EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CENTER
Are You Computing in the Clouds?
Understanding Cloud Computing
DIANE J. SKIBA
OR WEEKS NOW, THERE HAS BEEN TALK IN THE MEDIA
ABOUT
I CLOUD
TM
AND
OTHER
CLOUD
SERVICES
OFFERED BY AMAZON AND GOOGLE. I recently did a preconference on
cloud computing with Dennis Crain, senior research program manager
for the Extreme Computing Group at Microsoft Research (yes, I am a Mac
person, but I can work with PC people), so I am up to speed on the concept
and can share some of the basics on its use in higher education, research,
and health care.
What Is Cloud Computing? There are numerous definitions, but, as
usual, I like to start with Educauses 7 Things You Should Know: Cloud computing is the delivery of scalable IT resources over the Internet, as opposed
to hosting and operating those resources locally, such as on a college or
university network (2009). Hurwitz, Bloor, Kaufman, and Halper, in
[Link] (2011), provide an easy-to-understand definition: Cloud
computing is a networking solution in which everything from computing
power to computing infrastructure, applications, business processes to personal collaboration can be delivered to you as a service wherever and
whenever you need. The cloud refers to the set of hardware, networks,
storage, services, and interfaces that combine to deliver aspects of computing as a service.
For a more comprehensive view, the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) defines cloud computing as a model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services)
that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management
effort or service provider interaction (2011, p. 2). NIST further describes
five essential characteristics of cloud computing. I have tried to simplify
them as follows:
On-demand self-service Access the necessary computing services (storage or server time) on demand, without necessarily human interaction with
the cloud service provider.
Broad network access Access cloud services from a variety of Internetcapable devices, such as laptops or smart phones.
Resource pooling The cloud service provider uses what is called a multitenant model in which computing resources are pooled, assigned, and reassigned according to consumer demands. (You may be using computing
resources from data centers across the world.)
Rapid elasticity Consumers can purchase services that are scaled up
or down, depending on need. (Although consumers may feel they have
unlimited resources, there will always be a limit.)
Measured service Cloud services usually operate according to a pay-peruse business model that allows their systems to leverage resource use.
THE AD VA NTAG ES Cloud computing, which is sometimes referred
to as utility computing, has several advantages: a) Users tap into this utility, just
as we tap into the electrical grid. b) There are cost savings. Information technology (IT) departments can meet user demands without worrying about
capital expenses (servers), software licensing, and the labor involved in
upgrading and maintaining software. c) Scalability allows for an IT depart-
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ment to provide users with access to services when they need them and use
them. (Often IT departments get requests for expensive computational software products, with no way to predict actual usage; the licensing agreement
and supporting staff may be under- or overutilized.) d) The metrics of pay as
you grow provide valuable data to examine usage. e) A user can access services from multiple devices, anytime and anywhere.
THE S ERVICE MODELS To further understand the concept, it is
important to know the three different service models.
IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) An organization or consumer does
not need to own servers, hardware, or network capacity to operate the necessary service. A client, such as a university or an individual consumer, would
access the infrastructure and pay on a per-access basis. Examples are
Amazons EC2 and GoGrid.
PaaS (Platform as a Service) The organization or individual does not
need to own the operating system or necessary supporting software to use
the application. Rather, operating systems and associated services are delivered over the Internet without downloads or installation. Examples are
Google App Engine and Heroku.
SaaS (Software as a Service) In this software distribution model, applications are provided by the cloud service host and made accessible via the
Internet. An example in higher education would be providing access to
Gmail, instead of having a university email system for students.
DEPLOYMENT MODELS There are four deployment models: public,
private, community, and hybrid. At this point, the public cloud is where the
bulk of services are available. As the name implies, institutions or consumers
have access to a public service and pay as they go. The private cloud is operated solely for an organization. As Metz (2010) notes, there is much debate
as to whether a private cloud is really cloud computing since it does not
meet all the essential characteristics of the cloud. The community cloud is
shared by several organizations and, as Metz points out, is the least developed area. A consortium of schools might be a good example of a community cloud. Finally, organizations may choose to use a hybrid cloud deployment
model, for example, a combination of private and public cloud computing.
Cloud Computing Explained by Metz provides detailed information, along
with video clips, to demonstrate these concepts.
Who Is Using Cloud Computing? In the 2009 Horizon Report,
Johnson, Levine, and Smith (2009) projected a one- to two-year horizon
for the adoption of cloud computing. Nagel (2011) reports on the
CDW-G 2011 Cloud Computing Tracking Poll ([Link]
[Link]/features/[Link]), which showed that the vast
majority of higher education institutions are using some form of cloud
technology, though most dont seem to know it. Thirty-four percent of
respondents identified their institutions as cloud adopters, but a full 82
percent reported that their institutions use one or more technologies that
are based in the cloud.
The survey involved 1,200 IT professionals in small, medium, and large
businesses; federal, state, and local government agencies; health care organizations; and K-12 and higher education institutions. Here are some of the
major findings. First, business and higher education lead the adoption of
cloud computing with 37 percent and 34 percent, respectively; health
care is at 30 percent; and the lowest adoption percentage is small business, 21 percent. Cloud applications are email, file storage, web conferencing, online learning, and video conferencing. The top five services
across all the organizations are Gmail, 34 percent; Google Docs, 29
percent; Microsoft Live Meeting, 29 percent; WebEx, 28 percent; and
GoToMeeting, 24 percent.
Of those using cloud services, 8 percent said that they have already
successfully reduced costs, with the average reported savings 21 percent.
For higher education, 76 percent had average savings of 21 percent; for
health care, 88 percent had average savings of 21 percent. The top three
roadblocks to cloud computing were: security (41 percent), costs (40
percent), and privacy regulation/requirement compliance concerns (26
percent). Both higher education and health care projected increased
use in the next five years.
The
economies of scale, no capital expenditures, and on-demand services
are three primary reasons higher education is examining the use of
cloud computing. The obvious uses are the ability to share documents,
edit collaboratively, and effectively manage versions of documents, presentations, media sources for online courses, syllabi, publications, and
research datasets. The ability to conduct large-scale research studies,
using unique computational software for analyses, is another obvious
use.
Here are some examples of clouds used in higher education provided
in the 2009 Horizon Report (Johnson et al., 2009):
University of Illinois Cloud Testbed: [Link]/news/
[Link]?id=2008Jul29-352
University of Wisconsin at Madison Open Sciences:
[Link]
North Carolina State University Virtual Computing Lab:
[Link]
Thomas Edison School of Nursing uses cloud computing, specifically
Google Docs, to develop, offer, and manage course content for all
online nursing programs. Students can access and view content from
any computer or mobile device. Thomas Edison presented this work at
the Rutgers University 29th International Conference on Nursing
Technology. (Contact the School of Nursing at nursing@[Link].)
Why Use Cloud Computing in Higher Education?
How Might You Use Cloud Computing in Health Care? In
a recent publication titled Healthcare & the Cloud (2011), Easylink
Services ([Link]) provides the following examples of cloud
applications:
Email-based faxing (increased post-acute admissions; improved HIPAA
compliance)
Online drug usage portal (Colorado Prescription Drug Monitoring
Program where physicians can look up narcotic drug prescriptions for
individual files in the state)
ePrescription services across organizations
Data management and performance analytics (Surgical IS Analytics
where one can examine and compare OR costs, usage, supply, expense)
Health ATM, which uses integrated Google cloud services, provides
the underserved with access to health information. The services provided
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CENTER
Sidebar. To Learn More About Cloud Computing
Bristow, R., Dodds, T., Northam, R. & Plugge, L. (2010, May/June). Cloud computing and the power to choose. Educause Review, 4(3), 14-30.
Educause Cloud Computing 101. Available at: [Link]/Cloud101
Katz, R. (Ed.). (2006). The tower and the cloud: Higher education in the age of cloud computing. [Link]/Resources/
TheTowerandtheCloudHigherEduca/163293
include gMail, Google Calendar, Google News for Health Information and
Education, Google Contacts, Google Maps, and Google Health (personal
health record) (Botts, Thomas, Noamani, & Horan, 2010). (Contact
[Link]@[Link] for more information.)
The Wellness Cloud (Yang, Chiang, Lui, Wen, & Chuang, 2010) is a prototype of how the cloud can be used to promote wellness, with patients communicating and accessing data from smartphones or laptops. The services
include a daily diary of ones wellness program, recommendations for
lifestyle changes, social network services with family, friends, and providers,
alerts for medical issues, and using location and context aware technology
to delivery appropriate health promotion aid services information to
clients, such as weather conditions for joggers or the smog index for those
with asthma or COPD. (Contact [Link]@[Link] for
more information.)
A recent article (Beyers, 2010) identified three examples of cloud computing in health care:
Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health: calculating differential
gene expressions in large RNA sequencing datasets
Three independent radiation oncology medical practices share clinical
decision support system and consultation (BreastNet, AZ Breast Cancer
Specialists, and AZ Institute for Breast Health Foundation)
Sharp Community Medical Group Collaborative Care Solution: clinical
decision support tools for 640 practicing physicians.
Cloud Computing in Your Future: What Steps Should You
Take? According to the Pew Internet and American Lifes Future of
Cloud Computing study (Anderson & Rainie, 2010), a majority (71 percent) of technology experts project that they will live mostly in the
cloud by 2020 using networked devices instead of desktop computers.
Others believe a cloud-desktop hybrid will exist until certain barriers are
addressed, security and privacy in particular. The report concludes: The
very essence of the idea of cloud computing continues to evolve, as does
every aspect of the internet; it is difficult to predict what will happen
because there are continuous adjustments to new realities and limitations,
but we know that the drive to gain access to information everywhere and
the rapid evolution of the tools to do this will continue to bring massive
change (p. 22).
Now that you have the basics of cloud computing and some examples, it
is time for you to approach your organization and find out what cloud computing opportunities are available. I would suggest you contact your IT or
Computing Services Department. Here are some questions you can ask:
What cloud computing services are available? What are the costs?
How do the university/college and the service provider ensure security
and manage identity information? (Suess & Morooney, 2009)
What are their views on the pros and cons of using cloud services?
Are there plans to include more cloud services?
Have any cost analyses to examine potential savings from using cloud
services been performed?
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How can nursing be included in plans for the future?
More information is in the Sidebar. And, as always, I hope to hear from
you. How are you using cloud services in your institution for education,
research, or practice applications? I can be reached via Facebook, or email
me at [Link]@[Link]. NLN
References
Anderson, J., & Rainie, K. (2010, June 10). The future of cloud computing.
Pew Internet and American Life Project. Retrieved from
[Link]
Beyers, J. (2010, December). Cloud computing and clinical apps: Beyond
storage. CMIO Magazine. Retrieved from
[Link]/[Link]?option=com_articles&article=25427
Botts, N., Thomas, B., Noamani, A. & Horan, T. (2010). Cloud computing
architectures for the underserved: Public health cyberinfrastructures
through a network of healthATMs. Proceedings of the 43rd Hawaii
International Conference on System Sciences. Retrieved from
[Link]/[Link]?s=publications&p=conference_proceedings
Educause. (2009, August). 7 things you should know about cloud computing.
Retrieved from [Link]/Resources/
7ThingsYouShouldKnowAboutCloud/176856
Hurwitz, J., Bloor, R., Kaufman, & Halper, F. (2011). What is cloud computing?
Retrieved from [Link]/how-to/content/
[Link]
Johnson, L., Levine, A., & Smith, R. (2009). The 2009 Horizon Report. Austin,
TX: New Media Consortium.
Metz, R. (2010). Cloud computing explained. Educause Quarterly, 33(2).
Retrieved from [Link]/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/
EDUCAUSEQuarterlyMagazineVolum/CloudComputingExplained/206526
Nagel, D. (2011, May 26). Campus IT plans for increased cloud adoption.
Campus Technology. Retrieved from [Link]
articles/2011/05/26/[Link]
Suess, J., & Morooney, K. (2009). Identity management and trust services:
Foundations for cloud computing. Educause Review, 44(5), 25-42.
US Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and
Technology. (2011, January). The NIST definition of cloud computing (draft):
Recommendations of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (Special
Publication 800-145). Retrieved from [Link]
800-145/Draft-SP-800-145_cloud-[Link]
Yang, P. C., Chiang, J. H., Lui, J. C., Wen, Y. L., & Chuang, K. Y. (2010,
December 13-15). An efficient cloud for wellness self-management devices and
services. Fourth International Conference on Genetic and Evolutionary
Computing, Shenzhen, China.
