Education

Is Cloud an Adopted Brother of Virtualization or Not?

Sep 2nd

Is Cloud an Adopted Brother of Virtualization or Not?

By Nimantha (CloudTweaks)

Cloud computing came into the lime light very recently and became an instant hit among lot of people, especially CTO’s of different enterprises. Virtualization, the close friend of cloud computing was there for a longer period of time, but with the emergence of cloud, it was given the step mothers treatment. Still it didn’t die from our minds because Cloud and Virtualization did stick together most of the time rather than not. So then the argument began, Does Cloud and Virtualization does carry the same concept or is it different? Let’s figure it out.

What is Virtualization ?

The word virtualization defines of allowing multiplicity of access points from a single outlet. As an example, we can simply take interrelated personal computers that can each be accessed from whatever remote location. What it actually implies is that it will be using the internet to carry out activities that were previously done offline. In other words, the management or the CTO has decided that his organization would like to take control of the activities of that activity by going online rather than offline. Virtualization therefore always associates with technological development.

The best part of Virtualization is that the central command unit will be able to supervise the activities of outpost computers. This element is one which delights managers but it also causes some concern from civil liberties groups regarding their privacy.

What is Cloud Computing?

Well, here is the point where everyone gets confused. It is true that cloud computing utilizes the same basic principles as virtualization, but it involves the provision of externally managed IT services via hosted software, which allows IT systems to be managed from very remote locations where data is accessed and manipulated via a server.

As an example, lets say that there is a company in USA which wishes to reduce the budget they allocate for in-house developments, so what they decide to do is to totally outsource their IT developments to a company in India.

More >

Cloudtweaks VMWorld 2010 Updates and Agenda Report

Sep 1st

Posted by Malick in Awards

No comments

VMWorld 2010 Update By Malick

If you are not connected with the cloud, your individual mind would be a dumb terminal. Welcome to the VMWorld 2010!

VIRTUAL ROADS. ACTUAL CLOUDS: The statement ends as: Together we’ll travel from Virtual Roads to Actual Roads. Come engage. Leave enlightened. A true global event! 85 Countries represented in the audience. 17000 Attendees! And VMware announcing their Hybrid Cloud Computing Data Center! And claiming that already 4000 VMs (Virtual Machines) are created every hour! It is no secret that virtualization is the underlying driver of cloud computing. There is no cloud computing without virtualization! Well, one may say that virtualization is not the only enabler of cloud computing, but still, it is the key enabler. And VMWare is the pioneer in Virtualization. In the evolution of Information Technology, virtualization is a disrupting force.

Way back in 2004 itself, Gartner predicted that virtualisation will be the most disruptive technology in a decade

And this disruptive technology made cloud computing a reality. And cloud computing is promising a better IT environment today.

More >

How to Setup a WordPress blog on Rackspace? Beginner Tutorial

Aug 27th

Posted by cloudtweaks in Browser

No comments

How to Setup WordPress blog on Rackspace:

Rackspace is a cloud based web hosting application. You can host your blogs on Rackspace using WordPress, the most used and popular CMS blogging application tool on the market.

Some Easy Steps to Follow

You need to follow these steps to upload your blog files into the Rackspace cloud:

1. Open the Rackspace web application and Click on Hosting under Control Panel.

2. Choose web sites from the list of test sites, in case you haven’t created any test sites, you better create one before starting WordPress setup.

3. It will show the site information with traffic details of the selected web site.

4. Click on the Feature tab and select the database from the already existing databases in the table.

Continue…Setting Up The Database

More >

How to Use Amazon Simple Notification Service – Beginners Level Tutorial

Aug 16th

Posted by cloudtweaks in Amazon

1 comment

How to Use Amazon Simple Notification Service

SNS (Simple Notification Service) is one of the major web services provided by Amazon. As the name suggests, it is a web service used to send notifications over cloud network without having any hardware and software specifications. Specially designed for developers, this service is highly scalable, flexible and cost effective. Since it is a PAYG service; user has to pay only for the data he uses to transfer. The rates are predefined and you can choose the plan according to your need and convenience.

Amazon Simple Notification Service is very useful for the developers who want to publish messages from an application and deliver immediately to the receiver or the application over a cloud network.

(Click Images For Full Screen)

The main usages of SNS are:

Monitoring Applications
Updating sensitive information in system applications
Updating information in Mobile Application
Marinating workflow in the system

The following steps are required to start using Amazon SNS:

Open Amazon website using http://aws.amazon.com URL.
Go to “Products” and select Amazon Simple Notification service under “Messaging”.

This action will direct you to the SNS web page where you can see detailed information on Amazon Simple Notification service. You can see a link at the right corner this web page “Sign up for the SNS”. Click on this button.
The Amazon Sign in page appears, if you are an existing user and have an account then Sign in using your Amazon login credentials. You have to accept AWS Customer Agreement and enter the security image before signing up for the Simple Notification Service.
Once the information is verified, you can see the following page with the rates of Request, Notifications and data transfer for using Amazon SNS.

CONTINUE… More >

Thunder in the cloud: $6 cloud-based denial-of-service attack

Aug 11th

Posted by cloudtweaks in Apps

1 comment

When you hear the rumble of thunder, then you know the storm is near. Two security researchers warned that cloud-based denial-of-service attacks are looming on the horizon. With $6 and a homemade “Thunder Clap” program, security experts David Bryan and Michael Anderson managed to take down their client’s server with the help of Amazon’s EC2 cloud infrastructure.

The cloud-based denial-of-service attack was part of a DefCon presentation called, Cloud Computing, a Weapon of Mass Destruction? In the description for their DefCon talk, they wrote, “We have been using the cloud computing environment to test real world scenarios for different types of attacks, such as Distributed Denial of Service, Flooding, and Packet Fragmentation.”

According to a report from DarkReading, the security consultants told DefCon attendees, “With the help of the cloud, taking down small and midsize companies’ networks is easy.” Bryan said, “It’s essentially a town without a sheriff.”

After Bryan and Anderson entered a name and credit card number, the experts created a handful of virtual server instances on Amazon’s EC2. They started with only three virtual servers, uploaded their prototype attack tool, called Thunder Clap, scaled up to 10 servers, and then took their client’s company off the Internet.

More >

Why Cloud Based Computing is the Best Practice to Adopt

Aug 10th

Posted by cloudtweaks in Business

2 comments

Cloud based computing offers the most sought after advantages to corporations and all with reduced cost and easy implementation. With the passage of time corporations are becoming more specialized and skilled in their operations. Instead of doing everything themselves, they concentrate more on their specific area and get services from other vendors for related tasks. Cloud computing is one of such services in which companies are free from responsibilities to maintain and manage their data and to get software application for their routine operations.

Here are some advantages which make cloud computing the best practice to adopt.

1. Reduced Cost

Cloud based services greatly reduce the capital expenditure of software, hardware and services. In cloud based services companies have to pay only for what they use. It also saves a lot of space and hardware for the company’s DBMS.

2. More Agile

Cloud based services are more agile because vendors offer services on demand with no time wastage on software development and deployment. The changes in requirements are easy and fast to accommodate.

3. Scalability

Cloud based services suit business of all sizes and types. You don’t have to buy on all or none principal and don’t have to pay for services and modules you don’t use. Since the cloud based vendors charge on utility bill method, the corporations can add and subtract services from its usage as the requirements change.

4. Increased Storage

Corporations can have access to increased storage at a low price as compared to that of company servers or private computers.

5. Specialization of Operations

Cloud based services free your IT department resources from managing and maintaining the IT related tasks. So you can downsize your IT department and concentrate more on your business critical tasks to excel in the market.

More >

Six Critical Questions CIOs Should Ask Before Entering the Cloud

Aug 3rd

Posted by cloudtweaks in Apps

1 comment

PRWeb Farmington Hills, MI (Vocus) August 3, 2010

Fear of the unknown is a powerful emotion. But when you’re an IT exec, fear of the unknown – particularly when you’re talking about moving into the cloud – really comes down to fear of making a costly mistake. To help its customers navigate through the cloud computing conundrum, Logicalis, an international provider of integrated information and communications technology (ICT) solutions and services, has identified Six Critical Questions CIOs Should Ask Before Entering the Cloud.

At this point, most businesses have read enough about cloud computing to know that it can potentially offer additional capabilities and cost savings. And while CEOs and CFOs are pushing IT departments into the cloud to reap the financial rewards, CIOs and IT managers who haven’t yet bridged the gap between cloud and their own existing in-house services may feel a certain sense of trepidation every time the subject comes up.

Mike Martin, director of cloud computing at Logicalis says the thought of not knowing who has access to their organization’s data makes IT professionals concerned about how best to leverage the cloud while protecting their company’s sensitive data.

Asking six important questions, however, can help technology pros manage their risk in the cloud.

Six Critical Questions CIOs Should Ask Before Entering the Cloud

1. What’s My Bottom Line?

Identify the characteristics of the solutions that you are going to outsource that are most important to your company. Some examples include:

Determining if the cloud provider offers appropriate service level agreements (SLA)
Finding out how secure your data will be in the cloud
Knowing whether you need a cloud provider with specific regulatory expertise or data encryption options
Discovering if the cloud provider is financially sound
Ensuring they have the right experience to manage enterprise cloud services

2. How Transparent is that Cloud?

Be sure that the cloud provider you choose can supply detailed information about its security architecture. Request a copy of the provider’s Statement on Auditing No. 70 (SAS 70) audit controls which ensure that the provider meets government and industry requirements. The SAS 70, developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, covers data transmission and storage technology practices, including network operations, data safeguards, and physical security elements.

More >

How To Install and Run WordPress on AWS EC2?

Jul 23rd

Posted by cloudtweaks in Amazon

1 comment

Here is a fantastic illustration I’ve come across on how to get your WordPress site up and running in the cloud in 15 minutes. Very helpful!

Introduction

One thing we often hear from Web developers, especially those who offer Web site design and consulting services, is the need to get a Web site up quickly, which runs fast and gives them total control of the server for maximum flexibility and scalability. Today’s post offers a quick walkthrough on how to run WordPress on Amazon’s EC2 Cloud and the Microsoft Web Platform. After you followed the steps in this walkthrough you will have a live production WordPress blog on the Internet.
Here are quick summary of the steps you have to follow:

Sign up for Amazon EC2
Start an “Microsoft Web Platform – WordPress ” instance via the Amazon Web Services Management Console.
Retrieve the Administrator password and connect to the instance via RDP.
Finalize the WordPress installation.
Enter blog posts and browse to your blog.

1. Amazon EC2 Sign-up

Signing up for Amazon EC2 is a straightforward process. All you need is

a valid e-mail address,
a valid phone number you can be reached at (make sure the phone is nearby, you will be called during sign-up!),
and a valid credit card number

The sign-up URL is http://aws.amazon.com/ec2. It’s even easier if you are already an Amazon customer because you can use your existing credit card information and e-mail address.

Note: Billing data verification usually happens within minutes. It might take a couple of hours though. Currently (April 2010) the error message you get is not very meaningful:
“It looks like you don’t have an EC2 account*. To use the Amazon EC2 Console you must first sign up for Amazon EC2. It’s quick & free to sign up.”
Just be patient and wait for a little longer.

2. Starting an “Microsoft Web Platform – WordPress” Instance

Once you are signed up successfully you will have access to the Amazon EC2 Management Console. The URL is https://console.aws.amazon.com/ec2/home.

Once you are logged in make sure you switch your region to “US West”. The Microsoft Web Platform images are currently only available in the US West region. Before we do anything lets set up the firewall rules (called Security Groups in Amazon lingo) for your WordPress instance.

More >

Another Educational Institute Moves Into the Cloud (Digital Media Arts College)

Jul 16th

Posted by cloudtweaks in Cloud Computing

No comments

Enrollment Rx, LLC is pleased to announce that Digital Media Arts College (DMAC) has selected Enrollment Rx as the Enrollment Management CRM solution for the school’s Marketing and Admissions Departments.

Schiller Park, IL (PRWEB) July 16, 2010

Enrollment Rx, LLC is pleased to announce that Digital Media Arts College (DMAC) has selected Enrollment Rx as the Enrollment Management CRM solution for the school’s Marketing and Admissions Departments. Enrollment Rx augments DMAC’s legacy Student Information System (SIS) with a powerful product that manages the full life-cycle of prospective students, and empowers the school to accurately track, control, and report upon their entire Enrollment pool.

“We are very excited to integrate the capabilities of Enrollment Rx’s CRM solution; effectively streamlining our inquiry and admissions processes and workflows, improving and managing our relationships with prospective students and managing our budgets and campaign effectiveness. With the backing of Salesforce, we believe this is the optimal solution for our college’s current state and future growth,” said Corey Ganzman, Director of Marketing, Digital Media Arts College.

More >