my devices were to become sentient and run away, my documents would be safe and secure in the cloud to be accessed by whatever devices were available.

• We are living in a world where collaboration is essential. Utilizing the cloud allows for sharing in a way that was never possible before. Groups can edit documents and share quickly and easily. As we strive to show students the value of collaboration, it's important to practice what we preach. 

   I'm involved in multiple group documents at any given moment. Cloud storage allowed a group of strangers to plan edcamp Detroit (2) last year, and it is helping bring the 2012 version together. This approach to creation has made the process so much stronger.

• After school I am no longer tethered to my email account, sharing file after file of my epic lesson plans. As we know, size matters when it comes to email. If the file is too large, you can't send it. The cloud helps solve that problem. 

   While there are size restraints on some cloud storage options, most offer reasonable rates for larger storage. Sharing one link with a colleague can allow them access to all of my files. They can pick and choose the documents they want throughout the year without the extra step of making email requests. It makes sharing easier for you and your friends.
• Going paperless sounds very trendy. Saving trees makes everyone feel good, but only if there are no disruptions in the workflow. Utilizing the cloud allows you to stop printing and start sharing. When documents available in one place can be accessed from anywhere, there's no need to print things out for the office or school. Students can have access to any information a teacher wants without worrying about losing handouts.

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• With more and more schools going paperless or migrating to the "cloud" (storing files on the Internet), student work has become more easily shareable, accessible by many, and more easily organized. Many teachers have turned to digital portfolios -- or "e-portfolios" -- for their students. These digital portfolios have caused a huge shift in how teachers assign, collect and assess student classwork and projects.

• or decades, students have been completing assignments in school. Often, these were seen only by the teacher, graded and returned to the student. Sometimes, the work was posted on a classroom wall or in a school hallway. Many teachers kept portfolios of student work for report card conferences, and the rare teacher taught students how to build their own portfolios from their work. 

    

   With more and more schools going paperless or migrating to the "cloud" (storing files on the Internet), student work has become more easily shareable, accessible by many, and more easily organized. Many teachers have turned to digital portfolios -- or "e-portfolios" -- for their students. These digital portfolios have caused a huge shift in how teachers assign, collect and assess student classwork and projects.
• With more and more schools going paperless or migrating to the "cloud" (storing files on the Internet), student work has become more easily shareable, accessible by many, and more easily organized. Many teachers have turned to digital portfolios -- or "e-portfolios" -- for their students. These digital portfolios have caused a huge shift in how teachers assign, collect and assess student classwork and projects.

• However, with so many options for collecting and sharing student work, it's hard to know which method or tool to use. 

   

  Defining Your Needs

• Here are some guiding questions to consider before you commit to a tool or platform: 

   
   
  • Can student work be made public or is it housed inside a "walled garden?"
   
  • Can students view and comment on each other's work?
   
  • Can the teacher provide feedback for the student privately?
   
  • Is student work easily organized by date, course or some other category?
   
  • Are the portfolios transferable from year to year as students move through the school?
   
  • Can students access their work or export it when they leave the school?
   
  • Does the platform allow for multiple file types (documents, sound files, video files)?
   
  • What are the costs for using the tool or platform?
   
  • Can a teacher create a teacher account and student accounts, or do students sign up on the
• • Can the tool be integrated into an existing SMS or other school-wide database and/or gradebook?
   
   

   While some of these questions may not apply to your situation, it is important to do your research before committing to a tool. Once your students begin building their portfolio, it can be time-consuming and often frustrating to transfer student work to another platform. 

   

  Some Options

   

   Below is a list of tools that can be used to collect, organize and share student work. Those that are free are marked with an asterisk (*).  

   

  Project Foundry (3)

   

   This tool organizes, tracks and shares learning in a project-based learning classroom. It includes standards-based grading tools and feedback tools. Teachers have the option to include a digi
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      Posted May. 22, 2013. 7:17 am GMT

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• Within one year, cloud computing in K-12 schools is expected to consume a quarter of the entire IT budget; four years from now, that figure will grow to 35 percent. What's driving that growth?

    

  K-12 and the Cloud
   According to a study released last week by CDW Government, storage is the top application in K-12 education, with 40 percent of schools turning to the cloud to house their data.