Cloud Computing

Two, some vendors are here today and gone tomorrow, as is the nature with the fast-paced technology industry. And three, the principal aim of this audiobook is to provide concepts that will equip you to better make your own decisions about such offerings in the first place. This is not a technical audiobook. It is written primarily for a non-specialist, although a technical specialist should benefit from listening to this book in order to understand the broader impact and considerations of cloud computing. Thus, no prior knowledge of cloud computing or any of its related technologies is required listening to this audio program. I advise strongly, however, that you listen to the first chapter first so that we may have a shared, common vocabulary and understanding of cloud computing. This will prove useful when you listen to the succeeding chapters. You may hear any of the chapters of the book in any order after going through the first chapter. Roadmap Chapter 1 provides an overview of cloud computing. It provides a definition and discusses each component that makes up that definition. It also considers the merits of cloud computing and provides a brief idea of some of its applications. It concludes with a discussion of the various players or stakeholders that participate in the cloud computing value chain. Chapter 2 builds on the introduction of Chapter 1 by describing the types of cloud computing in terms of its abstraction and deployment models. It further compares and contrasts the model's component characteristics using new concepts that I have developed, such as cloud patterns and cloud cells. These show how specialist clouds can be built or used in order to address specific use cases. Components from Object-Oriented Design, OOD, are then borrowed to create relationships between these specialist clouds, called cloud cells. Thus a large variety of clouds for various use cases can be built by reusing the cloud cells and defining their interrelationships. This culminates with a discussion of use case patterns. Chapter 3 asks a pertinent question. Why cloud computing? What benefits does it provide? When should you use it? And what impact will it have on you, your work, your society, and your life? The chapter considers various concepts, such as the personal cloud and the cloud of things. Chapter 4 is a more objective version of Chapter 3, especially from a financial perspective. This chapter will help you understand the various price models that cloud vendors can have. It is your toolkit for comparing price and value received from different cloud services and their vendors. Chapter 5 considers security and governance. Not only is this subject topical given the various security breaches we have heard about, but it is especially important when considering cloud computing. Topics such as security containers, monitoring, data integrity, data loss prevention, data privacy, data sovereignty, and legal and compliance issues are considered. Appended to the chapter is a section that explains the common security terms used by specialists within the industry. Chapters 6 to 9 inclusive consider use case patterns that were first introduced as a concept in Chapter 2. The patterns are discussed in terms of the various abstraction levels of cloud computing. A. Infrastructure and Platform, B. Software, C. Information, and D. Business Process. These four chapters share a common template. Examples of use case patterns are discussed for the abstraction level followed by a SWOT or SWOT analysis and a key takeaway section. Chapter 10 considers transitioning to the cloud. Once you have decided upon the cloud offering, what is the best practice for you to transition a legacy service to a cloud service? The chapter answers this key question by considering cloud usage models, interoperability, critical success factors, and a cloud maturity level. Chapter 11, entitled Future Outlook, discusses emerging technologies associated with as well as peripheral to cloud computing that will have an impact upon the future of cloud computing. New concepts such as a cloud service exchange, not the same as cloud exchanges, and a cloud of things are introduced in the chapter.