TransOS – OS in the Cloud

Have you ever thought you can use your PC without actually having a Hard Drive attached to it???? Yes, it is absolutely possible.

Due to the advancements in Cloud Computing many of the organizations are shifting to VDI (Virtual Desktop Environment) which has many advantages which will be addressed later in this article.

TransOS – A new-cloud based operating system for all kinds of computer is being developed by researchers in China.

 

Computers Get a Better Way to Detect Threats

Computer scientists have developed a technique to automatically allow one computer in a virtual network to monitor another for intrusions, viruses or anything else that could cause a computer to malfunction.

The technique has been dubbed “space travel” because it sends computer data to a world outside its home, and bridges the gap between computer hardware and software systems.

“Space travel might change the daily practice for many services offered virtually for cloud providers and data centers today, and as this technology becomes more popular in a few years, for the user at home on their desktop,” said Dr. Zhiquian Lin, the research team’s leader and an assistant professor of computer science in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.

As cloud computing is becoming more popular, new techniques to protect the systems must be developed. Since this type of computing is Internet-based, skilled computer specialists can control the main part of the system virtually — using software to emulate hardware.

Lin and his team programmed space travel to use existing code to gather information in a computer’s memory and automatically transfer it to a secure virtual machine — one that is isolated and protected from outside interference.

“You have an exact copy of the operating system of the computer inside the secure virtual machine that a hacker can’t compromise,” Lin said. “Using this machine, then the user or antivirus software can understand what’s happening with the space traveled computer setting off red flags if there is any intrusion.

Previously, software developer had to manually write such tools.

“With our technique, the tools already being used on the computer become part of the defense process,” he said.

The gap between virtualized computer hardware and software operating on top of it was first characterized by Drs. Peter Chen and Brian Noble, faculty members from the University of Michigan.

Courtesy: sciencedaily.com

Posted By

Mahesh.P

NEW EXTRA HARD DRIVE TO OUR SYSTEM

For some computer owners, finding enough storage space to hold all the data they’ve acquired is a real challenge. Some people invest in larger hard drives. Others prefer external storage devices like thumb drives or compact discs. Desperate computer owners might delete entire folders worth of old files in order to make space for new information. But some are choosing to rely on a growing trend: CLOUD STORAGE.

While cloud storage sounds like it has something to do with weather fronts and storm systems, it really refers to saving data to an off-site storage system maintained by a third party. Instead of storing information to your computer’s hard drive or other local storage device, you save it to a remote database. The Internet provides the connection between your computer and the database.

Here the  data center operators, in the background, virtualizes the resources according to the requirements of the customer and expose them as storage pools, which the customers can themselves use to store files or data objects. Means by using internet interfacing techniques we will be able to store the data we need in virtual storage devices of any server’s data base.

WHAT IS THIS CLOUD STORAGE?

Actually cloud storage is a sub-category of cloud computing which offer users access to not only storage, but also processing power and computer applications installed on a remote network.
There are hundreds of different cloud storage systems. Some have a very specific focus, such as storing Web e-mail messages or digital pictures. Others are available to store all forms of digital data. Some cloud storage systems are small operations, while others are so large that the physical equipment can fill up an entire warehouse. The facilities that house cloud storage systems are called data centers.
At its most basic level, a cloud storage system needs just one data server connected to the Internet. A client (e.g., a computer user subscribing to a cloud storage service) sends copies of files over the Internet to the data server, which then records the information. When the client wishes to retrieve the information, he or she accesses the data server through a Web-based interface. The server then either sends the files back to the client or allows the client to access and manipulate the files on the server itself.
Cloud storage systems generally rely on hundreds of data servers. Because computers occasionally require maintenance or repair, it’s important to store the same information on multiple machines. This is called redundancy. Without redundancy, a cloud storage system couldn’t ensure clients that they could access their information at any given time. Most systems store the same data on servers that use different power supplies. That way, clients can access their data even if one power supply fails.

IMPORTANT FACTORS OF CLOUD STORAGE:

  The two main factors effecting cloud storage are Reliability and Security. Clients surely doubt about the privacy of their data stored over internet and also about the security whether his/her data is not lost.
To secure data, most systems use a combination of techniques, including:
Encryption: this means usage of complex algorithms to encode the information. To decode those encrypted files client need to have a unique encryption key. This leads to immobilization of hackers to access your data without the password.

Authentication: it is a process, which requires creating a user name and password.

Authorization: means here the client lists the people who are authorized to access information stored on the cloud system.

These preventive measures prove their existence by securing the client’s information from hackers. And the cloud storage companies exist by their reputation in their field.
Some examples of cloud storage are
Web e-mail providers like Gmail, Hotmail and yahoo mail store e-mail messages on their own servers. Users can access their e-mail from computers and other devices connected to the Internet.

Sites like Flickr and Picasa host millions of digital photographs. Their users create online photo albums by uploading pictures directly to the services’ servers.

YouTube hosts millions of user-uploaded video files.

Now a days so many websites are offering this cloud storage facility and one of the best site is Click Here

And also there are few other sites like Ninefold and so on. Here we can store our information up to 10GB and this space can be extended for premium users.

Posted by

Gopi chand ( MGIT ECE 3rd year)

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Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is a technology that uses the internet and central remote servers to maintain data and applications. Cloud computing allows consumers and businesses to use applications without installation and access their personal files at any computer with internet access. This technology allows for much more efficient computing by centralizing storage, memory, processing and bandwidth.

A simple example of cloud computing is Yahoo email or Gmail etc. You dont need a software or a server to use them. All a consumer would need is just an internet connection and you can start sending emails. The server and email management software is all on the cloud ( internet) and is totally managed by the cloud service provider Yahoo , Google etc. The consumer gets to use the software alone and enjoy the benefits. The analogy is , ‘If you only need milk , would you buy a cow ?’ (All the users or consumers need is to get the benefits of using the software or hardware of the computer like sending emails etc. Just to get this benefit (milk) why should a consumer buy a (cow) software /hardware ?

History of Cloud computing

Cloud computing didn’t just arrive on the scene. In one way it has been a process that also played out across many industries. The best economies are always achieved when large numbers of product creation, services or operations are carried out under one roof.Computerworld’s Mary Brandel reported in March that an IBM survey found 76 percent of CIOs expected to have “strongly centralized infrastructure” within five years. Brandel reported that IBM itself had shrunk its data centers from 155 to just five.

But while individual IT operations at companies have always fluctuated between being centralized one decade and decentralized the next, what might force many to remain centralized this time is the growing possibility of the cloud. That possibility, many believe, began in the late 1960s when J.C.R. Licklider inspired the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) to evolve.

Scott Griffin, a journalism and mass communication student, wrote his master’s project on Internet Pioneers and included Licklider. Described as an “idea man” Licklider took a circuitous route to inspire the creation of the Internet, and more. Besides doing research for the Air Force during World War II, he did a stint at MIT where he was first introduced to a computer that could do calculations in real time. From that point on Licklider planted the seeds for the development of not only the Internet, but also “graphical computing, point-and-click interfaces, digital libraries, e-commerce, online banking, and software that would exist on a network and migrate to wherever it was needed.”

According to Larry Roberts, the primary ARPANET architect:

“Lick had this concept of the intergalactic network which he believed was everybody could use computers anywhere and get at data anywhere in the world… He didn’t have a clue how to build it. He didn’t have any idea how to make this happen. But he knew it was important, so he sat down with me and really convinced me that it was important and convinced me into making it happen.”

Cloud Computing Architecture

When talking about a cloud computing system, it’s helpful to divide it into two sections: the front end and the back end. They connect to each other through a network, usually the Internet. The front end is the side the computer user, or client, sees. The back end is the “cloud” section of the system.

The front end includes the client’s computer (or computer network) and the application required to access the cloud computing system. Not all cloud computing systems have the same user interface. Services like Web-based e-mail programs leverage existing Web browsers like Internet Explorer or Firefox. Other systems have unique applications that provide network access to clients.

A central server administers the system, monitoring traffic and client demands to ensure everything runs smoothly. It follows a set of rules called protocols and uses a special kind of software called middleware. Middleware allows networked computers to communicate with each other.On the back end of the system are the various computers, servers and data storage systems that create the “cloud” of computing services. In theory, a cloud computing system could include practically any computer program you can imagine, from data processing to video games. Usually, each application will have its own dedicated server.

Cloud Computing Applications

The applications of cloud computing are practically limitless. With the right middleware, a cloud computing system could execute all the programs a normal computer could run. Potentially, everything from generic word processing software to customized computer programs designed for a specific company could work on a cloud computing system.

If a cloud computing company has a lot of clients, there’s likely to be a high demand for a lot of storage space. Some companies require hundreds of digital storage devices. Cloud computing systems need at least twice the number of storage devices it requires to keep all its clients’ information stored. That’s because these devices, like all computers, occasionally break down. A cloud computing system must make a copy of all its clients’ information and store it on other devices. The copies enable the central server to access backup machines to retrieve data that otherwise would be unreachable. Making copies of data as a backup is called redundancy.

Who’s Who in Cloud Computing

Some of the companies researching cloud computing are big names in the computer industry. Microsoft, IBM and Google are investing millions of dollars into research. Some people think Apple might investigate the possibility of producing interface hardware for cloud computing systems.

Why would anyone want to rely on another computer system to run programs and store data? Here are just a few reasons:

• Clients would be able to access their applications and data from anywhere at any time. They could access the cloud computing system using any computer linked to the Internet. Data wouldn’t be confined to a hard drive on one user’s computer or even a corporation’s internal network.
• It could bring hardware costs down. Cloud computing systems would reduce the need for advanced hardware on the client side. You wouldn’t need to buy the fastest computer with the most memory, because the cloud system would take care of those needs for you. Instead, you could buy an inexpensive computer terminal. The terminal could include amonitor, input devices like a keyboard and mouse and just enough processing power to run the middleware necessary to connect to the cloud system. You wouldn’t need a large hard drive because you’d store all your information on a remote computer.
• Corporations that rely on computers have to make sure they have the right software in place to achieve goals. Cloud computing systems give these organizations company-wide access to computer applications. The companies don’t have to buy a set of software or software licenses for every employee. Instead, the company could pay a metered fee to a cloud computing company.
• Servers and digital storage devices take up space. Some companies rent physical space to store servers and databases because they don’t have it available on site. Cloud computing gives these companies the option of storing data on someone else’s hardware, removing the need for physical space on the front end.
• Corporations might save money on IT support. Streamlined hardware would, in theory, have fewer problems than a network of heterogeneous machines and operating systems.
  
• If the cloud computing system’s back end is a grid computing system, then the client could take advantage of the entire network’s processing power. Often, scientists and researchers work with calculations so complex that it would take years for individual computers to complete them. On a grid computing system, the client could send the calculation to the cloud for processing. The cloud system would tap into the processing power of all available computers on the back end, significantly speeding up the calculation.

While the benefits of cloud computing seem convincing, are there any potential problems?

Cloud Computing Concerns

Perhaps the biggest concerns about cloud computing are security and privacy. The idea of handing over important data to another company worries some people. Corporate executives might hesitate to take advantage of a cloud computing system because they can’t keep their company’s information under lock and key.

The counterargument to this position is that the companies offering cloud computing services live and die by their reputations. It benefits these companies to have reliable security measures in place. Otherwise, the service would lose all its clients. It’s in their interest to employ the most advanced techniques to protect their clients’ data.

Private Eyes Are Watching You

There are a few standard hacker tricks that could cause cloud computing companies major headaches. One of those is called key logging. A key logging program records keystrokes. If a hacker manages successfully to load a key logging program on a victim’s computer, he or she can study the keystrokes to discover user names and passwords. Of course, if the user’s computer is just a streamlined terminal, it might be impossible to install the program in the first place.

Privacy is another matter. If a client can log in from any location to access data and applications, it’s possible the client’s privacy could be compromised. Cloud computing companies will need to find ways to protect client privacy. One way is to use authentication techniques such as user names and passwords. Another is to employ an authorization format — each user can access only the data and applications relevant to his or her job.

Some questions regarding cloud computing are more philosophical. Does the user or company subscribing to the cloud computing service own the data? Does the cloud computing system, which provides the actual storage space, own it? Is it possible for a cloud computing company to deny a client access to that client’s data? Several companies, law firms and universities are debating these and other questions about the nature of cloud computing.

How will cloud computing affect other industries? There’s a growing concern in the IT industry about how cloud computing could impact the business of computer maintenance and repair. If companies switch to using streamlined computer systems, they’ll have fewer IT needs. Some industry experts believe that the need for IT jobs will migrate to the back end of the cloud computing system.

Another area of research in the computer science community is autonomic computing. An autonomic computing system is self-managing, which means the system monitors itself and takes measures to prevent or repair problems. Currently, autonomic computing is mostly theoretical. But, if autonomic computing becomes a reality, it could eliminate the need for many IT maintenance jobs but at the same time creating some new ones.

Courtesy : http://www.wikipedia.com

http://www.constructioncloudcomputing.com

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