Cloud Computing Technology

Cloud computing is a way of delivering IT services to users without the need for that user to buy, install, manage or own any infrastructure. Allowing users to access desktops, software, applications and services over the internet or a secure network. Getting better, faster, and more flexible IT for less money and no fuss.

Organisations are always keen to gain a competitive edge, and are increasingly seeking new and innovate ways to reduce costs, improve business agility and maximise value. It is becasue cloud computing delivers against these aspirations that so many organisations are now adopting this technology.

What is Cloud Computing?   

There is some confusion as to exactly what cloud computing is, in brief Cloud Computing describes highly scalable computing resources provided by an external service provider, via the internet on a pay as you go basis.  The cloud is simply a metaphor for the internet. 

Economically the main appeal is that clients only use what they need and only pay for they actually use.  Resources are available at any time, from any location 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via the internet.  The need to maintain the service is owned by the service provider, the client simply purchases the IT service they demand and pay for it on a monthly basis.

The new web based generation of computing utilizes remote servers, housed in highly secure data centres for data storage and management. 

Delivery Layers

The delivery elements of Cloud Computing can be best explained as a three tier layer:

Application (Top) Layer
Applications are run and interacted with via a web browser, hosted desktop or remote client.  Commercially, users never need to purchase expensive software licences themselves, instead the cost is incorporated into the pay as you go fee.  A cloud application eliminates the need to install and run the application on the clients own computer, thus removing the burden of software maintenance (patching) and support.

Platform (Middle) Layer
A cloud platform dynamically provisions, configures, reconfigures and de-provisions servers as the need to cope increases or decreases in demand.  This is reality is a distributed computing model, where many services pull together to deliver an application or infrastructure request.

Infrastructure (Bottom) Layer
The foundation of the cloud layers is the delivery of the infrastructure through virtulisation.  Virtulisation allows the splitting of a single physical piece of hardware into independent, self governed environments, which can be then scaled in terms of CPU, RAM, Disk and other elements.  This layer includes servers, networks and other hardware appliances delivered as either infrastructure “Web Services”, “Farms” or “Cloud Centres”  These are then interlinked with other centres for resilience and additional capacity.

Service Deployment Layers

There are five logical layers involved, which enable actual real services to be deployed and managed.  Each layer can adapted and expanded to encompass new technologies and solutions as they are demanded by the market, but ensures a simple way of providing management and billing:

Intelligence Layer
This layer talks with virtulisation and clustering grid service controllers to generate services such as desktops, VOIP systems, Email etc., from the right location to the right client.  It also gives end user access to configure these services once they are provisioned.

Operating System
Currently Windows and Linux are the two options clients can create, but these can inhabit the same network for a heterogeneous environment.

Virtulisation
Virtulisation and clustering are two ways of generating pools of resources from which services can be deployed and launched.  Virtulisation allows for the scaling up and down of elements such as CPU, RAM, Disk etc., simply and easily.  This layer also self heals by moving resources around the data centres to maintain quality and service.

Storage
All Data is stored on a Storage Area Network (SANs), data is not stored on blades or servers.  SANs are high powered enterprise devices which allow for image roll back, secure access and replication across sites for redundancy purposes.  Elastic LUNs allows users to dial up the required resources at any time as well as to mount storage to any resource at anytime from anywhere.

Locale
Since the services are internet based, we operate 6 carriers per data centre to deliver high speed access wherever you are in the world.

Modular Platform
Clients can in essence, build or replicate their IT Infrastructure in the cloud, from email and desktops to data, phones and more in a securely managed and accessible all the time from anywhere at a fraction of the cost.

Elements include:

• Desktop Computing
• Software & Applications
• Email & Communication
• File Sharing and Collaboration
• Phone and VOIP System
• Data Storage and Backup
• Infrastructure

If you want to know more we are always happy to help – call us 0845 643 6402 or e-mail : info@nimbustech.co.uk