Archive for the ‘About Cloud Hosting’ Category

Insight on How Cloud Hosting Works

Friday, September 21st, 2012

A few years ago, cloud hosting was introduced. Many companies have adopted this technology for providing hosting services to their clients. The client may not be aware of any differences from traditional hosting, but will benefit from the additional features. To see what exactly you are getting, it makes sense to learn how cloud hosting works.

A major difference is that instead of working interfacing with a single web server, a client interfaces with a virtual cloud. The cloud consists of a number of servers which collectively contribute to its performance. This kind of configuration is much more flexible to changing demands than a dedicated server.

As with traditional hosting, a client can subscribe to a public cloud or have his or her own private cloud. In the case of a public cloud, different people have their own allocated area. Even though it is shared, each allocated area cannot be accessed by unauthorized individuals. Customers are also able to apply for a private cloud. In this instance, only the client has access.

In the past, most hosting packages had extremely strict conditions. Each user had a specified amount of disk space. A maximum amount of bandwidth usage was also allowed. These limitations were strictly enforced and the user was heavily penalized when these were exceeded. When users wanted an upgrade, it often come with a sharp increase in subscription as well. These barriers are often not as strictly enforced with cloud hosting.

When individuals apply for cloud hosting services, it often comes with unlimited disk space and bandwidth. Cloud hosting is extremely flexible regarding the addition of resources. Servers can be added or removed from an existing cloud with ease. This makes it possible to change storage space and bandwidth with ease. In addition, this technology has brought down the price that people pay per unit.

Throughout the day, there is a great variation in the volume of Internet traffic. This influences overall performance. During periods when the Internet volume is at high levels, web hosts had a limited amount of bandwidth at their disposal to offer users. They have the ability to commission another server to the cloud with ease, so that they are able to deal with the increased demand. This can often be achieved without any noticeable difference to their subscribers.

One of the big advantages is that it is possible load applications to areas of the cloud where all users have access. Anybody with access to the Internet will be able to use these applications. Files will be stored in secure areas requiring authorization.

Businesses have another added advantage. In many aspects they can replace their LAN with a cloud. When they add their software requirements to their cloud, they have an environment for doing work from any location where they are able to access the Internet.

When one looks at how cloud hosting works, it is obvious that it provides a great mobile environment. All that is needed is a connection to the Internet. With such a connection it is possible to surf the Internet or do your work from wherever you are.

 

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Up’s and Down’s of Cloud Hosting

Friday, September 7th, 2012

‘Why use cloud hosting?’ is a common question. Many people are wary of any new fad on the internet because of the many rip-offs that have occurred. But cloud hosting is something that you should seriously consider.

So why use cloud hosting? Let’s look at the following reasons.

Firstly cloud hosting can be used to store all sorts of apps and information. This means that you don’t have to have a huge storage capacity on your computer or keep upgrading your hardware to the latest model.

Secondly while on the subject of hardware you can use almost any device to access the cloud host. So you can use your laptop, your tablet, a smartphone and of course your big old trusty pc. This is a huge advantage because it means that your information is as mobile as you are. You are no longer reliant on only one piece of hardware to access all your info; you can use any of your web connected devices.

The next stop on the way to answering your question on why use cloud hosting is security. To begin with cloud hosts have improved and continue to improve their security measures. This gives you peace of mind knowing that your information and access has the latest security measures in place and they are being continually upgraded. The question to ask here is do you continually upgrade security on your devices? I’m betting that you are like most people who don’t do this. Another factor about security is that if you have multiple devices then you provide several opportunities for hackers and cyber thieves to access your information. With cloud hosting they only get one opportunity and their chances of succeeding are extremely small.

For businesses requiring a network of technology equipment the cloud offers them a huge saving. It means businesses don’t have to upgrade all of their hardware, they have way less chance of a security breach, they don’t have to invest a huge amount of time in updating their hardware programs because once it’s on the net it’s available to everybody in their network, the cloud doesn’t need to be upgraded by the business because the cloud host is continually upgrading its services and all of this means that the whole process is extremely agile and quick to implement new programs, services, information or whatever new apps that a business, and individuals, need.

Basically the short answer to why use cloud hosting is that cloud computingwill store data, interact with that data and deliver the data to whoever is eligible to access it. This also means that several people can be accessing this data at the same time which means all those that need to be involved are on the same page. This alone cuts back on time through wastage because of meetings and travel.

So why use cloud hosting? Because it can save you a lot of money, time, is ultra-convenient and one day soon we will all be wondering how we managed without it.

 

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What’s the Technology Behind Cloud Computing?

Monday, August 13th, 2012

Jacqui Lane takes the time to explore the technology behind cloud computing. If you’ve paid any attention at all to tech news in the past few years, you’ve probably heard the term “cloud computing” at least once. It’s a phrase many people are familiar with, even if they don’t know exactly what it means. The technology that makes up cloud computing is something most Internet users take advantage of on a regular basis, although they may not realize it.

  1. Definition
  • According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, cloud computing is a technology that offers remote access to a shared pool of computing resources such as storage, servers and applications that can be accessed and altered without much interaction with the service provider. In simpler terms, cloud computing enables you to perform actions that would normally be done on your computer – like using software – from any computer over the Internet. Web mail is one example of everyday cloud use: instead of using an email client that downloads your mail to your hard drive, Web mail is accessible from any computer as long as you have an Internet connection.

How it Works

  • Cloud computing is divided into two parts, the service end and the user end. The service end is the constellation of various Internet servers where data and applications are hosted. These put the “cloud” in cloud computing. Although the cloud may be made up of hundreds or thousands of servers, they’re configured to work together as if they were one unit, pooling their collective computing power. The user end is made up of the businesses and individuals who access the data and applications stored on these servers. Some cloud applications, such as Web-based email and photo-sharing services, provide access through your browser. Others use custom software to access the cloud. In general, an active Internet connection is needed to use Cloud services, and when your connection is down, so is your ability to do Cloud-dependent tasks.

Business Uses

  • Businesses can use cloud computing to store data and host software that would otherwise use their own servers. The benefits of cloud computing for business include the ability to rapidly allocate more resources from the cloud, if necessary, to prevent downtime. Cloud services are shared with other users and sold on a metered basis, so for many businesses it’s a more affordable solution than purchasing and maintaining their own network infrastructure.

Consumer Uses

  • For consumers, the cloud takes many forms. Free email services, like Yahoo and Gmail, are considered part of the cloud. Cloud storage – when you upload your data to the cloud so that you can access it from anywhere – is another common use. Common examples include uploading photos to Facebook, keeping files backed up on DropBox and accessing your CD library via Apple’s iCloud. Another application, used by both businesses and consumers, is Software as a Service. SaaS providers offer access to software installed in the cloud, eliminating the need for you to install it on your individual computer. Google Docs, the free word-processing suite from Google, is an example of SaaS – you can create and edit documents from any Web browser without ever having to install anything.

 

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