Cloud Computing and Reliability, Availability As Well As Its Performance
Down time is one important aspect that creates serious problems for the reliability of cloud computing. Shopkeepers have to deal with hundreds of customers through phone and they book their orders by checking their inventories online. One can understand that a downtime of half an hour would result in a number of angry customers.
Usually with the cloud computing system the normal down time can be in days which create serious consequences for the shop keepers and other business people. In these circumstances the in house server and database system looks more favorable; you can request your repair guy to fix the problem. Down times can seriously jeopardize the object of your business. Especially one can understand the implications this downtime can cause if the business transactions involve millions of dollars. The results will be catastrophic.
Cloud computing users suffer at the hands of the unplanned downtime. These downtimes are unplanned and do not come with a prior warning, so you got stuck with your business tasks because you cannot access your resources neither can you use all services. Even some of the largest vendors have suffered heavily through the unplanned downtime of cloud computing. A few of the names that suffered were Google and Amazon. A number of cloud computing systems are bound by tough SLA’s (service level agreements), these agreements are used to make sure that the system provides through and comprehensive services as promised.
Under tough SLA’s planned downtime is allowed. A number of cloud system providers also provide guarantees for their services, for example ENKI provides cloud capabilities by AppLogic and they provide guarantees for their continuous uptime as they have the ultimate self-healing properties. No matter how reliable the cloud computing system, you cannot stop an unplanned downtime. Research has shown that the most cloud computing downtime is caused by human error.
Another method to make system reliable is to get periodical system backups. A number of cloud computing systems provide system backup options and features, AppLogic is top product. Due to the high reliability of this storage solution people often think that making data backups is wastage of time. However they forget that cloud computing downtime or failure can also be the result of any other factor than hardware failure.
Human error, breaking into someone’s computer, software corruption or bugs and last but not the least misfeasance. Cloud computing is also known for its high potential and cheap solutions. The platform also provides cheap large storage space where you can keep your data backups. You can also place your data on other cloud computing networks just to keep things safe. But you need to keep the fact in mind that remote backup services can cost you a bit. And in a cloud computing system, you pay for what you use.
Cloud computing have serious reliability issues as there no graphic interface where you can actually see the status of the services. You are actually sitting blind, therefore you just cannot avoid and unplanned downtime. You will never know if your system or database is down or there has been any security breach. Although customers have complained to develop a monitoring service through which it will be monitored if the system is working fine. This monitoring service is now available and it will provide a report by running an artificial transaction on your system. So you can compare times to find out if any this is wrong. Reliability of cloud computing systems is also challenged with security factor. Hankers, viruses, spywares, malware all these threats can have devastating affects if they get access to your information. Viruses will simply corrupt your files and date warehouses and spyware will send all important information to its back tracking address. Again you will be sitting in the dark and there is not possible way to check real-time if there has been a security breach or not.
Although cloud computing has provided a break through solution to our computing needs however, it is very much challenged by reliability issues. Life has been made easy as we let others serve us who are better at what they do; they are experts of their respective fields. A number of organizations still run traditional and conventional services along with cloud computing just be on the safe side. Fate of cloud computing is being challenged today with recent service crash in last February regarding You Tube, Hotmail and Blackberry. Because of these failures people have raise concerns regarding the service outages and compliance issues. A number of potential clients have also challenged the enforceability of the Service Level agreements and the others have also challenged how the amount of the bill is calculated.
Although these challenges are still being answered but one just cannot ignore the potential information exposure that is possible with only cloud computing system. Even advanced cloud systems like enterprise cloud, virtual cloud computing and managed private cloud system are about to be launched, as people embrace for the launch form more complex cloud systems. Some of the customers are showing their concerns as of risks that are associated with these systems. At the moment market survey has shown that there are greater numbers of risk as compared to incentives with cloud computing. As Mr. Frank Gens, Senior Vice President at IDC stated, “The worries outweigh the benefits right now”. Apart from other risks people are also showing great concerns towards the availability and performance of the cloud computing.
At present time companies and cloud clients are not taking chances at all. Trusting some else with their own personal data is a big thing to ask and this question cannot be answered in a single sitting. Companies at the moment are giving the cloud computing a try. It is like they are dipping their toe in the cloud to check it out, to observe its functionality more closely. With cloud computing apart from all risks and doubts, the future still looks bright. The future looks cloudy.
