Within the Cloud: Technical Concepts of Cloud Computing - Deploying and Managing a Cloud Infrastructure - page 79

more expensive to implement compared to a solution that does not use data replication for
redundancy.
Resource Provisioning and Virtualization Resource provisioning and virtualization are key
features of cloud computing, and the infrastructure must be able to reflect these two aspects.
Though cloud computing data center hardware is homogeneous and used in a simple environ-
ment, the virtual environment makes up for that with its complexity. The cloud environment
is a complex jumble that relies heavily on special algorithms that are used to allocate various
resources like CPU, RAM, and hard drive capacity. Each of these resources is virtually pro-
visioned to customers and users as virtual machines or virtual computers, with each having a
set amount of computing resources.
When required, more computing power can be added to existing virtual machines, or more
machines can be provisioned. Users only need to pay for what they provision; this is the
utility computing aspect of cloud computing.
In the technological community, there have always been two opposing sides: open source
and proprietary. The same goes for cloud computing infrastructure design, and we will
explore both.
Open Source
In the world of computing, the term open source is often associated with the words rebel
and freedom fighter. . That was the sentiment decades ago. That is no longer the case for the
majority, and open source doesn't really mean free anymore; it simply means freely acces-
sible, but people have been making money out of open-source solutions for a long time.
What really comes to mind when people use the term open source today is security and reli-
ability, or the lack thereof. Which is more secure, more reliable, open-source or proprietary
solutions? That entirely depends on what application you need.
Because cloud computing is the new global standard for delivering business applications
and is meant to serve everyone, open-source solutions were not far behind. And now open
source platforms have matured enough that cloud providers have become more confident in
them and are deploying them for their customers.
But open source is not for everyone; it is for those that can embrace change, and lots
of it. Open-source platforms and infrastructure tend to constantly evolve as more input is
added from all the contributors and newer standards are drafted. This happens quicker as
new technology perceived to increase workflow and provide other benefits is developed. So
for companies that embrace fast-paced change and are able to keep up, open source is an
appealing solution. But its ever-evolving nature can prove to be a challenge for cloud pro-
viders that may not have the expertise to manage complex technology.
There are a few open-source initiatives in the world of cloud computing, and they now
have gotten a lot of backing, especially from open-source-embracing giants like Google
and Facebook, who have worked closely with these initiatives to push for a powerful, ever-
evolving technology within the reach of anyone willing to embrace it.