Name: AllenClass: 1Student Number: XXXXXXTeacher: %^&*%&*%Date: June 13, 2010Homework Number: 5Walk over the Cloud—On Cloud ComputingContents●Main body (2)What is cloud computing? (2)Is cloud computing remote from us? (3)Advantages and disadvantages of cloud computing (4)We should be tolerant of cloud computing (6)Cloud computing in China (6)●References (8)Main bodyWith holiday approaching, are you going to have a journey? Then how are you going to tell your friends about your travelling plan?Call them? You are out of fashion!Today what you need to do is to login to Google Docs with your Google account number, create a new document, write down your plan and send this URL to your friends. Then they can request the URL and read your plan. And no matter how many of your friends are sharing the plan, they can edit the document together with you. What’s more, you can upload the scenery and your feelings in your journey instantly to share your happiness with everyone.If you are gone on this experience of editing documents, well then, you are enjoying a new network application pattern – Cloud Computing.What is cloud computing?Cloud computing is a new commercial computational model. It makes use of transmission capability of the high-speed broadband network to transfer the process of data processing from personal computer to computer groups on the net. These computers are ordinary industry standard servers which managed by a large-scale DPC (data processing center). The DPC distribute computing capability according to the clients’ need and eventually brings ab out the same efficiency with a super computer. (From Chinabyte)Of course, we can understand it in a nonprofessional way: cloud computing is a computing model based on high-speed internet. In the remote data center, thousands of computers and servers are c onnected as a “computer cloud” (a romantic analogy). Individual users connect to the data center with terminal units as of desktops, laptops, mobile phones and PDAs to request the “cloud” to process data in accordance withtheir needs.Cloud computing is referred as the next technological revolution as it will bring us fundamental changes in our business model and working way. Thomas Watson, founder of IBM, said that the world will then need five computers in all. And Bill Gates claimed in a speech that individual users will need only 640K RAM (Random access memory).You must have had such experiences: you upload photos and videos to a website to share with friends; you have a mail box of which the capacity is dynamically changing in accordance with your needs; you store contact information of schoolmates on a website instead of an address book… You know what I am talking about: personal homepage of Tencent Traveler –Q-zone, video sharing websites and , Gmail, address list services. These are all manifestations of online storing and sharing functions of cloud computing. There is a proper analogy: the function of data storing is just like saving money in banks. Just like our saving money in banks that are safer instead of purchasing a safe box to store it, we store our data in the cloud servers instead of a big hard disk.Of course, the outstanding features of cloud computing are its mighty computing capability, extra-low hardware requirements and low service charge which will be explained in detail in the following sections.Is cloud computing remote from us?To most people, cloud computing is an unfamiliar and even mystic concept. In fact, we are unconsciously enjoying the convenience brought by cloud computing.We are using IME (input method editor) every day. SCIM (smart common imputing method) allow us to put aside Zhi Neng ABC (an early IME which can’t intelligently get phrases of Chinese or sentences that users input). While today with large IME firms’ joining in the contending for the market of “cloud inputting”, SCIM will be much “smarter”. With the mighty computing power of service providers’servers, the software can figure out the exact meaning of our inputs faster and more accurately so as to get character inputting accuracy improved greatly.Anti-virus software is also necessary in our computer. Early anti-virus software judge virus and malicious software by checking virus signatures stored in local-storage. And recent anti-virus software is becoming more intelligent. It can judge virus and malicious software by deeply analyzing virus’s file structure and behaviors. However, the computing capability of our computer limited analyzing capability of the software. While the newest “cloud killing” service, making the best of the powerful processing capability of cloud servers to analyze virus files rapidly and accurately, increased virus killing efficiency and reduced the rate of mistakenly killing.Whenever we have some questions, we tend to “ask” Google habitually. We input the question, press the enter key, and then get a wealth of answers. However, we can’t feel the “smart”server who “answers” us. In fact, search engine is one of apply styles of cloud computing.On office software, Google Apps, released by Google, have already got a great number of users. While, as the leader of office software market, Microsoft, unwilling to lag behind, released its online office software Office Live Workspace. Let’s leave the final result of their competition unsaid. As end users, we do have enjoyed the convenience and benefits brought by cloud computing.Advantages and disadvantages of cloud computingAdvantages:First, cloud computing provides us with a safe data storing center. Just like money being saved in banks, our data will be protected by the most professional team. Strict access ensures that only specified persons can share the data. We needn’t to worry about losing the data or getting it stolen.Second, cloud computing reduces hardware requirement to the lowest level. Andit’s easy to u se. We no longer need to update our computer configuration for using a new OS (operating system), to ferret about on the net for proper software for editing files of certain format. What we need is just to enter an URL and then enjoy the fun of cloud computing.Third, with the powerful processing capability of a large number of servers’ union, cloud computing promotes working efficiency and reduces the costs greatly. New York Times once rented Amazon’s cloud computing server, using the cloud computing software Handoop to transfer its 1100 reports since 1851 into searchable digital documents within one day. While in traditional methods, this task would be finished in several months.Disadvantages:Like many other wonderful objects, cloud computing is of course not perfect in every respect.In February this year, one of Amazon’s service s Simple Storage Service had a fault which lasted for four hours. Besides having heard about clients’ complaints, people began to worry about the security of cloud computing. Ho w to ensure users’ data safety is an urgent problem.Some assimilate cloud computing to water supplying services of water corporations. First, is the water provided by the company safe? Second, users themselves should also improve water security by making a clear distinction of potable water, bathing water and cleaning water. Third, we may also worry about others’ stealing our acc ount number so that we pay the fees for them. It’s the same on cloud computing. First, are the services of the service providers safe? Is their network safe enough to ensure our data not being stolen? Second, users themselves should store important data in local “safe box” instead of cloud storage. Do not depend on service providers’ promise s and measures. Third, take a good care of our account number in case of others using our services of which we pay for the bill.What’s more, there is still a key point. Cloud computing has been initially realized. However, because of mighty processing needs massive data stream, we need high speed network. Judge from current network situation in China and even America,there is a long way to go to realize cloud computing.We should be tolerant of cloud computingThough enjoying the convenient and benefits of cloud computing, we hesitate on the safety issue. Anyway, let me show you a story:After working hard and saving money for decades, Old John finally possessed 50 thousand dollars. Holding so much paper money, he had to air the cash regularly and take it along with himself. Others advised him to save the money in the bank. But he thought it wasn’t safe, so he took the money along every day. However one day he left the cash on a bus and never get it bank.Many assimilate cloud storage to bank service. In fact, once when bank service was publici zed, there was also a “trust crisis”. Many people would rather take along their money than save it in banks. However, with more and more money accumulated, managing money became a troublesome affair. And people’s concept was changing all the time. What’s m ore, related laws were completed and improved. So today we all save our money in banks without any hesitation.Cloud computing is the same: it’s also developing, it will eventually be mature.Since we believe that cloud computing can change the IT world by its charm, we shouldn’t use a magnifier to exaggerate its disadvantages. We should show our confidence and give support to it so that it can develop steadily.Cloud computing in ChinaWe can conclude the current situation of cloud computing in China in one phrase: best game no one played.Why is it like that?From the users’ aspect, the greatest obstacle is the worry about safety.The other aspect is about service providers. First, the essential prerequisite issteady broadband service. But in China today, it is impossible to access to the internet everywhere even in Beijing. Second, to Google, Microsoft and IBM, the business model of cloud computing is primarily continuation of their service model. This business model has been proved to be successful abroad. However, it has to adapt to Chinese laws, network environment, charging way and culture. That will be a challenge.All in all, we should set about the followings to promote the growth of cloud computing in our country:plete network construction, improve the bandwidth.2.Give correct guidance to the people’s concepts, make out well the publicity.3.On both the aspects of participants and user, promote confidence.References//。